The Gospel

The Gospel of Peace in Marriage

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20130422-122224.jpgThe Gospel of Jesus Christ should influence every relationship and area of the Christian’s life, especially the marriage of believers. When one turns from their sinful, selfish ways and puts trust in Christ they find great peace (Romans 5:1), through the “Gospel of Peace”. Finding peace with God and no longer being His enemy effects the whole disposition of a person. And this peace carries over into every other relationship, especially the marriage relationship. The Gospel of Peace brings peace in our relationship with God and others by dealing with the problem of sin.

Sin & selfishness create enmity and turmoil in relationships (Romans 8:7, James 4:1-4) and the Gospel of Peace is the means of finding reconcilation. The Scripture says “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10 ESV). Think about how God acted toward you and I while we were enemies of God. He displayed love and kindness to us when we were disobedient, unthankful, unloving and unfaithful to Him. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 ESV). Through the sacrificial death of Christ you and I can be forgiven of our offenses and find peace with God.

This mercy & forgiveness that we have experienced through the gospel should also be extended to our spouses. The Apostle Paul wrote the Colossians and said bear “with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13 ESV). Notice how Paul points to God forgiving you as the driving motivation behind your extension of forgiveness to others. Freely giving the forgiveness we ourselves have received is one way to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15 ESV). For when we withhold forgiveness from others there is deep distress and turmoil (Matthew 18:35). The gospel impacts marriage relationships bringing peace and reconcilation to the most broken and struggling marriages. If spouses followed the example of Christ then there would not be divorce, and much pain, stress and sorrow would be avoided.

There is a precious married couple that my wife and I are mentoring. They recently turned to Christ and have displayed beautiful fruits of believing and embracing the gospel. Their marriage relationship is being gloriously restored by the gospel. One of them recently told the other “we don’t fight like we used to” and the other responded saying “this is how it’s supposed to be”. There should be peace in every marriage that is truly gospel-centered.

Believe and embrace the truth of the Gospel and allow it to shape your marriage into a glorious reflection of the relationship between Christ and the Church. This is what God designed marriage to be, namely to display His glory. But every married couple has sinned and fallen short of displaying the glory of God in their marriage. God, however, gives grace through the gospel and by His grace He can make your marriage glorious. His strength fits perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

May God give grace & peace to you and your marriage.

Considering Death In Light Of Boston Bombing

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20130417-122358.jpgOne of the most heart aching and fear gripping realities for many people in this life is the fact that we will one day die. We are all apart of the ultimate statistic, namely that 10 out of 10 people die. For some death is a slow and painful process and for others it happens suddenly and peacefully. Nevertheless death is a problem that we all face and it isn’t healthy to avoid thinking about it and act as if it doesn’t exist. That is why the bible says that its “Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2 NLT). It is good for us to think about the reality that one day we will all die and stand before our Creator, to give account for how we have lived our lives (Hebrews 9:27, Acts 17:31…) We all have an appointment with God that we won’t miss.

The terrible acts of violence that we recently saw take place in Boston are an unpleasant reminder of the reality of death and present evil of this world. When we see such wickedness and evil intent to destroy lives we are grieved and angered by the injustice that has taken place. And so is God. God will punish those who do such things along with those who practice various other kinds of sins (Romans 1:18-32, Revelation 21:8…) The punishment of God is called Hell and is described as the “second death” and the “lake that burns with fire and brimstone” (Matt. 10:28, Rev. 21:8). This evil has not gone unnoticed by God. God sees everything and nothing gets by Him. And He will take action.

God has taken action to help mankind with their problem of sin and death. In the beginning when God made everything, it was good, there was no death and suffering but mankind disobeyed God and brought death and suffering into this world (Genesis 1-3). God did give Adam & Eve a command and a warning of what would happen if they disobeyed. The consequences of sin was and is death (Genesis 2:17). Adam and Eve aren’t the only ones who sinned and disobeyed God, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That means you and I are both deserving of death. The Scripture says “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 ESV). The bad news is that you and I deserve to die and go to Hell because of our sins but the good news (gospel) is that Christ took the death penalty for you and I that we might have the free gift of God, namely “eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord”. God the Father took action by sending Jesus to rescue us from the penalty of our sin (Matt. 1:21, John 3:16). Jesus came and lived a sinless life and died in our place bearing our sins on the cross, was buried for three days, and rose from the grave on third day, defeating death. Christ conquered the grave. Jesus has “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10 ESV).

