Friday, August 16, 2013

In Christ, We Need Never Fast

"And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." (Matthew 9: 15)

I used to read this passage, thinking that the party, the rejoicing, the celebration of the Bridegroom would one day come to end for all that live in Christ and have received His salvation.

The Bible teaches that we are all married to Christ (2 Corinthians 11: 3). Another scripture makes our union with Him certain and unshakable:

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13: 5)

"I will never, in no wise ever leave you."

We have this blessed assurance also shared with us in Paul's Epistle to the Romans:

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor 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." (Romans 8: 38-39)

When Jesus said "when the bridegroom shall be taken from them", he was speaking of his death, uttering a sarcasm of sorts, just as God said to His people Israel:

"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." (Isaiah 49: 15)

Yet just as God has not forgotten the Jewish people, all the more we do rejoice today, because Jesus Christ lives and reigns forever, and lives in us!

Heaven and earth will pass way, but His Word will not. The celebration that we have in Christ, that all our sins are forgiven and that we are justified in every way (Acts 13: 38-39) is more than cause for rejoicing, for His death is our life and all good things with it.

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