Being set right

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:1-12)
In this passage we have the perfect examples of justification “being set right with God” through faith from the Old Testament, Abraham and David. Abraham represents before the Law was given while David represents after the law was given. Both of these men believed God’s promise and God justified them. Both are saved by grace through faith. Paul ask a critical question about Abraham’s circumcision was it before or after he believed the Lord’s promise? Abraham’s circumcision didn’t save him just as water baptism doesn’t save anybody today. Abraham’s circumcision was a sign and a seal of his right standing with God. The same with King David. The people in Jesus’ day asked him this question: Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:28-29) That is it! Believe in Jesus Christ. The Philippian Jailer asked Paul, What must I do to be saved? Paul and Silas response, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household. The Philippian Jailer believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and got saved. Look it up it is in Acts 16. It is my prayer that this article today has helped you in your relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Praying it Through!

Have you ever read this passage and thought about prayer? Let’s read this passage and keep prayer in mind.
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. (Romans 4:13-25)
We often pray selfish prayers asking Jesus to do something or claiming something in Jesus’ name and we often recite some familiar passages to justify our prayer request. After praying such prayers we may try to manufacture the miracle. I’m guilty of this myself. After reading passages like this and the one in Genesis we need to gain a proper perspective on prayer. Like Abraham we need to enjoy the Lord’s presence, his friendship taking delight in him. Secondly let the Lord give you a promise of what he wants to do in and through your life. Then after the Lord gives you a promise, pray through what the Lord has promised, and obey his instructions that he has given you. Sometimes his instructions are wait! This is when the Lord prepares us to be ready to receive the promise. Remember, God is able to call into existence what he has promised you. I invite you to read the Bible and have a conversation with the Lord.

Why questions are asked?

When I was growing up and going to school I didn’t pay attention. Then the teacher would ask a question I would get it wrong. So I had to learn to pay attention in class or I would miss the answer to the questions being asked. Today we will come to the end of Romans Chapter 3 where Paul is going to ask six questions that will cause us to stop and reflect on what the Lord has done for us and what he has taught us.
“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:27-31)
These questions cause us to stop and think about the two principles that are taught in this chapter. The two principles are: that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law and that God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles. The first three questions that Paul asks are concerning a person being justified by faith apart from the works of the law. None of us can boast about our salvation in Jesus. We didn’t do the work to pay the penalty for our sin debt. Jesus did that work on the cross to make salvation possible for all people.
The next two questions Paul teaches us that God is the God of both Jew and Gentile, all other people who are not of Jewish blood. After Jesus’ death burial and resurrection he deals equally with everybody. So it doesn’t matter what family you are born into, or what religion you were raised with, God’s way of salvation is the same for all humanity. For any person desiring to go to heaven when they die, or have a new life that is different now on earth they must by faith, repent of their sins and call on Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior. When they do this God fulfills his promise in their lives. The last question is what happens to the Law. Jesus taught us saying that the Law would not pass away but that He came to fulfill the law. Let’s reread the first three chapters of Romans again and ask the Lord where we need to examine ourselves in relation to these questions. I invite you come and worship with us or another church in the local area.

Rough flight coming to an end

A few weeks back I wrote that this would be a very rough flight as we discussed sin and God’s righteousness. Today I want you to experience the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
If we are not careful we will overlook a very important sentence in this paragraph. We have already learned about the righteousness of God, about responding in faith to God’s promptings, and our sin. The love of God is such that he justifies us, that is, he sets us in a right relationship with himself as a free gift. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Are you a person that prefers to give gifts or receive gifts? If you are the one that enjoys the buying, surprising and giving then you are able in a simple and small sense to understand the way the Father feels in offering you His gift of grace. He sent Jesus to purchase this gift for you. If you are the person who enjoys receiving the gift, opening the package and finally seeing the surprise waiting inside, you have a package awaiting you, full of peace, joy and love, the gift of Jesus.
With any gift there comes a time of decision, you have to decide whether to receive or to reject. If you receive this gift you are not promised an easy life or a life of luxury while on this earth. However, you are promised an eternal life spent with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in Heaven, perfection for eternity. Rejecting this gift, will result in Jesus, who could have been your advocate, instead denying He ever knew you and you living eternally in hell. Are you truly certain that Jesus knows your name or will he deny YOU?

A Changed Heart

Circumcision of the Heart
Have you ever sang this song, Change my heart oh God”? For us to really be in a right relationship with God and with others around us we need Jesus Christ to do for us what we cannot do ourselves. That is to change our hearts. Here in this passage of Scripture we will read Paul addressing Jewish Christians who were counting on their ethnicity and the outward sign of the covenant(circumcision) to get them into heaven. He raises from question that they would have asked as a result of reading the first two chapters of Romans. Let's read what he writes to the church.
For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. “Romans 2:25-29”
Paul is writing to the Jew Christian letting them know that if they can keep the whole law without sinning their circumcision is profitable. They are not able to keep the whole law therefore their circumcision is unprofitable. Notice the line of thinking that the Apostle uses. If an uncircumcised man is able to do this then his uncircumcision will be counted as circumcision. The problem is this, some of the Jews were counting on their ethnicity and circumcision to keep them from experiencing the righteous judgment of God. Today, I’m afraid that we are guilty of propagating something just as bad. We may be guilty of counting on our Christian heritage, the church we grew up in and our outward baptism we experienced as a child or an adult. If our heart is not changed by Jesus Christ none of this will get us into heaven. Let’s read the last sentence again. There is a heart matter that must be taken into account. Circumcision that matters is not the outward one that the Jew was counting on, nor the outward act of water baptism or sprinkling. The circumcision that matters is the circumcision of the heart. The baptism that matters is the baptism of the heart. If God has not baptized and placed you in the body of Christ you do not have forgiveness of sins, no power to live the Christian life today and no eternal home in heaven? Ask Jesus these two questions: Am I yours? Am I holy? The Holy Spirit of God will answer these two questions. If you belong to God you’re set aside for his purposes. When a person is baptized by God they hunger and thirst to know him, to know Jesus and to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. All who are saved by the Lord will grow to be faithful believers living for Christ. If you are struggling with sin I invite you to come to Jesus and ask him to change your heart. He can take the sin away and give you a new heart with the strength you need to walk with him.

Just reminded

Check out @robertcbass's Tweet: https://twitter.com/robertcbass/status/637696591961452544?s=09

The False Security of Many

Romans 2:17-24

Here in our passage today, the apostle Paul brings to Jew’s to the forefront of the conversation in his letter.  The rest of this chapter is going to be aimed at the Jews and help them to see that they are under sin to.  Why does Paul stay so long on the subject of sin? “But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?  You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.  For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:17-24) Paul stays so long on the subject of sin because the Jews have a sin problem to.  He lets them know that just because they have the word of God written out for them and are instructed out of it they are not able to obey it perfectly either.  They have a false security if they are resting on their heritage of being a Jew, having the written word being instructed out of it.  This is not what saves a person!  This is the problem today we have to many people who are resting on the fact ht    Paul wants the Jew to know that they have a sin problem that they cannot fix as well.  The same could be said for someone who really had God fearing parents or grandparents, went to the same church, went through the baptismal waters but didn’t have a change of heart concerning their sin.  In fact it is ok to point out other people’s sin but not your own.  This is how sin deceives us.  You probably have heard this: do as I say not as I do.  The person instructed know that you really believe it is ok to do what you told them not to do because your actions tell them that is what you really believe.  If you teach a child not to steal, and then you steal what have you taught the child? That it is alright to steal.  The reason why revival tarries is because we want other people to repent of their sin.  Why do you need salvation if you don’t have a sin problem?