"The Affirmation" -3

"Now know I that the LORD saveth His anointed; He will hear from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand." (Psalms 20:6) When we consider what it means to have the absence of hostility, we must consider what Jesus said about having the peace that He gives; peace which passes all understanding, which is peace that is not as the world gives, but is peace that can only come from a true relationship with Jesus Christ. It is by this relationship with Jesus, whereby the Holy Spirit dwells within us, as we abide in Jesus as our Lord and Master; and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is peace. Unlike those who practice their religion, and set out to make amends with God based upon acts of doing things, and hoping to be found acceptable in the eyes of God; we that abide in Jesus Christ have our hope satisfied, and are driven to do those things that are pleasing in His sight; not for lack of needing to be accepted, for Jesus has already assured our acceptance with His blood; but what we do is done out of a grateful heart, which is ever amazed by His mercy and grace. This is where the absence of hostility comes from, because hostility is based in fear and anger, which are two things that are not present in a grateful heart! Do we need affirmation of His salvation in our hearts? One thing that is sure, is that we do not need anyone to tell us in the affirmed, because if He is dwelling within us, then we already know. John's first letter to the church is pretty much all about this affirmation, and was written to express what it is that constitutes a true believer in Jesus Christ. A true believer does not let sin dwell in them, because sin is hostility towards God; a true believer cannot have sin dwelling in them, because sin has no place in God, and liberty will not be established, seeing that there are opposing forces at work in us; and a true believer will seek righteousness, because being righteous gives us peace with God, which is peace that is based upon liberty of being one with God. The bottom line to what John is saying in his letter, is that those who are truly God's children will strive to please their Father, and will take every opportunity to do so by being free from sin; which is the beauty of what Jesus Christ has done for us, in that He has cleansed us from all of our sins; therefore, if sin should have an occurrence in our lives, we have opportunity to ask His forgiveness, and He is more than willing to forgive us of our sin! However; if we do not ask forgiveness for our sin, then sin dwells within us, and we have hostility with God, which means we do not have peace, and we do not know His forgiveness... "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (1 John 5:13-15)