salvation Posts

I’m Coming Back For You

27 Mar , 2013 No Comments

“So always be ready, because you don’t the day your Lord will come.”  Matthew 24:42

It’s interesting that on the final week of Jesus’ life He spoke much about His return. It should come as no surprise. The scenario is pretty simple as He explains it in John 14.  “Don’t worry.  I’m leaving for a while, but I’ll be back.  And when I come back, I’ll take you with me.” The return of Christ is certain. His return is final. And when He comes again He will separate those who are with Him from those who are not. Separation can be a sad thing.  Jesus knew a lot about separation. He was about to experience a separation such as He had never known before. When He cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”, He was experiencing the abandonment of His Father. His Holy Father turned His back on His Son as He took on the sin of the world. And He did it all for you.  He did it all so that one day, He could come back and take you home. He did it so you would never be abandoned. He, who had been separated from the Father, was about to be united again. Soon He would experience the warm embrace of His Father once again; the weary traveler from a foreign land would find Himself in the loving arms of His Father.  That’s the same reunion He wants you to know as well. When He comes again, every person who ever lived will be judged on whether or not they had received His forgiveness.  He’s coming back for you. Who will you bring with you?

“So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”  Matthew 24:44

Pray:  Lord, I want to live every day in expectation of Your return. Today I will realize that I have been given but one life and that it is brief at best. I will maximize this day for Your purposes knowing that the Day is coming when I will be united with You.

Getting to the heart of worship

05 Oct , 2012 No Comments

We showed this video Sunday, seeking to apply the main message in the Book of Job. In the end, the Book of Job asks the question: Do you worship God because of all that he has done for you or do you worship Him simply because He is God? Matt and Janna Shuford share the powerful story of how they discovered the answer to this question in one of the clearest explanations of the Gospel I’ve ever heard. Hit the link below:

