To get pearls, one must dive deep!

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Many players, One team, One Mission

While watching the second half of the nail biting Super Bowl XLVI game between the New England Patriot and the New York Giants, on February 5, 2012, my loving wife Sangeetha and I were explaining to our beloved first born son, Reuben (who recently turned six), the rules of the game. While I was explaining the technical details of the game, my wife, made an interesting observation and statement. She said “Look, Reuben, all the players in the team are working together to protect the Quarterback and/or the runner with the ball so that he can reach the goal.” In other words, she succinctly had summarized that though there were many players, they all played as one team, with just one mission, which was to take the ball to the zone where they are not allowed to and score a touchdown to win the game.

In our Christian life, it is not any different. There are many believers, each making the one body of Christ as one team, with just one mission, which is to be an ambassador for and of Jesus Christ. Unless all work together as one (in one accord), the likelihood of winning the game (race) is bleak. Unfortunately, the spirit of unforgiveness and pride often derails many believers in the game, allowing the devil to intercept the gospel of Christ from reaching the unreached zones.

Points to ponder:
Though we are many in persons, we are one as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12) with One Mission and so let us lay aside our petty differences, forgive those who have hurt us (Ephesians 4:32), humble ourselves esteeming others to be better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3) and press on toward the goal that is in the high calling of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:14).

1 Corinthians 12:12 (KJV)
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

The CROSS Examination :: Place of Surety

The CROSS on which Jesus Christ was nailed is the place of divine surety. God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ [Jesus] died for us (Romans 5:8-9). John 19:31-37 is not only a fulfillment of the prophecy of God’s salvation but it also establishes the fact that Jesus died for us on the Cross. In other words, the Cross is the commendation of God’s love toward us.

We can be sure of this, that God’s love so binding that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from it. Neither death nor, life (Physical aspects), nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers (Spiritual aspects), nor things present, nor things to come (Temporal aspects), nor height, nor depth (Spatial aspects), nor any other creation (all other aspects of creation) can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).

Jesus told the penitent malefactor from his own Cross, “Verily, verify, I say unto you. Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43).  In other words, Jesus was affirming the truth and its surety, that the penitent sinner, who recognized Jesus as Lord (Luke 23:42), which we get from the way he changes his address of Jesus, was guaranteed his salvation, from the Cross on which Jesus died.

Let us cross examine ourselves and make sure that we have recognized Jesus as Lord as well. For all who are in Christ Jesus, walking after the Spirit of God (and not after our own flesh), can be sure of His Salvation (Romans 8:1). There is only love (inseparable God’s love) commended from the Cross. There is no condemnation that comes from it (Romans 8:1).

Romans 5:8-9 (KJV)
8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)
38
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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