“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses. . . to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 HCSB)
Previously we’ve established that we are nobility. We are the children of The King. With this privilege comes a responsibility, an obligation. It is the obligation of the noble–noblesse oblige. Furthermore we agree that we did not earn this place as children of G-d and our eternal salvation, but were grafted in to the Kingdom through the sacrifice of Y’shuaJesus, His death and resurrection. Now let’s move forward, and talk about fulfilling our noble obligation.
Last week I wrote that our life might well be summed up as seeking righteousness and seeking humility. In all situations into which we are thrust, we weigh options, consider responses. It is to our benefit if we seek a righteous response, if we seek humility in all situations. To do this we are not alone. We have been given Spiritual power to live, to act, to love. Y’shuaJesus said that we’d have the Holy Spirit come upon us to be His witnesses to the ends of the Earth.
But Friday I didn’t feel much like a witness of Y’shuaJesus. My kids were getting on my nerves. It was hot. It was humid. The traffic was terrible as we returned from Perimeter Church where they’ve been attending an outdoor course. They were tired. I was tired. They squabbled. I wanted it to stop. I finally said to be quiet or else. I don’t really know what the “or else” actually means, but they quieted down and the hot wind coming through the half-opened windows put them to sleep.
Once home, I fretted that I really don’t feel like I have power over situations. There are so many things I can’t control. I don’t even feel as though I have the power to truly respond to situations in a holy manner. I don’t feel. . . And here’s what Peter wrote: “For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:3-4 HCSB)
It seems to me that the point is that Peter didn’t say I’d feel powerful and holy in sharing the divine nature. He tells me that in the “knowledge of Him who called us. . . we have promises.” And that we “escape the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.” As I write this it occurs to me that sharing in the divine nature shapes my desires. And my desires are being shaped that they are not evil desires. Perhaps it is not so much what we do, how we react within the drama of our daily lives, but it is what we don’t do, how we don’t react, that makes us witnesses of G-d.
We are children of G-d. We are nobility. We are being shaped by the indwelling Spirit of G-d. We grow in our knowledge of Messiah, in His promises, in His ways. When we stumble, we have forgiveness. And we are able to forgive. Our growth is that we always are seeking righteousness and seeking humility.
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon you, this week and eternally. Amen.
JonahzSong 