September 2 Love & Faith

Luke 23:32-34, 39-43 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left…39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
 
JESUS is crucified between two criminals. Still, Jesus graciously loves and forgives to his last human breath. One criminal rejects Jesus. One criminal repents. In faith, the confessing criminal knows of God’s judgment, and he knows Christ is Lord to save him from judgment. With God’s deep love, Jesus forgives: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
    Here is love spoken and grace given in their simplest forms. The man became the world’s first Christian saved in Jesus’ New Covenant of grace. He witnessed the body broken for him and the blood shed for him.
    Then he becomes the first Christian evangelist! With God’s love, he faithfully rebukes the unrepentant criminal and defends Jesus, “Don’t you fear God?” The church should be so loving to the sinner and faithful to the Lord to tell the good news.
    Why does one refuse Jesus and the other repent? This is God at work to save those he has chosen. 1 Peter 1:1b-2 To Christ’s elect, strangers in the world, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood. The word “foreknowledge” is much, much more than God looking into the future to see who would choose Christ. God does not wait to see what will happen. He determines what will happen.
     “Knowing” in the Hebrew meaning is not a mind knowledge. But it means to have a deep, intimate love. Teacher Dr. Stephen Lawson says, “Foreknowledge means that before time began, God drew a circle around your name to single you out, and he chose to love you. And he set his heart upon you with blazing, burning love and affection.” Further, “foreknowledge” is to understand God has chosen to love his own with a deep, intimae love of mind, emotions and physical intimacy. This is the love Jesus has demonstrated to us – even to physically die on a cross. This is the love God commands to love God and to love others.
    Knowing God knows his own, we have hope for the world. Many people are yet to confess Christ because God knows them. Rejoice and be glad to be his disciples. Be God’s minister to tell of God’s justice and God’s knowing love to save.
 
Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for your eternal love for me. I pray I am faithful to tell the gospel message whenever I can. Amen.