Bible Bites
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September 30, 2009
The Kiss of the Ages
There’s a lot of kissing going on. Some kisses are genuine displays of affection while other kisses are merely a part of the process to satisfy sensual lusts. Not all kisses are with the lips. Some people use flattering word-kisses hoping to win favor. Some kisses come in wrapped packages and are nothing more than a trap – a snare. The Bible says: the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. (Proverbs 27:6) And of course you know about the kiss of betrayal – Judas kissed Jesus.
Perhaps you have been flattered recently by kisses. The kisses may make you feel good but be careful – always consider the source and the motivation. Kisses can be sweet and luring but sinister and tragic.
Have you considered the kiss of the ages – the kiss that worked?
Loving-kindness and truth are met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other:
(Psalm 85:10 JN Darby)
Truth is inflexible and unchanging. It is not amoeba-like – it doesn’t alter its form to suit an occasion or an era. It is not an oscillating fan that blows one way and then change directions later. Truth is absolute and constant.
The truth about us is that we were sinners to the core and the truth about sin is that it’s offensive to God and the truth is God hates sin and the truth is God must mercilessly judge sin. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be God.
One day Inflexible Truth came together for a meeting with Lovingkindness and Tender Mercy. Inflexible Truth demanded that sin be punished. But Loving-kindness longed to shower blessing upon the offenders. Humanly speaking, such a meeting would have broken up in bitter disagreement and the two parties would never have been able to reconcile their differences.
But this meeting did not unravel in irreconcilable differences.
Reflect on the Incarnation of Christ. John wrote that ‘the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’ John 1:14. Only one Person could have ever possessed these two attributes in all their fullness and strength without one compromising the other.
Quietly stand at the foot of the Cross. Think deeply about what is happening. God’s righteousness demands the full punishment of sin. The hostility in our hearts caused by our sin had caused a huge irreconcilable rift between us and God. But God still loved us and He desired peace. We had caused the separation but God desired reconciliation. The obstacle, of course, was sin. Reconciliation and peace could never come at the expense of God’s righteousness and holiness.
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The kiss of the ages was when righteousness and peace kissed each other. The kiss of a lifetime is that first moment He kissed you with the blessing of eternal salvation.
What kisses are gripping your affections these days?
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay