Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and
he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. (Hos 6:1)
There will be seasons when the unchanging God will chastise
whom He loves, but not without mercy. If judgment does not begin in the house
of God, the heathens will point their finger at God to accuse Him for injustice
in reserving the unjust unto the Day of Judgment for punishment (2 Pet 2:9). He
is not interested in our pain, but to bring many sons to glory. Tearing is
painful; there is a cost of discipleship. The invitation to inherit the Kingdom
of God does come with a price, namely the cost of laying down self.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Mat 11:28-29)
Jesus invitation is the same, ‘Come’. The result of coming
to the Lord is to experience in every sense of the word His rest, perfect
peace, Shalom. Coming requiring a laying down of the old in order to inherit
the new. It is leaving the yoke of sin for the yoke of discipleship, which is
the yoke of the cross. Tearing begins to take place one we have heeded His call and
decide to follow Him. God did not make us robots with a on-off switch, we have to
decide. It is the decision to lay down our will and yield to His. The place of
rest is the place of abiding in Christ hence Christ cannot have the world or
sin embedded in. It is the question of black or white, never grey. He will tear
only those who belong to Him in order that there will be a body of believers
whose heart is only to love Him, an undivided heart that has the love of the
Father in them (1 John 2:15).
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