The Greatest Gift

It is not uncommon to run into someone who doubts God's love. Perhaps they once thought he was loving, but now they are convinced he is not. They see no evidence of it. Usually, this bitter and cynical attitude toward God is connected to some event or series of events that seemed extremelyunfair. As a result of their perception of God, theylashout with anger toward God. Where do we get the idea that God is indebted to always keep everything safe and explainable in life?

The Scriptures from cover to cover declare God's love for us. In fact, he forever proved his love for you and me:

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ
died for us! Romans 5:8 (HCSB)

Verse 10 states that not only were we sinners, but we were enemies of God. Nevertheless, Christ died for us.

In what way were we enemies of God? Our hearts are set on rejecting his wisdom to follow our own plans. We reject his holy ways and life for our own selfish, ungodly lifestyle. We chose to call whatever we feel like doing or believing "good" and consider God's goodness to be "bad." In and of ourselves, we are enemies. As such, we are separated, estranged, from God, by not only our deeds, but by our selfish hearts and souls.

God could have written us off, but instead Christ (the sinless, perfect Son of God) came to die in our stead on the cross. He died in our place. On the cross he bore our sins, and died in our place. Three days later, he rose from the dead. When we are willing to acknowledge our sin to God, accept what Christ did on the cross for us and believe that God raised him from the dead, we can be forgiven of our sins. Not only are we forgiven, but we are completely made acceptable to God. The person who places their trust in Christ is at peace with God and he is at peace with them--Reconciled.

What a gift. To have someone pay my sin-debt. To take my punishment so that all my sin which created a barrier between God and me could be removed! And so I could be at peace with God, myself and others. This is how much God loves us. The experience of this gift brings great joy.
Romans 5:10 says since he loved us enough to die for us, we know because he lives, we can be secure in our relationship with God.

Have you experienced this gift?

Where To Go?

What do you do when your discouraged? Where do you go?

Every one of us has resources to help us in times of discouragement or trouble. The Christian has two great sources of encouragement: a living relationship with God and the fellowship of other Christians.

Need some encouragement? God is the God of all mercy and comfort.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 2 Corinthians 1:3 (ESV)

Paul refers to suffering and comfort frequently throughout Second Corinthians. In chapter four he reveals some of the emotional and physical struggles he had experienced:

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ESV)

Paul knew firsthand about trials, confusion, discouragement, and persecution. He knew about fear and weakness:

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
(2 Corinthians 1:8 ESV)

"When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia" (2 Corinthians 2:12-13 ESV).

"...our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn— fighting without and fear within" 2 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV).

Where did Paul turn for comfort, help and strength? To "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and all comfort." He turned to the same One Jesus turned to--the Father. Warren Wiersbe writes, “We are precious to the Father and He will see to it that the pressures of life will not destroy us.” (Be Encouraged, page 14)

God is the Father of mercies. All mercy finds its origin in God. Mercies refers to compassionate pity towards someone in need. In Christ, God does not give us what we deserve. Instead, we are recipients of His comfort. The word "comfort" mean "to come alongside to help. God's comfort encourages us to keep going. God's comfort strengthens us. In 2 Cor 4:8 Paul reminds us that we may be afflicted with suffering, but God keeps us from being crushed under the pressure. We may be perplexed, confused and discouraged, but God comes alongside to keep us from utter despondency. We may be persecuted, but we know we are not left alone. We may be beat down, but God's power keeps us from being destroyed. No wonder Paul could praise God.

What do you do when you are discouraged? Where do you go? Let's do what Paul did and go to the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Let's trust the One who loves us and
enables us to overcome.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:32-33, 35-39 ESV)

Everyone Needs Encouragement

All of us occasionally deal with discouragement and even depression. It might be a day or it might be a whole season of our lives. I know a little bit about discouragement and depression. There have been seasons in my life when I have been discouraged to the point of feeling like a failure. In the early 90s, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and began taking medication for it. That really made me feel like a failure as a Christian. I mean, after all, if I was a strong Christian, I should not get depressed to that point, right?

It was encouraging to me to discover that two great preachers also struggled with depression. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, “I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.” Another great preacher, Dr. John Henry Jowett once wrote, “You seem to imagine I have no ups and downs, but just a level and lofty stretch of spiritual attainment with unbroken joy and equanimity. By no means! I am often perfectly wretched and everything appears most murky.”

Each of us needs encouragement from time to time,

• as we seek to live for Christ in a world that makes this increasingly difficult,
• as we struggle to develop and strengthen relationships,
• as we strive to serve Christ,
• and as we face life’s trials.

There were a number of contributing factors to my clinical depression: a life of taking lots of different medications, spiritual struggles that I did not know how to handle, and post polio syndrome (PPS). Interestingly, depression and chronic fatigue are two companions of PPS. And believe me, that is discouraging at times!

Paul knew what it was to be discouraged. He wrote to the Corinthian believers, "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. (2 Cor 1:8 ESV, www.bible.logos.com). Paul learned that God, both, could and would see him through. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Cor 1:3 ESV).

The Christian has been given two great sources of encouragement: a living relationship with God and the fellowship of other Christians. Need some encouragement? God is the God of all mercy and comfort.

When you are depressed, you may not feel His presence, but He is there with you. Talk to Him; read His Word and let Him speak back to you. When you are depressed, you feel like withdrawing from people. That will only make things more lonely and darker. Seek the fellowship of other Christians.