For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20 NLT

Why did God need to make peace with heaven? This verse right here may help us understand just how real the war in heaven was. Even after Lucifer was cast out, those who remained may have still had their doubts. Did God really love them, or did Lucifer have some good points about God just being a tyrant?

Photograph by William Earnhardt

On earth Eve was convinced God did not care for her, and she needed to eat the fruit and disobey, if she really wanted to be happy.

While all this was going on, is it possible some of the remaining angels in heaven still had some questions? Have you ever been loyal to a boss not because you thought he was fair, but because you did not see any way out? So out of fear, you remained loyal to him, still wishing you weren’t in that situation? If so, what did it take for you to reconcile the situation so you could have peace at work and not just conformity?

When the Son of God died on the cross, He was not just atoning for Eve taking a piece of fruit she was told not to. Eve’s disobedience was a symptom of her doubts. The Cross of Christ did not just take care of the symptoms of sin. The Cross took care of sin itself! The Cross removed all doubt about God’s love. All questions in heaven and earth are answered at the cross! There can be conformity while rebellion is still in the heart. The cross goes way beyond bringing us into conformity and outward obedience. The cross replaces our thoughts of rebellion with peaceful thoughts towards God.

That which alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could not have a home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Shall we not then exalt the cross of Christ? The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God.-Ellen White, Signs of the Times, December 30, 1889

Some have the idea that once we get to heaven, God will flip a little switch in the back of our heads that makes us stop sinning. After all, we will be in heaven and so we automatically won’t sin, right?

Wait. Where did sin begin? Heaven!

The reason why humans and angels will not sin, is the same reason why God reconciled both heaven and earth to Himself. The cross of Jesus. The cross cures the root cause of sin which is doubting God’s love. The reason there will be no sin in heaven is not due to a mechanical correction that the flip of a switch will fix. The reason there will be no sin in heaven will be because the cross will cure humans and angels alike from ever doubting God’s love, and thinking we need anything God has not given us. There will be no reason to rebel.

Rules without relationship cause rebellion. The love of Christ on the cross removes our fear of God, so we are not afraid to have an intimate relationship with Him. With our relationship cured, we will have no reason to rebel. We won’t be conformists. We will be free-thinking moral agents who are at peace with God because God is love.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/why-heaven-needed-to-be-reconciled-to-god-at-the-cross/

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 27th of February 2024

The Davidic covenant contains God’s promise of everlasting support of David’s line and prosperity of God’s people (1 Samuel 7:5-16; Psalms 89:1-4,19-37; Psalms 132:12-18).

Image © Linda Lovett from GoodSalt.com

The permanence of the covenant was established on God’s solemn oath and the king’s faithfulness to God. However, even the devoted kings, such as King David, were not always faithful to the Lord. Psalms 89:1-52 laments over the harsh reality that seems to indicate that the glorious promises of the Davidic covenant have been lost. Is Israel hopelessly deserted by God? The answer, of course, is—no!

God’s wrath is, yes, an expression of divine judgment (Psalms 38:1, Psalms 74:1). Yet, it does not last forever because God’s everlasting love forgives people’s sins when people repent. However, while it lasts, God’s discontent with His erring people is serious. The people feel the bitter consequences of their disobedience and realize the gravity of their sins (Psalms 89:38-46). Yet, they ask, “How long?” appealing to the passing character of God’s wrath (Psalms 89:46). Renewed hope springs from new assurance in God’s faithfulness to “remember” His grace (Psalms 89:47,50).

In short, although the human component of the covenant failed, the people could rest in the promise of God’s unchanging purposes through the Messiah, who embodies all righteousness and salvation of Israel and of the whole world. That is, in the end, God will prevail, and His eternal kingdom will be established forever—but only because of Jesus and not because of God’s people.

Jesus Christ is the Son of David and the Messiah (Matthew 1:1, Hebrews 1:8). He is called “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15, NKJV), alluding to Psalms 89:1-52:27, which calls David, who was a type of Christ, God’s firstborn. “Also I will make him My firstborn, / The highest of the kings of the earth” (NKJV).

Clearly the title “firstborn” does not express David’s biological status, because David was the eighth child of his parents (1 Samuel 16:10-11). It’s the same with Jesus. This title signifies His special honor and authority (Colossians 1:16,20-22). God made Jesus the supreme King over the whole world when He raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:30-31).

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24a-09-forever-faithful-to-his-covenant/