Our paragraph topic is: (On the coming of Elias) Part 3.
The disciples posed a question to Christ about the teachings of the Pharisees. They were taught that Elias must come first before the end. They believed that when Elias comes then the end is near. There was conflict in their minds. There was an understanding that needed to be had that was not forthcoming. There was a sense of things that needed to be made sense of and they did not have that sense of knowing. After seeing the vision of Christ with Moses and Elias they needed to have a sense of understanding. As they came down from the mountain it all began to hit them as to what they had seen and heard.
It was a puzzling experience. The voice of God the Father said to them that they should hear Christ. In their efforts to hear him, they had to make sense of what they had heard and seen and experienced. For this reason they believed that the great and dreadful day of the Lord was upon them. They were taught that the Lord would bring fire upon the proud and the wicked upon that day. On that day fire would be set to the wicked and there would be no root or branch but only dust. And those who fear the Lord shall tread down the wicked and leap like calves of the heard. These were the thoughts of the disciples as they tried to make sense of what they had experienced. And they were in fear of the coming of that day and the coming of Elias. So they asked Jesus, if that day was upon them, where was Elias. But he answered and said, "Elias" indeed is to come and will restore all things."
People today would describe fear and False Evidence Appearing Real. In other words, our emotional reaction is based upon false evidence that is not real but only appears real. And our reaction to that evidence is not justified. We live in a world where our fears are minimized. We are led to believe that we should not be afraid, that we should not fear being robbed, or raped, or shot by a stranger or bombed by a terrorist. We are led to believe that we should live free of fear and terror and danger and unexpected events that would cause us harm. We believe in a free society, protected from the danger. In other parts of the world freedom is not so espoused as in the USA.
We go about our lives without the fear of the Lord and the coming judgment. God is love and his love fulfills all our needs. We search, in this world, for those things that would fulfill us and make us happy but we discover that, that fulfillment is only temporary. Even love, as we know it, is temporary. Because our love is based in the physical realm it is only temporary. Spiritual love is everlasting and comes from God, for he is love. He fulfills all and completes the need and desire for love. Yet we live in a society, in a world, that would have us believe that we can have the desires of our hearts. We live in a world that would have us believe that we are protected and provided for through our own efforts. We have nothing to fear. We should live and love and enjoy and have fun to satisfy our hearts desires and pleasures. And there is nothing to fear, there is no fear of the Lord's judgment.
Our God is a God of love and he loves us because he created us in his image and likeness, an image of love. To protect us and to provide for us he gave us the commandments to keep us from harm. For he is the ultimate judge. Before Adam and Eve sinned God proclaimed that they should not eat of the forbidden fruit. And if they did then they would die. Satan tempted them, based upon the logic of the physical mind, into believing that they would not die even though he knew that they would lose their souls and die spiritually. And the judgment was final. Only a propitiation would annul the punishment and bring back the spiritual life that was lost. God is love and he loves mankind. But there is evil in the world that would have man die spiritually and loose his soul forever.
Christ became the sacrifice in order to annul the sin and give back spiritual life eternal. Do you know the truth of who you are in Christ? Do you know the truth of who you are spiritually? There is a gift waiting for you. Come, you can discover who you really are, only if you look. Christ wants you to know who you are. The Holy Spirit wants to live with you, guide you, protect you, provide for you. Come! Seek the truth of who you are in Christ. Christ loves you and so do I.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in!
