Tag Archives: gospel

May 10 2009

Who are you now?


godJesus said something astonishing to Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. Nicodemus had come to see Jesus and to discuss His amazing miracles. He understood there was something other worldly about Jesus. It was pretty obvious that God was with him. The only sensible explanation for some of the things Jesus had accomplished was that He must have had supernatural help, namely God!

In reply to Nicodemus’ statement about Him, Jesus replied, and then repeated, “You must be born again“. Of course this strange response stumped the learned leader of the Jews, so he questioned further, asking about this strange teaching. Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of heaven is only for those who have had a Spirit birth. Flesh produces flesh and Spirit produces spirit.

Today there are many in our churches who are like this ancient religeous leader Nicodemus asking “How can these things be?” In discussions with my Christian friends both in person and online it is clear that many of them have missed an important truth that if not understood leaves a person confused just like Nicodemus. Have you pondered the message of grace and then the many commands and rules and wondered “How can these things be?” I’m not going to ask you to raise your hand, but does the New Testament seem to you like a series of contradictions and paradoxes? I know it does to many, many people, especially in our churches of Christ.

Every person who has been born of the Spirit (from above) lives every day of their life on earth, since that new birth, in two distinct dimensions. They are alive in the dimension of the “flesh” and the dimension of the “Spirit”. Both realities are equally real and true. In fact, the spiritual, one could argue, is more real becaus it is eternal while the other is temporary. I am a living breathing human man and at the same time I am a spiritual man, one of the household of God by the new birth. And so are you if you have been born again.

The Bible addresses both of these realities in very distinct ways. I could write pages about those differences in Scripture but I want to focus on one point. With regard to our status with God, or salvation, there is also two realities. The first is what I call our position with God. This is our positional standing with God. It is what it is only upon the basis of the person, work, and worth of Jesus Christ. We are only accepted in Him, and never accepted for any other reason.

The second reality again relates to our spiritual selves but is what I call our practical standing. It reflects our response to God’s lavish love and grace shown to us in His Son. It is what we “practice” as believers day by day, hense the term “practicle“. My friend Edward Fudge says it this way and makes it clear, “We work out what God works in“. The Bible says both to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling“, and “It is He who is in you both to will and to do His good pleasure“. So both our positional standing and our practicle standing are addressed and identified.

Finally, I’ll add that these two realities can be viewed from two perspectives. There is first the view from God’s perspective and secondly the view from the street where you live. God sees you as already perfected, safe and secure, clothed with the rightsousness of Jesus and seated in the heavenlies already glorified. That is God’s view and He allows us glimpses of that reality. You and I see ourselves as strugglers, trying to do what is right and often failing even ourselves. We don’t like our sin but it keeps hanging around, most of the time in the shadows but far too often in the light of noon day it explodes on the scene. We are shocked and saddened and quickly repent and receive God’s promised cleansing…and then the cycle continues. We find that we are never right about everything, or everyone, we never perfectly obey what we do know to do, and secretly we admit to ourselves that we are misrable failures in the Life.

The very good news is that our daily living, fail as oft’ we do, does not in any way change or threaten our position with God, or our standingwith Him. You are just as much a child, just as saved, just as secure, on the days you disappoint yourself as the days when you think you’ve done ok. God is constant and consistant in His sovereign love for His own who are actively trusting the Christ of the gospel for eternal life.

Cheap grace you say? Hardly! “Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? God forbid!”Are you crazy? If you can live in continual sin and experience no tension, no sorrw of soul, you must take care to see if you are really in the faith. Everyone who is truely a believer is safe and sure of heaven and God’s great promises. There is no securityfor imposters. People who are trusting in themselves, church membership, baptism, family heritage, or scores of other things instead of Jesus Christ are only promised the wrath of God and perishing.

I am convinced that once a person knows who He is in Christ he will more liekly live like who he really is. Those who hope to become who they hope to be by what they do are certain to be sadly disappointed.

I hope the next time you read the Bible you will remember your Positional standing and your Practical standing with God. This will set you free to be who God called you to be, free to lovingly obey, rather than be confined to the bondage of legalism, failing over and over and over again. Any person who claims to be justified by what he does is either a liar or lost. He is a liar if he doesn’t admit, at least to himself, it just isn’t working out well, he fails too often too easily. Or he is lost and does not know God spiritually because he has never repented of his wickedness and thrown himself upon Christ’s mercy with his whole heart and mind.

Of course those who are not Christians live in two realities also. They live in the body of human flesh and they live in the dominion of Satan the god of this present world and are spiritually “dead“. They are in the sway of the evil one to do his pleasure. Only the God of heaven can breathe life into the man who is dead spiritually. Put your whole trust in Jesus the best you know how and He will make you to stand whole and holy.

For truth,
Royce

Apr 28 2009

Christ followers…what do they look like?


I wrote the following as a comment on a young church planter’s blog today. I think you might be interested to know what I think a disciple might look like.

Christ followers?

A young business man who is convinced that Jesus’ claims are true and is trying to follow, but is still lustful and addicted to porn.

A young unmarried mother of two with a history of a broken family, broken dreams, and bad choices who thinks she has met some people who really care, they act like they love her. She is silently asking “Why would God love me?” She has a glimmer of hope that her life might actually change for the better. “Me, a Jesus freak?”

