God Rescues the Righteous
by Greg Johnson
http://www.lovinggodfellowship.org
The more I read and study the Bible, the more I understand how much God loves us. He does so much for us because He loves us. Not because we deserve His help because we don’t. We deserve His punishment because we all have sinned against Him. But instead of allowing us to drown in our sea of sin and wrong choices, He throws out a lifeline to rescue us. As we grab hold of the lifeline, He pulls us to Himself and shelters us from harm.
Peter was an individual who knew about being rescued from sin and wrong choices. At the cross, he denied knowing Jesus three times. Peter had thought that he could stand strong on His own and follow Jesus no matter what, but He found out that he needed help. After the cross Peter gave up and went back to fishing. He was down on himself feeling depressed and distraught because he had turned his back on the one he had given up everything to follow. Peter needed rescued.
God did not leave Peter alone to drown in his sea of sin and wrong choices. He threw him a lifeline - Jesus. After the resurrection, Jesus went looking for Peter not to condemn him, but to rescue him. After Jesus rescued Peter, Peter never again denied Christ. Instead, Peter lived his life in righteousness. Peter had learned a valuable lessen in life - God knows how to rescue the righteous!
Take a look at these words that Peter wrote. (2 Peter 2:5-9 NIV) "if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; {6} if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; {7} and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men {8} (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- {9} if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment."
God rescued Noah (Genesis 6:5 - 8:19).
Noah lived in wicked and perverse times. Void of a Savior, God responds to wickedness and perversion through His wrath. In the midst of wickedness and perversion, Noah found favor in the eyes of God because of his right living. God began to reveal his plan of rescue as He instructs Noah to build an ark of safety. It took Noah 100 years to build the boat and all the while he was preaching an illustrative sermon about righteousness. God provides a way of safety. God rescues the righteous.
God rescued Lot (Genesis 19:1-29).
Lot found himself trapped in the confines of a wicked and perverse city. Lot was distressed by the lawlessness of those around him. His heart was turned to God and the wickedness and perversion sickened him. One day God sent angels to rescue him and lead him and his family out of that city prior to its destruction. God rescues the righteous.
God is rescuing you.
Noah and Lot were not living under the cross; they were living prior to the cross of Christ. At the cross of Christ, God provided a way out of wickedness and perversion and a way into righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV) "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
You see, all the way back when God was rescuing Noah and when He was rescuing Lot, He was unfolding His plan to rescue you. God’s ultimate plan to rescue you was fulfilled at the cross. Now we can live under the cross of Christ if we choose to be rescued. God has thrown out the lifeline and anyone can hold on to Jesus and be saved. As we hold onto Jesus, we become the righteousness of God through Jesus. At the end of this age, God’s wrath is coming and will be poured out on all those that decide not to hold on to Jesus. Those that hold on until the end will be saved. Jesus talks about this day in Chapter 24 of the Gospel of Matthew. In His discourse Jesus says (Matthew 24:13 NIV) "but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Beloved, live your life under the cross of Christ and stand firm no matter what comes your way. Jesus is rescuing you!
You may be going through some awful stuff right now. It may seem like all hell is coming against you and your life. Please know that God rescues the righteous. As you live under the cross of Christ and as you hold on to Jesus, your righteousness is found in Him and God is making a way for you where there seems to be no way. God is rescuing you out of your current trial and tribulation. God has planned your way out in advanced.
Psalm 34 is a wonderful Psalm. It was written by David when He was running for His life from King Saul who was trying to kill him. I believe you will gain strength from its words on your journey. I pray that the Lord encourages you through these words today:
(Psalms 34:4 NIV) "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."
(Psalms 34:6-8 NIV) "This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. {7} The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. {8} Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."
(Psalms 34:15 NIV) "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;"
(Psalms 34:17-19 NIV) "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. {18} The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. {19} A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;"
(Psalms 34:22 NIV) "The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him."
Praise the Lord Beloved! God is rescuing you! Cry out to Him in the midst of your troubles! Live beneath the cross of Christ and hold on to Jesus. Your righteousness is found in Jesus and God rescues the righteous!
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