Cruelty

There is so much cruelty out there. We are inherently cruel by nature. How many of us instinctively turn the other cheek when offended. It’s not our go to action. The itch of payback must get attention if we are to survive the onslaught from others. Most of us don’t really worry much about what others do with their lives just as long as they keep their distance when it comes to encroachment. We have an invisible space they belongs to us, this is the “no-go zone”. As long as that cosmos isn’t invaded we are typically tolerant. But breach that universe, an individual’s domain and drama arises. At times it can be the slighted infringement that triggers, push the wrong button at the wrong time and anything can happen. Look at what is happening in the US, an African American was mistreated so severely that he died, police brutality once again highlighted against a minority group. People have stood up and cried “enough”, and pandemonium has followed. Riots and even deaths all in the name of payback. It is easy to point a finger and accuse others, it’s rather comforting, and it leaves us with a self-centred glow that comes from excusing ourselves. Just another decoy, like a magician and their ability to deceive, it leaves us ignoring an eternal dilemma, which is this “what about our eternal destiny?” Satan has fashioned everything is this world to distract you from finding salvation in and through the finished work of the cross. As real and as effected as he is, I take great joy in this fact, that God is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The elect will respond to HIS CALL!     

We must learn to self-diagnose before we start to repair others. Salvation must start with me. I recall growing up as a young boy with the need to fight my way out of a corner. Punch first and speak later. I make mention of this in my autobiography “Destroy and Deliver” which is available on Amazon in the form of an electronic book. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08733YKZ8  

No one taught me to behave in such a manner, it was instinctive. Years later, in hindsight and with much reflection I understand why I behaved like that. The psychologist would like to notch it up to an up-bringing that was hard on me, my parents getting a divorce when I was ten. That must have played its part… Consequences to our lives most certain have their role to play, however, when we go deeper, it frees us up to correctly analyse our actualities. Regardless of where we have been or what has happened to us, unless we acknowledge that we are the problem and we are sinners by nature. We need to be saved from ourselves; we must destroy the victim card that only we have the power to relinquish. It belongs to each individual and unless we deal with it correctly and throw it into the fire, we will always be looking to get payback and it will always be someone else’s fault.

Without salvation, without accepting what we have freely received, we will never be willing to freely give, giving will always be conditional. Repentance is the very first cornerstone that needs to be laid into our lives if we are to succeed. And the fascinating part behind it all, it is impossible to achieve this without God’s involvement in our lives. And it all started with Jesus Christ becoming a man and living a life of sinless perfection. I want to spend some time here to help us understand what this actually means.

What is “sinless perfection”? It simply means that the will of God the Father, the creator of the universe, demands a specific type of behaviour if we are to find favour from Him. Hence the Law of God through Moses and that is known as the First Covenant. A set of laws that dictated how the Israelites had to live their lives. You can read all about it in the book of Leviticus. However, over time, this Covenant proved that it was an impossible task. In fact the Apostle Paul goes as far to say that one of the greatest lessons to come out of the law is that we are sinners by nature and that if left to ourselves we will always fall short of the law’s requirements. It was a tutor to teach us that we needed a Saviour. Miss this and you will always be groping around in the dark, with miniscule glimmers of hope thinking that some new methods may get you there, only to disappoint.

God has made a way, he has punished His Son for our sin, and we don’t have time to unpack this now, which is a post all in itself. Save to say that we have all been given a lifeline. Jesus paid the price for man’s sin. On the cross He suffered God’s wrath and died in mankinds place. On the third day God raised Him from the dead, proof that God accepted His sons sacrifice for sin. Jesus paid the penalty for our breach and satisfied the demands of righteousness, which settled the wrath of God. Jesus is now in heaven with a resurrected body, a glorified spiritual body; my mind goes into overload when I begin to image what that looks like, how it functions and what it is capable of. This body also awaits the faithful believer,wow! He is seated at God the Fathers right hand and He rules the universe, which we are all part of and the sooner you come to your senses on this the better. 

The solution is simple, take what I have penned, and acknowledge that you need help and that you are weary of trying to do it your way; repent and call upon the name of Jesus and you shall be saved. And I leave you with this life changing and extremely encouraging verse; “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13)

Signing off

Tyrone