A Plan for Life

Ezekiel 18:23 (NRSVue) - Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live?

Ezekiel 18 speaks of individual retribution.

A common belief at the time was that punishment for sin would be passed on to ensuing generations.

The prophet declares that this is not so.

A child will not be punished by God for the sins of his parent.

Neither will a parent be punished by God for the sins of his child.

Those who do not turn away from their sin and repent will die.

But this is not what God desires.

What God wants is for the sinner to change his ways, repent and live.

Paul discusses this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 6:23 (NRSVue) - The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God is not vindictive.

He created us in His image.

It is only logical that God would wish to save us.

And God did just that through Jesus.

So. if God is willing to forgive us, shouldn’t we be willing to forgive each other?

Through Christ, God teaches us how to forgive.

He also teaches us to love.

When it comes down to it, each of us has sinned.

On our own, each of us comes up short.

But by God’s grace and mercy we have been set free.

If God can forgive so much, shouldn’t we forgive what is little by comparison.

We can let go of the desire for individual retribution.

And. we can be happy for those who come to know Him through Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, April 26, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, May 3, 2024

A Place Prepared

Isaiah 43:16 (NRSVue) - Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,

In Isaiah 43, the prophet speaks of God’s restoration and protection.

He hearkens back to the day when Moses led the people out of bondage.

When pursued by Pharoah’s chariots, God parted the sea for his people,

He provided a means of escape so they could reach the Promised Land.

In John 14, Jesus also speaks of a way out.

He speaks of the means of escape from the cares of this world to the Father.

And just as God parted the sea, God provided us with a way to our own promised land.

God provided us with Jesus as the means of coming home to Him.

John 14:3-4 (NRSVue) - And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.

This was not an impulsive decision on God’s part.

This was God’s plan from the very beginning.

Like the people who were delivered from the bondage of slavery, God used Jesus to free us from the bondage of sin.

God used Jesus to free us from fear.

Our salvation is assured,

Our way has been prepared.

The fear of death no longer has any power over us.

Thanks to Jesus, we will close our eyes in this world and open them in the next.

We will then see firsthand the Father welcoming us into His presence forever.

When that happens, fear and darkness will become a forgotten memory.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, April 12, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, April 19, 2024