Reality and Respone

In life there is a constant reality that demands a response. There is always something that is and then what is must be followed by a response.

This morning Asher and I were enjoying a game of chase through the house. He was laughing and squealing, as he often does when anybody chases him, and he turned to make sure I was actually chasing him. Sometimes I'll break off the chase to go the other direction so I can pick him up and tickle him only to let him go so we can start the chase again. This morning when he looked back to see if I was still chasing, he veered to the right toward the dining room and when he turned around the front of his head met a wooden column that was there. It was a knock out.

As I picked him up off of the ground, I expected two responses. 1. Asher would cry. 2. Everybody else in the family would come and inquire as to why Asher was crying. Both of my expectations were met.

There was a reality followed by responses.

If Asher began crying right now, which he wouldn't because he's on his fat belly playing with cars at my feet, or if people in my house came and began to inquire about Asher's crying, which they wouldn't because he's not. But if those two things started happening right now that would not create the reality of Asher striking his head and beginning to cry.

Why? Because reality comes first and then comes the response.

So it is in Christ.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

For those in Christ the reality is "we have been justified through faith," and this reality creates a response. The response is "we have peace with God" and now "we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Not only do we rejoice in that, "but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us".

What a blessing! We have peace with God and rejoice in Him. That joy exists even in suffering, which produces perseverance. When the reality is that we are those who persevere, we gain character. When the reality is that we are people of character, we gain hope. The hope that comes from the reality of being one who has character, which comes from the reality of persevering, which comes from the reality of being able to rejoice in suffering, which comes from being justified by faith, that hope does not disappoint.

And why do we have this response? "(B)ecause God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Having hope, character, perseverance, and joy does not create the reality of being justified through faith in Christ. It does not create the reality of God's love in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is only after we have been justified through faith in Christ that the responses take place in our life. Our responses cannot make us right with God.

So the question is: what is your reality? Your responses to life will tell you.