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Trouble & Trials our view vs God’s view

Our View

1. God is punishing me
2. God mustn’t be good after all, he’s not blessed me like he promised.
3. I didn’t sign up for all this suffering, wasn’t being a Christian supposed to make life easier?
4. Where is God when I’m going through this?

God’s View

1. Trials are not a punishment – they are a faith, character & hope building exercise! God tells us we should receive trials and even suffering with Joy..

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4

(Note, however, that God does discipline those he loves. Hebrews 12:5-7)

2. God has already blessed us with every Spiritual Blessing in Christ. He also promises to turn all things round for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

3. Jesus clearly told us that, in following him, we would face trouble, trials and suffering. Our faith is not about a nice ticket to heaven and an easy ride. Jesus said us we must deny ourselves and lay down our own lives (“take up your cross”) in order to follow him, just as he did for us.

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. Luke 9:22-24

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33b

4. God has promised to always be with us in the trials, but not to take them away! We need to remember that Jesus has all authority and He is with us always! In our weakness – God is strong!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“ Matthew 28:18-20

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

God’s word is truth. We need to ask God to help us align our views/feelings with the word of God so that we can live lives of freedom and truth. Lives that are pleasing to God and that give him all the glory!

“If you squeeze a lemon you should get lemon juice, if you squeeze an orange you should get orange juice. If you squeeze a Christian, you should get Christ”

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:21 / Luke 12:34

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

I don’t know about you, but if there’s one thing I have to constantly check myself on, it’s what I allow to come out of my mouth! I can so easily get into saying negative stuff or things that are not bringing glory to God or encouragement to others.

I learned that the word unwholesome could also mean rotten – like rotten fruit. The bible tells us that we are to bear good fruit, and that we will be recognised by the fruit that we produce, as this fruit comes from what’s in our hearts. (Read Luke 6:43-45 and Matthew 12:33-37).

We need to watch ourselves carefully as negative, dishonest, unkind or vulgar words are not coming from a heart that loves God and is in fellowship with him. James 3:10 says “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”

We are not told just to stop speaking bad stuff, but to replace it with good stuff! We are to be people who speak words of encouragement to others, words that will build people up in the faith and will help people to grow and be encouraged. We are to speak things which will “benefit those who listen”.

Proverbs 12:18 says that reckless words pierce like a sword but when we speak wise words these bring healing. Wouldn’t you like your words to bring healing into other people’s lives?

I encourage you to take notice of what comes our of your mouth, as it’s an overflow of what’s in your heart and it reflects your true relationship with God. You can do a health check on your heart just by listening to your words!

Let us strive to have hearts that are right with God so that we only speak words that produce good fruit! Ones that bring healing and encouragement to others, and praise and glory to God. As we seek God, and continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit, He will change our hearts and help us to speak out of the overflow of His love, His grace and His mercy in our lives! How then could we ever speak anything negative!?

• Do you want to see the lost saved?
• Do you want to see captives set free?
• Do you want to see the sick healed?
• Do you want to see revival?

There is no way you and I can fulfill our divine call without the power of God. Fasting is a key to releasing Gods power in our lives and ministry!

Luke 4 :1 & 14

¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.[…]

¹³When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

¹⁴Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

Verse 1 shows that after his baptism, Jesus was” full of the Holy Spirit” and he was led into the desert to be tempted by Satan and to fast for 40 days before his ministry began.

In verse 14 Jesus had overcome the temptation, without sinning. He defeated the attempts of the devil through fasting and trusting in God’s word. Because of this he gained the Power and Authority (“in the power of the spirit”) to do what God had called him to do.

Jesus fasted  for 40 days before he started his work for God. Jesus was God, yet he humbled himself  and went without food for 40 days, so that he may gain the power given by God to bring healing and set captives free, and  of course, to be an example to each of us today. If Jesus fasted, shouldn’t we follow his example?

My church is currently doing a teaching series on a Tuesday night, and the other week we looked at fasting. I’ve done a little bit of fasting here and there but it’s never been on the top of my list of “spiritual disciplines”. The talk on Tuesday challenged me to think (and pray!) more about it and to discover it’s place in my walk with God, and in overcoming strongholds and seeking God’s power.. Will you take the time to think and pray about it to?

Here’s an overview of the teaching for anyone wanting to learn more about fasting :

“Why Fast?”

