July 5, 2016
MY FRIENDS, SIMPLE BUT WISE ADVICE, DON’T GIVE UP!!
I saw a post on facebook that read “God has a purpose for your pain. A reason for your struggles and a reward for your faithfulness. So don’t give up.” My friends quitting requires no effort and using Christ as our example we see at one point before Calvary, “He seemed to be shut out from the light of God’s sustaining presence. Now He was numbered with the transgressors. The guilt of fallen humanity He must bear.
Upon Him who knew no sin must be laid the iniquity of us all. So dreadful does sin appear to Him, so great is the weight of guilt which He must bear, that He is tempted to fear it will shut Him out forever from His Father’s love.” (E. G. White Desire of Ages) My friends why didn’t He just give up and return to His glorious home in heaven, I am sure His father would have understood. Then the betrayal by Judas one of His own for 30 pieces of silver. The scrutiny before Annas the head of the officiating priestly family.
And then through the Court of Caiaphas the High Priest, the elders, and all the council sought to bring a false testimony against Jesus so that He
may be put to death, thus quieting Him forever or they thought. He is then asked by the high priest, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” “It is as you said” Christ answers. charges of blasphemy or claiming to be God were then brought before him, as He is slapped and spat upon and “brought as a lamb to the slaughter.”
The high priest then tore his clothes! We need no more witnesses, you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think?” The council answered and said, “He is deserving of death.” Matt. 26:57-67 (NKJV) My friends, why didn’t He give up at this point. He is then led through the roman halls of justice as the Jewish rabble rang out crucify Him, Crucify him as He is scourged, clothed in purple, and a crown of thorns, placed on His Head as the rabble taunt and salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews.
The Creator of the universe, “as a lamb to the slaughter.” Surely He should have given up by now and gone home. Then down The Via Dolorosa, the path of sorrow carrying his cross on the way to Calvary to die for the sins of all humanity. Why didn’t He give up. What was the passion of Christ that kept Him focused throughout His Journey. My friends, the answer is simple. His focus was on how far His out stretched arms on the cross would reach to rescue you and I.
And how deep in sin would we go before He would have to pull us to the shores of safety into His loving arms. And how long He would plead with us through His Spirit before we heard His voice say. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matt.11:28 (KJV) My friends the reward for His faithfulness was He would rise again and that is why He would not give up and go home.
It has been 2,000 years since the purpose for Christ pain and the reason for His struggles was Calvary and His resurrection so we would not give up and our reward would be our Salvation and through our faithfulness and endurance our final reward would be living in the presence of the one who did not give up on us, throughout the ceaseless of eternity in God’s holy kingdom.
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