“If God is for us , who can be against us? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is Christ Jesus, who died, rather, was raised, who indeed intercedes for us.” (Romans Chapter 8 verses 31 to 34). Life is a battle where we are pitched against challenges that are gigantic as Goliath. And if we are to be conquerors in this we need know our strength – that God is on our side. This is the second of three part series on he life principle of St Paul.
Life is the most precious gift handed to us. And we must give the best we can for life. And the place we begin is at the foundations. The higher and stronger our structure is to be, the deeper and sturdier should be our foundations. If we are building our life on the passing sands, with every change, all that we are standing on will crumble. But if I build my life on the Rock of Christ I will never fail.
The fool builds his life on the superficial and slippery ground of passing fads. But the wise one goes deeper and builds his life on the one sure foundation of the love of God that is unchanging and ever providing. Storms will come, strong winds of change, but we shall remain unmoved for we remain in the shelter of the Lord’s love. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever” (Psalms Chapter 121 verse 1). Saint Paul was clear about what was his life determined by: “I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians Chapter 2 verse 20). The greatest love, the highest sacrifice, was there at Calvary. And he would settle for nothing less than the best he could get for his life.
THE RELATIONSHIP PRINCIPLE – “by faith in the Son of God”
From the fall of our first parents, we human beings have constantly lived in dread of the God Almighty who reigns from Heavens. We have kept the image of a distant and hard, demanding God holding the reigns of our life. Hence we have no enthusiasm for life itself but for St Paul fear had no relevance. He feared “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature” for he was in his own words “convinced” of one thing – that none of these are anything “will be able to separate us (him) from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans Chapter 8 verses 38 to 39). As he looked up St Paul realized one thing in life the sacrifice was one thing to live by. “He who did not spare his own Son but handed Him for us, how will He not also give up everything else along with Him?” (Romans Chapter 8 verse 32)
And with this confidence he changed his platforms of operation. “I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself us for me” (Galatians Chapter2 verse 20).
Till this moment he was a Pharisee struggling for his righteousness. Driven by zeal and ambition, he saw perfection. But with all his resolutions he came to bemoan “I do not do the good I want, but the very evil I do not want is what I do….Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans Chapter7 verse 19 & 24).
He had realized no matter how noble his intentions, or determined his will be, even the sprit may be willing but the flesh remains weak! The answer now lay not in looking to himself and his strengths or weakness, but in looking to the Son of God who dies that we might have life, who became Sin that we may take on His righteousness. When he looked at Christ he drew strength that “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies” (Romans Chapter 8 verse 11)
Life is a difficult struggle, a warfare, indeed. We are most constantly battling with ourselves. St Paul is not turning a blind eye to that. His spirituality is not of escapist. He was well aware that the challenges before us and the powers against us were far too great for us to tackle. “Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 12) and his solution: “Put on the armor of God.” Put on Christ over us.
What we see is the movement in the life of Paul FROM RESOLUTIONS TO RELATIONSHIP. From now he would urge us to do as he did himself “to put on Christ”. Christ and he had come to an union of intimacy, the desires of Jesus would become his passion, the weakness of Christ would become his strengths, the foolishness of Christ’s sacrifice would become Paul’s wisdom and power and salvation (Refer 1 Corinthians Chapter 1 verse 24 & 25). And Paul would say “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians Chapter 2 verse 20).
“He is our peace” (Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 14) – The elder brother comes to bring the prodigal home
The constant yearning of the Father has been to embrace us in love. Ever since the misunderstanding, Satan created. Time and time again God spoke through the prophets that He was ready for anything to get us back: “I formed you, Oh Israel, you will not be forgotten by me… I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like mist; return to me for I’ve redeemed you…Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I gave men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life” (Isaiah Chapter 44 verse 21 to 22 and Chapter 43 verse 4).
And finally God sent His Word Incarnate, His one precious Son.
Christ came down to this earth with one mission – to reconcile us to our Father. We had run away from our home, where alone we could be ever comfortable and loved. An unreal fear had taken over us – the fear of the false image of God which Satan created with a lie. But Christ tells us, “Look at the birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the loving parent, the Good Shepherd… look everywhere and see and how much He loves you. He’d give all that He has for you, even the ninety-nine good sheep for you when you have failed…” And finally pointing to Himself Jesus would conclude at the Cross “God so loves you that He’d gave His one precious Son, His one unblemished dearest lamb… all for love of you that you live and love and flourish for eternity.” Righteousness, St Paul, would declare was no more in works by law but in the relationship of faith. It is when we firmly place our hands in His hands, living moment by moment in His love, and then we shall never fall. For now we are held up in the firm hands of love that leads us to righteousness.