• Out of obedience to Gods word.
• To humble yourself before God
• Become weak so Gods power can be strong (Psalm 109v24‐28, 2 Cor 12v9‐10)
• Receive His grace and power
• To overcome temptations in areas that keep us from moving in Gods power.
• Hidden weaknesses come to the surface for God to deal with
• To release anointing to accomplish His will (Acts 13v3‐4, 14v23)
• In times of crisis (Esther 4v15‐16)
• When seeking Gods direction
• For understanding and revelation
• See life’s priorities more clearly
• Deal with selfish ambition and pride
• Improve self‐control
• Become more sensitive to the Spirit

“Benefits of Fasting” from Isaiah 58v6‐12

1. Revelation (v8)
2. Healing and wholeness (v8)
3. Righteousness (v8)
4. The presence of the Shekinah glory of God (v8)
5. Answered prayer (v9)
6. Continual guidance (v11)
7. Contentment (v11)
8. Refreshing (v11)
9. Strength (v11)
10. Works that endure (v12)
11. Raising up future generations (v12)
12. Restoration (v12)

“Types of Fast”:

Complete Fast : No food or drink. Most extreme fast, max of 3 days.

• Ezra 8v21 & 10v6
• Esther 4v16
• All out desperation for God.

Normal Fast : No food but regular water.

• As Jesus in wilderness.
  
• Could add lemon juice to water (good for body)

Daniel (or Partial) Fast :

• Vegetables & water Dan. 10v2‐3.
• Or cakes of cereal and oil (Elijah in 1 Kings 17)
• Or locusts and honey (John the Baptist in Matt 3v4)
• Whatever it is, it should cost you.

Group or Corporate Fast

• E.g. Nineveh, Joel called fast in 2 Chron. 20
• Church together

Things you could fast from (it’s not all about food)

• All food, or just certain foods, like meats and/or desserts, or perhaps alcohol.
• TV, Internet, Films, Video Games, Facebook etc
• Sexual Intimacy ‐Only when husband and wife agree together!
• Something else that would be “a cost” to you.

How Long to Fast:

• 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14, 21, 40 is the max*!
• 1 day a week. (52 in the year)

*Do not go straight to a 40 day food fast if you’ve never fasted before!!

Effects of Fasting from food:

• Headache, Nausea, Dizziness and stiff neck
• Start to feel good after 3 days!
• Hunger goes after 4‐5 days.
• May feel weak, be careful with physical exercise
• You may come under spiritual attack, feel depressed
• Remember: God is likely to bring some of your sin /weaknesses to the surface! Make sure you deal with them promptly and don’t be carried away by sin when the purpose is to get closer to God! (eg. swearing / short-temper..)

Other Considerations:

• Don’t abuse your body. Start small.
• If you need physical strength for your job etc, add some fruit or vegetable juice to water.
• Try one day a week with water only.
• Begin after dinner in evening until dinner the next evening. Or fast all day and break it the next morning.
• Fasting has no benefit unless you are dealing with sin.
• Never fast to impress others, keep it on need to know.
• If you break your fast in a moment of weakness, just carry on. God knows your heart.
• Don’t fall into legalism; e.g must be 40 days, must be all food and drink!!!
• Fasting is very flexible
• Focused on intimacy with God, not human performance.
• Putting God first and your body’s appetites second.

What to Fast For:

May have something specific

• Want to hear from God on something
• Need to see breakthrough in something
• To release God’s power
• See also the “benefits of fasting” above

May be more than one thing. If so write a prayer list so you can remember to pray through these things too.

The Power of Fasting:

• Need to model our lives and ministry on Jesus - and do greater works! (John 14v12)
• Commissioned to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth – Accompanied with signs and wonders
• Do you want to see the lost saved?
• Do you want to see captives set free?
• Do you want to see the sick healed?
• Do you want to see the Church as a radiant bride glorifying Christ?
• Do you want to see revival?
• The whole church needs to rise up, proclaim the gospel.
• Need the grace of God at work in our lives.
• There is no way you and I can fulfill our divine call without the power of God.

• Fasting is a key to releasing Gods power in our lives and ministry
• Fasting increases the power of prayer.
• Fasting releases Gods power (doesn’t earn more grace.)
• Secret of power is to submit to the discipline of the Holy Spirit.
• Fasting facilitates a freer flow of the Holy Spirit by removing the junk in our lives.

• By humbling ourselves our first desire is to seek God’s face (not His hand). His glory and presence.

* “There are simply no shortcuts to His presence, and the surest path to holiness, purity, and power is found in the powerhouse combination of prayer and fasting.”

Luke 15: 1-7

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them this parable:  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Jesus Rocks! We sometimes have such a wrong view of what Jesus was (and is) like. If Jesus was here today he’d be out in the shopping centres inviting people to know him. He’d be in the pubs, betting shops and supermarkets talking to people and inviting himself over to their house for dinner! I doubt very much that he’d spend all of his time with “church people”. Why? Because they already know him! They’ll be spending eternity with him (which I gather is quite a long time). That’s why while he was on earth Jesus took a few of his close friends and went out as a small group sharing his love, forgiveness and healing power with anyone who would take the time to listen.

