Morning Moments

There are few things in my life that just "blow me away", but I want to share a passage with you this morning that has done just that.  I cannot tell you how many times I have read it or written about it, but today it seemed to just jump out at me in a way it never has before -

"Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to build up the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.  In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior:..." Titus 1:1-3

LOOK AT THIS!

Let's begin at the end of these verses and walk our way back -

The Communicator - This message was not an option for the apostle, for he had become connected to the Commander.  Paul's ministry was unique is many ways.  He was a Jew!  He was a Rabbi!  He was a member of the Pharisees, and of the tribe of Benjamin who had, prior to his Damascus Road experience pursued and punished those who follow Jesus.  Yet God toke this dyed in the wool Jew and made him the apostle to the Gentiles, who knew little and care nothing of the Jews.  THAT in itself is strange, but that is not really what blows me away.  Not only did Paul communicate, but he demonstrated the truth he proclaimed.

The Communication - I see several things regarding this amazing communication - 1) the TIMING of it - This, I guess is what really blows me away - for God did something prior to creation that He "kept a secret" until Saul was converted and became the Paul we read about today.  Paul says, "I was entrusted with..." which means that this message was committed to his trust.  The Ultimate Communicator (God) uses a  human communicator, a Jew, now converted to Christ, in whom there is neither Jew nor Gentile, to proclaim to the Jew first but also to the Gentiles, and ultimately especially to the Gentiles, this communique that was "written" (so to speak) from the heart of God before the creation of anything.

The Cause - NOW THINK ABOUT THIS!  Before God ever created the heavens and the earth, knowing the glory of His creation, man, would ultimately sin and be separated from Him, chose a man (Abraham) through whom He would bring about a nations (Israel), from whom He would cause a girl (Mary), a virgin, to conceive and bear His Son, Jesus, who would live a sinless life and die a criminal's death, just because He loves His creation THAT MUCH!  WOW!

The Communique - But why?  Was it simply that man might escape hell and go to heaven one day?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!   BUT "...to build up the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised..."  Now THAT is what blows me away!  He is not saying that He did this so that we might "wish for" eternal life, but that those of us who have responded to the message proclaimed, and that presently possess eternal life in Christ, and have confidence in that eternal life, might be "knowledgeable of the truth that leads to godliness".  HALLELUJAH!
God wants us to be discerning (knowledgeable) of the truth about piety or holiness.  He who said, "Be ye holy as I am holy" has in Christ provided the message and the means of our godliness, which is to be conformed to His image.  Paul had been steeped in a tradition of "doing" when all the while, from eternity past, God has been trying to get us to discern that eternal life and holiness is about "BEING".  Hence, BE ye HOLY, as I am Holy", not do ye!

That should be a relief to all who are struggling with "trying" to live the life instead of "trusting" Him to express the Life He has placed within us.  That keeps us from exhaustion and keeps us excited about Jesus!