This morning as I worked through these eight verses, one verse shone a little brighter to me than the others.
In one way or another, God makes sure that we all experience what it means to be outside so that he can personally open the door and welcome us back in. v32
In one way or another is probably rendered in the word "for" (TNIV) in many of your translations. I like this phrase because it reflects my uncertainty about how God is going to handle the Israelites. The point Paul is making is that God wants all of us to know what it means to be outside so we can realize the fullness of the invitation he offers us to life and love. By Christ's work on the cross, previous insiders now must respond to the invitation of God, just like the outsiders. Now everyone is accountable to the same calling.
So what? How does this impact my life today? How does it change the way I live and love?
For me, the impact is on my level of compassion for those around me. All of us start at the same place, no matter where you are right now, we start at the same place. We start at the invitation to follow Jesus. Whether you were born into a different faith, or a different version of Christianity, or no faith at all, we all start at the invitation to follow Jesus. Every person is responsible for their own response to the invitation also, so every person I come into contact with today has either made their choice or is in process of making a choice. The way I love them, the way I treat them, impacts their decision. I want to be clear in my decision, but allow everyone their own decision. I do not coerce or manipulate, but simply love - love by asking questions, answering questions and being as much like I think Jesus would be to them.
That's just me, though. How about you?
The part of these verses that I really liked was this:
ReplyDeleteBut with the door held wide open for you, they have a way back in.
I think this tied into a post you wrote earlier this week as well - how some of us can come to Christ by watching someone else who made the same mistakes come to Christ (or something along those lines). And I can't explain it, but this just feels good in my heart.