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live'” (John 11:25 ESV). If you trust in Christ as your Lord and Savior then you need not fear death. Christ will release you from living life in bondage to the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14) because He defeated death. As it is written “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV).

20130417-122409.jpgOne day Jesus will return and “make all things new”. There will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4-5).

May God comfort those affected by the the Boston bombing with this gospel truth that Christ has died in our place, conquering the grave and defeating death once and for all. May each person be comforted by the hope of Christ’s return to make all things new and ultimately remove death, sorrow, crying and pain.

Why Should I Share the Gospel? Pt4

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20130308-173103.jpgThe Love of Christ is another reason that every Christian should share the gospel with others. The Apostle Paul wrote “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV)

It was also love of Christ that gripped Paul and compelled him to tell others about the glorious truth of the gospel. It was the love of Christ that motivated Jesus to die on the cross and redeem His own special people for Himself (Romans 5:8). And that same love that Christ has for the His people God has downloaded or “poured out into our hearts” (Romans 5:5), that is those of us who have been born again (1 John 3:7-11). Jesus said that His disciples would be known by this love (John 13:34-35). Love for others should motivate every Christian to passionately share the gospel with the lost. Imagine if you had the cure for every form of Cancer. You could do much good in the world and be a blessing to so many. You would have a great obligation to share that cure with those who are diagnosed with Cancer. But if you neglected freely giving that cure away then how could you love those who are dying of Cancer. Christian you have been given something greater than the cure of Cancer. You have the given the gospel message that brings eternal salvation to those who believe and receive it. Every person has been diagnosed with the terrible disease of sin (Romans 3:23) and it will cause death, eternal death and separation from God, which the Bible calls Hell (Romans 6:23, Matthew 10:28). But Christ who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

20130308-173514.jpgMay we be those who are compelled by the love of Christ to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. May the love of Christ move us out of apathy concerning the lost and into active evangelism.

Why Should I Share the Gospel? Pt3

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Another reason every Christian should share the gospel with others is the Fear of the Lord. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others (2 Corinthians 5:11 ESV). Like the Apostle Paul we fear God and know that every person will stand before God and give an 20130301-205948.jpgaccount. We know that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31 ESV). This holy reverence and fear of God moves the people of God to action, namely the action of persuading others of gospel truth. This was something that Jesus exhorted and commanded of His disciples before sending them out on a mission trip. “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:26-28 ESV). For many Christians it’s the fear of man that hinders them from proclaiming the gospel message but Jesus gives us the solution for the fear of man, namely the fear of God. The Fear of the Lord will counteract any fear of man. When you live with the awareness that God is everywhere, knows everything and is Almighty God, then you won’t be stifled by the fear of man. Then you will be able to say with David “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1 ESV)

May our view of God’s greatness and power break the stronghold of the fear of man and may the Fear of the Lord motivate us to persuade others with gospel truth.

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Why Should We Share the Gospel? Pt2

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20130301-092232.jpgAnother reason Christians should share the gospel with others is simply that Jesus has commanded us to do it. “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15 ESV) Evangelism isn’t something that God has merely called some Christians to do. Every redeemed saint has the responsibility to share the good news of how they became forgiven, free and brought into right relationship with God. Simple obedience to this clear command must be put to practice by every person calls Jesus their Lord. Our obedience to Christ displays our love for Him and His lordship in our lives. Jesus said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 ESV). And he said “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (Luke 6:46-48 ESV).

Also, God has chosen to save sinners through proclamation of the gospel and He has chosen you and I to be those who carry that 20130301-092118.jpggospel. …it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.(1 Corinthians 1:21 ESV) How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:14-17). It is a glorious privilege and responsibility that we have been given by God to be able to share a message that brings eternal salvation to those who believe and receive it. Let us not neglect faithful stewardship of the gospel message. Beware of getting weighed down and distracted by good activities while forgetting the God-given task of evangelism.

