In His Hands, We Fear Nothing

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10: 31)

Once again, context is important to appreciate this verse properly.

The writer of Hebrews is warning his fellow Jewish believers that if they reject the Spirit of Grace, if they refuse to rest in the finality of Jesus' Finished Work at the Cross, the face nothing but judgment and eternal death, because there is no other way:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)

Now, if you do believe on Jesus, you have nothing to fear being in His hands.

These are big hands, by the way:

"I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." (Isaiah 45: 12)

What is he doing with His hands today? Upholding us!

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41: 10)

Guess whose names are written on those hands?

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (Isaiah 49: 16)

Jesus affirmed for us who believe on Him that we are safe in His hands:

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10: 28)

Then:

"29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. " (John 10: 29)

While the writer of Hebrews warned those who do believe of the fearful wrath of God, we who believe have nothing to fear, for we are safe in God's hands.

Every Good and Perfect Gift Comes from HIM

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1: 17)

Every good gift comes from our Loving Father:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (Matthew 7: 11)

God our Father gave us His best -- His own Son!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)

and with Jesus, we receive all things:

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)

Why does James refer to our Daddy God (Romans 8: 15) and "The Father of Lights"?

Not only is our Father trustworthy, but we can rest assured that in His light, we see light:

"For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." (Psalm 36: 9)

In His light, we have life:

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1: 4)

By walking in the Light, we know that we will never stumble:

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8: 12)

and also

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)

We have every good and perfect through our Father of Lights, because He sent His Son Jesus, the Light of the World, and through, Jesus we receive all things!

Bad News Always Leads to Good News

"But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;" (Philippians 1: 12)

Paul was in prison. He was under arrest for preaching the Good News, that through Christ Jesus we are justified from all things, forgiven of all our sins, and freed from the bondage of the law of Moses (Acts 13: 38-39)

This preaching, this Gospel, created dissension among the Jews, and even Gentile leaders tried to silence him.

Consider the great afflictions which Paul the Apostle faced:

"Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, inperils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, inperils among false brethren; 27In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?" (2 Corinthians 11: 23-29)

Yet in spite of all this bad news, people were hearing the Good News, and Christ was being preached.

What can one say? With Jesus, the bad news always leads to Good News!

Consider the plight then wonderful sight of Joseph, when his brothers sought forgiveness one more time:

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50: 20)

For us today, we have these wonderful affirmations from Paul:

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8: 18)

and

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8: 28)

and also:

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? " (Romans 8: 31-32)

We have Jesus, and more importantly has us. Rest assured that even in the midst of bad news, the Good News will come through, and all will work out for you!

Sons Led By the Spirit, Not Under Law

"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Galatians 5: 18)

Today, because of Jesus, because we have received Himself into our lives, we are no longer under law.

His Spirit directs us, and the new commandments of Jesus are implanted into our hearts.

There is so much that we can draw out of this wonderful little verse, and yet to this day, so many people fight against this simple yet wonderful revelation.

First, how do we know that we are led by his Spirit today?

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8: 14)

We are not sons of God because we are led, but rather we become sons of God, and then we are led!

The next verse in Romans 8 clarifies that point:

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 15)

We are led because we are sons of God, through Christ Jesus.

John the Beloved did not hesitate to announce who we are in Christ:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3: 1)

and of course:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

So, we are sons, we are led by His Spirit.

Let no one then tell you that you have to live under law, for in the Spirit we walk by Jesus' new commandments:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13: 34)

and

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (Romans 13: 10)

We are sons of God today, taken out of dead Adam and brought into Christ Jesus. We are no longer under law, but under grace (Romans 6: 14).

The Only Work I Can Do: Believe on Jesus!

I just love reading and reading this wonderful yet oft-overlooked passage in the Gospel of John:

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. " (John 6: 28-29)

"What shall we do, that we can work the works of God?"

So, the Israelites recognize that they cannot do the works of God yet they still that there is still something -- anything! -- that they can do so that they can start working the work.

Really?

A dead man can do nothing.

We need life, and throughout the Gospel of John, the writer keeps hammering this point about Jesus. He is our life, and His life is our light.

He has come that we would have His life, and that more abundantly.

In John's First Epistle, John keeps communicating this wonderful truth:

"He who has the Son, has life. He who has not the Son, has not life."

So, what really can anyone of us do, that we can start working the works of God?

When are we going to get off our spiritual high horse, and recognize that we were dead in our trespasses, and that we need life!

I don;t need someone to tell me how to live better. We have the standard for how to live, the Ten Commandments, the entire moral law, and guess what?! We cannot keep it at all!

It actually condemns, kills, and destroys! The punishment for not keeping the law? Death!

Really, if we acknowledge what has happened to us in Adam, from the beginning, we acknowledge in turn that we need life!

So, let's get off this idea that we can work for God. That we can serve Him out of anything that we have.

Jesus had to rebuke the Isrealites of His day:

"This is the work of God -- that you believe on Him  -- Jesus -- whom the Father has sent."

How many of us still refuse to believe on Him?

"Oh, I know that Jesus died for me, but I am on my own from here on out.:

Uh? How can you claim to be saved from death to life, and then think that the life you have received is something that you have to work for?

You never earned it in the first place!

Now, the one charge that many church people like to foment falls along these lines:

"So many people are just sitting around doing nothing, saying "I bellieve! I believe!"

The fact is - when someone is talking "I believe" you have to ask them: "What do they believe?"

