“Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.” (Ephesians 2:16 NLT)
“Hostility” – unfriendliness; resentment; lack of sympathy; anger; animosity.
I had to ask the question, “Why are people so hostile against God?” Some people are downright mean in how the approach God, treat God, and in what they expect from God or expect God to do. Is it because He is righteous and we are not? Is it because He is holy and we are not? Is it because He is in control and we are not? Is it because He is God and we are not?
No, that’s not it. The answer my friends, is with us. It is pride. It is plain and simple pride. We want to believe we can do more than God and get ahead of Him in His plan. It’s not going to happen. We cannot give more than God and we cannot give up more than God gave up.
Pride’s primary fruit is HOSTILITY.
The word is only found in the New Testament, here in Ephesians 15 and 16 and once in Luke 23:12. We’re told there that Herod and Pilate did not get along too well. It was a political thing. They were hostile toward one another. That ended when Pilate sent Jesus to be judged by Herod, and Herod having his ego properly stroked, softened toward Pilate and after that they were best buddies. Awww... how sweet.
It is interesting that the three times this word is used in the New Testament, Jesus the one who is somehow involved in erasing it.
Up in heaven is the holy God; down below is the sinful man. And sin is what separates us from God and God from us. We have an empty void in our soul, so we are constantly trying to reach God. But he cannot get past the sin barrier.
Then God, who wanted to have mercy on us and our hopeless situation said, “I will do something.” God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to make a way. And upon the rough sawn timbers of a cross, Jesus gave His life so you and I could not only live forever, but also live forgiven forever.
All of our sin for all time was judged, condemned, and came under the fire of God’s wrath, in the body of His Son, Jesus Christ there on that cross.
There’s a song that goes, “There’s a bridge to cross the great divide. There’s a cross the bridge the great divide.” Jesus built that bridge between man and God with His life and His blood. It’s a bridge man could never build and a bridge that man can never take away. God made a way that we couldn’t make — for you and for me. Since Jesus built a bridge of love for us to be reconciled to God, it's our turn to build a bridge of love to someone who is lost and searching.
Drop the pride. Drop the Hostility. Right now we all know a person who needs to accept Jesus as Savior. Tell them now how to live forever forgiven.
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
