Raised by Grace

""Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'"  (Acts 13:26–33 NKJV)

Observation:  When the word says that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...  It is saying that Jesus is the only begotten in the sense that He is the only one to Rise from the Second Death... The death of condemnation (see John 5:29).  In this same sense He is the first born of the dead.  No other shall rise from the death of condemnation.  No other shall rise from the second death.  Only Christ.  What a mystery of mysteries.  Jesus, the Lamb of God, was slain from the foundation of the world.  He is truly the only begotten of the Father.  The only one to rise from the Second Death.  Hallelujah.

The book of Hebrews gives further insight into the work of Christ:  "Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You."" (Hebrews 5:5 NKJV)  Jesus' resurrection was a gift of grace.  Just as we are saved by grace, Christ was raised by grace:

"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man."  

For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will..."  (John 5:26–27, 21 NKJV)

""Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."" (John 10:17–18 NKJV)

Jesus, the only begotten of the Father has power to take up His life again because of the command He received from His Father...  This gives new meaning to the verse:

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3 NKJV)

Praise God for the command He gave to Christ... "Take Up Your Life!"  Hallelujah, Jesus was raise by grace.  The Father's word, was a word of grace to His Son.  A resurrection word.  A word of life.  Thus, Jesus is the resurrection and the life, because His whole life was lived... not by bread alone, but  by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  I praise God for this living Word... This Word that became flesh and dwelt among us.  This Word that rose up from the grace and offers me life today.  Hallelujah for the living word of God, Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah for the only begotten of the Father, Full of Grace and Truth.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3–5 NKJV) 

A Passage for further Reflection:

"Baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him."

(1 Peter 3:21–22 NASB)

The Honor of "No!"

"When the king's decree which he will make is proclaimed throughout all his empire (for it is great), all wives will honor their husbands, both great and small."" (Esther 1:20 NKJV)

Honor is not a virtue to be demanded.  Those who demand honor receive contempt.  And those who require respect receive resentment.  Honor is earned through compassion, faithfulness, and goodness.  Honor is born out of a relationship of mutual trust and respect.  A respect that Ahasuerus failed to give Vashti when he requested her presence before his drunken assembly.  But a respect that Vashti nobly gave Ahasuerus in her refusal to appear before him and bring disgrace upon the throne of the Medes and Persians and all it stood for.  

I like what Ellen White says about Vashti's courage:

When this command came from the king, Vashti did not carry out his orders, because she knew that wine had been freely used, and that Ahasuerus was under the influence of the intoxicating liquor. For her husband's sake as well as her own, she decided not to leave her position at the head of the women of the court. 

It was when the king was not himself, when his reason was dethroned by wine-drinking that he sent for the queen, that those present at his feast, men besotted by wine, might gaze on her beauty. She acted in harmony with a pure conscience.

Vashti refused to obey the king's command, thinking that when he came to himself, he would commend her course of action. But the king had unwise advisers. They argued it would be a power given to woman that would be to her injury. (Conflict and Courage, p. 243).

It is tragic that Vashti's respect for her husband and king was not reciprocated.  Instead she was banished from his presence.  However, we should not let this discourage us from showing true honor and respect to those people of influence whom God puts in our lives.  We shouldn't let us dissuade us from saying "No" to the most powerful and prestigious early rulers when it means saying "Yes" to the will of our God.  Many times, as in the case of Vashti and Ahasuerus, the greatest honor we can give to earthly rulers is the honor of "No," or the honor of "I cannot do this for it would not bring honor to my God and King."  Our allegiance is ultimately to another.  And we can only honor earthly rulers to the extent that we are honoring God.

Jesus speaks of the honor he shall bestow upon those who honor Him before men, while at the same time giving a sobering warning to those who refuse to honor Him first and foremost:

""Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32–33 NKJV).

O may we honor Him first and foremost.  And may we have the courage to bestow upon our fellow men The Honor of "No!"