May you and I have beautiful feet that carry the gospel message into all parts of the world.

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Why Should We Share the Gospel?

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20130228-175639.jpgOne reason every Christian should evangelize is Jesus did it. He is our example of how each of us ought to live. After Jesus evangelized the woman at the well in John 4, his disciples urged him to eat some food, because they knew he hadn’t eaten anything. But Jesus told his disciples that He had food they didn’t know about. He said “my food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, to finish His work” (John 4:34). Jesus was nourished from doing the will of God and namely the work of evangelism. He found fulfillment, pleasure & satisfaction in doing the will of God just like one does in eating a delicious meal. Christ lived every day of His life pursing the will of the Father and pleasing Him. He knew what He was here for and didn’t waste any time. Before He died Jesus was able to say “I have finished the work you have given me to do” (John 14:4) Consider these passages:

… Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15 ESV)

And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:38 ESV)

20130301-093900.jpg“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

 

Do you follow the example of Christ in this way? Are you hungry for the will of God to be accomplished in and through your life? Then start with praying for God’s will to be done in and through you. Pray that God would give you a passion to share the gospel and open up opportunities with people. Ask for divine appointments and boldness to seize the moment. You might be surprised how God answers your prayer request for His will to be done.

The Glorious Gospel

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There are many reasons that the gospel of Jesus Christ is glorious. One of the reasons is that Christ brings FREEDOM to those who are in bondage to sin. The Apostle Paul wrote “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2 ESV) Christ gives His people freedom from the penalty of sin (Romans 6:23, 5:1), which would mean condemnation, death, & judgment for the sinner. He gives freedom from the power of sin so that His people are no longer dominated & slaves to sin (Romans 6). Many people including myself have experienced freedom from drug & alcohol addiction through believing in Christ. I have seen some seemingly hopeless addicts & alcoholics delivered by the power of the gospel. Christians have been freed from the penalty & power of sin and brought into a glorious liberty to serve the living God. The penalty of sin which is death has been taken care for the believer in Christ (Romans 6:23). He now possesses the free gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. The power of sin has been broken in Christ. We are free from law of sin and death. Freedom comes from knowing the truth and namely the One who embodies truth Jesus Christ (John 8:31-32, 14:6).The Spirit gives us life and freedom! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17)! The Holy Spirit leads us into the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and by helping us know the truth and believe the truth we are set free, and no longer slaves to sin (John 8:31-32). He who the Son sets free is free indeed. One day Christ will deliver His people from the very presence of sin. One day “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 ESV) …But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:27 ESV)

Another thing that makes the gospel glorious is the FELLOWSHIP with God that believers experience. We are now brought into relationship with the Father and the Son, which Jesus called eternal life (John 17:3). Either you know him or you don’t. You either have the Spirit of God in you or you don’t. This fellowship with God that we experience is through the presence of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. We have become the Spirit of God’s dwelling place, the very temple of God.

Here are some of the graces of being in fellowship with God:

  1. Instruction-8:14 (He leads us, guides us and instructs us)
  2. Intimacy -8:15 (We come to God and call Him Father. We are not orphans)
  3. Identity -8:16 (We are God’s children and we belong to God’s family. This is our identity.)
  4. Inheritance -8:17 (We have been given everything we need & more; Ephesians 1:3, 2 Peter 1:3)
  5. Intercession-8:26 (He intercedes for us and helps us in our weaknesses)

The last reason that I will give for the gospel being glorious is the FUTURE that God the Father has graciously planned & secured for His children (Romans 8:18-37). The Father has glory & good in store for His children. We will see the glory of God (Romans 8:18), we will have glorified bodies (Romans 8:23), and we will be glorified with the Lord (Romans 8:30). God will work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), He is for us & always will be (Romans 8:31), He will freely give us all things (Romans 8:32) and nothing will separate us form His love (Romans 8:37-39)

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The Gospel & Our Worship

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How does or should the gospel influence our worship?