Most of the time, they will talk about God doing something for them.

Yet God has done far more than something - he has done everything!

He did everything for us at the Cross through His Son Jesus!

The issue -- once again -- comes down to LIFE.

People who are lazy, by the way -- are actually quite busy, in their minds, full of fear.

The truth is, though, that man is dedicated toward doing, doing, doing.

We even "do" in our minds, even if we lie down and do nothing else.

One of the proverbs speaks to the root causes in our minds:

"As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed." (Proverbs 26: 14)

Even lazy people are busy, but in their minds, doing nothing but fear and worry.

The more that we get busy resting in His truth, the more that we recognize that our one work is to believe in Jesus.

Jesus is alive, Him who has been from the Beginning!

There is only one work that I can do - which is to believe in Him!

The rest is the grace of God, which He so freely supplies through His Son! (Romans 8: 31-32)

The Father Kisses Us Because of Jesus

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15: 20)

In the Parable of the Loving, Father, the Father's kiss speaks of ardent affection for the prodigal son.

Today, we have this ardent love because of Jesus:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)

and also

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (1 John 4:11)

and also

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3: 1)

So, why does God love us so much? Because He is love!

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (1 John 4: 8)

and then

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4: 16)

More specifically, God through Christ Jesus took us out of our dead status in Adam and made us alive in His Son:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" (Romans 5: 17)

and

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised usup together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)

and finally

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

We are accepted in Beloved Jesus - and made like Him ,transformed from glory to glory through His Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3: 18)

So, we can know and believe that our Father loves us, because of Jesus.

The Father Embraces You Because of Jesus

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15: 20)

When we read "fell on his neck", modern readers must understand this phrase really means "embrace" or "love hug".

In the last post, we learned more about the  Father who runs to us, no longer separated from us or having to leave us off because of sin.

Today, we see the Father who takes us into His loving arms.

Now, what is the original word for "fall on neck" in this context? Epipipto, a term which speaks of strong endearment, not just falling heavily on something or someone.

The Holy Spirit fell strongly and embraced Cornelius and his house when Peter preached the Gospel to them:

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." (Acts 10: 44)

The Holy Spirit grants us a new status, a new identity of adoption, making us sons in Christ before our Loving Father:

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 15)

The Spirit ensures our eternal life and salvation, too:

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4: 30)

In fact, we are loved with an everlasting love, just like the Israelites during Jeremiah's day (Jeremiah 31: 3)

Paul prayed that we understand how much our Father loves us:

"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 16-19)

and also:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3: 1)

Today, know that your Father is embracing you, not because of anything that you have done, but because of His son, Jesus.

Your Father Runs to You Because of Jesus

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15: 20)

Many people in this world, even Christians today, think that they have to seek God, that they have to run and find Him.

Under the Old Covenant, the Israelites did have to seek God, yet seeking God was all about the sacrifices made at the Temple.

God in fact cannot be sought in that He holds everything together.

What does separate us from Him, our sin, has been taken away forever at the Cross.

Jesus did not shout at the Cross: "Why have you forsaken me?" for nothing:

"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15: 34)

Why did God forsake Jesus at the Cross? Because He became sin in our place:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

God cannot look on sin:

"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" (Habakkuk 1: 13)

And we cannot stand in God's presence if our sins are not take away:

"O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this." (Ezra 9: 15)

Today, because Jesus took away all our sins, and died as us for our sin, God does not have flee from us or reject us, but rather He runs to us.

"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)

Because of Jesus, you and I do not have to run after God or try to seek Him out, but we can know and believe that He is running after us.

Your Father Has Compassion for You Because of Jesus

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15: 20)

The Father always felt compassion, had caring for his prodigal son.

The son just did not know how much his father cared about him.

Now, when first hearing the Parable of the Loving Father, the audience of Jesus' time may have been scandalized by what they heard.

Under the Old Covenant, disobedient children were not welcomed with warm hugs and parties.

They were stoned to death:

"18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

"19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

"20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

"21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear." (Deuteronomy 21: 18-21)

Yet this Father does not. Why?

Because the Father went soft on sin? No, but because His perfect Son died for us in our place for ALL our sins:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

and also:

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2: 13-15)

God can richly bless us and shower His grace on us, because His Son took all our sins:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 9)

And also

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1: 3)

We are blessed in Christ, we are made gracious, highly favored in Christ (Ephesians 1: 6), and thus we can rest assured that our Father has compassion on us in spite of all we are going through, and even if it's our own fault.

Your Father Sees You in His Son Jesus!

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15: 20)

The prodigal son had wasted his inheritance in another land. He fell into dire straits, with no food or money, and had to feed pigs to survive.

That's as low as it gets for an Israelite.

When this young prodigal came to himself -- remembered who he was, he dressed up a script that he would give his father, and thus hire himself as his servant.

Yet before he came to his home, the Father saw him.

Did you know that your Father in Heaven sees you today?

He does not see your sin, nor is He looking for fault today in you.

We are complete in Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God.(Colossians 2: 10)

While we all became prodigals, dead in our trespasses, through Adam ,today we reign in this life through Christ Jesus (Romans 5: 17)

Jesus is perfected before God:

"For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore." (Romans 7: 28)

Today, because of Jesus, we are perfected:

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10: 14)

When God sees us today, He does not see us in our dead flesh, but rather in His Son, Jesus!

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)