Jesus' Peace

Luke 3:19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
 
JOHN told the truth. Then Herod imprisoned him. This is a common and constant response to God’s goodness against sin. Herod’s rejection of God’s righteous laws, grace and forgiveness remains constant. You can easily find accounts on various Christian websites and in publications the accounts of faithful Christians who are imprisoned because they spoke of God’s goodness to help people they know overcome sin.     
    For example, two men in Iran are sentenced to 18 months in prison for teaching God’s Word. And a persecuted woman in another country writes, “Almost every week they take me to a different building and put me into a dark room and announce that the day of my death is at hand. They say I should deny my faith or be killed.” Radical Islamist terrorists decimate Christian communities in Nigeria. The sinful, unrepentant heart is a deadly enemy against God’s holiness we receive through Jesus’ pure redemption.
    We see this anger opposing God first in the account of Cain killing Abel. When God rejected Cain’s offering, Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:5b-7)
    The LORD God offered Cain the opportunity to repent. But Cain was set on doing his own will, rejecting God’s authority. Instead of humble submission to the LORD, Can rebelled by persecuting Abel to the death. His hatred of God’s goodness was so deep in his heart, Cain could only express it with violence against his brother.
    How does the Christian respond to sin’s angry opposition? Your only option is to stand firm in your redeemed life. God tells us we have the strength to overcome sin’s aggression: Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Be acutely alert to God’s greatness to welcome you into his presence. Be steadfast to offer Jesus’ salvation even to the greatest opposition.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for saving me from sin’s anger. Help me speak to those who are angry against your holiness. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.