Series: Devotion

When Jesus lay down His life at the cross, He struck the decisive blow in God’s war against evil. His resurrection confirms this. Death has lost its power over Him and over everyone who trusts in Him.

During His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus taught people about the kingdom of God and about His Father’s Word and will. The Savior delivered people according to His powerful Word of authority,

But other times, loving this person can be a hard sell. It’s a hard sell because they also say things that you wish they wouldn’t. But they said it. And it makes them that much harder to love.

Of course, this is not a thing that human beings can do on their own. Give up family, friends, home, job? No. That can only happen if the Holy Spirit is living in us, working in us to do the impossible—to bring us to a point where we treasure Jesus above all else, however beloved.

From the sound of the letter, Onesimus was once enslaved in Philemon’s household. He ran away—possibly stealing some money as well—and eventually wound up in contact with Paul in jail, who told him about Jesus. Onesimus became a believer.

This is a classic description of the mess that we are in as human beings. The choice is simple, isn’t it? Life or death. Love or hate. Loving the Lord, or living as His enemy. Not a hard choice, is it?

Hanging helpless on the cross, Jesus listened to scoffers mock Him as Messiah and Savior. Jesus took onto Himself the sins of the wicked, the sinners, and the scoffers. He took our sins into His own body and suffered the penalty of death that should have been ours.

This is no vain hope, my friend. It is no mirage. It is your destiny in Christ. Receive Him as your Savior and share in His glory. In Christ, God has something magnificent in store for you.

Everyone within earshot knows that they are Christians. Indeed, it is impossible to miss them—to judge from surface appearances, these people will be sitting right next to Jesus in His kingdom.