And you know what? That bugged the “righteous” people. They thought he was polluting himself by spending time with those “sorts” of people (sinners). Yet we know that Jesus is a friend of sinners (Praise God!) and his concern is for those who don’t yet know him. That’s why he sent his disciples “out” (out of the church, out of their comfort zones, out of their families, out of their homes, villages & nations)… so that they (we) could reach those who were on the road to hell. Not to condemn them, but to save them!(1) As the bible says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (2) That’s Christ’s promise to every person who repents. No matter what they have done in the past!

Plus every time a person who has been living their life away from God, repents and decides to follow Jesus, the whole of heaven rejoices! (like it says in the verse above) There’s a party going on with the angels for every single sinner who seeks Jesus for forgiveness! It’s amazing. That’s God’s heart for the lost, and for every person who is saved! Every individual is so important to God.

Is your heart in-line with God’s?

Are you seeking to share Christ with those who are currently living lives apart from him?

Has their been a party in heaven for you yet, or are you still living your life without knowing Jesus as your Saviour?

Time is short. Now is the time to make those choices!

1) John 3:17 : For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

2) Romans 10:13: for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Isaiah 40:25-31

25 "To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

Putting God in a box is something we all do well! God according to our own point of view, God according our own limited experience, God according to our way of thinking. Yet God is God! He’s so much greater that we could ever imagine! We cannot compare him to anyone or anything on this earth. All things are created by God. How then can we attempt to compare God to anything we know? (v25)

We just have to look up at night and see the stars, knowing that God made each one and calls each one by name! This makes us realise how very very small we are and how very very big God is! (v26)

Yet we seem to think sometimes that God’s sole purpose is to make us happy. To answer every prayer, to take away our grumpiness, and that this “Christianity thing” is all about us and what it means for us. When we think like this we totally miss the point. Yes Jesus died for us – for our sins – so that we may be given the gift of eternal life, but he did this because he wanted to display his amazing love, to bring glory to God and to show how perfect he is (and how in need of a saviour we are!!) It’s all about God – so that we may give him the Praise and Glory he deserves! There’s nothing wrong with knowing the truth that God, the creator of the universe, loves you and me personally and wants to be in relationship with us, but we should never lose sight of what an awesome, eternal, powerful God we serve and the fear (respect) of God that this knowledge should bring us.

I have bad times and sometimes I ask God “why is this happening?” just like v27 where God’s people complain and say that God has disregarded them. But what I (we) need to realise is this…now brace yourself as this may come as a shock!… the world does not revolve around us!! God’s way are not our ways(1) He has a bigger purpose and a bigger plan than we could ever imagine! “His understanding no-one could fathom” – we’re not supposed to understand everything! Yet we spend so much time and energy trying to fathom God – wondering “why is God doing this?” Instead of simply trusting him because he is God! We should know that he has a plan for us (2) and that He is good (3) and He is faithful(4) and He is just (5) and He is loving(6). Therefore no matter what circumstances we are going through or however we feel about things, “God is the everlasting God” (v28) and it’s His Will that we should be honouring,(7) and it’s our faith that we should be exercising(8), rather than using all our energy trying to work out why!(9)

Our view of God effects how we live our lives. If our view is too small or if we do not trust his word, or believe him to be the faithful and just God he says he is, then this effects how easily we are shaken by the circumstances that we face and how “up and down” our relationship with God is. As we get a truer view of God, through his Word and through trusting what His word says, our view of our lives and circumstances also changes. We will slowly stop looking at our selves, and start looking up to our Creator. We will be at peace with not understanding everything, because we know that God is God, yet he loves each one of us and promises to be with us!(10)

How great is God—beyond our understanding! Job 36:26

1) Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

2) Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

3) Mark 10:18 "No one is good—except God alone.

4) Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands

5) Psalm 33:4-6 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love

6) Psalm 145:13: The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made / John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. / Psalm 136:2: Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

7) Just like Jesus prayed : “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

9) Ecclesiastes 8:17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

10) Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

23 " ‘If you can’?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"    Mark 9:21-24

Every Christian believes, we believe in God and we believe in Jesus for our salvation.  If we didn’t then we wouldn’t be Christians. Yet these key foundational beliefs don’t stop us from battling with unbelief in other areas of our faith.  Like this chap who said to Jesus "if you can…" don’t we all sometimes approach prayer/requests to God like that?

