RENEW

Jesus’s letter to Smyrna was to a suffering church. They were being persecuted for bearing witness to Jesus Christ and they are commended for their faithfulness in the face of suffering. They certainly weren’t perfect, yet suffering brings about a purity of faith in which Jesus delights.

John begins transcribing this first letter from Jesus to the Church of Ephesus, the Ephesians, his home congregation. In this letter, out of all seven letters, is contained the highest praise and the lightest rebuke. Theirs also is the most magnificent image of the promise as they continue in faith in the finished work of Christ: to be granted to eat from the lost Tree of Life itself.

Love your neighbour. That’s one of those phrases that is used so flippantly that when you hear it, it’s easy to tune out. It’s lost its meaning. And that’s a terrible shame because the suggestion to love your neighbour is a powerful one that Jesus was passionate about, and he wasn’t vague in the slightest about what it meant.

‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ Romans 12:1:2

The message of the psalm is quite clear. We bless the Lord, and the Lord blesses us in return. This is more than cause-and-effect. It is an ongoing cycle. It’s a circle of blessing that moves to God and then from God. He is worthy of our blessing; and we are in need of his blessing. 

Division has the unique ability to drain our energy, but unity actually increases our vitality! It reminds us of what it means to be human. It fills us up. Unity is God’s design for humanity. But it runs contrary to our sinful nature, which is why if you read any New Testament letter, you’ll find an impetus placed on unity within the church.  

On our discipleship journey of following Christ, we are asked to make some very challenging, difficult, even unconventional lifestyle choices. The question is: Will we obey what Jesus asks us to do?

We live this Christian life by saying no to pride and yes to humility. Saying no to demanding from God and yes to being with God in whatever it is we face. Saying no to me as king and yes to following the King. Saying no to thinking I can know everything and saying yes to trusting the One who does know everything.

God has reached out to humankind in the person of His Son Jesus to offer up His life and His blood, in our place, so that we might ascend from the depths of our sin, so that we might have forgiveness, so that God might give us, through Jesus, redemption.

No matter the opposition or affliction whether past, present or future, we can look to Jesus who is righteous. He will preserve us, be present with us, and lead us by His grace and strength to persevere and to prevail.