What the prophet had all along given as the assurance from the Lord “Fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah Chapter 41 verse 10). God is stretching out his arms from the cross to receive us and support us in His love.
Life is the most precious gift handed to us. And we must give the best we can for life. And the place we begin is at the foundations. The higher and stronger our structure is to be, the deeper and sturdier should be our foundations. If we are building our life on the passing sands, with every change, all that we are standing on will crumble. But if I build my life on the Rock of Christ I will never fail.
The fool builds his life on the superficial and slippery ground of passing fads. But the wise one goes deeper and builds his life on the one sure foundation of the love of God that is unchanging and ever providing. Storms will come, strong winds of change, but we shall remain unmoved for we remain in the shelter of the Lord’s love. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever” (Psalms Chapter 121 verse 1). Saint Paul was clear about what was his life determined by: “I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians Chapter 2 verse 20). The greatest love, the highest sacrifice, was there at Calvary. And he would settle for nothing less than the best he could get for his life.
THE RELATIONSHIP PRINCIPLE – “by faith in the Son of God”
From the fall of our first parents, we human beings have constantly lived in dread of the God Almighty who reigns from Heavens. We have kept the image of a distant and hard, demanding God holding the reigns of our life. Hence we have no enthusiasm for life itself but for St Paul fear had no relevance. He feared “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature” for he was in his own words “convinced” of one thing – that none of these are anything “will be able to separate us (him) from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans Chapter 8 verses 38 to 39). As he looked up St Paul realized one thing in life the sacrifice was one thing to live by. “He who did not spare his own Son but handed Him for us, how will He not also give up everything else along with Him?” (Romans Chapter 8 verse 32)
And with this confidence he changed his platforms of operation. “I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself us for me” (Galatians Chapter2 verse 20).
Till this moment he was a Pharisee struggling for his righteousness. Driven by zeal and ambition, he saw perfection. But with all his resolutions he came to bemoan “I do not do the good I want, but the very evil I do not want is what I do….Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans Chapter7 verse 19 & 24).
He had realized no matter how noble his intentions, or determined his will be, even the sprit may be willing but the flesh remains weak! The answer now lay not in looking to himself and his strengths or weakness, but in looking to the Son of God who dies that we might have life, who became Sin that we may take on His righteousness. When he looked at Christ he drew strength that “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies” (Romans Chapter 8 verse 11)
Life is a difficult struggle, a warfare, indeed. We are most constantly battling with ourselves. St Paul is not turning a blind eye to that. His spirituality is not of escapist. He was well aware that the challenges before us and the powers against us were far too great for us to tackle. “Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 12) and his solution: “Put on the armor of God.” Put on Christ over us.
What we see is the movement in the life of Paul FROM RESOLUTIONS TO RELATIONSHIP. From now he would urge us to do as he did himself “to put on Christ”. Christ and he had come to an union of intimacy, the desires of Jesus would become his passion, the weakness of Christ would become his strengths, the foolishness of Christ’s sacrifice would become Paul’s wisdom and power and salvation (Refer 1 Corinthians Chapter 1 verse 24 & 25). And Paul would say “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians Chapter 2 verse 20).
“He is our peace” (Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 14) – The elder brother comes to bring the prodigal home
The constant yearning of the Father has been to embrace us in love. Ever since the misunderstanding, Satan created. Time and time again God spoke through the prophets that He was ready for anything to get us back: “I formed you, Oh Israel, you will not be forgotten by me… I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like mist; return to me for I’ve redeemed you…Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I gave men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life” (Isaiah Chapter 44 verse 21 to 22 and Chapter 43 verse 4).
And finally God sent His Word Incarnate, His one precious Son.
Christ came down to this earth with one mission – to reconcile us to our Father. We had run away from our home, where alone we could be ever comfortable and loved. An unreal fear had taken over us – the fear of the false image of God which Satan created with a lie. But Christ tells us, “Look at the birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the loving parent, the Good Shepherd… look everywhere and see and how much He loves you. He’d give all that He has for you, even the ninety-nine good sheep for you when you have failed…” And finally pointing to Himself Jesus would conclude at the Cross “God so loves you that He’d gave His one precious Son, His one unblemished dearest lamb… all for love of you that you live and love and flourish for eternity.” Righteousness, St Paul, would declare was no more in works by law but in the relationship of faith. It is when we firmly place our hands in His hands, living moment by moment in His love, and then we shall never fall. For now we are held up in the firm hands of love that leads us to righteousness.
What the prophet had all along given as the assurance from the Lord “Fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah Chapter 41 verse 10). God is stretching out his arms from the cross to receive us and support us in His love.
Maria Sangeetha serves as the Youth Co-ordinator at DRCM and have been active in the DY ministry for more than 7 years.
Courtesy: Divine Voice July 2009 Issue
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