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The gospel powerfully transforms selfish broken sinners into passionate worshippers of the living God. The forgiveness that a person experiences through the gospel leads to a deep gratitude & affection towards the God of all grace . This certainly is true of the sinful woman in Luke 7. This woman has been forgiven by the Lord of much sinfulness and she loved much in return. The gospel’s impact on her lead her to an extravagant expression of worship. She affectionately & unreservedly poured out her life savings on Jesus. She valued Jesus more than any earthly treasure and her actions displayed that.
Through the gospel of Jesus Christ people experience not only forgiveness of sins but a removal of the guilt of that sin. God deeply cleanses the guilt of sin through the powerful blood of Jesus “so that we can worship the living God” (Hebrews 9:14 NLT). Oh what a privilege & joy it is to be forgiven and cleaned
so that we might worship God. This is what David expressed in Psalm 32 after experiencing the forgiveness from God. David was celebrating gospel truth that fueled his worship of God. The Apostle Paul in explaining the gospel in the book of Romans quotes David from Psalm 32, to highlight the gospel truth of forgiveness of sin through faith. David is one of the greatest worshippers of the Old Testament and the gospel truth which fueled his worship ought to fuel our worship much more. Much more has been revealed and given to us through the new covenant. We have a new and living way to approach God, through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:20). We can come to God boldly with a clear conscience because of the blood of Christ (Hebrews 4:16, 10:19, 22).
This is one way the gospel influences our worship.

Good News of Great Joy

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…”Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10, 11 ESV)

What is the good news?
I bring you good news of great joy! This news will eclipse despair and bring a living hope. This good news will cause great joy to spring forth from those who believe it. What is the good news? Jesus Messiah has come, our Savior has been born. This Savior would not be like a politician who promises much but delivers little. He would sacrificially give His life away to rescue us and fulfill all that he has promised. He came to save us from our sins, death & destruction.
This was not just any baby that was born in Bethlehem. This was the Son of God. God became man, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Father gave the world the greatest gift, namely His son (John 3:16). This would change everything!!! Jesus is the good news of great joy! His person & character, His perfect sinless life, His sacrificial death, His victory over death, His return to earth and His restoration of all things.

What difference this good news make?
Peace with God is the result of receiving and believing the good news. No longer does one have to be tormented by the guilt of a defiled conscience and fear the horrors of punishment. “God and sinners are reconciled” through this good news, Charles Wesley wrote in his great hymn Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Fear not the angel said. Why, because he had good news. The good news is the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15) which calms our fears. Through coming to Jesus and believing the gospel we find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). Those living rebellious lives can get many hours of sleep and still be weary and tired in their souls because only Christ give rest for the soul. Christ is the Prince of Peace and if he isn’t reigning in your heart then you will not experience His peace. St. Augustine wrote “You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You”. Oh how true this has been in my own life. It wasn’t until I bowed my knee to Christ that a massive weight of guilt, hurt, fear, anger, confusion and emptiness left me. And oh how glorious that hour was for me.
Not only did the peace of God fill my soul the moment I was born again but the joy of God overflowed with an abundance of tears. The good news is that of “great joy”! The bible speaks of the “joy of salvation” and that is what the gospel brings. There is joy knowing that all your sins are forgiven and forgotten by God. You are no longer an enemy of God but His friend and child.
Righteousness in the life of a believer is the effect of the gospel. God reveals His righteousness through

the gospel and imputes His righteousness as a gift through faith in Christ. The gospel is mankind’s only way to get right with God. Once a person gets right with God they begin to live a life of righteousness. Right relationship with God leads to right relationships with others. Many desire peace and joy but lack a hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God. The gospel makes a man righteous before God and the result is peace and joy. Paul wrote in Romans that “the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Roman 14:17). Notice the order: righteousness, peace and then joy. Isaiah wrote that “the effect of righteousness will be peace” (Isaiah 32:17).
May you experience every grace that comes from believing the gospel. May the Kingdom of God come and the will of God be done in your life.

