Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
It’s amazing how many scriptures we keep in our heads. I would imagine the average Believer can recite dozens, and probably recall hundreds if needed. However, the challenge this morning is to consider of the scriptures in your head, how many are also in your heart? There is a difference.
Take John 3:16 for example. The scripture reads, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Everybody remembers that one. But have we really taken it to heart? It’s a simple quote to understand through our intellect and mental capabilities. Now try assigning this same scripture to your heart.
For starters, we’d have to break the sentence in two. The first half, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, is a complete statement that stands all by itself. There’s no additional information, or affirmation needed concerning God’s love for humanity. God gave us His Son, because His Son is all we need. Watch this! And, His Son is all the gift we are promised to get. The second stanza, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, speaks to the benefits of accepting the initial gift. But make no mistake about it, Christ is the gift of God to humanity. Everything else is an ancillary add on. So while our head tells us this verse is about the route to salvation, our hearts understand it speaks of the sufficiency of God to fulfill all things through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now, in Matthew this same Jesus is recorded making two significant claims of His own. He affirms the significance of the Father’s selection of Him by declaring, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” But this morning I want to focus on the other claim Jesus made to us. He left earth and return to heaven with this one huge promise. “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
If there’s nothing else in the entire Bible we should have confidence in, it’s the commitment of Christ to do what He promised to do. Not to dismiss, or minimize any other scriptures, but, as a matter of the heart (not simply our heads) there can be nothing more important than completely immersing ourselves in the Lord’s presence. The fact that He is with us ‘always’, is significant beyond comprehension. No. Let me restate. The fact that He has been with us (you) (me) ALWAYS, is mind blowing. Jesus has been there. Everywhere we’ve gone. Heard everything we’ve said. Was present during everything we did. And everything we do. That’s somewhat of a sobering thought isn’t it?
But here’s a more sobering reality. There’s nothing we’ve said, done, thought or imagined that He hasn’t the capacity to forgive us for. Moreover, He’s equipped us through His own Spirit with the power, stamina and fortitude to overcome every obstacle. But overcome we must!
Warriors of God, please note, you can’t be victorious until you’ve been in a battle. You can’t be healed, until you’ve been sick. You can’t be an overcomer, until you overcome something. And you certainly can’t be more than a conqueror, until you start conquering. Bottom line, Jesus never promised you’d never be sick, afflicted, attacked, cast down, ship wrecked and broken. He never promised us a rose garden. But He promised Himself, and nothing is better than that.
God Bless
