So we watched the new Lion King movie last night. Early on into the movie, my wife made a comment which made me realize how it parallels our Christian walk.
The comment was that if Simba would have just listened to his dad, none or what happened to Simba would have happened. But because of the deception and lies of Scar, Mufasa died, Simba ran away from his family in hiding and Simba’s family suffered because Scar, the deceiver, was on the throne.
Because of Satan’s deception in the garden, Adam and Eve fell and died spiritually. Like Adam and Eve, because of our sin nature, we are too dead. But when we make the decision to follow Jesus Christ and become obedient solely to Him we become alive again.
I was also reading in my quiet time in Ezekiel 18 says that sins causes us to die. But we can turn from our sin and live.
The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. Ezekiel 18:20-21
Like Simba, we are also heirs and children of God.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “ Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:14-17 NIV
It does not say that things will always be rosey and peachy, in fact it says that if we share in His sufferings, but we can have an eternal life of Living in God’s Holy presence.
Like Simba’s family, other people can suffer when we are living outside of obedience to God. Our actions can be detrimental to those we love.
Because of our flesh, we won’t always walk in God’s perfect ways, but we have a awesome God and loving Savior who wants to be with us along every step of the way and is willing to carry us and strenthen us when we can’t go on. He’s there waiting with opn arms visible in His creation if we just stop and look and listen.
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:13-16 NIV
There’s no sugar coating God’s expectations, Jesus was pretty clear in His speaking to the disciples, and us, wen obedience is all about.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Matthew 16:24-27 NIV
I pray that you and I would with all ourheart and soul sumit to Him who hss our best interest at heart, far better than we could ever imagine.
JER2913 