EASTER: Is any relationship impossible?

Romans 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved 

through the life of his Son.

When I was Church planting in Hawaii, I was called by one of my men that had become involved in a very difficult situation. He had a neighbor that had entered into a relationship with Christ, which we had all been praying for. That’s when the truth came out about this man. He had abused his daughter for years, and his salvation experience had led him to confront this demon and ask his daughter for forgiveness. I fully supported this and had helped him see that he needed to understand that once he did this, he would need to submit to what God brought about through this.

That could be anything from restoration to rejection and even jail time. He desired to meet with his daughter alone and then have us come over. When he called we came into his home and there we found a broken daughter lovingly hugging her very broken, ashamed, and repentant dad! She had trusted Christ years before and was praying for God to help her father!  Only a mighty God could reconcile the damage this man had done. I was  awe-struck with God’s mighty grace as I witnessed their relationship blossom for two years.

God’s love, grace, and forgiveness bring hope to any relationship…if we will allow it. Three prominent relationships are seen in Scripture that testify to this Truth. 

Matthew was a traitor to his own people and profited off the taxes he collected for the Romans. Simon was a “Zealot” which was a group of Jews that despised Rome and would even kill to break Rome’s grip on Israel. Yet, because of Christ, they became brothers and lived, ministered, and were martyred for their faith.

Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee that feared and hated this new religion that he believed threatened authentic Judaism. Jehovah’s salvation was for Israel only. Gentiles were dogs, and could be saved, but never be the same as one of God’s “real” children. Because of Christ, Saul became Paul and was used by God to bring the gospel to the Gentile world, even Rome and Nero! 

2 Corinthians 5:19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

Humans rejected God and demanded to make their own standards and gods. Instead of turning His back on them and allowing them to blindly go to hell (Separation from God) He sent a bridge to them. Jesus Christ volunteered to pay the penalty of sin and offer any human that wanted forgiveness to experience a new life and an eternal relationship with their Creator! 

The “So What”: Do you desire a relationship with your Creator? Are you tired of the gods you have made, that now rule you? Is your god the mirror? How far has that gotten you? How do you sleep at night? When you think about dying, what do you feel? Fear? Refusal to think about it? If you don’t like God’s plan of salvation, what is yours?