FIRST BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER
Matthew 5:24
“…leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Romans 5:8-11 – God’s Demonstration of Love – reconciliation
- He didn’t wait until we got our act together
- He died to make it happen
- He did it while we were still enemies
- He now lives to make us whole
He now gives us calls us to demonstrate our love in the same way
Scripture – Acts 23:11 “The following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.’ ”
Observation – Paul has some difficult times ahead, however he can ‘be of good cheer’ because Jesus has spoken to Him and stood by Him – He has a word of faith and a meeting with the Lord to see him through. Circumstances don’t determine our ‘cheer’ but the knowledge we are in the will of God and that He is with us.
In the past there was a word that said he would be imprisoned in Jerusalem – but when Paul had God’s word nothing kept him from going forth to witness for the Lord.
Application – It is so helpful to have a word from the Lord. Nothing else can take us through the difficult times like a word from Him and knowing He will be with us. Paul was constantly led by the Spirit and so should we!
Prayer – Lord, how good it would be for You to turn up and stand by us and speak with us. However we can’t wait around waiting for a physical manifestation of the Lord. The Holy Spirit You have given us is always there to stand by us and speak to us.
Scripture – Leviticus 19:18 “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love you neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”
Observation – A large part of the law is about ‘loving your neighbour”. The Lord in this verse and surrounding verses wants to protect us as much as our neighbour. He knows that vengeance, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, tale-bearing and grudges hurt us too. We may need to reprove a neighbour but it needs to be done in love and not with a vindictive, sinful attitude. Even in the O.T. there is plenty to show that God is a God of love who wants His people to live in love and deal with sin justly and fairly.
Application – In the N.T. Jesus takes this further and commands us to love our enemies. To do all this we need an abundance of His grace and have a revelation of His mercy. Too quickly we want vengeance and hold grudges. This allows the old ways of our flesh to be in command. A society that loves only according to its emotions and prejudices will always lead to terrible consequences.
Prayer – Lord I am so grateful for Your love, and so thankful that I have Your Spirit to lead and guide us. I know that I will be unfair and prejudiced without Your wisdom. Thank You for being in us. Help me to walk in You ways and to discern by the Spirit and to love my neighbour and even my enemy as myself.
“The wicked flee when there is no one pursuing; but the righteous are as bold as a lion” Proverbs 28:1
Fear can be a terrible thing. It can so impact a person that they are paralyzed, even by imagined, non-existent enemies. The wicked (including those with a guilty conscience) are especially susceptible to fear. Also if the devil can bring us under condemnation or convince us that God doesn’t love us, we can become a target for the spirit of fear. Don’t let him!
If he tries, tell him, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
If we know that God loves us and has declared us righteous we can be very bold. We can declare “If God is for us who can be against us!” Romans 8:31
When we declare, “God loves me perfectly and completely!” fear has no place to land in our lives. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
Boldness is laughing in the face of imagined and real fears, because “greater is that is He that is in us than he who is in the world.”
Boldness is Winston Churchill standing on the rooftops of London yelling defiance to Hitler whilst the bombs rained down on the city around him.
Boldness is Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ignoring the threat of being burnt alive, boldly declaring to Nebuchadnezzar that they would not bow down to any man-made image. (Daniel 3:16-17)
Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you! (Joshua 1:9)
The Life is in the Blood
Scripture – Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”
Observation – The reason blood was shed was because ‘the life is in the blood’. The blood represents life. Of course it is all a shadow speaking of Jesus’ perfect blood (life) that was to be shed for sin. Death – is the result of sin. The penalty for sin is death. God would allow animal’s blood to be a covering for the people’s uncleanness and sin. Jesus’ blood would not just cover but remove the sin and make the people clean. Blood ‘speaks’. Innocent blood that is shed ‘speaks’.
Application – We must realise that it is not our works that make us righteous. The work of our flesh can never cleanse our flesh. It is our faith in the blood of Jesus that enables us to stand righteous and clear before the Lord. It is no longer our sacrifices. Jesus has paid the sacrifice once for all. Every time we take communion we remember that it is the blood that cleanses us. Jesus’ life was poured out for me. I can now stand righteous and clean before Almighty God on the basis if this wonderful sacrifice.
Prayer – Lord, help me to remember my right standing before you is because of Jesus’ blood – it is not my works or my righteousness – because they are like filthy rags.