In the Old Testament Nehemiah organized the restoration of Jerusalem. Each volunteer that helped had a two-fold job. They needed to build up their section of the city and they had to protect it.
Today, we as Christians have the same responsibilities.
In I Peter 2:5 we are told that we are like living stones that are being built up as a spiritual house. All built on the foundation of Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith. Our belief in Jesus is worked out in action that are steps to building up a living testament to God's glory through our lives. We now have a unified purpose to build up our lives in a way that glorifies God. As Christians, all of us need to encourage each other. We aren't in competition, we are working together to glorify God, each building side-by-side and providing motivation to spur each other on.
The process of how to build is given to us throughout the New Testament. Everywhere you look we are told how to live for God, pleasing Him with our actions, our thoughts and the way we love (Col. 3:12-17, I Thess. 5:14-22, James 3:13,17, I Peter 4:7-11, II Peter 1:5-8 are just a few examples). Let's help each other build well.
Our second responsibility is to protect what we've built. We protect our faith by trusting God, by standing firm in our Faith. We are told to retain the standard (2 Tim. 1:13). Over and over, the Bible tells us to defend our faith by holding fast. Why is this important? It shows that we believe God is greater than what we are going through, what we see around us. It means that no matter what comes we are able to look past it to the One thing that is always secure - God's Love for us.
Today is Good Friday. A day where God showed us just how far He was willing to go to show us His love for us. Jesus died to save us, each one of us. His sacrifice gave us a chance to truly live. Have we truly understood that sacrifice? Have we learned how to build up our lives for God? Do we help each other build well? Have we protected what has been built?
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