ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 PULELULU SEPITEMA 3, 2025

A TASTE OF HEAVEN

KO E ‘ATA ‘O HEVANI

ROMANS 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

LOMA 8:1

KO ia, ‘i he tu‘u ko eni, ‘oku ‘ikai ha momo‘i fakahalaia ‘o e kakai ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū. 

Ko e taha ‘o e ngaahi tokateline fakahē ‘oku malanga’i ‘i he ngaahi ‘aho ni, ko e “koosipeli ‘o e tu’umalie.” Ko e kau poupou ki he tokateline fakahē ko eni, ‘oku nau tala ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e tapuaki fakamatelie, hange ko e mo’ui lelei, koloa mo e ngaahi tu’umalie kehekehe ‘oku ma’u ‘ekinautolu ‘oku lahi fe’unga ‘enau tui, pe ko kinautolu ‘oku lahi ‘enau foaki. Ka, na’e ‘ikai ke ‘i ai ha palomesi pehe ni ia ‘a e ‘Otua. Ko e ngaahi palomesi ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku tali mai kiate kitautolu mei ‘Itaniti, ‘o ‘ikai ‘i mamani. Pea kuo hulu atu ‘a e kakai kuo si’i uesia ‘enau tui ‘i he ngaue ‘a e kau faiako fakahe ‘oku nau tala ‘a e palomesi ki he taimi lolotonga, ‘a e ngaahi koloa ‘oku palomesi ‘e he ‘Otua ki ‘Itaniti. 

Lolotonga ‘etau tokanga ke malu’i kitautolu mei he koosipeli ‘o e tu’umalie, ‘oku mahu’inga ke ‘oua na’a tau ta’etokanga ki he mo’oni fakalangi ko eni: ‘i he’etau ‘ia Kalaisi, ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e konga ‘o e ngaahi tapuaki faka-hevani ko eni, ‘oku tau ‘inasi ai ‘i mamani. Pea ko hono mo’oni, ko e taha ‘o e ngaahi tapuaki fakakoloa lahi taha ‘o e anga’ofa ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ‘atautolu ia taimi ni:  ‘i he tu‘u ko eni, ‘oku ‘ikai ha momo‘i fakahalaia ‘o e kakai ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū. Ko ha toki tala’ofa matu’aki fungani mo’oni, ka ko e mahino ‘oku fakalelei kitautolu mo e Fakatupu ‘o e ‘univeesi he taimi lolotonga ni - ‘o a’u ki ‘itaniti.

Ko e tu’unga ‘o e “ ‘ikai ha momo’i fakahalaia”, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha me’a ‘oku tau feinga ki ai pea tau toki ma’u. ‘Oku talamai ‘e Paula ko e tu’unga fakakoloa ko eni, ‘oku ‘a tautolu ia he taimi ni. Kapau ‘oku tau “‘ia Kalaisi Sisu,” taha mo ia ‘i he tui, pea kuo tau ‘osi laka kimu’a ‘i he fakamelino mo e ‘Otua. ‘Oku tau ‘osi tu’u ‘i he kelesi, ‘o ‘ikai ‘i he fakahalaia.

‘Oku ‘ikai ha potu ke tau tu’u ai ‘i he vaha’a ‘o e tu’u ‘i he kelesi mo e tu’u ‘i he fakahalaia. Kapau ‘oku ‘ikai fakatonuhia’i kitautolu - kapau ‘oku ‘ikai ke tu’utu’uni ‘oku tau ma’oni’oni ‘i he mo’ui ‘a Kalaisi - pea ta ‘oku halaia! ‘Oku fakaha mahino mai pe ‘e Sisu: Jesus states it plainly for us: "Ko ia ‘oku tui pīkitai kiate (au) ‘oku ‘ikai ke fakamaau ia; ka ko ia ‘oku ‘ikai ke tui, kuo ‘osi fakamaau? ia; koe‘uhi kuo ‘ikai te ne tui ki he huafa ‘o e ‘Alo tofu-pē-taha-na‘e-fakatupu ‘e he ‘Otua (Sione 3:18). ‘Oku ‘ikai ha tu’u ‘i vaha’a.

