Tag Archives: Salvation

Dec 24 2010

Christmas, the rest of the story


When I think of the humble birth of Jesus the first Bible verse that comes to mind is this one from Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:5
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,but a body have you prepared for me”.

The “consequently” in that verse refers to the prior verses that explain that offerings, sacrifices, and religious ritual, and law keeping can never take away sin. Only the once for all, once for all time offering of the body of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, can take away sin forever.

It is good and right to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and just as important, we celebrate his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. Each time we share together in communion, eating the bread and drinking the cup, we declare the Lord’s death ’til He comes. And, each time a new believer is immersed in water, the gospel is acted out, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed.

The Christ child did not come into the world just to be imitated. He came to pay the awful price of the wrath of God against sin and to show the love of God for sinners. The innocent babe of Bethlehem was just as innocent before His crucifixion until…., until the sins of the world were laid upon him. He suffered the shame, torture, and abandonment of God the Father and friends, and He did it for the ungodly, you and me.

Hebrews 10:10
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Never again would it be necessary for a priest to go daily offering sacrifices. The one offering of Jesus of his own body satisfied completely the justice and righteousness of God so that based on that once for all, once for all time offering, God can declare an ungodly sinner “not guilty”. Those who are in Christ by faith need not try to appease God about their sins or do anything to attempt to gain His favor. His awful punishment of the Christ is His definitive statement on His love for sinners.

The coming of the baby Jesus was marked by people coming from afar to see him and by a bright star that lit the night sky over Bethlehem. He died alone, his friends had forsaken him, even the Father God turned away for a time, and light left the sky. But He rose from death victor over death, hell, and the grave.

Today the gracious offer of Christmas is Jesus Christ who himself is life everlasting, peace, and righteousness. Those who trust Him alone and forsake all to follow Him have newness of life, the forgiveness of all sins, and the promise of a heavenly inheritance reserved for them.

Peace on earth and goodwill toward men is only possible because the One who would suffer and die for us, and now lives for us, was born. “God with us” is the blessing of Christmas. From my home and heart to yours, may you know the true blessing of the Christ whose birth we joyfully celebrate.

Royce Ogle

Sep 24 2010

A few words from Jesus to you.


“You are down a little this morning. I don’t like it when you are unhappy, you don’t have to be, let me remind you of a few things.

I love you and have since before the world was. I know you, your best and your worst, and I still love you intensely. You have never disappointed me because I have never been surprised by those times when you have done stupid things, destructive things, unloving things, even things that make me look bad. My love for you never wavers, it is always sure, steadfast, and certain. You can count on my love.

You are weak but I am strong and if you will, you can live today and every day in my strength. Remember, I created you and the world you live in and I still am in complete control. I know, from your vantage point it seems things are spinning out of control sometimes but never doubt me on this, I’ve got it covered. Just trust me.

I have all authority in heaven and on earth and I have overcome the world and all of its evil, even Satan is defeated, and I did it for you. I came to earth and lived a perfect life, and died as one who had broken every law, and I did it for you to give my Father glory. My Father has credited my perfect life to your account and all of your sins and short comings to my account. When I died, I died for you, in your place, so your sins are paid in full! Don’t fret, you are safe. You need not fear anything, even when its time for your physical body to die you will only enter into my life more fully.

There will never be one moment of any day when I am not with you and in you. I will never allow any circumstance that I don’t approve and I always and forever have your best interests in mind. It is not for you to understand, it is for you to rest in the knowledge that I am always for you. Take me at my word, I have overcome the world…for you.

It is my intention to provide for you everything you need to the tiniest detail. But I do want you to ask me for what you need and even for what you want. Understand that what you want is not always best for you so I’ll say no sometimes and other times I’ll be silent, but I’ll always do what is best for you and what gives glory to my Father.

You are safe. Your life is untouchable in my Father’s mighty hand. Your future is secure, your hope will soon be reality. You have the supernatural capacity to love like I love and to forgive like I forgive. So today, take a deep breath, drink deeply from the wells of joy my love and presence provide, and go love someone today. Remember as you go, you represent me so don’t depend on yourself, just completely depend on me, I’ve got everything covered.

Now, let’s have a great day together.”

Jesus

Sep 14 2010

Boldly Going Where Only God’s Grace Can Take Me


Today is September 14, 2010. My journey with God began in the spring of 1960 when I was a sophomore in high school. These 50 years have been marked by mountain tops and dark valleys, tears of joy and tears of sorrow, disappointment, rejection, and personal failure. In every place along the way, God has been with me. I can see His loving hand, even at my darkest, lowest times, even when I sinned against Him, a future was mapped out. I can say without even the hint of a question, since the day that I as a teenage boy, the best I knew how, put my trust in Jesus, God has been for me and not against me. His love for me has been over-the-top, His grace and mercy lavish to the point of almost being absurd, and today as an old man with aches and pains and a head of gray hair, joy wells up in my heart and I can say boldly God’s grace is enough.

Had my standing with God depended on me I would have stood condemned a thousand times. If the only righteousness God saw in me arose from my own performance I would be rejected as unrighteous and ungodly by almost any standard. But,…my standing with God is based on the person and work of Jesus Christ for me, and my righteousness is His righteousness, and I am a child of God by God’s initiative and kept by His mighty power. I am indeed a work of the grace of God.

God’s grace is His unconditional love expressed by what Jesus has accomplished for sinners and keeps on doing for saints.

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

Upon this declaration I rest as I wait for the blessed hope Who is a blessed certainty. What God demands grace affords. The battle belongs to the Lord and every weapon we use to fight the evil powers of this world are weapons of grace. It is grace that leads to salvation, it is grace that teaches us to say no to ungodliness, and it is grace that will see us safely home.

Every good in me is His good, every act of love is His love, and my only hope of immortality and a place at His table is afforded by His marvelous grace.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Agape’

Royce


Sep 13 2010

Can you help raise the dead?


What is your/my church doing in the community, or around the world, that could not be done just as well by a good civic club made up of non-Christians?

I was first challenged by such a question perhaps 30 years ago by the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a pastor and radio preacher. The question he asked was something like this. “What is your church doing that could not be done if God was dead?”

Wow! What a question! Questions like those make me a bit uncomfortable, how about you? I believe that for far to many churches the answer would be “Not much”.

For about 14 1/2 years I lived in a small north Texas town. There was one place in town to eat breakfast on Saturday morning, a post office, hardware store, grocery store, police office, and a couple of gas stations. It was one of those little communities where you knew the mayor and the chief of police and most everyone else on a first name basis. Our little town also had Baptist churches, a church of Christ, a Methodist church, a Catholic church, and a Pentecostal church. (There might have been others but I remember those)

We also had an American Legion Post and a VFW club. To be fair, some of the members of those churches were also active in either the VFW or the American Legion. The truth is that those beer guzzling old veterans and their wives did far more benevolent works in our community than all the churches combined. That was true for at least the first 10 years I lived there.

If someone’s house burned it was them, not the church folks who would show up to pitch in and help rebuild and give money for new appliances, furniture and bedding. Those two clubs simply put the churches to shame when it came to actually doing something tangible in the community. Thankfully, because one new pastor came to town who actually loved the people, that changed quickly, first in his church and then it spread to the others.

There is great value in giving a cup of water to a thirsty man in Jesus’ stead. We must do those sorts of things to be right and on track with God. His command is that we remember the down trodden, widows, orphans, and prisoners. Those acts of love are not options.

What then can the church do that a civic club can’t?

Christians, as God’s agents in the world, can offer dead men life!

You see, those men and women who are not Christians have one great need and that need is LIFE! A person who does not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ does not need better morals, or even to become a regular attender at church on Sunday. No, his needs are far greater than improvement, he a problem only the gospel of Christ can solve.

Non-Christians are spiritually dead.

There is only one remedy for death and that is life. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians said this of those Christians before they trusted Christ and were saved.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1)

But God, being rich in mercy,because of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:4,5)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him. (Colossians 2:13)

In response to the gospel God makes the dead live.

God’s greatest work is not to make bad men good enough for heaven but to make dead men live. Ephesians 2 above says “God…made us alive together with Christ“. There is no other cure for death. Just as certainly as Jesus called Lazareth from the tomb he calls ungodly men to life today. Jesus said of himself, “I am the resurrection and the life..” and “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.

Jesus himself is eternal life.

Eternal life is not something Jesus gives to repentant sinners outside of himself. There is no spiritual (eternal) life outside of Him. What He gives is Himself. He is LIFE!

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27

Feed the poor? YES! Care for the needy? YES! Visit and care for widows, orphans, and prisoners? YES! But we must also be saying to the dead in our communities “LIVE!”.

The gospel of Christ is good news because it announces that Christ has died for you, that God’s righteousness can be yours, and that your body will be changed from mortal to immortality, and you will forever be God’s own dear child. No civic club can do this work. It is reserved for those who by relationship and sonship have become ambassadors for a heavenly kingdom whose orders is to herald the good news “Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves, come and live forever with Him”.

Royce