“Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
I will not be angry forever.’”
– Jeremiah 3:12

Even when we’ve lived in utmost rebellion against God’s good will and design for our lives, God invites us to return to Him. Even when we’ve rejected Him and pursued other things with the passion, drive, energy, and enthusiasm that should only be reserved for the Creator of the Universe, God invites us to return to Him. Even when we’ve mocked Him, denied Him, ignored Him, or hated Him, God invites us to return to Him.

God’s anger is always righteous anger. Nonetheless, His mercy guarantees there’s always a way to return to Him. In His grace and love, God sent His Son Jesus into the world to atone for our sins and to satisfy His perfect justice which requires sin to be punished. In this God opened a path, a single path, to be restored to Him, adopted as beloved children, embraced, and reconciled. All this is by God’s grace, for He is truly gracious.

With God, there’s always hope for restoration! No one is too far gone to be forgiven and loved by God through faith in Jesus Christ. No one is too stained by guilt and shame that they can’t be washed clean by the blood of Jesus and loved by their Father in Heaven! If you, or someone you love, is far from God, please understand that it doesn’t have to be that way! God is merciful and He longs for all who are distant to return.

“Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel.” – Philippians 1:27

We all have an earthly citizenship. Some even have more than one. Nonetheless, every follower of Jesus is also already a citizen of heaven. Heavenly citizenship isn’t something that lies in our future after we die. It is our present reality in Jesus Christ! If you’re a Christian, you’re a citizen of heaven.

Not only are we citizens of heaven right here and now, our heavenly citizenship is, and must be, our most important citizenship! Our first loyalty must be to Jesus. What unites every believer in Jesus Christ is much bigger and more important than what separates and tries to divide us.

As Christians, we must prioritize living well as citizens of heaven. We must live gospel lives that continually offer and seek forgiveness. We must live gospel lives that pursue the holiness that is already ours in Christ. We must live gospel lives that make peace and offer healing in the sorest and most bitter places of the world. We must live gospel lives that proclaim hope and freedom in Christ. We must live gospel lives that breathe life into dead things.

We must live gospel lives that strive for, work for, pray for, sweat for, and bleed for unity with other Christians. We must come together as citizens of heaven across all national, ethnic, racial, social, economic, and gender divisions. We must battle together (not against one another) for the truth, the faith, the unity, and the witness of the miraculous reconciling power of faith in Jesus Christ, Who died to reconcile us to God and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” – Philippians 1:12-13

What’s best for God’s Kingdom and the salvation of those who don’t know the Lord isn’t always comfortable, convenient, fun, or status enhancing! Some Christians labor under the mistaken assumption that the numerous blessings we enjoy in Christ include comfortable lives free of stress and full of convenience and wealth. That’s the complete opposite of what the Bible teaches!

For Paul, the best thing for many was that he be imprisoned and have the opportunity to introduce his guards to Jesus Christ. So he was and he did. God orchestrated events so that Paul would be arrested, jailed for years, and gradually moved from Jerusalem to Rome, preaching Christ all the way. Paul didn’t seem to lament, doubt, or despair. He simply told anyone and everyone the good news that there is a Savior Who loves them, Who died to take away their sins if they would believe in Him, and Who rose from the dead and now reigns over the universe.

As followers of Jesus, we shouldn’t imagine we’re exempt from being inconvenienced, redirected, or persecuted for our faith. These things aren’t reserved for “super-Christians” like Paul. We should expect them and be prepared for them. Spend time deepening your relationship with Christ whenever things are good so you’re prepared to go even deeper when things are bad. Study the Bible when your life feels easy and comfortable so you’re ready when life doesn’t. Live prepared so that the resources of the Gospel will be yours in abundance and you too will be able to advance the Gospel when things get hard.

“The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished.
His path is in the whirlwind and storm,
and clouds are the dust beneath his feet.”
– Nahum 1:3

It can be easy to look around at the evil in the world and wonder where God is and why He isn’t intervening more visibly and dramatically. Fortunately, Scripture is quite clear. God is perfectly just, but He moves on His timetable and based on His perfect wisdom. God is gracious and patient (for which we should all be extremely thankful), but He absolutely will punish the guilty.

God’s justice is absolute. The evil will be punished and that punishment will last forever. There is no joy in that, but there is certainly justice for all who cry out. Nonetheless, punishment isn’t God’s desire for anyone. God desires each person to repent of their sins and live a transformed life. God desires each person to reject their evil ways, cry out to Him for salvation and forgiveness, turning to Him in faith.

God sent His Son to die on a cross as an atoning sacrifice for sins, precisely because He is perfectly just. The cross is the proof that we never need to doubt God’s justice or His determination and commitment. God’s justice, satisfied at the cross, permits His grace to be offered to all who will repent of their guilt and believe in Christ in faith. God’s grace is why He’s slow to anger. Nonetheless, we must never doubt His great power or the certainty of His punishment of the guilty. A day of justice is coming for all who are guilty!

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15-16

These are truly dark days! Sin, darkness, disaster, and death surround us in this fallen world. Everyone does what’s right in their own eyes and the evil spreads. That’s simply the reality until Christ returns. What then are we to do???

Many respond by living foolishly, simply trying to numb themselves to reality and pass the days in the short-lived pleasures of the world. Entertainment in all its many modern forms. Pleasures of every variety. Addictions of every sort. Others eventually succumb to despair. If this is how the world is, they see no point in fighting it. They join the evil or surrender to it completely.

These are not acceptable options for Christians! Followers of Jesus are to be light in the darkness. We are to live wisely and use these evil times well. We must use these dark days to introduce people to Jesus, Who redeems their lives and guarantees unending days of goodness to come.

We must demonstrate the love of Jesus in this evil world. We must speak the words of Jesus. We must think the thoughts of Jesus. We must do good in the face of evil, even when the outcome seems inevitable. We must expend our earthly lives for God’s glory in the power of the Holy Spirit and filled with Christ’s joy. This is how Christians have changed the world over and over throughout the centuries, so walk wisely!