Who Jesus Is

"There is no more war."

WE DON'T need a warrior church. We need a compassionate one. I challenge you to read Romans 14, Ephesians 4, and Matthew 5 in a modern translation (I like the Remedy, the Message, and the Passion) and see the Father’s heart. Matthew 5:48 says we are to be mature and think and act in maturity like He does. Those chapters will tell you why and how.

We don’t need more war prophecies. There is no war in the making nor one coming in John’s Revelation. The only battle we’re fighting is the one in the mind, and the Spirit of God promises to guide us into pulling down our mental strongholds, so that’s a done deal. The only enemy left is death. THAT will one day not exist (Revelation 21:4). Jesus condemned the devil and gave us authority over him. The Spirit of God is our ability to overcome him, which, again, does not involve a battle. Jesus fought the battle. We are not and never have been battlegrounds.

“(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

WE DO NOT FIGHT PEOPLE (Ephesians 6:12). There is no war with anyone human unless we make one. And if we do, it will be from our carnal, worldly thinking. Because, again, God is not prophesying wars. There is no godly vengeance involving lightning bolts and the destruction of nations, such as we see in the Old Testament. The purpose of our reading the Old Covenant is to see the mercy of God which extends to generations. We should see His kindness and His goodness, and the path that it pictures of Jesus’ coming to earth to die for our sins. We are meant to see His victory through it and are not meant to use it create judgment.

The gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – and the life of the apostle Paul are meant to show us God’s compassion. Why did God use ordinary men, rash and unlearned men, as well as one so steeped in Jewish religion, he considered murder acceptable? Let’s ask Jesus’ mother, Mary. She was in the upper room when Jesus walked through the wall. She was there when the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost. Can there be anything more beautiful than that? The mother of the Son of God was filled with His Spirit and spoke in other tongues.

Stop using Jesus in the temple casting out the moneychangers to justify speaking judgment over others. Stop using “Be angry and sin not,” in Ephesians 4:26 as a reason to allow anger. Keep reading the chapter. In verse 31, it says not to be angry at all. In verses 4 to 6, we learn we are, all of us, children of God, ONE body with ONE Spirit, ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all. We are not a bunch of us over here and a bunch over there and God is using some to teach others through division and strife.

The joy of the Lord is not so that we can make fun of others. It does not give us strength so that we can overcome people, but so that we can laugh in the devil’s face and not fall down nor even stump our toe. (Scroll up and reread. We are not fighting a battle against him.) God’s compassion works in us so that we can rescue each other. We lift up the fallen, speak peace and bring safety to those in need. We protect the weak. We teach who Jesus is so that people oppressed of the devil can be healed. He sets our example.

He defeated the devil completely so that we can show evidence of it for eternity. He will one day return for His church, and we will be like Him. But, as Minister Bill Johnson says, we are not made the salt of the earth in order to huddle in the corner of the plate but to be sprinkled evenly on the food. We are not His light in order to hide underneath a bushel either, but we are meant to be on a lampstand, and that lampstand is the Holy Spirit.

There is no more war. He raised Jesus to life again, remaking His physical body, and reunited Him with it, once and for all. Jesus will never die, and this is our future. Physical death will give way to God’s light, and there will be no more sorrow or mourning. That said, and that is a glorious thing to hope for, but we are NOT meant to live with MORE HOPE in Christ’s return than we have in the power of the gospel. Our swords are drawn to proclaim the good news and not to brandish them on each other – even if the other man is lost in sin and worldly theology.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and scribes so they’d see Him as the Messiah. He said nothing to their mocking and jests, so that they’d know His kindness. He hung on the cross so His blood would cleanse them of their sins, and He rose again to prove that God’s power is greater than anything we will ever face.

He is the Prince of Peace, sent to earth by the God of Peace and filled with the Spirit of peace, so that there will be peace on earth, goodwill to men. Among men. He did not die to start a war but to put down one for good.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up His garments by casting lots.” (Luke 23:34)

“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.” (John 13:34)

Image by peacemedia_for_future from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com