I'll Take the Lamb Please

This post is actually from my devotional yesterday, 11/06/08. My day got backwards on me and I couldn't find time to post. No excuse, just an explanation that sometimes my discipline fails. Nevertheless, here it is;

When I am planning a vacation trip, I act accordingly. I make lists, accumulate possessions, document reference numbers and timetables and generally plan to the best of my ability so that the trip may go as smoothly as possible. The whole while, I am anticipating the trip, looking forward to the destination and my every action builds toward the full realization of what has been planned. I'm pretty certain that's the way it is with God and I'm confident that is the way it should be for me with respect to my final destination.

Consider the passage for 11/06/08;
" “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’" (Matthew 25:31-40, NIV)

Yeah, it's big and there's a bunch in there but stay with me, we're not going to mine everything out of this right now. :)

God has plans for everyone. Part of his plans include Jesus Christ returning to earth and being enthroned as the King that he is. He's not traveling alone, he'll be bringing all the angels with him and his best raiments as well. Everyone, (the nations is interpreted as 'The Gentiles') will come before him and be separated according to their actions towards their fellow man. Those who 'love their neighbor as themselves' and prove that out with actions will stand right. Those who 'love themselves' and who prove that out with actions will stand left. I'll point out that this is all according to plan.

Then the King Jesus will usher those on the right into 'the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.' Do you see that? God has prepared a place for this people since the beginning of creation. He has been planning and preparing for this moment and all his actions have been leading to this moment and to the full realization of his plan. I note that in this passage, those who are destined for this place can scarcely understand what they have done to deserve such treatment. They are humble servants of Christ Jesus. They are the righteous ones destined for eternal life.

Then the King Jesus will usher those on the left into the 'eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' Whoops! The place they are going was never intended for them in the first place. It's a place that is fit for the devil and the people who go there will wail and lament in anguish and despair for all eternity. In their pride and arrogance they will not comprehend their own shortcomings. They are prideful servants of themselves. They are the unrighteous and they are destined for eternal punishment.

Based on this text, we should understand that God has a plan that includes taking his faithful followers to a place that is prepared for them. All we have to do is follow God's plan and the portion of God's plan that is plainly revealed in this passage is that we are to serve one another. We are to serve one another with the spirit of serving Christ. When we serve one another, we are in essence and in practice, serving Christ the coming King.

I for one, do not want to be one to disrupt God's plans. This passage convicts me in several respects as to how I treat my fellow man. For instance, I turn away from strangers who want to enter my house, I recoil from the sick and afflicted, I have a policy against visiting people in prison. In light of this passage, I must re-examine my actions and especially the thoughts behind them. I must align myself more rightly with the mind of Christ and act as though everyone is Christ.

That is a beautiful thought and I will pray that I may live that out each day. In so doing, having accepted the shepherd, having conformed to his image, having acted as he would act, I may be counted among the sheep. I'll take the lamb, the lamb of God, please.

Humbly,
Carl