 CLICK HERE: My Story- the Shufords

Finding Freedom from Religion

04 Jul , 2012 No Comments

More than 70 years President Roosevelt gave his famous “Four Freedoms” speech in which he upheld the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. As we reflect on our freedom as Americans, every follower of Jesus should also reflect on the freedom we have in Christ.
If freedom of religion is one of life’s great freedoms, I would suggest that freedom from religion is much more significant and costly freedom. In fact, it was the apostle Paul who described religion when he referenced “the law” in the Book of Galatians. Any structure, belief, ritual, moral behavior, or action by which we seek to achieve a right standing before God (through human effort) is “religion”. Ironically, many religious people are living in bondage. When we truly understand the difference between religion and biblical Christianity, it impacts everything about our relationship with God. Then, and only then, is true freedom found.
In Galatians 3:1-14 Paul uses the strongest terms possible in exhorting believers to go back to the Gospel as the one and only basis for their Christian lives. The essence of the Christian life is the Gospel. It is what Christ has done on the cross. But this is not only a means toward salvation, it is the means toward our sanctification, the motivation for our obedience, and the power to live our lives in Christ.
It may sound strange to some, but Christ came to set us free from religion. 2,000 years ago God sent His Son to rebel against a religion that He, Himself, began. And by “religion” I do not mean “Church”. The Church is the Body of Christ- the “living out” of our faith is a community project- we do it together AS the Body of Christ. But it all starts as we stop trying to gain God’s approval through our own efforts, give up, and admit our need for a Savior, confess our sin and our inability to set ourselves free.. then, we can escape the bondage of our sin. Jesus said…
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 What did Jesus really mean? Paul answers the question in Galatians. His battle cry is the same as the great reformers of the 1500’s. During the Reformation, the most dramatic shift in Christian history, many protested against the Catholic Church- at the time- with its works-based, religious add-ons to what Christ has done. From these protestors or “protestants”- came many groups forging their own way with the Bible alone as their guide. In fact, a brief history lesson and a look at the theology of the reformers will be helpful for our study of this 3rd chapter. In fact, it was the book of Galatians (along with the book of Romans) that most influenced Martin Luther to post his 95 theses (complaints) on the door of the Wittenburg Church- that sparked the Reformation- protesting the religion of his day. So, quickly…
The 5 Pillars of the Reformation “Solo, soli, sola”, are all Latin for, “alone/only”
1. ‘Sola Scriptura’ – By Scripture Alone
2. ‘Sola Gratia’ – By Grace Alone
3. ‘Solus Christus’ – By Christ Alone
4. ‘Sola Fide’ – By Faith Alone
5. ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ – Glory To God Alone
The Book of Galatians focuses on numbers 2 through 4 in particular- “By GRACE through FAITH” alone we are justified, we are sanctified, and we will be glorified. From start to finish it is faith in the finished work of Christ (not religion or “works of the law”).
By Grace Alone
I want you to examine your heart- to see if you have truly been set free in Christ. AND all of us need some freeing- None of us have arrived.. nor will we. I want you to ask yourself a series of questions and do a kind of self-examination (a Holy Spirit investigation). With each point below, ask yourself: How do I know if I think and live this way?) DO YOU FOCUS ON:
• Christ’s sacrifice or the Law? (vs. 1-2) Do you live your Christian life on the basis of works or by faith? And here’s what most of us miss: The demand of the Law is perfection. The fallacy of the “What Would Jesus Do?” question is this: Jesus would do it perfectly. And that’s game over for us. The Father is not grooming you to be the replacement for His Son. He is calling us to give up, fall on our knees, and believe that there is shelter through faith in His Son. Do you rest in Christ’s fulfillment of the law and His sacrifice OR do you strive and work to become pleasing to God? It will never happen- not through your works! And this not bad news, this is Good News. Is your life one big “thank you” or are you constantly driven to gain God’s approval? Are you motivated by fear or out of gratitude? Are you striving to win God’s approval or do you rest and revel in the fact that you already have it?
• God’s Spirit or human effort? (vs. 3) Having received Christ’s Spirit at salvation, are you now turning away from the Spirit- (the only power to transform you) and going back to your religious ways (thinking that a modification of your behavior will transform your heart?) This is crazy! Are you trying to let Moses finish what Christ has begun? Do you strive to “do the right thing” in your own power or do you constantly go back to the liberating truth of the Gospel -that it is God’s Spirit changes you, not your efforts. Do you pray for His power to move in your life or do simply try harder day in and day out? Are you constantly measuring your performance before God or comparing yourself to others? Are you quick to judge? These are signs you’re focused on human effort, not the Spirit. Are you obsessed with thoughts about your performance or are you obsessed with the Gospel? Because it is the Gospel that is our motivation for obedience. ARE you focused on:
• Your faith or your works? (vs. 5-9) Do you live by faith or by works?
Most of us live by works because that puts us in control. The law (or works) puts everything on us- and the truth is, we like that. Because we like to keep score. Faith takes us out of the picture and puts everything on God. Faith makes all of my works and human effort as no consequence and I can no longer keep score- I can’t come before God or others and say, “Look what I’ve done, look how righteous, how kind, how religious I am.” Faith puts us all on the same level so that we cannot boast about how we’re on some higher plane than others. It’s faith FIRST and it’s faith LAST. Faith in what? Faith in Christ- who is and what He’s done for us. Many Christians start out with a simple, focused faith- relying fully on the grace of Christ, but they desert the purity of the Gospel and enter into legalism and works. Here’s a profound truth: It is possible to avoid Jesus as Savior as much by keeping all the biblical rules as by breaking them. Paul says- that kind of life leads to- not a blessing, but a curse.
• A blessing or a curse? (vs. 10-14) Again, the demand of the Law is
perfection. If you’re going to keep any of the law, you must keep ALL of the law. “What Would Jesus Do?” Here is the costly answer: Jesus would do it all perfectly. And that’s game over for you. The Father is not grooming you to be a replacement for his Beloved Son. He is announcing that there is blessing for those who take shelter in his Beloved Son. because “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) and the “wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). So if you want to measure yourself by the law- you’re under a curse! You’ll never be blessed. In 2 Cor. 1:22, Paul says that God has “set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
Are you living as one blessed? If so, you seek to be a blessing to others. Then in verses 15-22 Paul argues that in every day life people make binding agreements that cannot be nullified just as the covenant was originally given to Abraham. But THEN came the law (after the covenantal promise) to show us that we are prisoners to sin. But the promise of salvation and freedom have finally come to us through Christ- making us sons and daughters of God- not prisoners.
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Cor. 1:21-22
• A child or a prisoner? (vs. 23-25) The law has become a “tutor”. The Greek word is “pedagogos”- a “child-conductor” or “moral teacher”, a strict disciplinarian” who would train boys (6-16 years old)- a kind of moral guidance counselor- often through harsh methods if they felt it was necessary. The law was a temporary, often harsh, disciplinarian, given to us so that we might see that we cannot measure up to the high and holy demands of God. Christ came to live the perfect life and fulfill the holy requirements of the law (so we wouldn’t have to) and he died on the cross for our sin (because we could not). It is by grace through faith that we are saved. Grace is the most expensive free gift you’ll ever receive.
Joy is found, not in obedience to God’s law, but in surrender to His love. The Gospel frees us from this pressure to perform, this slavish demand to “become”. The liberating declaration of the Gospel is that, in Christ, we already ARE. Here’s the freedom of the Gospel of grace- IF you are a Christian, here’s the Good News: Who you really are has nothing to do with YOU- how much you accomplish, who you become, your behavior (good or bad), your strengths or your weaknesses, your sordid past, family background, your education, your looks, and on and on.. Your identity is firmly anchored in Christ’s accomplishment, not yours, His strength, not yours; His performance, not yours; His victory, not yours. Your identity is steadfastly established in His substitution, not your sin. The Gospel doesn’t just free you from what other people think about you; it frees you from what you think about yourself.
Now you can spend your life giving up your place for others instead of guarding it- because your identity is in Christ, not in your “place”… I am now content with the back of the line, the last place, the role of a servant, you and I can GIVE freely.. because our identity is not found in what we possess.. and all of this is because of Christ’s finished work declared to us in the Gospel. So the final question-focus on
• Religion or relationship?
Is your life defined by your religious activity or by your relationship with Jesus Christ? And how would you know? Simple really. What do you think about? Where do you spend your time? Do you seek HIM daily or more activity? Do you focus on what Christ has done or what you must do? Are you experiencing a vibrant relationship with Christ or are you just trying to live a religious life?

