Monday | 25 March 2019

The word is a nail

While the purpose of the goad is to provoke faith obedience, the word as a nail reveals the love of God expressed through faith obedience. That is, the nails maintain a person’s connection to the offering of Christ, in which the works of faith are fulfilled. We note, in this regard, that Christ’s love held Him to His offering journey. He said, ‘No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.’ Joh 10:18. Laying down His life in this way revealed the love of God. Joh 15:13.

The word of the cross that is proclaimed to us is also the word of faith. Rom 10:8. If we receive it, then faith comes with the word. We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Rom 10:17. This faith motivates, or goads, us to join the fellowship of the cross where, by offering transfer, we join the fellowship of His circumcision. In this regard, the words of faith become the nails that join us to the cross of Christ so that we are crucified with Him. Faith works by love. Gal 5:6. In this way, the nails are securing us to the offering of Christ, through which love is expressed.

In the fellowship of Christ’s offering and sufferings, the faith we have received, working by the love of God, which is poured into our heart by the Holy Spirit, is ensuring that the works that we do are according to our sanctification. Rom 5:5. By this means, we are not deviating from the works associated with our name, in the pursuit of another will, or through the exercise of our flesh. We know the peace of God, because we are being the person whom He named us to be.