Is it in you?

Good Friday to you.

As we remember the Son's ultimate expression of love and obedience today it is good to remember that we have, living in us, if we love Jesus, the same Spirit of love and obedience.

How do we know we love him?  If the Spirit is giving us a will to and teaching us how to obey his commandments: forgiving others as we have been forgiven by our Father, loving others as we have been loved by the Son, doing our best to live at peace with all men, supporting and loving the Body and Bride of Christ: the church, seeking his face and our washing in the Word, doing justice for the poor and the fatherless and the widow and the alien living among us.  Not that we do these things perfectly, one was perfect, the one on the cross.  But that we express in our brokenness his strength and forgiveness and mercy and grace.  From outside, the church should look like messy people with messed up lives, confessing their messiness and repenting and loving each other and working together for the good of all.  Not pretty people pretending to be perfect.  We don't fake it till we make it.  Yes, we must always be hypocrites, because we are sinners.  Yes, our best attempts at righteousness are filthy, bloody tampons.  Yes, it will seem like work at times but remember, listen to the Spirit, He testifies not to your good work, but to Jesus' good work on your behalf!  You are a child of covenant!  You are a child of promise!  Not of what you will do for God but of what He has done, will do and is doing for you!  We don't "make it", HE. MAKES. US.

Therefore...!

Abide in that love: the shadow of the cross, the sprinkling of his blood, the emptiness of his tomb, the glory of his throne, the hope of his promises.  Walk in His Spirit, the spirit that testifies of the Son and His Gospel, the Spirit seeks to glorify the Father through the Son, so that if He's in us, we should to!

Or, if you look at these traits and realize this Spirit isn't the one in you, if you can't see him or don't know him, get to the Cross!  Now!  While He has graciously given you time.  What better day than today?