Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. – Romans 5:1-2

I’m probably going to say this almost every week; so here we go again. I do not like to get up early on a Saturday morning! However, when I get home – usually around 8:30 – having spent an hour and a half with a small group of good men, sipping coffee, studying the scriptures, and sharing our lives, I find myself enriched, encouraged, and equipped in so many ways.

Today’s lesson was Romans 5, and our conversation mostly circled around the supreme privilege of living as members of the family of God, and how it is that we find peace (and live into it) because of Jesus.

BIRTHDAY: The reading and the conversation caused me to reflect on Rebekah’s birthday yesterday, and the relationship of our “peace with God,” and “standing in this place of underserved privilege,” to how much we were able to enjoy the day together.

Both Rebekah and I are deeply aware of how amazingly privileged we are; and it is no surprise that having such an awareness, sharing this mutual journey of faith, and living in such peace with God, are all correlated with enjoying our life together.

But here is the best part; this “privilege,” this “peace,” this “belonging” is wide-open for absolutely anyone. Peace with God has nothing to do with wealth, or nationality, or race, or social standing, or education, or physical health, or intelligence, or politics, or any of the other ways we tend to segregate, to be selective, to exclude, or to cozy up.

PEACE: Peace with God is an open invitation, and all it requires is, A) our acknowledgment that we need it, B) our acceptance of Jesus as The Way, the bridge across the divide that continues to keep so many people separated from the heart of God, C) an ongoing nurturing of that relationship via worship, prayer, study, and “doing life together” with other believers, and, D) reaching out into the world with love, service, mission, and compassion.

Hmmmm. This is not definitive, of course; but I do like the way that listing emerged:

1. Acknowledge that we need God’s peace…
2. Accept Jesus as The Way – the bridge across the divide that continues to keep so many people separate from the heart of God…
3. Nurture the relationship via worship, prayer, study, and “doing life together” with other believers…
4. Reach out into the world with love, service, mission, and compassion.

Rebekah and I have a beautiful life together.

LIFE: Sure, we have to work hard at the relationship; certainly, both of us must be creative and purposeful in the way that we love; and there’s no doubt we should be constant and deliberate in terms of kindness, encouragement, patience, faithfulness, building-up, service, and self-giving; BUT… it is this foundation of, “our peace with God,” and “standing in this place of underserved privilege,” that gives us the best opportunity to build the quality of experience we have enjoyed this weekend, and will continue to build on in the years to come.

More to think about. Always. – DEREK