”…Joshua, …looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua went up to Him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ He replied…” Joshua 5:13-14
There are two things of note here: One, the ‘man’ standing in front of Joshua had a drawn sword. This was a posture of battle, and He was in Joshua’s way; Two, He is not on our side, we must be on his. As hard as it is for some people to understand, God takes an aggressive stance toward those who reject Him, not for punishment sake, but to get them on the right side - His. Romans 1:18 says, the wrath of God is on those who suppress the truth - Jesus. What God wants is to give mercy. It’s on us to accept and agree with God’s terms for a peace treaty - otherwise…
WE LIVE IN PIECES…
”There is no peace,’ says the Lord, ‘for the wicked.” Isaiah 48:22
Sadly, the fragmentation of the human soul goes undetected. The erosion caused by sin chips away at us and we wonder why our health, marriages, families and jobs are falling apart. We scratch our heads and try to figure out what is wrong. All the while, the Holy Spirit draws us to return to the Lord for His forgiveness. The effects of living with sin are: emotional volatility in confusion; lacking confidence in chaos; cowardice (double-minded) in times of calamity, and being harassed by guilt. People are living broken (in pieces) lives that God wants to make whole again. The beauty of His wholeness is we have no more holes.
…OR WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE.
”Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
Peace is twofold - the absence of conflict (unity) and the presence of calm (rest). These are necessary for us to live happy productive lives. Jesus provided both by His death, burial and resurrection. The discord with God is over. Jesus’ life, one of complete peace with God, was given so that we can be in agreement with God (Amos 3:3). This peace of mind puts an end to our interpersonal demons. As a result, we never need to fear or shrink back from God again. Because of Jesus, God has no problem, issue, or conflict with us - His goodness made us ‘good’ with God.
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