The Gospel’s Influence On Our Work

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The very first mention of work in the bible is of God’s work in creating the heavens and the earth, from which rested on the 7th day (Genesis 2:2-3).
God works and He made man in His own image and gave man work to do. (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:2). The Lord did not leave mankind idle without direction or purpose. God blessed mankind gave them a responsibility to be fruitful & multiply, fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it and freely eat it’s fruit (Genesis 2:15-16).
Man by God’s design is made to work and God gets glory from His intended purpose being fulfilled in man. As image bearers of Almighty God whose work is faithful and good (Psalm 33:4, Genesis 1:31) we reflect His glory as good and faithful servants or workers. The biggest problem with mankind is that we have all sinned and fallen short of reflecting and rendering God the glory that He is due (Romans 3:23). In our sinfulness we have failed to work diligently, faithfully, justly, generously, wisely, righteously, honestly and good, as God created us to. The glorious truth of the gospel of Christ is that Jesus came and did the great work of redemption, that no one else could ever have accomplished. Jesus said that His food was to do the will of the Father and finish His work (John 4:34). As a man who real experienced hunger and thirst Jesus found his nourishment and satisfaction from doing the will and work of the Father. This statement by Christ was mentioned in the context of evangelism, with the Samaritan woman, at the well. Jesus said the Father is working and so was the Son at work (John5:17). And Jesus also said that He only did what He saw the Father doing. The Father had given works for Jesus to do while He was on earth as a man (John 5:36) and Jesus carried out every one of those works. Before Christ was went to the cross He prayed saying “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4 ESV). Then right before His death He said “it is finished” (John 19:30).
Christ suffered and died so that He might redeem his own special people zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). Those who are in Christ Jesus are created for good works that God had prepared beforehand for them to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). Genuine saving faith in Christ will produce good works. If someone says that they believe in God but don’t have works that demonstrate their professing faith, then that is what the bible calls dead faith or not even faith at all (James 2:14-26). Our faith in Christ must produce good works in general but it must also effect the work we do as an occupation and how we work on the job. Paul in writing the Colossians expounded on the preeminence that Christ has over all things (Colossians 1:15-20) and building on that he exhorted them to put Christ first in every area of their lives, including work. He wrote “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23, 24 ESV).
This is how the gospel should influence the work ethic of every Christian. Christians are to work heartily or diligently as unto to God not seeking the approval of man or “kissing up” so to speak. They must keep in their perspective that Christ will reward good hard and faithful work. True believers in Christ will one day hear these words from Christ “well done good an faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

Often the mundane nature of an occupation can make it difficult to work heartily or to put your heart into your work. But you must remember that our Lord Jesus became a man and worked as a carpenter, in the foot steps of Joseph. It wasn’t until Jesus was about 30 years old that He started his exciting ministry, which lasted for about 3 years. Before that He was being faithful to do what the Father had given him to do. During this time Jesus grew in wisdom and stature finding favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). This certainly implies that He was doing what the Father wanted. Jesus recognized the times and seasons of life. In the gospel of John he referred several times to “his hour” (John 2:4, 7:6…). We must be diligent and faithful in the mundane day to day work that God has give us to do and there will be a time when the Lord will exalt or reward us. But we must seek to exalt Christ in all that we do even our eating and drinking (1 Cor. 10:31).
May you be steadfast, immovable, always increasing in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

Gospel Gratitude

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20130222-140230.jpgThanksgiving is a great time to reflect on the many reasons we have to be thankful, remembering the the sources of all those good gifts (James 1:17), and then giving God the thanks that He is due. There are so many undeserved gifts that God has given humanity that we never even consider giving thanks to God for nor acknowledge that those blessings came from him (Romans 1:21). It is good to start with the gift of our life or existence. God in His goodness created us and gives us every breath & heart beat of our lives (Acts 17:25-28). He is the creator & sustainer of all life. In Him we live and move and have our being.
God not only created us but He also faithfully cares for us and provides us with everything we need in life. Jesus taught us we need not worry about anything in life because if God the Father cares for birds providing for each tiny little creature, than He will most certainly grant us humans who have been made in His image what we need, especially those whom God calls His children (Matthew 6:25-27, 1 John 3:1).