A homeless guy who lost hope many years ago when he lost his family, his business, and most all of his friends because of a crack addiction. He just can’t understand why every few days this older couple comes with a nice meal that they share with him, and warm NEW clothing, and they don’t want anything from me? “What makes them tick?”

A very successful retired couple from New Jersey who moved to Austin to escape the cold winters, high home prices, and high taxes. Two souls tired of boring church where Sunday and Wednesday are two check marks on the list of Christian stuff. They are inquiring because they heard about a small group of people who are loving the community in tangible ways. They are doing yard work for a Catholic widow, an atheist man who is grouchy and in ill health, and a Methodist preacher’s mom. And they don’t expect anything in return? “We have to check this out closer. These people seem to be real Christians”.

There are these in every city, some who are not yet convinced, waiting to be loved, to be told the good news by someone who is not just wanting to add to a number. Some will follow more closely and some at a distance for a long time. And, there are those who will disappoint over and over again.

Love never fails. Love NEVER fails.

Jesus died for the wicked, unrighteous, broken folks. They are waiting by the thousands to experience that love.

How will you and I join God in what He is up to?

Royce

Apr 13 2009

Not everyone can give,…but everyone can pray!


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In the stark darkness of poverty, addictions, broken homes and broken lives, a glimmer of light shines with help and hope. It is a small light, only a flicker at times, but it keeps shining and hope keeps rising. The unloved are being loved, the hopeless are finding hope, and the sinful are being made righteous. 

In a community with little to offer hurting people,, the light of love and the good news about Jesus is shining from the little flock at the Hemley Road church of Christ. Out of their poverty they are feeding the hungry, repairing homes, and building broken lives. Few of those old enough to work have jobs and finances are very thin. Only their faith in God keeps the light shining. 

Each Sunday morning two large vans comb the communities rounding up dozens of excited children who look forward to something to eat, smiles and hugs, and learning about the love of God. Just the expense of keeping the two church vans going and the electric bill is more than the church’s meager offerings. Very few of the adults have jobs and are barely able to survive. Yet, in the face of incredible odds that they can’t make it, they do, and somehow these faith filled people keep the light shining in the darkness.

On Easter Sunday morning dozens of happy children took the stage and sang some songs in “big church” then went to their worship time. After the services there was a frantic but happy Easter egg hunt and every little one was as happy as could be. Before I preached on the resurrection of Jesus and the hope it gives Billy Spaulding and I presented several baptismal certificates to young people who have trusted Christ in recent months and have been baptized

 The church operates a food panty, a Grief Share ministry, an adult Bible study on Sunday night, dinner and a movie on Saturday night, and picnics at the beach frequently. Every event, every stop of the church vans, every Bible lesson, is an expression of love and an opportunity for those with no hope to find the hope of the good news about Jesus.

The immediate needs are $4,000 for the annual insurance premium for the buildings, air conditioners for the church building ($8,000 to $10,000). Then there is the weekly fuel bill to operate the vans, food for the hungry children, supplying the food pantry, teaching materials and crafts, the electric bill ($1200 per month when volunteer workers are there in the summer), the water bill, etc., etc.

Everyone can’t give, but everyone can pray. Will you consider sharing these needs with your Sunday school class, or small group? Will you ask God to keep the light shining in Bayou La Batre, AL? And, will you ask God if you should help? The El Campo church of Christ in Elcampo, Texas provides some support and others do what they can, but the survival of this great work for God desperately needs friends who will open their check books to assure that the people of the Bayou continue to have the Light shining in their dark world. Thank you for reading and for your prayerful consideration.

(Donations can be sent to the El  Campo church of Christ, 410 E. Calhoun St. El  Campo Tx 77437, or directly to the Hemley Road church of Christ, 8270 Hemley Rd, Bayou La Batre, Al.  All donations are tax deductable.)

Royce,

Apr 10 2009

Jesus – The Resurrection


Every human being is on course to the same destination on earth, a cemetery. All of us have an appointment with death (Romans 5:12, Hebrews 9:27). Death is the final enemy of us all. The great news is death has been defeated.

Before raising his friend Lazarus from the dead Jesus said to a grieving Martha, “I am the resurrection…” (John 11:25) Why fear death when you know the resurrection?

  • Jesus said of those who put their trust in Him, even when they die they will truly live. (John 11:25)
  • Those who trust Him are promised resurrection to life. (John 6:39,40,44,54)
  • Every living person who is trusting Jesus will never die. (John 11:26)

This is such good news! I am not making this up, these are Jesus’ own words. What Christ gives to those who trust Him is…Himself. The one who lives in you by the Spirit of God is Jesus the resurrection and you can’t die because He can’t die. (Romans 6:9) This is why the life He gives is called “eternal” or “everlasting“.

Do you fear death? Then run to the Resurrection. He died the death you deserved to die because of your sins and now invites everyone to share in His eternal, supernatural life by trusting Him to do what He promised.

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

The tomb is empty, our hearts are full, our blessed hope is sure, “Because He lives we live” never to die again. Our Easter observance each year affirms Jesus is the Resurrection, the only answer to death.

Are you trusting Jesus Christ?

Royce