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'Christ in You...'
by Dale Krebbs
Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in that garden, God has provided a series of times or epochs to allow humanity time to acknowledge and return to their Creator. Since then, there has been a general period of automatic condemnation, and yet a time of "common grace" - a time of general witness which no human can escape or avoid.
There is a well-utilized line from western movies that expresses the state of mankind since the Garden Of Eden: "There are some things that you just can't ride around...". So it is with every human life. You and I cannot "ride around" the witness of creation. The heavens, the earth, and everything in and on them no one can ride around. They will always be there as a witness during this time of general grace. Grace, with life and free will, but also a general condemnation that is waiting.
God has also given to mankind part of His authority to devise various methods of law to keep at least a semblance of order, to keep a lid on human nature. There has been of course horrible abuse of the authority given to man, but as an overview, to this date God has not allowed him to completely destroy himself (Mark 13:20).
Eventually, God intervenes directly with Abraham which results in the deliverance of his descendents from slavery to human abuse of law and authority, by bringing them out of slavery to the abuse of authority. But God did not deliver them from the slavery of Egypt into a no-law environment. Rather, He gave them another set of laws from Mt. Sinai. These were better laws by far, but they also carried very sever penalties. This time, God allowed a forty year period for Israel to be able to learn to obey better laws than had ever existed in the world up to that time. They failed, not because of bad laws, but because of lack of a nature to obey.
That generation died in the wilderness, without entering into the peace and plenty of a promised land, because they could not obey God's laws. Even after the next generation was allowed to enter the promised land, there followed centuries of alternating peace and war, freedom and slavery. Eventually, they were conquered and disbursed throughout the earth. Most of them lost their national identities.
Similiar events have existed with all nations throughout history, until this day. Rise and fall of nation after nation, people after people. The same general conditions. The rigidity of law clashing with the inability of mankind to keep it. All of this God was working to prove to mankind that he could not obey perfectly a law - even a perfect law. This was and is the witness of time and experience for mankind. God has shown that mankind cannot come to a holy and perfect God even with a perfect law to follow. Yet God, always allowed a period of time for mankind to either accept His perfect rule, or refuse.
Today you and I are living during another time period, under another dispensation in which the final and perfect solution to the failures of humanity has been given. God's original chosen people, Israel, failed. But God has the solution. A perfect solution that cannot fail. It is the solution that He reveals in Jeremiah 31:31-33. This new spiritual covenant includes all the world who will accept Christ, the mediator of a new covenant (Romans 8:3).
God the Father sent His son who could keep His perfect law perfectly. His Son, Jesus Christ, came and lived a perfect life as a human; even a human such as you and me. His Father accepted Jesus' death as a substitute for all who would believe in Him. His death covered forever the sin and failures of the past. The slate is clean. A new life is available - if you turn to Jesus and accept what He has done for you. Then God will write into your heart the new solution. You will be accounted obedient while He writes the righteousness of His ways into your heart. God has used His laws to lead us to the only One who can enable us to obey.
But the rule of time continues. God does, and always has, been time conscious regarding mankind. He has a plan. That plan includes you. He allows so much time for everything to play out the natural consequences of the failure to respond to His forbearance and patience. He is not only active with the nations regarding time. He has also allocated so much time for you to choose. When ancient man looked up at the heavens, he must have said in his heart, "who made these things". But in general, he went His own way, without seeking out the One who made it all.
You have today, more evidence of who God is, and how patient He is, than ancient man ever could imagine. Now is your time. How long can you wait, to come to Jesus Christ, repent and accept Him as your Savior so that you can live forever. Time will have served its purpose. You, along with millions of others, will never really die, but have a wonderful life forever. But - you have been allocated only so much time to do so.
The God who made you and loves you more than you can imagine is waiting...
How long can you wait?
"The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a thunderous crash, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up." - 2 Peter 3:9-10 (AMP)
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