Jerusalem a Rejoicing

“But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.” — Isaiah 65:18

“And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” — John 16:22

Christians, we must never lose sight of our joy. It stems not from ourselves or our immediate circumstances but from God’s eternal decree. Citizens of the new Jerusalem do not only have joy but are a joy to their God and creator and to one another. Contrasted with this abiding joy is the fleeting vanity of earthly endeavors. “All is vanity,[1]” decries the Preacher, and our days are as grass[2].

But as the world cannot give us this type of joy, neither can it take it away. After imprisonment and floggings the apostles were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name[3]”

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us[4].

The “pursuit of happiness” enshrined in our founding documents and culture is itself a snare. The Bible says to seek peace and pursue it[5]. Happiness is not something we need to pursue at all because it is freely given to us because He has done it. External pursuits apart from the Kingdom are called broken cisterns[6] because they cannot contain the things we truly need (but one thing is needful…l)[7]

“…be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

Scripture References: [1] Ecc 1:2 [2] Ps 103:15 [3] Acts 5:41 [4] Rom 8:18 [5] Ps34:14 [6] Jer 2:13 [7] Luke 10:42

A Wedding and An Execution

“Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.”

— 2nd Peter 1:14

“…but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and crry thou whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.”

—John 21:18-19

The invitation to follow Christ is an invitation to die — die to sin, die to self, die to the world that is enmity with God.[1]

Tradition has it that the Apostle Peter was crucified on a Roman cross like Jesus was. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs says of Peter’s death:

“Among many other saints, the blessed apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified, as some do write, at Rome; albeit some others, and not without cause, do doubt thereof. Hegesippus saith that Nero sought matter against Peter to put him to death; which, when the people perceived, they entreated Peter with much ado that he would fly the city. Peter, through their importunity at length persuaded, prepared himself to avoid. But, coming to the gate, he saw the Lord Christ come to meet him, to whom me, worshipping, said, “Lord, whither dost Thou go?” To whom He answered and said, “I am come again to be crucified.” By this, Peter, Perceiving his suffering to be understood, returned into the city. Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.”

I am not saying we should look at tradition or history on par with scripture, but we do see that the knowledge of Christ brings liberty from the fear of death. Thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near thee[2].

The scriptures, particularly the New Testament are careful to distinguish between the “sleep” of the physical body and the spiritual death of the soul that is the true death that we should fear[3]. Jesus explains to us that “…He is not a God of the dead, but of the living.[4]”

Established in the righteousness of Christ, the Rock unmovable, we can meet eternity with confidence.

“He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life [present tense!], and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

If you are saved you live, you will live, and you are living and reigning with him forever.

Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb[5].

Amen.

Scripture References [1] James 4:4 [2] Isaiah 54:14 [3] Matthew 10:28 [4] Luke 20:38

[5] Revelation 19:9

His Sheep

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…” — John 10:27

Image Credit: Tim Marshall via Unsplash cc

“For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous…” — Psalm 1:6

We do not have God’s omniscience, to know the identity of the elect. We see only the outward person in this moment in time. Appearances can be deceiving. But salvation is not so much about where we began but where we finish.

“Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Paul writes these things in the past tense, even our glorification. It is so certain that he can say it as if it has already happened. For the elect, our latter end is always better than our beginning. We were conceived in sin,[1] and are by nature children of wrath like everyone else,[2] but somehow, some way, at His appointed time he sends us His Spirit to convince us of our sin guilt and need for Christ and he providentially works everything in our lives together to bring us to repentance.

We do not know who is being saved at any given time, so our job is to go and preach the gospel to every creature,[3] knowing that His word never returns void.[4] But Christ does know who his sheep are, and his death and resurrection does not make salvation “possible” for whoever would just “make a decision” for Christ and “allow” Him to save them. No, it makes salvation guaranteed for every one of His sheep, from the least of us to the greatest.

The Lord knows the travelers on the narrow way[5], and he will shepherd[6] them through it.

Selah.

Scripture References: [1] Ps 51:5 [2] Eph 2:3 [3] Mark 16:15 [4] Isaiah 55:11 [5] Matthew 7:14 [6] Ezk 34:11, John 10:11