When I was a kid, I loved to read (I wish I still did, as I have a hard time reading anything other than the Bible). Some of my favorite books (apart from the Narnia and Lord of the Rings Series) were choose your own adventure books. Like any other books, they had predetermined endings…but there were several endings, and based on the choices you made, you could meet a grisly end, or a heroic fate. I came to realize as I got older, that life was very much reflected in the series of adventures I went on as I chose my own path in those book. I make a choice, it has a consequence.
Nowadays, it seems like the world is as divided as it ever was. And, if I can say this without sounding like a conspiracy theorist, it’s done on purpose, both to control us and to gain control of our spending, our time, and our attention. Nowadays, it’s popular for tv and movie studios to create controversies surrounding sub-par shows (usually surrounding gender and ethnicity, although there are a few crazies who go along with the rhetoric) to garner ratings based on guilt and defiance, rather than producing a quality movie or show (personally, I don’t care what someone’s ethnicity is, so long as the writing and acting are good). And this is the same tactic used against us to divide us politically. The powers that be desire us to be at one another’s throats, and don’t really care about us. If we’re fighting amongst ourselves, we don’t have time to make the changes that will benefit ourselves and society as a whole.
This is not, however, the message of the Gospel. Instead of dividing us up, throwing us away for our open rebellion to Him, God had a plan to rescue us from Sin and it’s effect, Death. God sent His Son to be one of us, born a Jew named Jesus of Nazareth, of the line of David, who lived perfectly according to the Law and Covenants of God, whom they nailed to a cross. Yet this was the pan, according to the Scriptures, for when they did that, HE nailed out sins to the Cross. He died, and was buried, but on the Third day, He rose again, conquering the consequence of Sin, Death, proving we can have New Life in Him, now, and in Eternity with Him. And He did not do this for the Jews only, but so that, as God promised Abraham, all the nations of the world would be blessed. In Christ, there is true equality, and all are welcome to come to Him. If we follow Jesus and are born again, we are welcome in the Kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world. But we have a choice: revival in Christ or rhetoric in the world. One leads to life, and the other to death. Choose wisely.
Colossians 3:1-17
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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