‘Oku ‘ikai ha fiema’u ke tau toe kumi ha tu’unga ‘i loto ‘i he ongo me’a ko eni. Ko e tokotaha angahala ‘oku tafoki ‘i he fakatomala mo e tui kia Sisuu, kuo hoko ‘ene mo’ui (liliu) ki ha ‘amanaki ‘oku mo’ui;  ‘Oku hiki ‘ehe ‘Otua ‘a e tokotaha ko ia mei he mate ki he mo’ui. ‘Oku to kinautolu ‘i he kelekele ‘o ‘Ene kelesi, pea ‘oku ne fafanga kinautolu ‘aki ‘a e ‘amanaki ‘oku ‘ikai ngaue. ‘Oku ma’u honau akaa ‘i he fofonga mai ‘o ‘Ene meesi. ‘Oku toe ‘i ai ha tu’umalie ‘oku laka hake heni?

Ko e tokolahi ‘iate kitautolu, ‘oku faingofua ke tau siofi pe ‘a e me’a ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau ma’u. Mahalo ‘oku ke nofo pe mo ha’o ‘uhinga, na’e tonu ke ke ma’u ha koloa pe mo’ui lelei ‘oku toe hulu ange pe ha famili pe kaungame’a ‘o makehe ange mei he tu’unga ‘oku ke ‘i ai he ‘aho ni.  Ka, ‘oku ou pole’i koe ke ke ki’i nofo hifo ‘o vakavakai ki he ngaahi me’a ‘oku ke lolotonga ma’u, pea ‘e ‘ikai ke toe to’o meiate koe. ‘Oku ke ma’u ‘a e hoifua mai ‘a e fofonga ‘o e ‘Otua. ‘E ‘ikai ‘aupito te ke toe fehangahangai mo ‘Ene fakamaau halaia! Ko ‘Ene palomesi ia, pea ‘oku fungani pea hulu ‘anoa ia ‘i ha me’a ‘i he mamani ko eni. Ko e me’a kotoa ‘oku Ne palomesi, te Ne fakakakato! 

Lau ‘a e Tohitapu ‘i he Ta’u: SAAME 140-142; 2 KOLINITO 12

One of the great malignant heresies of our day is the "prosperity gospel." Proponents of this false teaching aim to persuade men and women that great material blessings like health, wealth, and general prosperity await those who just have enough faith or who give them just a little more money. But God never made any such promise. Such promises of prosperity await us in eternity, not necessarily now. Too many lives of faith have been ruined by false teachers promising right now what God only promises in eternity.

In guarding against the prosperity gospel, however, we must not miss the glorious truth that in Christ, some of heaven's blessings do break into our earthly existence. In fact, one of the most bountiful outpourings of God's kindness belongs to us now: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Surely there is hardly a more attractive offer than being made right with the Creator of the universe now - and for all eternity.

This status of "no condemnation" is not just something we aspire to and reach eventually. Paul says this blessed state is for us immediately. If we are "in Christ Jesus," united to Him by faith, then we have already stepped forward into peace with God. We already stand in grace, not condemnation.

There is no middle territory between standing in grace and standing in condemnation. If we are not justified - if we are not declared righteous on the strength of Christ - we are condemned. Jesus states it plainly for us: "Whoever believes in (me) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). There is no middle ground on which to stand.

But there is no need to seek to stand in any middle ground. For a sinner who turns in repentance and faith to Jesus, their present reality is transformed to a living hope; God moves them from death to life. He plants them in the soil of His grace, where He nourishes them with steadfast hope. They are rooted firmly under the endless smile of His mercy. What greater prosperity could there possibly be?

For most of us, it is easy to see all that we do not have. Perhaps you have reason today to wish that God would give you greater health or wealth, or more time, or different relationships, now. But, for a moment, pause and see what you do have and cannot lose. You enjoy the smile of God. You will never face His condemnation. That is His promise, and it is more precious than anything else this world can offer and all that He promises, He does.