Two challenges: One is to those of you who have never realized that true Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God- through Jesus Christ. The second challenge is to a group that I call the “religious Christian group”- and before you think that you’re not in this group, most of us are. The religious Christian and the grace-filled disciple live very different lives.

• The religious Christian loves a routine; a grace-filled disciple longs for mission.
• The religious Christian knows the letter of the law; a grace-filled disciple lives the spirit of the law.
• The religious Christian loves tradition; a grace-filled disciple loves a challenge.
• The religious Christian is satisfied with ritual; a grace-filled disciple thrives in mystery.
• The religious Christian desires stability and certainty; a grace-filled disciple seeks a life with Jesus filled with risk and adventure.

How do you want to live your life? In a religion or a relationship?

What is the Gospel?

15 Jun , 2012 No Comments

When Paul wrote his letter to the churches in Galatia, it was in response to one stark reality: the Gospel was in danger. Church leaders need to take a cue from Paul. He was frustrated and furious with anyone who would try to add to or take away from the Gospel of free grace. This Gospel is in danger again in our day. For most people in America, Christianity has become a form of “moralistic therapeutic Deism”. It’s “moralistic”, in that Christianity provides an avenue for moral living. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not the Gospel. It’s “therapeutic”, in that it feels good to live a moral life, in adherence to biblical principles. Again, this is not a bad thing, it’s just not the Gospel. And it’s clearly a form of “Deism”, in that God is certainly in the mix, though not the central focus much of the time. More often, the focus is on our works for God, not His work for us, and on our preferences as oppose to His. The Gospel that Paul defended is in danger and Christ (His heart, His mission, His Person) has been lost in a religion that bears His name.
We must join Paul and confront any altering of the Gospel in any way. He distinguishes between the Law and the Gospel. The Law tells us what God expects from us, the Gospel tells us what God has done for us. The Law is about what we do, the Gospel is about what Christ has done. The Law provides the diagnosis, the Gospel provides the cure. In order to defend the Gospel, we must be clear about what the Gospel is. Herein lies our problem. So, what is the Gospel?

