Luke 12:49-53
49 “I have come to cast fire upon the
earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 “But
I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is
accomplished! 51 “Do you suppose that I came to
grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for
from now on five members in one household will be divided,
three against two and two against three. 53 “They
will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against
daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and
daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
The consequences of sin are far greater than any of us can
imagine. Since we have never known
anything but living in sin, it is impossible for us to know just how wonderful
life could be if there were no sin.
Think of all the economic benefits of a society without sin. We would not need to spend money on security,
illness or insurance. Think of all the
social benefits of living amongst a sinless people. There would be no divorce, children would be
respectful and obedient, no racial tensions would exist, and neighbors,
strangers and co-workers would love one another. However, nothing could be better than the
spiritual benefits of a life without sin.
We would have unbroken fellowship with God and a far deeper knowledge of
God. Our motives, thoughts, words and
actions would all be pure all the time.
It all sounds so wonderful, but it is not our reality. It is our hope. One day all who trust Christ will be forever
set free from sin and all its consequences.
The story of redemption and reconciliation is what makes this promise
possible. As wonderful as it sounds, the
path from sinfulness to sinlessness is far from easy. It is a path wrought with suffering and pain
for God and for mankind.
THE DISTRESS OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST: The Lord Jesus
Christ is the Judge of sin and one day He will judge the earth with fire, do
away with sin and reign over New Heavens and a New Earth for all eternity. Jesus wished He could have judged at that
very time. However, He had to face the
cross. He had to take on Himself all the
suffering of our sin on His body. He had
to experience the wrath and abandonment of the Father on His spirit. The pain and torture He endured on every
level is beyond our ability to comprehend and exceeds anything we have ever
experienced. This is what He had come to
earth to accomplish. He offered Himself
out of love for and obedience to the Father and the Spirit. He was motivated by His love for mankind and
His desire to reconcile mankind to the Father.
However, it was very distressing for Him to have to face all of these
things. There was nothing easy about it,
and He longed to be free of it. But it
was the only way by which salvation could occur.
THE DIVISION FROM CONVERSION TO CHRIST: Jesus is not the
only one who suffers because of the consequences of sin. All of us suffer under our own sin and we
suffer at the hands of other sinners.
Because of sin our lives are full of division and conflict. Jesus warns us that His coming to the earth
was not going to be an immediate solution to this problem of division. Instead, His coming would make things
worse. Family members would be divided
because some would believe in Him while others would reject Him. Spouses, siblings, parents, children, in-laws
and extended family should be the greatest sources of delight in our
lives. However, because of sin they are
often one of the greatest sources of sources of strife, discord and division. Our life in Christ will make us joyful member
of the body of Christ with who we will experience unity and love. However, we are also likely to face suffering
and rejection at the hands of those who do not believe; especially those that
are members of our family.
APPLICATION: Recognize the seriousness of our sin and repent
of any sin that lingers in our hearts.
Thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His sufferings on our behalf. Do all we can to live in peace and harmony
with unbelievers, but be prepared for conflict and division. Look forward with delight at the wonderful
day when we will be eternally free from sin.
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