Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of Roe v Wade.
Both draw attention to the issue of sanctity of life and our nations struggle to carry out its most fundamental principle: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The cause of the struggle is our own sinfulness. We judge some people to be superior to others. We judge the rights of some to be more important than others. No law will fix this. We need grace.
In the days of Christ, Jews and Gentiles did not treat each other as equal. Both groups claimed superiority. This was brought out once Cornelius and his household were saved. Certainly, a Gentile would not be given the same salvation the Jew received? That was the question on the table at the council of Jerusalem.
After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:7-11 NIV)
God does not discriminate. Everyone is of equal value to Him and He extends His grace to all. That changed Peter. And it can change us.
Tag: Life
My Favorite Grace Verses
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4, 5NIV)
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24 NIV)
What are your favorite grace verses?
Ten Reasons We Need Grace
Sometimes the truth is hard to take. The truths that are the most difficult to take are found in the bible.
Who likes being called a sinner, or hearing that his heart is wicked, deceitful and beyond cure?
You certainly would not include these in the category of “nice things to say about others.”
The bible not only says these things, it does so with astonishing directness. It also tells us that we were
- lost,
- enemies of God,
- unrighteous,
- wicked,
- slaves to sin,
- deceived and
- disobedient.
However, the most stunning truth of all is the fact that we were dead spiritually (Ephesians 2:1). Think about that. There was no spiritual life in us at all.
Hard stuff to take indeed.
Jesus had to act on our behalf to change all this. Out of His one act of righteousness flowed His gift of grace to us, a gift that brought to us justification and life.
Without grace, we would still be dead, sinners and all the other things the Bible said about us. In Christ, we are totally alive and heirs of the King.
I do have a question for you. How would you describe spiritual death?
A Hard Lesson from a Great Teacher
Grace teaches us to say no to sin and to live righteous upright lives.
How?
What teaching method does Grace use to impart this valuable lesson?
My thoughts on this are not perfectly clear. This post is an opportunity for us to think out loud together on the answer to this question.
Here is what I have noticed happening in my life.
My view on sin has changed. Grace has peeled back the layers to show sin in a different light.
Sin is the opposite of love. Sin carries with it consequences that do harm to others. Sin hurts people.
When I sin I miss the mark of love. I’ve seen my sin cause pain and hurt and sorrow in the lives of other people.
That is a terrible thing to see.
Under grace sin is more than just a violation of law. Gratifying the flesh is no longer just a decision of should I or should I not or can I get away with it.
Grace lifts my eyes so that I see that my decisions do affect others. Then it reminds me to abide in Christ, to trust and rely on Him to live his life through me.
How has the grace of God been teaching you to say no to sin?
By the way, we couldn’t ask for a better teacher.
God's Abundant Provision of Grace
One act of disobedience. That’s all it took. Just one act doomed the entire human race. Adam’s one sin subjected us all to sin and death.
That doesn’t seem fair does it?
Whether you believe it or not, you would have made the same choice Adam made.
As a matter of fact, all of us have. “There is no one righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10).
If only someone could perform an act righteousness.
Jesus did. His act of righteousness made us right.
“Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people” (Romans 5:18 NIV).
This may not seem fair either.
We do not need fairness. We need grace.
That’s what we have in Jesus.
Adam’s sin ushered in the reign of death. In Jesus we reign in life. That’s grace.
Have you received God’s abundant provision of grace in Christ Jesus?
My Favorite Bible Passages — #1
For the next several weeks, I will be sharing my favorite Bible passages. These are the places in the Bible I return to time and time again for comfort, reassurance or fresh insight.
My favorite passage is in the book of Colossians. (It is hard to pick a favorite, I know, but if I had to, this one would be it.) Here it is.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:9-15 (NIV)
Here are the reasons this passage tops my list of favorites.
- It starts with Christ and ends with Christ. In six verses, Paul explains who Jesus is and the meaning of His death, burial and resurrection.
