Good News! Good News!

Colossians 1:27

     For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.

     Before the New Covenant was formed through the blood of Jesus Christ, only the Jews were accepted by God and chosen to be His holy people. All others were considered Gentiles, and were not only cut off by God, but literally hated and despised by the Jews. For thousands of years, the Jewish people were taught and believed this truth. So when Paul began teaching that salvation was available for everyone, including the Gentiles; many Jewish people had a difficult time believing, understanding and accepting.

     In our modern society, we look back and have a hard time understanding why the Jews would struggle with acceptance of Gentile believers, but in reality, we struggle with the same concept, only the faces are different. Number one, if we lived in Biblical times, most of us would be considered Gentiles. I personally don’t know too many followers of Christ who have a true Jewish heritage, so most of us would be rejected and ostracized by the Jewish community. Understanding that simple fact should put a whole different spin on our own salvation, making us realize that without Jesus Christ, we would never have a chance of being accepted by God. Gratitude and thankfulness should be a common theme in our daily prayers. But instead, too many Christians have an entitlement mentality of salvation, while rejecting those around them who look and act differently.

     Let a homeless person, or someone covered in piercings and tattoos enter our church building, and watch the reaction of most Christians. We act as though Christ’s salvation is exclusively reserved for those who dress and act the part. That kind of mentality is no different than the Jews looking down on and rejecting the Gentiles. Jesus Christ died for ALL mankind, not just the ones we deem worthy. Pride, arrogance and self-exaltation has no place in the body of Christ. The fact remains that we are all unworthy in our own merits, and it’s only through the sacrificial blood of Christ that salvation is made available to any of us.

     Isn’t it awesome to hear this great news today? We, as Gentiles, are accepted and loved by our Heavenly Father, all because of Calvary. Pass the Good News on to someone else today!

     Do you have days where you feel rejected and unloved? Rejoice in the fact that we are accepted and loved unconditionally by God. It doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say about you or how they treat you. You are a treasure, admired by God! Take some time to thank him today!

Have a great day!