Rejoice in this

 

“ Rejoice in ..? or What?”  Luke 10:20

 

     “ yet in this rejoice not, that the spirits to you are subjected, but rejoice rather that your names are written in the heavens.”

 

It is hard for us to rejoice in the things that matter.  What our Lord is saying to His disciples as He sent them out is that the work is important but they should not rely on that.  They should in fact rely on His unchanging love for them and that their destination is already decided.  Their names are written in the heavens.  We have this problem .  We think that our jobs, and our occupations are more important than anything else.  But they are not. 

 

For we are already a forgiven reconciled person in Christ and our self-image does not depend on what other think of us or what we do for them.  Jesus tells His disciples that they had be given power “ to tread on serpents and scorpions”, and “ nothing shall be no means hurt you”.  But they are not to think this is a cause for rejoicing.  It is not something they should rejoice in he says.  Rejoice that your names are written in the heavens. “ Jesus turns their attention to permanent realities.” Luke by Leon Morris.

 

It is not what we do.  It is how we do it and in the spirit we do it in that matter.  Today we need to know this in as we do things.  They in and of themselves are not as important as who we are and whose we belong to.  What do we ask someone when we meet them for the first time? “ What is it that you do?”  That seems to take the first place in our thinking.  What we do should not define us.  Who we are defines us. 

 

We are a “ general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven …” Hebrews 12:23  “ He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment: and I will not blot out his name of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father , and before his angels.  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 3:5

 

Even if we were to do wonderful and marvelous things we should remember the exhortation in Luke 17 , “ so likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘ We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” Vs 10  The Westminster Confession reminds us too in its chapter “ Concerning good works” ch 16, “ those believers who do the best that can be done in obeying God in this life can never do more or even as much as He requires.  Indeed they fall short of much which they are bound to do.”

 

So Jesus wants us to be active and fruitful we know in serving others in love, humility, patience, forbearance, and in much suffering .  But He wants us to  know that we are not doing them to receive some kind of reward in this life or the life to come.  Our good works are as a result of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.  These things are not ours.  They never were.  They will never be.  What is ours is the possession of God’s love and unqualified acceptance of us for who we are.  We are His children redeemed by the blood of the lamb----forgiven, accepted in the beloved. 

 

Today do not look at our efforts . Do not look at our accomplishments.  Look at the Book of life and see your name written there and expect to hear : “ Well done , thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21