- I learned that my real problem was spiritual death, and that something had to happen to me before change could take place in my life. I had tried to be God’s guy, but my efforts came up woefully short.
- In the plainest language possible, it states that all my sins have been forgiven.
- It also tells me that the law of sin and death has been taken away.
- It declares that my enemy was defeated and disarmed through Christ’s triumphant victory at the cross.
- It tells me that I am complete, or have fullness, in Jesus Christ.
Some thirty years ago is when this passage hit my heart. I was confused about Christianity, and why I was such a colossal failure as far as my Christian life was concerned. Paul’s straight forward words flipped a switch in my understanding. I felt forgiven and that there was hope for me. The weight of trying to do it on my own was lifted. But more than anything, I felt alive.
Perhaps you feel defeated in your Christian life, or that you are mired in guilt and shame. It could be that you sense an emptiness deep within your heart, or that something is just plain wrong with you. If so, read this passage carefully. Jesus knows where you are. Who He is and what He accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection can change who you are. This passage was the catalyst for me to look to Him. I pray it will be the same for you.
You Can Have Assurance of Salvation
Completely. This is how Jesus saves us. He doesn’t provide a temporary fix, or grant us a reprieve. No, Jesus saves us completely.
The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “…because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25).
If you have come to God through Jesus, you are saved. You have crossed over from death to life. The transaction is complete, permanent, and unchangeable. He guaranteed His work on your behalf with this promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
What wonderful news!
Yet, far too many believers doubt they have been saved completely and fear that they can lose their salvation. Through thirty plus years of ministry, we have discovered that doubt regarding salvation is the biggest spiritual issue Christians face.
For most people, doubt flows from the daily struggles against sin and temptation as we do our best to live the Christian life, yet fail time and time again.
My friend Stacy was 95% sure that he was saved. He had trusted Christ for salvation during his teenage years. Instead of being encouraged to grow in the grace of God, he was quickly caught up in all the religious do’s and don’ts.
He gave it his best shot, but soon he was lost in the Romans 7 maze and didn’t know how to get out. The things he wanted to do, he didn’t. The things he didn’t want to do, he did. His struggles to live the Christian life gave voice to the gnawing doubts concerning his salvation.
With one negative event after another parading through his mind, that 5% uncertainty became Stacy’s constant companion. He went to bed each night wondering if he was actually saved at all.
Stacy finally reached a point of desperation. He called our radio broadcast for help. We had the privilege of sharing the wonderful truth of God’s complete salvation in Jesus Christ and the assurance we can have in Him. Two passages were particularly meaningful to Stacy that day.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:11-13).
As Stacy listened, he drove a stake, anchoring his assurance of salvation to the finished work of Christ. It was a point in time when the love of God melted his fears and replaced his doubts with thankfulness.
That isn’t to say that doubts concerning his salvation have never resurfaced. They have, but Stacy has a point of reference. When those doubts come, the Lord reminds him that he has been saved completely through faith in Jesus Christ.
Sadly, Stacy’s story is not unique. Doubts and fears regarding salvation are common place.
I spent much of my early Christian years wondering if I was truly saved. I prayed to receive Christ hundreds of times just to make sure. But still the doubts persisted. Then I learned what Christ had accomplished on my behalf, that the salvation He provided was complete. The day I gained assurance of my salvation was one of the best days of my life.
If you are struggling with assurance of salvation, let today be the day you drive the stake. It could be the best day of your life.
What Happens When He Calls Your Name?
Mary went to the tomb early in the morning. It was still dark. She was surprised by what she saw. The stone had been rolled away and Jesus’ body was gone.
She thought that someone had taken it. She ran to tell the disciples. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see. When they arrived, it was just as Mary said. The tomb was empty. Peter and John left while Mary stayed.
She wept outside the tomb. She did peer in and encountered two angels. They asked why she was crying. She told them the same thing she told the disciples, “They have taken my Lord away.”
She turned from the tomb and saw someone in the garden. Mary thought it was the gardener. He asked her who she was looking for. She thought this man may have taken the body. And then a single word from Him changed everything for her.
“Mary.”
The mention of her name penetrated the clutter and confusion in her mind. She recognized Him. Jesus was alive!
She wanted to cling to Him, but He had other things to do. She returned to the disciples with the good news, “I have seen the Lord!”
How personal the Lord is that He would call Mary by name. But isn’t that what He does with each of us? We do not have the privilege of hearing Him face to face like Mary did. But through His Spirit He calls us out individually. He speaks our name.
When He does, our confusion disperses and we know. He is alive. It is that moment everything changes. Like Mary, we become witnesses of the most significant event that has ever occurred, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Every day, Jesus tenderly calls out the names of others in this world. He uses our voices to do so. When a person responds, they are added to that great chorus of believers declaring the greatest news of all, “He is alive!”
Do this in Remembrance
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”
Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Matthew 26:26-28
Tonight and tomorrow many churches will host services to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Metro Bible fellowship, our local church, will meet tonight to remember the Lord’s death. It is my favorite service of the year. The music, the Scriptures that tell the story of Jesus is final hours and participation in the Lord’s Supper provides an experience of the love of God that is deeply moving.
I know many of you will be participating in services either tonight or tomorrow which is Good Friday. No doubt that you will share in the Lord’s Supper as well. As you do, remember all that Christ has accomplished for you.
When you eat of the bread, remember the day you first trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord. That was the day you were added to the body of Christ. When Jesus was alive, the body of Christ was in singular form. He occupied the body God had prepared for him as a sin offering. Today, His body has a new form. It is made up you believers throughout the world. As Paul wrote, “Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.” Remember that you belong to Christ.
When you drink of the cup, you remember that this cup represents the New Covenant in which you live today. Jesus’s death brought an end to the old covenant, fulfilling it in every detail. His death also ushered in the New Covenant. In this new covenant, God remembers your sins no more and where these have been forgiven there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Remember that you are a forgiven person.
These are the truths that will help you celebrate the Lord’s Supper with a heart full of joy and thankfulness.
Seven Reasons to be New Covenant
To the fence sitters, here are seven reasons to get off the fence and boldly declare that you are a New Covenant believer.
Paul stated the reasons plainly in his letter to the Corinthians. The passage is 2 Corinthians 3. Read through it. I think you will find the seven reasons to be compelling.
- Life — As Paul wrote, “the law kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The end of the law is death. That is the wages of sin. In the New Covenant, you receive life, Christ’s life.
- Righteousness — The law is a ministry of condemnation. No way to feel close to God or even know that He truly loves you when you keep failing to live up to His commands. In the New, God makes you righteous in Jesus. You are accepted.
- Eternal Security — The Old Covenant was temporary. It had a limited purpose – to show you your need for Christ. The New is eternal. Jesus’ promises and provisions last forever, which means that you are saved completely and eternally.
- Hope — The weight of the law squeezes out all measure of hope. As the writer of Hebrews stated, apart from Christ, you live in the fearful expectation of God’s punishment . In this New Covenant, your sins have been taken away once and for all. You are forgiven. You have Jesus and He is your hope of glory.
- Freedom — Under the law, you were in bondage to sin and death. Sin was your master, as Paul wrote. But in this New Covenant, the Spirit of Life sets you free from the law of sin and death. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
- Transformation — Self-effort keeps you stuck in the Romans 7 trap: the things I want to do, I don’t, and the things I don’t want to do, I do. But in the New Covenant you are transformed into the likeness of Christ, from glory to glory.
- Jesus — Under law, it is all about you and your ability to live up to the standards. In the New, Jesus lives His life through you. He was the One who was revealed when the curtain in the temple was torn. He is God’s gift to you.
It is time to get off the fence. Make the declaration: “I am a New Covenant believer!”