Tag Archives: Jesus

Dec 14 2009

Gospel Gold Mine – Romans 5


1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What a remarkable chapter of God’s word and revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have taken the liberty of highlighting phrases and words that jumped out me as I read and reread Romans 5. The resulting emphasis is amazing and wonderful. There is a series of causes and results as follows.

v1 “We have been justified…we have peace”

vs 2,3 “We have gained….we now stand”   “we rejoice in hope….we rejoice in sufferings…..because we know”

v5 “God has poured out His love…He has given”

vs6-8 “Christ died for the ungodly….died for us…..God demonstrates”

v9 “we have now been justified….how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath?”

v10 “We were reconciled….we have been reconciled….we shall be saved through His life

v11 “how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath…have now received reconciliation.

v15 “God’s grace….the gift….overflow”

v16 “The gift….brought justification”

v17 “those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness….reign in life”

v18 “One act of righteousness….life for all men”

v19 “through the obedience of the one man…. the many will be made righteous”

v20 “grace might reign through righteousness… to bring… eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is the justified sinner’s declaration of dependence. At least a dozen times in this rich chapter Christ is referenced. He came, His death, His life, His obedience, His gift…

The story of redemption and the grace of God toward wicked sinners is not about a partnership. It is about a benevolent God who in grace and mercy obeyed in the sinners stead, He died in the sinners place, He was raised again because of the sinners justification, and we reconciled sinners are alive forever by His life.

God is a lover of sinful, wicked people…and he loves you. He spoke and things lept into existence from nothing except His power. He needs no help to make sinful men and women fit for heaven. The work was done before we got here. Our decree of pardon has been signed, sealed and delivered. The gospel extends God’s offer to receive the gift and live.

This is the love of God, this is the grace of God, this is to the glory of God alone.

Royce

Dec 12 2009

Some Christmas Observations


We have all heard it said “Remember the reason for the season“. Good advice I’d say because for many it is a season without reason. Today as I reflected on this happy time of year and the ever faster approaching day, I thought about these things.

We celebrate Christ’s birth, and that is a good thing. I have little patience with those holier- than- thou types who have decided celebrating Christmas is bad because of some pagan, demon inspired conspiracy to cause Christians to celebrate an evil day. Without regard to how much one loves Jesus or how dedicated one is to him and his teachings, people the world over remember him at this time of year. I am glad.

Jesus’ birth is something to be celebrated. His humble birth though would be virtually meaningless but for his cruel death. His willing dying is what makes his birth so special. Had he not died, been buried, and then raised again to life, his birth would get no more attention than most others who were born in Bethlehem (Except his mom was a virgin, not an insignificant fact) near the time Jesus was born.

Born to die so I can live, my sin my shame to him I give. Immortality is his gift so free, a gracious offer is the gospel plea. I remember well when I heard the story, and bowed my will to the Lord of glory. Merry Christmas to me.

Christmas is marked by giving, pretty presents covered with colorful paper and beautiful bows. But all the giving of ten million Christmases cannot match the gifts by God to sinners. Gifts? Yes, gifts. God gave his one and only Son that he loved to die bearing the sins of the world. Jesus gave himself a sacrificial lamb to die the death for every man. And, God gives forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who will accept.

Looking back to a lowly manger in the City of David so many years ago does not compare to looking forward to the new Jerusalem, a city not built with hands. All who truly love Jesus will inhabit God’s city, feast at his table, enjoy Christ and bask in his glory forever.

In birth God with us, in life on earth God among us, teaching us, at Pentecost God in us, today God shaping us, using us to love others, displaying his holiness in our lives to a watching, hurting world.

The final gift is yet to be fully appreciated. Sin, sickness, sadness, sorrow, shame, separation, are all limited to this fallen world, they have no place in our future with Jesus. There is only Light, Peace, Joy, Praise, Glory, Worship, and …..well, language is inadequate to begin to describe even the microscopic glimpse we have of our certain future.

Why on earth would a Christian not say a hardy and heart-felt “Merry Christmas!“?

I appreciate each of you who read Grace Digest. May God’s peace rule in your hearts as we have a tiny taste of God’s glory in this holy season.

Gratefully,

Royce

Nov 13 2009

Christian Leadership – A Biblical Perspective


Paul’s first letter to the believers at Corinth began with thanksgiving as was his custom. He emphasized the superiority of Jesus and chided them because of their immaturity and foolish divisions.

