Romans 8:33 Who
shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
There can be a lot of accusations in the church. Or sometimes
it feels like there is a fair amount of unjust assumptions. Someone doesn’t
like the way someone made some announcement and someone doesn’t like the way a
certain families’ children sit in church. As church work families we often get
the insiders view of these assumptions and accusations. We are putting out tiny
fires everywhere, trying to help people live Philippians 4:5, “Let your reasonableness be evident to all.”
Sometimes, at the worst of times, we are the center of unjust assumptions. We
might feel like we’re defending ourselves right and left, whether it’s over big
things or small. It seems unfair, unjust.
God encourages us - Live for me. Do what I sent you for. I
hold your honor, man does not.
Paul gets it. He has been in that place. Accusations flying.
It must have been so frustrating trying to defend himself, to the Christians,
to the Hellenists, to the Jewish converts, to the Roman government, to
everyone. He spent a good deal of time sharing his testimony, outlining God’s
call for his life, as a true apostle and as a redeemed sinner/saint. Paul knew
what it meant that God justified not only His sin through Christ’s death and
resurrection, but He also justified His Life through Christ’s death and
resurrection. Honor, purpose, place, calling, comes from our baptismal
identity. God justifies us through the waters and proclaims us worthy of our
calling as we die and rise with Him.
People can bring up any charge against us, but perhaps we can
see it as Paul saw it- one more chance to share what God has done in our lives,
to show what He has redeemed and justified, made holy. We pray with you now
that Christ would give you outward joy in the ministry, but in the moments when
assumptions abound, Christ still prevails.
Lord, we thank you for the infinite joys you give us in our
ministry and families. Please work in the people we share your Word with, to
speak and hear Truth, and grant that we would also be speakers and hearers of
Truth. May your Love and Grace reign in our homes and our churches. In Jesus
Name, Amen.
