God likes to move stuff. Motion is life and beauty and productivity. Stillness is stagnation and corruption and death.[1] We have spoken quite often in our Samson series of his mission. Though we assume we know what a mission is, we tend to overlook how the idea of mission is used in the Bible. The Bible views a mission in terms of covenant. We can then ask: what is a covenant? When you hear the word covenant think of relationship. Mission and covenant are related in every way. Samson was sent on a mission. He was sent out to establish a relationship with the Philistines. Sometimes these relationships are hostile, sometimes they are friendly. Sometimes they embody both hostility and friendship. In fact, this is how Samson’s life is revealed. God’s covenant always results in one of two reactions: peace or war. To quote my friend, Mike Bull, “Neutrality is impossible: there is no spiritual Switzerland.”[2] This is why we gather here this morning. In this Covenant Renewal, we are calling the world to peace or to war, but there is no middle ground. We appeal compassionately to those with the gospel, but we also appeal strongly with the gospel. Our mission this morning is a mission of peace, but ultimately to those who despise God’s covenant, war is the only alternative. Covenant Renewal is a call to spiritual warfare, because God is always moving humanity to response in one way or another.
Prayer: Yahweh, may your gospel fill our hearts and may our voices cause Your truth to shine as the righteous who shine like the sun. Amen.
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