The Ark of the New Covenant

UV 1251/10,000 The Ark of the New Covenant
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Philippians 2 v 15

The ineffable glory of God rises on us each day like the rising sun but it never sets. We are called to pursue the perfection of God that was physically manifested in the words, actions and life of Jesus, His only begotten Son. When we do so, we are affirming that we are brothers of Jesus, co-heirs with Him, the sons and daughters of God. Under the old covenant Abraham was only called a Friend of God while under the new covenant we have a more intimate relationship as sons and daughters of God. A son or daughter of a king will suffer no want. How much more will we suffer no lack or want as children of God!

We are called to be blameless in our conduct, blemishless in our character and flawless in our words. When we relentlessly and persistently pursue such perfection, we catch up with excellence. We should not only be above reproach, we should make the light of Jesus shine through our lives. Just as the moon is ugly in itself with huge craters and a rocky surface but it looks beautiful and glorious in the light of the sun, each of us should reflect the grace of Jesus in our thoughts, words, emotions and actions. Each of us is an ace by His grace.

Our words are a witness to those who are willing or eager to listen. Our lives are a witness to those who are not. It will make them want to covet our blessings as Jacob coveted the blessings of the first born Esau. But today unlike Jacob we need not resort to deception to steal the blessings but we only need to believe in Jesus. It is most challenging as we are living in the midst of a world and a generation that delights in being crooked and perverse. Each of us is called to be a Noah in our generation. Our actions do not justify us or qualify us to be called just. But our faith justifies or corrects us. We should be careful not to be influenced by the standards, passions and values of the world as Noah refused to be influenced by the lifestyle of the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. Over our lifetime, we should build our own spiritual version of the ark to save as many as possible from perishing. Every day we are nailing a plank of that ark.

Prateep V Philip