No matter how difficult your life might become, you’ll always have the most important treasure one could possibly have — if you’re a Christian.
If your family abandons you, if your employer dumps you, if your body fails you, you’ll still be richer than the the world’s wealthiest non-believer.
Some of you reading this are deeply wounded just now. Your inner voice is wondering if anybody truly cares about you.
Perhaps your sense of abandonment is phobia-based. Perhaps the abandonment by people is real.
In either event, I want you to know that the ultimate abandonment has not occurred.
In fact, the cross of Calvary shows that God NEVER ultimately abandons any living human.
Let me repeat that.
God NEVER ultimately abandons anybody.
People often abandon God.
If one doesn’t repent and obey the gospel, the restoring power of God’s gracious love cannot remedy the consequence of a rebellious heart.
Even so, God didn’t withdraw His soul-seeking love for sinful man before the cross and He hasn’t withdrawn His soul-seeking love for sinful man since the cross.
Boy, this is a comforting thought.
Why this topic today?
In John 16, Jesus was with His apostles in the hours just before His arrest. He was explaining what would soon happen and how the apostles would not comprehend them until after the fact.
Jesus said that He would be abandoned by everybody — except God.
“You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me” (verse 32).
For eternity, Jesus had enjoyed unending fellowship with Jehovah. No matter how difficult the obstacles were during His ministry, Jesus had that peace that passes all understanding because God had not left Him or forsaken Him.
This is very powerful, my friend.
This also explains why children who have a solid, nurturing relationship with their earthly fathers are less likely to have emotional insecurity issues during adolescence and adulthood.
They know that their father is always with them, even if only in a legacy of love.
The incredible value to Christ of His Father’s presence explains why Jesus was so anguished in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus knew that His Father would have to withdraw fellowship with Him for a time in order for the guilt of all man’s sin to be placed on His shoulders.
Please understand something.
I’m convinced that the pain of broken fellowship with His Father was far greater than the pain of the beatings, the crown of thorns and the nails.
Jesus endured this horrendous sequence of loss because of my sins and because of yours.
Jesus sacrificed that which He treasured most — the intimate presence of God — so that you and I could have that which we should treasure most — the intimate presence of God.
I pray that you’ll realize that an intimate relationship with God is the greatest treasure in all the universe.
I pray that you’ll realize that God has already decided that He wants such a relationship with you.
I pray that you’ll realize that God has made the way for you to have such a relationship, despite your sins.
Never forget that your decision to confess Christ with your words and baptism brought you into relationship with Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Jesus promised that people in this life might abandon us, but that He would NEVER leave us or forsake us.
Boy, am I glad that I’m a Christian.
I pray that you are, too.
As always, I love you
Martin
