Dear Family at Christ Community,

       We have the blessing of receiving the nourishing gifts of the elements from the Lord’s table to remind us of who and Whose we are this Sunday. Given the emphasis in Ecclesiastes of taking joy in the gifts that God blesses us with, we would do well to reflect on the greatest gift of all: our salvation in Christ! We can take joy in the broken bread given for us, for it signifies the absolute forgiveness of your sins past, present, and future in God’s overwhelming mercy. Please joyfully consider how this frees you from the crushing weight of shame and guilt as well as the looming threat of judgment for your sins. We can take joy in the overflowing cup freely offered to us, for it signifies the fulfilling of the New Covenant promises in God’s incomprehensible grace. Please joyfully reflect on the new heart and abilities afforded to you to glorify God in the resurrection power of Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What greater banquet of gifts could be offered to us than what we’ve been given in our salvation in Christ?

       The gift of our salvation should stir us to pray similarly to David in Psalm 51:12-17:

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. ¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. ¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

       All of us will struggle with the joy of our salvation at some point. All of us will wrestle with willingly doing what would glorify God especially when it might prove costly to us. However, we’ve been hospitably invited to run God’s throne of grace to receive His wisdom born of His mercy and grace to us. This joy of our salvation and willing spirit, then, become gifts that we can offer to others in evangelism and discipleship as well as to God in loving worship.   Please join me in asking the Holy Spirit to grant joy in salvation through a broken and contrite heart.

In Christ,
Cameron