Of all people the child of God should be the most grateful. For not only has God given His children sustained existence, but He has granted abundant life & eternal life through Jesus Christ (John 10:10, 1 John 5:11-12). The children of God are forgiven of all their sin, which lead to death. The penalty of for their sin has been placed on Jesus and in exchange they receive eternal life as a FREE gift (Romans 6:23). A free gift like that is worthy of much thanksgiving towards God the giver. An abundance of gratitude overflows from those who have been saved by the amazing grace of God. When a person begins to grasp what has been done for their sake in the gospel and also grasps how undeserving of such blessing they really are, then thanksgiving arises from their heart. That is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians stating “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15 ESV). Notice the progression; grace extended, thanksgiving increased and glory rendered to God. These three things should mark every child of God. The gospel produces gratitude in the hearts of its recipients, causing glory to be given to God. The link between grace & glory is thanksgiving. Paul exhorted the Corinthian believers to give God glory in everything that they do, even their eating & drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31). How does one eat and drink for the glory of God? It is by receiving the gift of food with thanksgiving & recognizing God has provided it for us (Psalm 145:15). God created every good food for us to receive with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:3-4). Also, God gets glory when we enjoy what He provides us with. Paul wrote Timothy saying that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). God also gets glory when we share our food with others and demonstrate the same generosity that we have experienced from God (1 Tim. 6:18, 2 Cor. 9:11, Hebrews 13:16).

It is good & fitting for us to give thanks for life & provision, but our gratitude for God sending Jesus Christ to save us from our sins should be the greatest reason for thanksgiving. This is what is loudly proclaimed in Heaven: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! … Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 5:10-12 ESV).
Give thanks to God for such great salvation found only His Son Jesus Christ!
Child of God, know that God has taken care of your greatest need through giving you Jesus! So don’t worry about the little necessities of life but rather believe that “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 ESV).20130222-140236.jpg

Be thankful for what God has done through Christ coming and also be thankful that Jesus will return one day soon and will restore all things. He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5). He will bring forth judgement & wrath on the wicked (Revelation 19-21) and redemption & perfection to His people. He will wipe every tear from our eye and there shall be no more pain, death, mourning or crying because the former things will pass away and all things will be made new (Revelation 21:4-5). Great is The Lord and He is greatly to be thanked and praised (Psalm 96:4, 145:3).
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17 ESV)

The Gospel of Grace

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Believers possess every spiritual blessing – Ephesians 1:3

God has given every one of His children an abundance of grace upon grace “in Christ Jesus”. We are not lacking any good thing in Christ. We are complete “in him” and we have everything thing we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus became poor in coming to earth, leaving the glories & privileges of Heaven so that we, through His poverty, might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). Why do we feel at times that we don’t have the resources to be who God has called us to be & do what God has called us to do? I believe it is because we don’t see what we have in Christ and we need to have the eyes of our understanding enlightened (Ephesians 1:18). That is what Paul requested in prayer for the church to see.

Let’s look at some of the spiritual blessings that believers in Christ have been given through the Gospel of Grace.

We are chosen – Ephesians 1:4

You are not a Christian merely because you chose God at one point in time. You are a Christian because God chose you before the foundation of the world. You are not an accident or an afterthought. God thought about you and picked you before He ever said “Let there be light”. If God loved and chose you then how could you do anything to earn His love or choice of you? No, He didn’t choose us because He saw something good in us. He chose us on the basis of His grace and for His glory, according to His good pleasure and His will. Salvation is about God the Savior. Salvation is of the Lord, His gift of grace granted to us for the praise of His glory. He has chosen us to be holy & blameless and this should be the mark of those who are chosen. Their lives ought to look different than the world. Peter exhorts the church to make their calling and election sure and growing in godliness, holiness & Christ like character is how one can do that.

We are predestined-Ephesians 1:5

Many Christians have trouble understanding, believing and receiving this glorious truth as the bible presents it. But this is a blessing from God, an expression of God’s grace that should “humble the best of saints and give hope to the worst of sinners”, as John Piper put it. Because many Christians struggle to understand & receive this biblical truth there has been much debate over it, but for the Apostle Paul it was a reason to praise and thank God (Ephesians 1:3, 6). Praise Godthat has made plans for our lives before we existed. Praise God that He foreknew us and predestined us to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29). Praise God that by His grace He determined that we would become His very own for all eternity. Let this gospel truth humble you & stir up gratitude & praise to your Heavenly Father. Rest assured that He who began this God work of salvation in your life will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:30).