Perhaps we’re not as obvious as saying "if you can" to God. I think we often mask our unbelief behind "if it’s your will" or "in your timing Lord…" but quite often, when it boils down to it, we lack the belief that God will do what he says He will in His word when we trust in Him.

When faced with opportunities to step out for his glory or to believe a promise he has given us through his word, we often have the battle between our belief and our unbelief. The two things wage a mini war inside of us. It’s often easier to believe what we see/feel, rather than what God says is true.

For example, if we get the opportunity to pray for someone to be healed, and perhaps it’s a person with a serious disability… What do we think?

Option 1) God heals. Jesus healed & the disciples healed and Jesus has also given me authority to heal. I believe God’s word and I believe that when I lay my hands on this person they will be healed.

Option 2) Eeek, what will happen if God doesn’t show up?

I think most of us are probably somewhere in between; believing that God can and does heal, but not necessarily believing that he will heal on this particular occasion. That bit is the unbelief we need to tackle. The disciples didn’t start a prayer of healing with "dear God, if it’s your will please heal this person" they just went up to them and said "be healed in Jesus name." They were certain that it was God’s will to heal. That’s what Jesus had sent them to do. I know this really hard and it brings up so many difficult questions, and I can’t explain why some people get healed and others don’t, but I do think God wants us to believe that He will heal, each and every time we pray for someone. To not entertain the unbelief that God might not show up, or that the timing is wrong etc. as this is a slippery slope to more and more unbelief.

Therefore as a starting point I think we all need to acknowledge to God (and perhaps ourselves) that we do have unbelief  "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief." Humbly admitting that it’s our problem, not God’s and to trust Jesus when he says  "everything is possible for those who believe".  I don’t think it’s about not having enough faith – faith is a gift from God and he’s given us all we need (we only need faith as big as mustard seed according to Jesus*). I think it’s more about still allowing unbelief to have its say.

"I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief." Such an honest, real prayer. It’s saying, "God I do believe in you, I do believe that you heal, but I know that mixed in with my belief is also unbelief. Therefore please help me deal with this unbelief so that I can overcome it”

Please understand that I’m not just talking about healing here, this basic principle covers so many areas of our walk with God. There are many more places where we allow unbelief to live alongside belief. Things like knowing who we are in Christ - We can believe our salvation, but sometimes not that we are totally new creations; this unbelief opens us up to falling back into our old ways of life. We believe that God is all powerful – but don’t quite believe that he’s won the victory over satan’s power, so we allow ourselves to fall back into believing that we haven’t got the victory over sin, and we fall into temptation, sin and fear through not standing firm on what Christ has already completed on our behalf. We believe the word which says that God is our provider - but do we believe he will provide for us when we’re at the end of our resources and we can’t see how He will do it? We believe that God has good plans for us because his word says so - but when things don’t happen in our timing, do we try to take over and make things happen ourselves, revealing our unbelief, thinking that perhaps God’s not going to come through for us on this one! Perhaps it’s something else, like believing we are saved but not quite believing we can be totally clean and righteous in God’s eyes. Believing we are loved, but that this is conditional on us doing this and not doing that… Putting our own small print on God’s word, on his promises and on who He says He is and who we are in Him.

Some of you could be thinking "that’s not me, I trust God totally for everything" and others may be saying "unbelief is just a part of life and we’re human so we’re always going to be like it" But I believe that God wants to challenge each one of us, and help us to identify and sift out those areas of unbelief in our lives, so that we can be more powerful and effective for him.

We all have growing to do and we all need to say to God "I believe, help me overcome my unbelief." If we settle for lives that are not trusting God 100% in all things, then we will give a lukewarm message about a moderately powerful, sometimes caring God to a world that so desperately needs to see the real Jesus!  If, however, we choose to trust what the bible says about who God is, who Jesus is and who we are in Christ, and ask God to help us in the areas where we still hold onto unbelief, then our message will be powerful! People will see God’s glory and love through his people, and we will see God’s kingdom come in our own lives, and in the lives of others.

Want to know more? Check out a previous study of mine "What do you know" which talks about needing to know God’s word so that we can stand firm in his truth. This is key because if we don’t know God’s word, how do we know what to believe?

This week we have a guest bible study from my good friend Kim Morrell (thanks Kim!)

“’The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is’, or ‘There it is’ because the Kingdom of God is in you” Luke 17 v 20-21

God has been challenging me a lot lately about church and pressing into the Kingdom of God. The word “church” is only mentioned 2 times in the gospels and “the Kingdom” is mentioned over 120 times. Don’t you find that interesting? It certainly makes me sit up and take notice!

