October 22, 2014
John 2:1-10
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
Ok, one more blog on Drinking The Cup Of Salvation! I thought I was done on the subject with Monday’s blog! But I was reading over John 2:1 through 10, and this account of the wedding feast of Cana inspired me. Here is the account – shortened because of its length – from verses 2, 3, and 6 through 10:
…Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And…they ran out of
wine….Now there were set there six waterpots of stone…containing twenty or
thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to…[the servants], “Fill the waterpots with
water.”…And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the mas-
ter of the feast.”…When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was
made wine, and did not know where it came from…[he] called the bridegroom,
and said…, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the
guests have well drunk, then that which is inferior; but you have kept the good
wine until now.”
So how does this apply to Drinking The Cup Of Salvation? It shows that what comes from the hand of our Lord is always the very best!
Obviously, when we lift The Cup Of Salvation and drink initially and regularly from it, we are drinking of the best – especially when we consider:
• I John 1:7 – “…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
• Psalm 103:12 – “…He removed our transgressions from us…as far as the east is from the west….”
• Colossians 1:21 and John 15:15 – We have been reconciled from being enemies of God to being His friends.
• Colossians 1:13 – “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
• John 5:24 – We have “…passed from [etermal] death into…everlasting life.”
• Romans 6:18 and 22 – We “…were slaves of sin…” in this life, but now we have “…been set free from sin and become servants of God….” (American Standard New Testament).
• John 10:10 – We have gone from a wasted life here and in eternity, to “…life and…[life] more abundanly.”
…and so much more!
However, sometimes the draught which comes from The Cup Of Salvation seems bitter when we first taste it. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:14 (Contemporary English Version), “…the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow….” Look what happened to the Lord Jesus Christ as He completely followed the will of His heavenly Father! And did not Paul say in II Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Half the world’s Christians today are living hard lives of reality – often severely suffering and even dying for their faith! If what flows from God’s Cup Of Salvation is always the very best, how would you explain these trials of life?
It is the viewpoint from which they are seen! God sees us growing our faith under trials, maturing as Christians, and being prepared more fully to live with Him forever. We see the uncomfortableness – sometimes extremely so – of hard things coming into our lives. Remember, God has one goal in mind for every believer – “…to be conformed to the image of His Son….” Considering the ingrowth that sin has made into our lives as we live in this old world, He has a tough job remolding the likes of us to look and act like Jesus Christ! Surgery – major surgery – is sometimes required! He has to cut out ingrained sinful traits, habits, attitudes, etc. and replace them via the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit with godly traits, habits, attitudes, etc.! And major surgery can hurt! Even minor surgery can be very painful! But God is doing His good work in us, so what is flowing from His Cup Of Salvation is GOOD – yes, THE BEST!
This is why the author of Psalm 116 says, “I will take up the cup of salvation…” (verse13), meaning to drink it fully and regularly in thanksgiving “…to the LORD for all His benefits toward me….” (verse 12). This is also why the Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:20, “…giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And in I Thessalonians 5:18: “…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” “…in everything…[and] for all things…” – give thanks by fully Drinking The Cup Of Salvation!