Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC)

God made this world for himself.

Life in this world was made to reflect his nature:
his goodness, love, and righteousness.

Humanity was made to enjoy Him in His world.
Under His rule, they could live happily His way:
in peace and in thankful obedience,
service and dependence on Him.

But we human beings attempted
to live independently of God
in His world.

We denied God’s rule by denying
His teaching about us and about life under Him.

This was evil and the world was corrupted by it.
Conflict and confusion ensued.
The good life gave way to destruction,
disease and death.

God calls this sin.

Sin now has a dominating influence over
all human beings. Its effects are devastating.

Our denial of God is a denial of who we are
made to be under God, and we are
therefore denied the perfect life under God.

This is God’s righteous judgment of a rebellious race,
and there will be a final accounting for all human beings
when they come face to face with God.

But God is righteously committed
to His good plan for His world,
including to His people,
made for His glory.

For human beings, death and conflict with God
and with each other is not the life
He has in mind as the final outcome.

God continued His loving rule
by revealing that the future of
this world lies in the godly rule of a great king and saviour.

In this ruler, life would be as God
intended for man to be able to live.

However, sin had to be dealt with:
its corrupting effects, and its very source, man himself.

And so, God sent His Son in the likeness of man to be this ruler, to live life as man
should have lived it under God. As God’s Son, Jesus established God’s kingdom,
laying the foundation for the renewal of this world. God proclaimed the establishment
of His Son’s kingdom by the power of His Spirit, defeating destruction, disease,
death and even demons.

God’s rule was established by the teaching of Jesus
in the way, the truth, and the life of the people of God.

God’s people were enabled to serve Him in new lives by
God’s Spirit giving them an understanding of Jesus’ teaching.

Their sin was dealt with
by Jesus taking their punishment,
by offering Himself in their place.

Jesus died and resurrected for His people
to bring glory to God.

He died and freed them from their love of the sin
that brought death, so they, with new lives,
could serve the living God.

He was raised from the dead because
His death was for this glorious purpose.

Jesus’ resurrection means that
God’s proclaiming of a new kingdom under
his Son’s eternal rule is true, and
all who follow the Son will have forgiveness and
new life in this kingdom of God’s rule.

Jesus’ own life and resurrection is proof of
all that is possible in the new humanity
of a fully renewed world to come.

Jesus challenges us to recognise God’s rule.
We must submit to God’s Son and receive forgiveness,
a new mindset and relationship with God.

This peace with God and love for Him, is available
only in His Son’s rule. As Lord, Jesus has authority
to forgive and give this new life through His Spirit.

Therefore, today is a day of hope.

God commands all of us, to turn away from a life of
rebellious sinfulness against God, to seek His mercy,
and to depend on God for His life.

God promises that those who reject
their own lives to live God’s life under
Jesus will be forgiven, and will receive
the gift of His Spirit to live obediently
to the Lord Jesus.

But whoever continues to assert
their independence from God is still
under his wrath and will be excluded
from God’s world together with
all that is evil.

If you have repented and are committed to
submitting to Jesus and trusting Him, know this:

As Lord, Jesus continues to rule His kingdom by His teaching and
will bring to completion one day God’s renewing work in this world.

At His return, the reality of Jesus and His kingdom will be revealed to all,
exposing our actions and accountability for the lives we have lived
without God. The evil and corruption of sin will be fully defeated so that
we may experience the life and peace of God’s glorious world.

Those who eagerly await His Son’s return and live for Him, will continue
to live in this wonderful life of God’s renewed world in the near future.

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