From the Pastor's Desk
Isolation
The cost of seperation
We hear a lot about isolation these days. We’ve been separated from many things that we miss. Family, friends, church, okay even work, yep many even miss that. Separation is for our good and the good of others, even though it hurts. We don’t want to spread the virus, to make someone sick or to get sick ourselves. The virus we are told can be deadly if left to spread freely.
There’s another virus that has caused more than 6 thousand years of separation. Isaiah speaks about it in this way, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 and Paul puts is like this, “remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Eph 2:12 Do you see the difference between the two statements? Isaiah is speaking about the present condition while Paul is reminiscing about the past.
As children of God things have changed for you and me. Oh, and this is the really great news, you’ve been separated again, but this time not into isolation. This time we’ve been counted as separate or special because we’ve received a vaccine for our condition. The vaccine is called Grace. Which brings us out of quarantine in that we, because of Jesus, can come boldly before the throne of God as adopted children of God but we are still in the world, on the battle field as medics working hard to bring the sick and wounded to the great physician for a shot of “Grace.”
Sure, we still struggling with the sin problem as we allow “Grace” to do its wonderful work in us and through us. I love this promise in Philippians 1:6-7, “… who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
This is a time to lean into our savior, to share Jesus goodness with others and to know that Jesus is coming soon. Keep the faith, remain in grace, abide in love.
Pastor Kip