The Absolute Gospel:

1. Christ lived the perfect life, fulfilling the requirements of the law. Just as central to our salvation is Christ’s death on the cross is the fact that He lived the perfect life. This is significant for two reasons: First, He could not have provided the perfect, “once and for all” sacrifice if He had not lived a sinless life. Secondly, He has done for us what we could not do ourselves. We cannot and now- need not- live the perfect life. The Gospel is one-way, descending love. We bring nothing to the Gospel expect our sin that makes it necessary. James reminds us how desperate we are. “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (James 2:10). Jesus did not come to “abolish” the Law but to fulfill the righteous demands of the Law and in so doing, we are set free from the demands of the Law placed on us.

2. He died for us on the cross, paying the price for our sins. We are justified before our Holy God because Christ, who lived the perfect life for us, took our sin upon the cross. The due penalty of our unrighteousness was placed upon Him and we have been set free from the judgment that comes upon sin. Through the Law God makes the demands for holiness and in Christ He fulfills them. Then miraculously, Christ takes on our sin and completely forgives us, “so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). His perfect life was imputed to us and therefore, God’s wrath was taken away from us. Only God acting on our part brings salvation.

3. He rose again, conquering death and hell. By overcoming death, Christ leads all of creation into a triumphant procession into eternity. And all people who receive His amazing grace through faith, join Him in this victorious life. This life begins in the here and now and continues in eternity.

4. He is coming again, to restore all things. The work of Christ and the purposes of God are bigger than our salvation. God does not make mistakes and nothing surprises Him. His purposes do not fail; He always wins. Though all of creation has been effected by the sin of mankind, all things will be restored to God’s original intent. God’s restorative agenda is in effect and will be completed as He comes again to make all things right. Ultimately, He will “make all things new” and a redeemed people will worship God on a redeemed “New Earth” for eternity.

It’s important to remember that the Gospel of the early church, of Paul, of the evangelists, was this: All of the promises of the Jewish Scriptures has come true in the Resurrection of Jesus. And this is the Gospel that we preach, teach, defend, and live out in our day. This is the Gospel.

Gay marriage?

16 May , 2012 No Comments

“The saga of a nation is the saga of it’s families written large.”
– Dr. Tony Evans

I’ve been in the conversation with others this week regarding the president’s recent endorsement of gay marriage. As a Christian and American, I am saddened that our president doesn’t hold to a biblical perspective of marriage. Many have responded to the president’s announcement but I thought it necessary for me to offer my opinion as well, which is really not my opinion at all. As in all things, I bow to Scripture:
Let me say from the start, this issue is not difficult for the Christian. Jesus settled this issue, once and for all, in Matthew 19:4-5. He is very clear about God’s intention for marriage. And let me remind us all, Jesus was the most loving, grace-filled Person who has ever lived. Listen to His words:

“Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? Matthew 19:4-5

As a Christian, I’m going with Jesus on this issue. As if anything more needs to be added, here are some key points as we seek a biblical view on marriage:

1. We have been created to bring glory to God.
All of creation exists to glorify God and the chief goal of man is to bring glory to God. God’s glory is an expression of His character, namely His holiness. But His glory is the expresssion of any and all of His qualities. And all of His qualities are perfect and immeasurable. Marriage is an expression of God’s character and the love between and man and a woman is a picture of Christ’s love for us (Ephesians 5:21-33).

2. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23 clearly states what we all know experientially. Every person on the planet has a south-bound gravitational pull toward sin and we cannot overcome it. It is true that all sin separates us from God, and in that sense, all sin is “equal”. But the consequence of our sin varies. We approach all issues (like homosexuality), with humility and compassion, knowing that none of us are righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). I’ve discovered that the homosexual community would be more willing to hear our message of God’s saving grace if they were met with compassion and not judgment.

3. As an expression of God’s character (and for His great glory), marriage is to be between one man and one woman.
It’s clear early on in the narrative of humanity that marriage is to be an expression of God’s commitment to us through covenantal love. As noted earlier, Genesis 2:24 says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” And the “reason” is presented in the verse before that, explaining the woman was made for the man, (and the man for the woman). The woman is the only one suitable for the man. A man is not suitable for another man. As I heard as a teenager, “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” I giggled then, now the statement seems necessary. Clearly, same-sex relations are unnatural. It is a miracle indeed that the union of man and woman (with all of our wonderfully distinct and dramatic differences) can display the grace and glory of God through covenantal love. But, by God’s grace, this is marriage.

4. Homosexuality is a sin because it falls short of God’s glory.
God’s Word is clear that homosexual behavior is sin:
• In Genesis 1 and 2 we see that God created man and woman for each other and that His design is for marriage to be between and man and a woman.
• Genesis 19 is a lengthy passage on the destruction of Sodom, having incurred God’s wrath because of homosexual activity. God’s Word defines the men of Sodom as “sinning greatly” because of their men were having sex with men (Genesis 13:13; 19:5). God calls Sodom’s sin “sexual perversion” (Jude 1:7).
• Leviticus 20:13 says that a man is not to have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; if he does he’s done a “detestable”(abhorrent, vile, despicable) thing.
• God lists “homosexual offenders” among “the wicked” who will “not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9). It must be noted that on the same list are slanderers, adulterers, drunkards, and idolaters as well, and he notes that many of those believers in Corinth once lived in those lifestyles- implying that among them were those who no longer live as practicing homosexuals – having encountered the saving grace of Christ.
• God’s Word identifies husband-wife relations as “natural relations” and homosexual relations as “unnatural ones” (Romans 1:26-27) and “perversion” (vs. 27).
• God’s Word also rebukes those who “approve of those who practice” homosexuality (Romans 1:32).

5. Christians need a more thoughtful response to homosexuality.
Largely Christians remain ignorant regarding homosexuality. I’ve had countless conversations with homosexual friends and homosexuals seeking counsel. I was asked by a friend to go with him to receive the results of his HIV-AIDS test. I have a heart for the homosexual; I love homosexuals. I long for them to know a better way and I believe a sexual fast (a.k.a. “abstinence”) is the way for every single person to go deeper in relationship with Christ. He is more than enough for us. It’s been helpful for me to make a distinction between homosexuality and homosexual behavior. If an alcoholic tells you he/she has just received their seven-year coin of sobriety, you may wonder if he/she is truly an alcoholic. Of course they would tell you they most definitely are. I may struggle with lust but for me to act on my lust brings devastating and unwanted consequences. We are all born with a bent toward sin- all of us. You have a bent toward particular sin; I have bent toward other sin. The adulterous heterosexual is in deep sin, just as the sexually active single or homosexual is. It’s interesting to note that, according to an article in the Huffington Post, Gary Gates, demographer-in-residence at the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA, estimates that 1.7% of U.S. adults self-identify as gay or lesbian. This is not to say the issue of gay marriage doesn’t matter (because it matters much- precisely why I’m writing about this), but there are much larger portions of our population involved in pornography, adultery, pre-marital sex, and all kinds of sexual sin. What we need is a clearer picture of God’s purpose for us all and His ultimate purpose for marriage.

6. Christ brought glory to God through His sinless life, His substitutionary death on the cross, and His resurrection.
Through Christ alone can we find forgiveness for our sin and the power to live our lives to God’s glory. Christ’s perfect life is as central to our salvation as His death and resurrection because He has done we cannot do. He fulfilled the Law and set us free from its condemnation. We can now live forgiven to His glorious grace. This is the Gospel and this is our only hope.