We are adopted – Ephesians 1:5

We are now children of God and He is our Father. We are greatly loved and cared for. We belong to a family and are highly valued by God. God has promised to provide for our every need according to the riches of His grace and we don’t have to live like orphans striving to survive. Our Daddy in heaven is watches over us and everything in life is Father-filtered. Nothing comes our way in life without first being approved by Him. And He will work together all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Every good and perfect gift that we experience in life comes down from our faithful & unchanging Father. He is good to us all the time and He always has our best interest in mind.

We are accepted – Ephesians 1:6

We are accepted on the basis of Christ and what He has done on our behalf. He is the Beloved in whom the Father is well pleased and through Christ we also are pleasing to the Father. He delights to be our Father and gives us free access to His presence. Through the gospel of Christ we can boldly approach our Father’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14-16). Never do we have to earn our acceptance from God because Christ has earned it for us. Never do we have to seek acceptance from men to meet our emotional needs because Christ meets our deepest need for acceptance. No longer should we fear the rejection of men & seek the approval of man because we can be content with God’s acceptance & approval.

We are redeemed – Ephesians 1:7

We have been bought by the precious blood of Christ and rescued from slavery to sin & Satan’s captivity. We have been transferred from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of God’s Beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). No longer are we ruled by the god of this world or love for this world. Our God & King is the God of gods, the King of kings & the Lord of lords and He has overcome the enemies of our soul. Jesus is now our Savior & Redeemer and no one can pluck us out of His hand (John 10:28).

We are forgiven – Ephesians 1:7

Our sins are forgiven and forgotten by God. He remembers them no more. As far as the east is from the west so far it is that God has removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). The penalty of our offenses has been paid for by Christ and the guilt of sin is gone. The blood of Christ has washed & removed the stain of our sin. Our accuser who seeks to remind us of our past sins is overcome & defeated by the blood of Jesus (Revelation 12:11). We don’t have to work to make up for all the wrong we have done or try and outweigh our bad deeds with good deeds. Christ’s good work on the cross is finished and He has provided forgiveness of sins through His blood. Now we must freely forgive others because we have been forgiven (Col. 3:13). Now we must freely carry this good news of forgiveness to others because we freely received it ourselves (Luke 24:47, Matthews 10:7, 2 Cor. 5:18)

We have revelation – Ephesians 1:9

God has not left us in the dark but He has shared His secrets with us and entrusted to us knowledge of His will. We now know of God’s purpose & plan to unite all things in heaven & on earth. God will restore creation from corruption through what Christ has done. He will make all things new and there will be no more mourning, crying, pain or suffering and God will wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4-5). We have been granted wisdom & insight from God to grasp what He is up to.

We have an inheritance – Ephesians 1:11

We have become children of God, heirs of God & fellow heirs with Christ. We can say with the Psalmist “the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance”. (Psalm 16:6). We can be content with the lot that God has granted us and not desire the passing pleasures of sin nor love the world with its lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes & the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17)

We have the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 1:13

Perhaps this is the greatest blessing we have been given, namely God himself. Believers have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, by whom we have been sealed as God’s own for all eternity. God has granted us His constant presence to lead and to guide us, to teach & to instruct us, to comfort & to help us, to convict & to change us, to empower & to strengthen us, to fill us & to refresh us, to heal us & seal us (John14:26,16:8, Acts 1:8, 2Cor. 3:18). He is our God and we are His people (Revelation 21:3)!

To hear the sermon I preached on Ephesians 1, entitled The Riches of His Grace, go this link:

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http://citychurchintl.sermon.tv/4368646

 

Gospel Transformation

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It is really good news that God is at work in us to transform us into the image of Christ, by the power of His Spirit & His Word. Not only are we pardoned of our sin but we have the power of the Holy Spirit to live a Christ-like life. Sanctification is growing into Christlikeness and obedience to the will of the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The better we imitate Christ and godly leaders He has placed in our lives the more we will experience progress in the sanctification process (Philippians 2). In this process of sanctification we have a responsibility to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” but never are we to work for our salvation (Philippians 2:12, Ephesians 2:8-10). God works in our salvation and we work it out. Sanctification involves God’s working in and through us and our working together with Him, yielding to & following the leading of His Holy Spirit. Any good fruit that is produced through our lives is a result of His work, His grace and His Spirit (John 15:5-8, 1 Cor. 15:10, Galatians 5:22, Philippians 2:13). Therefore we have nothing to boast about before God (1 Cor. 1:30-31).