They had done what immature believers always do, they had completely lost sight of God’s perspective on things in favor of personal favoritism. This grievous error is precisely why many of our churches have sects and clicks, one group follows this teacher, another this popular author, and another some famous personality from the past. Each division renders the local assembly ineffective and barren. Paul’s accusation was that they were behaving like children, not like mature adults.

The particular problem in the Corinthian church he addresses especially in chapter 3 was this one.  Three groups were enamored to their favorite preacher. One group liked Paul more while another followed only Apollos, and the remaining group only wanted to follow Cephas.

Problem? Immature believers. Symptom? Divisions based on personal preferences. Paul addressed the situation in chapter 3.

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” ( Corinthians 3:1-7)

The view from God’s perspective is humbling isn’t it? My importance and yours? NOTHING! This shocking truth reminds me that human effort only produces human results. To realize God kind of results we must have this mindset, compared to God, we are NOTHING!

What is the cure for this oft’ repeated error in our churches?

Keep Jesus at the center of our thinking, our talking, and our doing. We must follow Paul’s example of purposeful weakness, meakness, and utter dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit.

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (I Corinthians 2:1-5)

Walk in the Spirit. What a humbling rebuke by the Apostle! “I can’t address you as spiritual people but as people of flesh only” (chapter 3:1) In Galatians 5:16 Paul gave the cure for immature squabbling and fighting.”Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

There are two ways every Christian can live, by the rule of the flesh or by the rule of the Spirit. We must ask ourselves continually, Is what I am about to say or do motivated by the Holy Spirit, approved by God, for the good of other believers, and does it honor Christ? If a word or action does not pass this test it is likely best to leave it unsaid or undone.

The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS prompt only those words and actions that honor and exalt Jesus Christ. Never, never, never does God lead one child to hurt another. Be kind, tender-hearted, speaking the truth in love to one another.

Get the Word of God into you. Usually the injunction is “get into the word”. Far too many folks read the Bible of duty and not to let it change them. We must come to the Word with open hearts, sincerely desiring to be taught by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10-13) The Bible is food for a Christian, it is our job description, we must get it into us. As David of old we must “hide it in our hearts”.

Christ is all in all. Never let these truths far from your reach.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”

Jesus is all we need to live godly lives in this present world. He is truly all we need. Let us not allow any rule but his in our hearts, in our families, and especially in our churches. Let us each live our lives so that we can say with certainty “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”

for Jesus,

Royce

Nov 11 2009

Not so obvious lessons from John 17


This wonderful portion of Scripture is a prayer Jesus prayed just after explaining once again about his leaving the disciples, his authority over the world, the coming Holy Spirit, and just before his death on a cross.

There are many wonderful truths here that are often overlooked. I want to share my understanding of  a few of them.

There is only one method, one plan for world evangelism.

As Jesus was praying he said

“they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:8b-9)

God so loved the “world“. Christ died for the sins of the “world“. And yet, in one of his last prayers on earth Jesus plainly stated

“I am not praying for the world..”

Without question he loves the people of the world so why would he not pray for them, and even say it in such a public way that today it remains a record of the sacred Text?

This is why,

“I am praying for them (those who had believed), “those you have given me, for they are yours.”

God has but one plan to reach the whole world with the good news. It is the church. It is those who have believed who will spread the message to every tribe and tongue. In Matthew 28 when Jesus gave the great commission he said

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:18b-19a)

Here we can ask “What is the therefore there for?” Christians can go into a hostile world, right in the midst of Satan’s stronghold, and make disciples because Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth“. And he has passed on that authority through the agency of the Holy Spirit in and upon the believer’s life.

Just before his ascension into heaven Jesus told his followers

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8)

When the Holy Spirit anointing comes there is a transfer of power and authority to the one who has believed and waited on the Lord. God has no other plan, it is up to you and me and our brothers and sisters of every age who have put our trust in Jesus. But not really. I am not that dependable and neither are you, but God is faithful! Jesus said “I will build my church…” and the devil and hell can’t stop Him.

Nothing will thwart God’s plan to reach the world with the gospel. Those who have not yet heard are in good hands. God uses an inspired and all-powerful message (the gospel) given by the mouths of imperfect saints who are empowered by the Holy Spirit and out of the listeners those whom God has chosen will believe.

Jesus prayed for those who belonged to God, to Him. He did not pray for the world. Their salvation is complete because of His perfect obedience and sacrifice. They can have life because He ever lives. They only need to know it.

I suggest we get in on God’s plan and chunk our own upon the heap of human failure. The focus is never on a plan or a program. It is always about an empowered people. So, may I suggest then that we too pray for the church, for our brothers and sisters, at least more than we do for the lost. God’s way is always best.

Royce