Being part of a church is a very good thing, but I do wonder whether we limit God’s Spirit from moving by the number of meetings, rosters, structures we set in place. This is a huge challenge now that I’m working for our church. Building a church is a good thing but the better thing is pressing into the Kingdom of God.

What does that look like? For me, it’s being wherever God’s presence is (Exodus 33). It’s about sending people out rather than having to draw people in. It’s about us taking the presence of God with us wherever we are during the week. It’s about us giving people free samples of the kingdom like they did in the gospels. People need to experience the Kingdom of God.

The verse above (Luke 17v20-21) reminds us that the Kingdom of God is not this mythical, far away thing. It’s very near. The Kingdom of God is in you! God’s Spirit dwells in you. How amazing is that! We need to show people that God is not far away. He is near. He wants to heal, wants to speak, move and meet their needs.

What is this kingdom of God that we take with us? It’s righteousness, peace and joy. It’s God’s very presence. We need to take what is in us and put it all over those that we meet. But first we need to pay attention to what we’re carrying. Are we carrying righteousness, peace and joy or anxiety, fear, apathy, etc? Do I truly carry a peace that says to others that God is good all the time? People will be drawn to this and start asking for counsel, discipling, help, prayer, etc. It is critical that people experience the Kingdom of God.

Pressing into the Kingdom of God, moving to where His Spirit is, responding to what the Spirit is doing may look messy, it may be unpredictable at times, we may not be able to control it, it involves risks and it probably will make me uncomfortable… but if it’s a choice between the Kingdom of God or playing at this thing called church, I choose the latter. What about you?

Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

As we approach Easter I wanted to spend a few moments looking at the extravagance of Jesus’ amazing grace and to remind ourselves of the cost of the cross.

These few verses above really sum up Jesus’ love, grace and forgiveness. Everything that Jesus lived out on earth was summed up here whilst he was in total agony hung on that horrific cross, doing a terrible, beautiful thing for mankind.

Jesus was hung between two criminals. One of whom believed that Jesus really was who He said He was, this criminal proclaimed Jesus’ innocence in front of the people who mocked him, he also openly acknowledged his own sin admitting that he himself deserved to die for his deeds, unlike Jesus. Then he turned to Jesus and humbly asked Jesus to remember him. The other criminal had the same opportunity but instead chose to mock Jesus.

The amazing fact is that the criminal who asked Jesus to remember him put his faith in Jesus right there and then on the cross, and was forgiven straight away! Jesus told him that he was to be with Him in paradise that very day!! There was nothing else that he had to do to be saved! The criminal didn’t have the chance to go back and live out a holy life, or to prove himself worthy of being allowed into heaven – that’s the beauty of it! It was (and is and always will be) all about Jesus and the truth that our salvation comes only through Him – because He paid the ultimate price, He made the once and for all sacrifice for all of our sins. We don’t deserve it, just like the criminal – we’ve all sinned and we all deserve punishment, but Jesus in his love took our punishment on himself. Salvation is a “free” gift to us, but we must always remember it was at such a cost to Jesus.

Yes it is true that once we are forgiven, a sign/result of our salvation is us wanting to turn our lives around, to stop sinning and to do good. Otherwise we are not taking the sacrifice that Jesus made seriously enough. We should want to thankfully and humbly serve our Lord because of what He did for us. It’s not the “doing good” that gets us saved though, it’s just our response to Jesus’ amazing grace!

It’s all about Jesus. There’s nothing more we can do – Jesus did it all.

Read the whole Easter story:

Luke 22 : The last supper, the betrayal & arrest of Jesus, Peter disowns Jesus, The guards mock Jesus, Jesus accused by the chief priests and teachers of the law

Luke 23 : Jesus before Pilate & Herod, the trial, the crucifixion, the death of Jesus, Jesus’ burial.

Luke 24 : The resurrection, Jesus appears to disciples, the Ascension.

Before Jesus arrived on earth God spoke to the odd chosen person, he occasionally showed himself in the form of a cloud or a burning bush, or through a chosen prophet, but no-one could see him face to face and live. Moses got the closest and was allowed to see God’s back as he passed by – and that was enough to make him tremble and keep him glowing for weeks! So GOD coming to earth to live with us really was an unthinkable thing! Those who realised this at the time were filled with awe and amazement, we should all still feel like this as we hear the Christmas story and think about The Lord, the maker of the universe, the One who placed all the stars in the sky and made the heavens and the earth, coming in the form of a baby to live with us on earth and truly experience life as a human. Wow!

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them….The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  Luke 2: 16-19

Who could you tell this Christmas about the great news of God’s presence still being with us today?