The Christian life loaded with purpose & power. Our purpose is to be transformed into the image of Christ and reflect the glory of Christ (Romans 8:29). The power we experience is from God’s Spirit and Word (Acts 1:8, 2 Cor. 3:18, Hebrews 4:12, Rom. 1:16) working in our lives to transform us into the image of Christ.

 

Wrath Removed

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I recently heard a Christian leader say that “God is not angry with anyone”.
He went on to emphasize that God is a loving God who forgives. It certainly is true of God that He is loving & forgiving but He is also just, holy & righteous. The God of the Bible is slow to anger and rich in love (Psalm 103:8) but He justly has anger towards evil doers (Psalm 7:11, Rom. 1:18, 2:5, John 3:36…). It is not a bad thing for God to have wrath against ungodliness & unrighteousness of men. It is actually a good thing that God sees & knows all the wickedness that is taking place, because He has and will do something about it.
20130222-135442.jpgWhat has He done about it? The Father sent Jesus to destroy the works of the devil and take away our sins (1 John 3:5,8). Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sin on the cross (Romans 3:25). This is at the very heart of the gospel, that he who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). The wrath of God is removed through Christ dying in our place. His perfect sacrifice for ours sins appeased God’s wrath & punishment of sin. When a person places their faith in Christ they are made right in God’s sight and God’s wrath for their sin is removed (Romans 5:1). But those who don’t believe in or obey Christ remain under the wrath of God (John 3:36). Those who don’t repent in response to God’s abundant goodness are storing up wrath for themselves on the day of judgement (Romans 2:5). I am aware that this is not a popular message to preach but it is a part of what gives the gospel it’s thrust. Those who don’t understand or reject the bad news of sin, wrath, judgement & hell will not grasp the depth of how good the gospel really is.
God is so good & just and therfore He must punish sin. A judge who allows a criminal “off the hook” after they have committed rape, murder, or molested children… would not be a good judge. Most people would agree with that. A good & just judge would make a good & just decision concerning such a person. And God being perfectly just & abundantly good punishes sinners and never sweeps sin under the rug. Some might ask ‘well isn’t He a God of love & forgiveness’? Yes, He is a God of love & forgiveness and that is why God sent His Son into the world. For God so loved the world that He gave His Son (John 3:16) to provide forgivness of our sins & eternal life. Jesus came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). He saves us from the penalty of sin, which is death, and He grants us the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). The glorious event of the cross displays the love of God & the justice of God. Justice was satisfied, wrath & punishment for sin was satisfied. And His love for you & I was displayed (Romans 5:8).
Saints, don’t be ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). May we not water down the message of the gospel in order to make it less offensive to unbelievers. Many will reject the message but there will certainly be those who recieve it & believe unto salvation. Also, let us represent Christ well in our attitudes when communicating gospel truth. Christ is full of grace & truth (John 1:18). Be sure that you know Christ as the one who is full of grace & truth and be sure that you represent Him as the One who is full of grace & truth.

Gospel Truth

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God is the gospel. Gospel means good news and God is good. From his goodness the Father sent his Son Jesus to save us from our sins (Matt. 1:21). Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, declaring & displaying the Kingdom of God. Then he suffered & died for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead. Now he has provided forgiveness of sin and freedom from sins dominion, to those who believe in Christ. Christ demands that you repent of your sin and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15). Not only has Christ provided forgiveness of sin and freedom from sins dominion. He has brought us into fellowship & friendship with him forever (John 15:14, 17:3). Jesus defined eternal life as knowing God the Father and the Son.
Have you experienced the joy of salvation? There is great joy to be experienced by the forgiven saint (Psalm 32:1). There is much joy to be experienced by the one who knows God and spends time in His presence (Psalm 16:11).
Joy inexpressible and full of glory is given to the believer In Christ (1Peter 1:8). Rejoice you Children of God, who have been bought, redeemed and loved by the Father!!!