The Word of Salvation

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 1:33 pm Post subject: The Word of Salvation

The Word of Salvation

Scripture:

Then he cut out two tables of stone, such as had been before; and rising very early he went up into the Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, carrying with him the tables. And when the Lord was come down in a cloud, Moses stood with him, calling upon the name of the Lord. And when he passed before him, he said: O the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and of much compassion, and true.

And Moses making haste, bowed down prostrate unto the earth, and adoring, said: If I have found grace in your sight, O Lord, I beseech you that thou will go with us, (for it is a stiff necked people) and take away our iniquities and sin, and possess us. (Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9)

For the rest, brethren, rejoice, be perfect, take exhortation, be of one mind, have peace. And the God of grace and of love shall be with you. Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the saints salute you. (2 Corinthians 13:11-13)

For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believes in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world: but that the world may be saved by him. He that believes in him is not judged. But he that does not believe is already judged: because he believes not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ( John 3:16-18 )

Reflection:

Peace belongs to the people who live in respect of their Creator and all which surrounds them. If we examine the commandments of the Lord, we shall see they call us to respect the One who created us as well as the other children of His creation. The purpose of the commandments of God is that we should love and do no harm. This is what Jesus explained when He said all the law and the prophecy depend upon the greatest of commandments; the commandments of love. (Matthew 22:36-40)

When we examine all the consequences of sin, such as that of Cain, we observe that what we do in harm of another also turns back on ourselves. (Genesis 4:8-16) We not only damage or destroy our relationship with another child of the creation of God, but, in the process, we separate ourselves from our Lord. The only winner in sin is the evil one who seeks the ruin of souls.

It is the hardness of our hearts which opens us to the temptations of evil. We are lured by selfish expectations, but we discover that sin only offers corruption and emptiness. There is only but one path which will deliver us from the consequences of evil choices and that is the path to which our Lord and Savior encourages us to travel; the path with Him and through Him to the Heavenly Father. (John 14:6)

We are encouraged within the scriptures to set aside our selfishness, for the effort to feed the appetite of self-indulgent desires only serves to drain us of the true blessings of life. The opening of our hearts to God as well as the exchange of civility and caring with those who cross our path yields a joy which cannot be obtained by those driven by envy, avarice, and lust. If we listen to His Word, we may turn from the darkness of the world and prepare for the day we may enter into His kingdom.

As we look at the time of our generation and the iniquities of generations past, we might wonder, why does God waste His time with us? He has given the answer and the answer is love. It is His desire that not one of us should be lost to the world, but that we may all find the path to Him so we may live forever with Him. (Luke 15:4) To show us the way, God sent His only begotten Son so that through our belief in Him, we may be forgiven our sins and cleansed of our iniquities. As the Father sent the Son so that we may find the way to the Heavenly Father, so has the Son sent us an advocate, the Holy Spirit, to remind us of all which the Son has taught (John 14:26) and to lead us in truth (1 John 5:6, 1 Peter 1:20-21).

Let us, then, lift up our hearts in thanks and praise for the love and blessings of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the One who created us, the One who loves us, and the One who encourages us in love. It is through this love by which we may be forgiven. It is through His Word by which His love is explained to us. It is by seeking to live according to His Word that we may receive the salvation which is offered only through the blessings of His love. In prayer, let us give thanks and praise for the Holy Word which reveals the promise for our salvation.

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways does the Word of God enhance our lives?

What prevents us from attaining peace and sharing in love?

What is promised to us which we may receive only through the Son of God?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier