NO EXCUSE FOR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS: IT’S HOLIER-THAN-THOU!

“Holier than thou”--we are familiar with the expression, aren’t we? The non-church goer certainly is. They use it with contempt to describe the self-righteous who often populate church pews. It is the ugly portrait of one who looks down their sanctimonious nose and points a condemning finger, loudly broadcasting the sins of others, all the while failing to examine their own heart and confess their own sins.

We can understand why some outside the church world would stumble over these attitudes among certain church folk and want nothing to do with Christianity. To them I would sound the warning: don’t let the hypocrite keep you out of heaven—or you’ll be with them forever in hell! Better to go to church with them, than spend eternity with them.

Religious people get all riled up when you speak against homosexuality, condemn pornography and lament our nation’s apostasy with a hearty “Amen!” But they often grow quiet when you preach about self-righteousness, judgmental attitudes and hypocrisy.

That’s tough—I’m going to preach the whole counsel of God. I can’t show favorites—because God doesn’t. “For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11). Yes, God is going to judge all humanity, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23)! But God will hold us accountable for the amount of light we have.

Jesus said it would be better for Sodom than Capernaum on Judgment Day! We associate Sodom with gross evil and the wrath of God—and that much is true. What we fail to reckon with is that Sodom had no Bibles, no churches and no preachers—only one believer, Lot, who was a backslider! On the other hand, Capernaum was witness to Christ’s miraculous life and heaven-sent preaching. “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” (Matt.11:23).

The citizens of Capernaum were incensed at Christ’s teaching. They clearly possessed the “holier than thou” attitude. Outwardly, you might have compared their conduct with Sodom’s denizens and concluded they could make a good case. But, God doesn’t stop with the external show of religion. He judges accurately according to who we truly are on the inside. Paul writes, “in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel” (Rom.2:16). The skeletons in your closet will come marching out to testify against you.

God has a set of books in heaven where the names are recorded of all those belonging to Christ, plus other books where every thought, word, deed and motive is being documented.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev.20:11-15)

Imagine—if your name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life—then the evidence of your crimes against God will be presented in court and sentence will be passed. Self-righteousness will not save you. Paul states that the judgment will be according to “my gospel.” This is the issue. Have you responded to the Gospel in faith—receiving Christ as Lord and Savior? If not, we learn in Romans 1 that you can’t be so bad Christ won’t save you and in Romans 2 that you can’t be so good that you don’t need Him to.

NO EXCUSE FOR SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS: IT’S HARD-HEARTED

I am often asked, “What about those who die having never heard of Christ? What happens to them?” Scripture is clear—all people, to the degree they have light—are responsible for the light they have and the deeds they do. They have no excuse for their sin (Rom.1:18-25). God has given a witness of conscience in them and a witness of creation to them—yet they reject that light and turn to darkness. For the willful sin against God, every soul will give an account.

But that’s not likely an issue for anyone reading these words. Most, if not all, of you have heard the Gospel—and that over and over. So, Paul says to the self-righteous in Romans 2:1 that we also have no excuse.

Are you hardening your heart? Do you believe that your goodness apart from Christ can save you? Will you continue to trust in your morality and lean on your religiosity? Here is Paul’s somber warning to the self-righteous: “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’ ” (Rom.2:5-6). You really don’t want to be tried for your deeds!

What does Paul mean by “treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath”? R.C. Sproul in his commentary on Romans gives a chilling exposition:

“What comes next is one of the scariest verses in the Bible…A friend once said to me, ‘I have been lusting after a woman, so I might as well go ahead and get on with the act because I am already guilty of the sin.’ I warned my friend to be very careful there. We have a tendency to think that come the judgment day, we are either in or out, innocent or guilty, but when somebody commits nine murders, they go on trial for nine counts of murder, not just one. Just so, God considers every sin we commit in thought, word and deed. Each one is exposed to God’s perfect judgment according to the truth.

In explaining our sin in relation to God’s wrath, Paul uses a banking metaphor. If we begin to save our money, taking a small portion of each paycheck and putting it in the bank, we are building up, slowly but surely, a treasure; we are saving up for a rainy day. Just so, every time we sin, we add an indictment against ourselves, treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. Do we really believe that? I do not think that the world believes it. Every day that we sin without repenting, we are depositing future wrath into the account of God’s judgment.

Some people think, ‘If you go to hell, you go to hell. What is the difference?’ A professor of mine once said that a sinner in hell would give everything he owned and do anything he could to make one less the number of his sins during his lifetime, because he will be judged according to his deeds. There are various degrees of punishment in hell because hell is where God manifests his perfect justice, and the punishment always fits the crime. If someone commits thirty sins, he is going to be punished thirty ways. So long as our hearts remain hardened, we add to the indictment moment by moment.” (Romans, Sproul pp.61-62)

This is deadly serious.

How can I know that my heart is right with God? Paul presents to us a threefold test in Romans 2:7.

•Test#1 “patient continuance”—the test of our perseverance. I saw a lady on Twitter the other day describing herself as a “former Christian.” There is no such thing. Those with eternal life possess it eternally or else they never had eternal life to begin with.
•Test#2 “doing good”—the test of our practice. We aren’t saved by our works, but our works show true faith. Only God is good and only He can produce good works in us. If true good is done, it is because we have had a new birth.
•Test#3 “seek for glory, honor and immortality”—the test of our pursuit. You wouldn’t miss heaven for the world! This isn’t merely a veneer of religion, but an inward passion. Contrast that with the self-seeking, self-righteous: “but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,” (Rom.2:8).

Do you pass the test? The choice is yours:

“tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom.2:9-10)

NO EXCUSE FOR SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS: IT’S HYPOCRITICAL

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul presents the need of the Gospel for corrupt sinners. He lists the sins of the rebellious. These verses make us feel like we’ve reached the depths of depravity. In chapter two, the Apostle presents the need of the Gospel for cultured sinners. He lists the sins of the religious. These verses take us to the heights of hypocrisy.

In that pagan world there were the scoundrels who practiced depravity, but also the sophisticated who practiced morality. Chapter one tells us there are none so rotten that they cannot be saved and chapter two tells us there are none so righteous that they need not be saved.

Over and over, Jesus confronted the self-righteous crowd. They hated Him and nailed Him to a cross. Do you wonder why they scorned Him? Because He repeatedly called them hypocrites! It is hypocrisy that Paul is addressing in his salvo unleashed on self-righteousness in Romans 2.

The word in Greek is hypokrites—a theatrical term meaning “to wear a mask.” There is an icon used to symbolize the theater—two masks—one smiling, one frowning. In Greek plays, the actors would put on a mask to play their role. How many are in churches today—including the congregation you and I attend—who are wearing a religious mask, while underneath is a heart empty of the grace of God?

The absence of grace can be detected. Paul tells us how.
• They are outraged by the sins of others, while oblivious to their own: “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” (v.1). We may excuse our sin as a slip, a mistake, but God will accept no excuses. The Judge will hear a confession, but that is something the self-righteous loathe to do.
• They are quick to condemn in others what is concealed in their own heart “But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.” (v.2). It says that God’s judgment will be “according to truth.” God will use the plumb line of truth to check your alignment—and the crookedness will be evident. The Building Inspector will condemn the little play house you have constructed as unfit for eternal occupation!
• The self-righteous man likes to compare himself with others. “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (v.3) He is judgmental toward others because that makes him feel better about himself. But God doesn’t grade on the curve. Religious folk protest, “I’m a good person!” “I don’t commit adultery. I haven’t murdered anyone.” Jesus said that lust and hate in your heart are the same—and who has not had an outbreak of that malady?
• Religious folk are often respectable—they aren’t the drunk in the gutter wallowing in vomit or a prostitute at some seedy motel who feeds her drug habit by selling her body. Instead, they may be respected in the community, successful in business and hold office in the church. They have their act together and it would seem that the hand of God is upon them. Indeed, it is! This is the blessing of God, but their self-righteousness blinds them to the intent of such grace. They think it is a reward for being good. Here is the reality: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" (v.4).

So, Mr. or Ms. Self-Righteous Hypocrite, won’t you assume the position of a beggar, admit your utter depravity, acknowledge your moral bankruptcy and humbly cry out for Christ to save you? There’s room at the cross for you—unless your ego is too inflated to come to that place of death to self-centeredness and worldly status.

NO EXCUSES!

Satan is as content to get people to go to hell from a church pew as from a barroom or a brothel. In fact, those who live a sinful life and know they’re on their way to hell are easier to reach than those who live a self-righteous life and think they’re on their way to heaven. Our Lord was talking to the self-righteous, religious crowd when He said, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.” (Matt.21:31 NASB95)

You see, if I have obvious symptoms of sickness, I am more likely go to the doctor. One of the things that makes cancer such a killer is that one may think he or she is healthy, when a malignancy is growing within. Self-righteousness is that kind of spiritual cancer. Sin works insidiously in our soul while externally we appear healthy.

But God has a spiritual x-ray machine called the Bible that exposes what we are on the inside. If we will submit to it, self-righteousness will be exposed. There is no excuse for not coming to Christ for the cure. Paul wrote, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man…” (Romans 2:1a).

HOW DID THE WORLD GET SO MESSED UP? TRUTH IS SUBVERTED

sub·vert \səb-ˈvərt\ verb
from Latin subvertere, literally, to turn from beneath, from sub- + vertere to turn
1 : to overturn or overthrow from the foundation
2 : to pervert or corrupt by an undermining of morals, allegiance, or faith.

I can’t think of a better word to define what Paul is describing in Romans 1:26-32. He writes:

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (NKJV)

This is the bottom of the cesspool of sin—the final straw that breaks the barrier to a nation’s judgment. There is an awful expression used three times, “God…gave them up” (v.24, 26) and “God gave them over” (v.28). If man will not bow to the true God, then God at last says, “Alright, if you want sin and you don’t want Me—have at it!” In giving us over to sin, we find that sin carries its own judgment (v.27). Greece in all its splendor and Rome in all its power could not survive the rottenness of sexual sin. No nation can. It is the end of the line when this becomes acceptable and even celebrated (v.32). What once would slink down a dark alley is now paraded down Main Street.

But, here’s good news—when we hit rock bottom, we have nowhere to look but up! Paul wrote to converts to Christianity that came from the depths of debauchery. Here’s what the Apostle said:

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

HOW DID THE WORLD GET SO MESSED UP? TRUTH IS SUBSTITUTED

If truth is suppressed long enough, eventually truth will be substituted for a lie. This is a deliberate exchange. A person may tire of pushing back their guilt and wrestling with their conscience, so they buy into a system of thought that supplants the truth that was bothering them.

People do this despite the clear and compelling evidence of God’s eternal power and presence. We not only have the witness of conscience in us, we have the witness of creation to us. All of nature cries out, “There is a God!” That which is visible in nature, with its marvelous intricacy and majestic complexity, dramatically declares the existence of a Creator. Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom.1:20 NKJV). You have to deliberately deny and distort the facts, substituting the false religion of naturalism, bowing at the altar of Darwinism, to convince yourself that there is no God. Those who are atheists have to suspend reason, and become irrational and, according to the Apostle, this is quite inexcusable.

Those who shut their eyes to God’s witness exchange truth for a lie. Paul underscored this: “who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Rom.1:25).

Still, most people around the world cannot deny the twofold witness of conscience in them and creation about them—so that the atheist is a rare breed. Most people in the world are religious to some degree. They acknowledge some kind of God, yet their knowledge of someone out there does not lead them to Him, but in their sinful nature and depravity, they substitute the creation for the Creator. Weigh these words carefully:

“because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” (Rom.1:21-23)

They substitute a God who has made them in His image for a god made in their image. They travel an ever more degrading path from “the glory of the incorruptible God” all the way down to “creeping things” –bugs! In Egypt they held the scarab sacred—a dung beetle! They worshipped an insect that rolled a ball of feces around! The Bible warns that we become like the god we worship (Psalm 115:4-8). Filthy gods lead to filthy lives. “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves” (Rom.1:24). Idolatry breeds immorality that leads to an ever-deepening cycle of degeneracy.

We become “fools” (Rom.1:22). This isn’t a flaw in mental ability—there are fools with a high IQ. It is a failure in moral aptitude—they love sin and do not want to face consequences, so they deny God’s existence or fashion a god that will bless their sin. In Scripture, folly isn’t about the level of education, but about the depths of rebellion against God.

In Paul’s day, the pagan gods were full of lust and vile passions. There was Bacchus, the god of drunkenness. How was he worshipped? By getting drunk! There was Aphrodite, the goddess of sex. Her worship featured orgies. Many of the idol temples were mere marble-columned brothels.

Yet, even at the heart of this decadent empire, God had planted a church. Many of the members of that Roman church had been rescued from corrupt lives and cleansed from sin by the power of the Gospel. That is the message of hope we bear to the world. Why don’t you invite someone to church to hear that message tomorrow?

HOW DID THE WORLD GET SO MESSED UP? TRUTH IS SUPPRESSED

The truth that we are sinners, abiding under the wrath of God, is an uncomfortable truth. Because of that, we want to suppress it. We intuitively know that we have done wrong toward God and that there will be a day of reckoning, but if we don’t want to face it and we can’t bear the thought of it, then the only option is to suppress it. The Apostle Paul went straight to this point when he wrote,

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.” (Romans 1:18-19 NKJV)

Guilt and shame come bubbling to the surface from the well of our conscience. So, we bottle it up and set it aside in the basement, locking the door, trying to forget about it. You see, there is a witness within us. We know there is a God and that one day we will give an answer to Him.

Even a blind and deaf person knows this. Helen Keller was born in that state physically. Anne Sullivan worked with her as a child and found a bright young girl inside waiting to get out. Helen asked about God. Miss Sullivan took her to Phillips Brooks, the gifted preacher in Boston who in a simple way tenderly shared Christ with her. He made him seem so real that Helen said, “Yes I know him, I just had forgotten his name.” Without a Bible or ability to hear a sermon—she knew there was a God.

No one starts out as an atheist—they have to work at it—by constantly suppressing the truth of the witness in them. Because I will answer to God one day for whether I cared enough about your soul to be honest with you, I cannot allow you to suppress the truth. It is my duty to surface it—like it or not—though I pray you will receive these life-giving words.

Suppose you begin to feel sick and take a trip to the doctor. He breezes through the exam room, taking no time but to smile, and hurriedly say, “You look fine. I think you’ll be OK.” He then hands you a prescription for narcotics, adding, “Take these and they’ll make you feel better.” What kind of doctor is that? In making you feel better, he would be killing you! There are some preachers who do the same—we should call them what we would call such a doctor: “Quack!”

Or, you go to a doctor who does a thorough examination. After the results are in the M.D. gives you the diagnosis: cancer. That would be distressing! He next moves to the prognosis: left untreated it will be terminal! You have gone from distressing news to depressing news. But, he doesn’t stop there; he shares that it can be cured if you take the treatment: delightful! Now, there’s a good physician! Paul was a soul physician, battling the terminal malignancy of sin, offering the cure of the Gospel. He was faithful to that God-appointed mandate. Listen to his words in Acts 20:26-27:

“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”

When I come to the end of my life journey, and stand before God, I want to be able to say the same thing! Are you listening? Do not suppress the truth!

HOW DID THE WORLD GET SO MESSED UP?

How did the world get so messed up? Few would deny that it is. But, as to the cause, you would get a vast variety of answers.

Some would argue that environment is the problem—if people had a better environment to live in things would be better. Others would say education is the problem—if people were better educated, the world would be a better place. Another would point to economics—if poverty were alleviated, so problems would be.

These are not insignificant issues, but these and most other answers people would give are external in nature. The Bible teaches that the real issue is internal—there is evil about us because there is evil in us. The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. If we want to know why the world is messed up, we need look no farther than in the mirror. The world is messed up because we are messed up.

That is the bleak reality Paul presents beginning with Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” The Apostle takes us into the Supreme Court of Heaven. God is the Judge. Paul is the prosecuting attorney. The entire human race is on trial. The Apostle then systematically lays out his case and presents the evidence of our crimes against God and humanity. He gives his closing argument to the Judge and concludes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23) and then sentence is passed, “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom.6:23a).

Bad news—but we cannot stop in the middle of a verse—the remainder of Romans 6:23 says, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is good news! The mess we are in is horrible, but Christ will come in and clean up our mess if we will but open the door of our heart to Him.

BEING HIRED AND FIRED AT THE POST OFFICE

Let me tell you a sure fire way not to get hired at the Post Office or, if you happen to work there already, how to get fired. Just tell the interviewer or your boss as the case may be, that you will only deliver mail that contains good news. If it is a letter from the bank threatening foreclosure, or a note from a family member telling someone that a loved one has died, or a letter from a lawyer telling the recipient that their spouse wants a divorce, or some such—you refuse to be a bearer of bad news. Those letters are going in the trash. People don’t want to receive such mail.

Then, forget about working at the Post Office. The type of mail you deliver is not an option for you. Your task is to put the mail—all of it—the good, the bad, the ugly, in the mailbox.

There are churches and preachers that have made a conscious decision that they will not share any bad news with the audience. They don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. Their take is that to discuss subjects like sin and judgment will drive people away. So—take down the cross from the sanctuary, delete any references to the blood of Christ from the songs, refrain from confronting people about sin, never discuss a topic like hell, put a smile on your face and be enthusiastically positive. Give them a few practical tips with a proof text from the Bible so people can feel better and then want to return to church again. After all, you are marketing religion and the attendee is your customer. You can’t increase your market share if your advertising isn’t appealing.

I understand. There are topics that I enjoy preaching on and others that I know will make people uncomfortable, because they make me feel the same way. It’s just that I don’t think my job in God’s Post Office is to choose what type of mail to deliver. What the Divine Postmaster intends for me to do is deliver the mail—all of it!

Paul certainly set the pace for us. He wrote:

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:17-18 NKJV).

How dare the Apostle speak of God as being a God of wrath! Why would he suggest that there is but one way to be justified and made righteous before a holy God? Doesn’t he realize how offensive that is to modern sensibilities? Post-moderns don’t want to hear words like “ungodliness” and “unrighteousness.”

I suppose Paul decided it was more important to please God rather than man. Tampering with the mail can get you in big trouble. He didn’t consider warning people to repent of sin and turn to Christ as being cruel; rather, he thought it compassionate. How loving is it to smile, pat people on the back and let them stroll merrily along to hell?

Just deliver the mail!

BETWEEN HOPE AND DESPAIR

The sliver of space between Romans 1:17 and 18 is the distance between hope and despair—the difference between paradise and perdition. Paul writes:

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

According to the Apostle two things are revealed in the Gospel: God’s righteousness and His wrath. On the cross, Jesus died to make us righteous before a Holy God. Redeemed sinners can enter heaven by placing their faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Jesus cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and He meant it. All that was required to purchase our salvation has been done. That is our hope! But, the cross also shows that God’s wrath must be appeased. His justice is as perfect as His love. Sin demands the full payment and that is what Christ, the eternal God accomplished in a moment of time in His incarnation. He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matt.27:46). That is hell—and that is what He bore so that we need not go there. Yet, if we do not receive His mercy—if we insist on standing before God in our own merits—then all our sin will convict us and the sentence will be passed—and that is despair!

The cross of Christ is the line between hope and despair. Remember, there were two other crosses on Calvary that day. On either side of Jesus, hung a sinner—judged and sentenced to death by Roman decree, still to face judgment and sentencing before the Supreme Court of Heaven. In these men, we see revealed the righteousness of God in one and the wrath of God in the other.

From the Gospel accounts, it is clear that both deserved what they received. At first both curse and scorn Christ—but, then, something happens—there is the revelation of God’s righteousness. One thief says to his fellow criminal,

“ ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:40-43 NKJV)

The other thief, so far as we know, went out into eternity kicking and screaming, ranting and cursing into the outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth—forever.

If you travel down I-26 from Asheville, toward South Carolina, you will see a sign near Hendersonville marking the Eastern Continental Divide. On this rainy Tuesday, theoretically two drops of water can fall side by side to the pavement along that dividing line—one drop runs east and makes its way into a series of tributaries until at last it makes its way into the Atlantic Ocean. The other drop flows west, eventually dumping into the mighty Mississippi and ultimately ends its journey as it empties into the Gulf of Mexico—so close at first and so far away in the end.

So, in our eternal destiny, there stands the Man in the middle—Christ Jesus. Those repentant sinners who confess Him as Lord will flow from time’s channel into the pool of Paradise and join Him there. Those who harden their hearts in unbelief will traverse time’s tributary into the abyss of judgment. It is Christ who makes the difference between hope and despair. Now all humanity lives in that tiny sliver of space between Romans 1:17 and 18. What will your future reveal? Righteousness or wrath?

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

When I was a budding artist, my favorite medium was pen and ink. I loved what the contrast between black and white would do in telling a story on paper. God does this with the story of redemption. The glory of salvation is contrasted with the Stygian blackness of sin.

Paul takes his pen to parchment and draws such a picture in the first three chapters of Romans. The stark contrast begins in chapter one, verses seventeen and eighteen:

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (NKJV).

Both verses begin with “for” that links them together. In one you have the act of God imparting righteousness in response to faith and in the next verse the act of God imparting wrath in response to sin. The contrast is between good news and bad news—between justification and condemnation.

And the news gets really bad! This is but the opening salvo in a barrage of bad news which will conclude that all humanity is totally depraved, utterly hopeless and helpless to bring about its own salvation, and rightfully condemned to hell for eternity. It doesn’t get any worse than that!

But in that fact is the one sure hope—how God brings light into darkness. This is God’s way—from the creation to the consummation, the story from Genesis to Revelation. In the first creation, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep…Then God said, ‘Let there be light’” (Gen.1:2-3). Following earth’s darkest era—the time of the Great Tribulation—the light of Christ’s glorious appearing will break through and there will be new heavens and a new earth in the new creation.

The pivot point happened on the darkest day of all—when the Son of God was nailed to a cross and it was midnight in the middle of the day. Isaac Watts’ hymn, “At the Cross” says it this way,

“Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut His glories in,
When Christ the mighty Maker died
For man, the creature’s sin.”

But, it only paved the way for the glorious dawn of resurrection! What a contrast between the rugged cross and the empty tomb—between the agony of Friday and the glory of Sunday!

Is the world of wicked men under the just condemnation of God? His wrath abides upon them. But that is why God sent His Son. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned” (quoted in Matt.4:16).

The bad news is that my heart—your heart—is black as black can be. The good news is that today the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, can dawn in your heart and dispel the demonic darkness. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Eph.5:8)

THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL: JESUS SAVES!

I heard Adrian Rogers relate this story from his predecessor in the pulpit of Bellevue Baptist Church, R.G. Lee. Dr. Lee told of a schoolhouse in South Carolina that caught fire. One Dad saw his son trapped in the flames. That young boy cried out, “Daddy can’t you save me?” Strong men had to hold him back or that father would have perished in a futile attempt to save his son from the inferno. It is horrific to imagine how he watched as his son wilted like a rosebud in a blast furnace, all the while screaming, “Daddy, can’t you save me?” The father only lived two more years and died of a broken-heart. He could never recover from what he saw and what he heard—day and night haunted by the plea, “Daddy, can’t you save me?”

Dr. Rogers then concluded, our sad, suffering, sin-benighted world cries, “Can’t you save me?” It calls to science and science answers, “We can calculate the distance to the sun, but we can’t tell you how to get to heaven. No, we can’t save you.” So, the world calls to the government. “Can’t you save us?” The government answers, “We can protect your physical life and liberty but we can’t save your soul and free you from sin. No, we can’t save you.” So, the world turns to business, begging, “Can’t you save us?” The bankers and brokers answer, “We can help you buy the good life on earth and a mansion of a hill, but cannot buy you eternal life and a mansion in heaven.” That’s the world—that’s the best it can do.

But, there is good news: “We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves, Jesus saves!”

He will save you! He will save you now!

Tell Him, you want to be forgiven. Admit you are a sinner and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Turn from sin and turn to Him.

If you have faith in Christ, then, “Spread the tidings all around, Jesus saves, Jesus saves!”

THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL: A GLORIOUS MESSAGE

Paul came to the climax of His ministry saying, “I am innocent of the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26). He had no regrets. The apostle had been a faithful steward of the Gospel message entrusted to him. Just before his head would go one way, his body another and his soul another, from the executioner’s blow, his last will and testament was, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Paul faced death and eternity regretless.

He believed the Gospel message was glorious in:

ITS POWER “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation…” (Romans 1:16a). He wasn’t ashamed of the Gospel. Are you? Rome sniffed its imperial nose at the cross. How could a poor Jew, executed as a criminal save anybody? But Paul knew its power. He wasn’t just a witness—He was part of the evidence! People should see the difference the Gospel makes in us—and then they’ll believe it! The word is dunamis (we get the word dynamite from it) and that describes some people’s religion—it makes a lot of noise, stirs up a lot of dust and one big bang and its over! A better word is dynamo—an engine of energy. That’s what true faith does.

ITS PROVISION “salvation to everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16b) God provides salvation to all who believe. It’s just that simple! God made a way where anybody can be saved. Today, if you are ready to give your life to Christ, God stands ready to forgive you and to save you! God doesn’t ask us to behave but to believe. It isn’t reformation, but regeneration. More than knowing the content of the Gospel in our head; it is a commitment to Christ in heart.

ITS PROMISE “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:17) The Gospel promises sinners a right standing before the Holy God by faith in Christ. It was reading Romans, that brought conviction to the immoral Augustine and he was converted and became a brilliant theologian. Martin Luther’s eyes fell on Romans 1:17 and was delivered from guilt and into grace—and the Protestant Reformation began. John Wesley was reading Luther’s commentary on Romans when he felt his heart “strangely warmed” and was saved—helping ignite revival in the 18th century. The promise is to you as well!

Have you placed your faith in Christ?
If so, have you publicly confessed Him through baptism?
Having done that, are you continuing to unashamedly stand for Christ and share the Gospel?

The Shack — The Missing Art of Evangelical Discernment, Pastors, Church Ministry Leadership, Page 0

The Shack — The Missing Art of Evangelical Discernment, Pastors, Church Ministry Leadership, Page 0

CAUTION ABOUT WINDING UP IN "THE SHACK"

THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL: A GLORIOUS MOTIVATION

Paul was motivated to share the glorious Gospel by His devotion to Christ and desire to see the lost saved. He expressed it in Romans 1:15 this way, “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you who are in Rome also.” It wasn’t a hasty impulse, but a thoughtful decision. He knew what was involved—the price he might have to pay.

He was ready. Like the old hymn says, “Ready to go, ready to stay, ready my place to fill; Ready for service, lowly or great, ready to do His will.”

Are you ready to serve? Jesus set the standard for us. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” For Paul service didn’t fluctuate. His devotion didn’t vacillate. It was whole-hearted, “As much as is in me!”

Are you ready to suffer? Jesus still bears in His body the marks of His mission. Then Paul, in a lesser, but still real way, said, “I bear in my body, the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

Are you ready to sacrifice? Ultimately it cost Jesus His life. Paul would lay down His life for the mission. Would you? Consider this: why do you think you’d die for Him, if you won’t live for Him?

Are you ready—or are too many other things occupying you? I heard Adrian Rogers share this story:

There’s a man on death row. The Governor decides to pardon him. He hands you the pardon to take to the warden. About the time you are going to leave with the pardon placed in the pocket of your coat, the phone rings. It’s your wife and she wants you to stop by the store and get some milk. It’s on the way. It won’t take long—so why not? While in the store you run into an old buddy you haven’t seen in a long time. You know you have something to do, but the conversation goes on. Now, what was it? Oh yes, to take the pardon. You will, but first you’ve got to take the milk home so it doesn’t spoil. Your wife meets you at the door and says, “Honey, I’m sorry to tell you this, but the furnace has quit working. It’s getting awfully cold—could you take a look.” So, you do. You can’t figure out what’s wrong. So, there’s nothing to do but to find a repairman. That takes awhile. In this cold snap, every furnace repairman is covered up. Finally you get hold of one. No sooner have you hung up when the buddy you’ve just reconnected with at the store calls you. He is so glad to have run into you. He has just been given an all-expense paid weekend at a golf resort for a foursome and wants you to go! It won’t cost a thing. He says, “It must have been fate that we ran into each other.” In the excitement, you forget all about the piece of paper in your coat pocket and you wind up out of town on a golf trip. You get back, and are reading the paper when you see a name in headlines that sends a chill down your spine and tears down your face—the man has been executed! He was pardoned and you didn’t tell him. How would you feel? How will you feel when the clods fall on the coffin of someone you've not told? It might be a family member, a friend, a fellow worker or fellow student.

Ask God to help you be ready to share the Gospel—to be motivated by your great love for God and concern for the lost. It is a matter of life and death—eternal life and the second death—and your witness may make the difference concerning their final destination!

THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL: A GLORIOUS MISSION

Our mission is glorious in its scope—it is to reach every person on planet earth with the Gospel. That’s the responsibility of the church; Christ has given this assignment to none other.

Paul saw this as a debt to pay. He stated, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise” (Romans 1:14). How are we doing in paying our debt?

If you were to line up all the lost people in the US, they’d circle the globe beyond twice. Then, could we replicate the experience of Pentecost, when 3,000 were saved in one day, it would take us a century to reach those. That’s with the population frozen and if people lived that long. But they won’t. Every second souls slip out into eternity unprepared. An we’re not even considering in this calculation, the teeming masses around the globe—many of whom have never heard the name of Jesus.

As horrible as the devastation was in Haiti—can you imagine the ground shaking and walls and roof collapsing upon you—the terror of it all, that wasn’t the worst. For many who perished, they opened their eyes in torment. Can you imagine what it was like to be buried in the rubble for days with not a drop of water? What must it be to live century after century in a place of flames with no relief from thirst? Lest you think that spiritual condition is limited to Haiti, you are sadly mistaken. Anyone, anywhere that doesn’t have a personal relationship with Christ is unprepared for death and the judgment to follow.

Is there blood on our hands? Are we paying our debt? You say, “I thought salvation was free?” It is! But don’t we sing, “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe”? We owe a debt of gratitude to the One who saved us, and every time we confess Him, we’re paying another installment on that debt of love. But more than this, Paul said, “I am a debtor to the Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.” In other words, we are debtors to all humanity--the cultured and uncultured; literate and illiterate; the down and out and up and out. The need of the Gospel cuts across all social strata and thankfully God’s grace is provided for all. Our glorious mission is to tell them all—to boldly go where no one has gone before!

THE LEGACY OF FAITH

This is going to sound like I'm tooting my own horn--but my intent is to glorify the Savior and encourage each one of you to invest in the things that really matter when it comes to your family. I received this email from my youngest daughter, Kelly, today:

Just read the Roaming through Romans email and wanted to tell you thank you so much for being such a Godly father and for sharing the Gospel with me! It's because of you (and mom, who I am also emailing) that I know about Jesus and am saved! There is no better gift that you can give to your children than to tell them about Jesus and I am very grateful. I am already telling Isaiah and Mya about Jesus and will continue to and hopefully they will accept him also. Thank you for setting that example for me. I love you!

That thrills my soul! I can't think of a better compliment to be paid to anyone--can you? Now, if you think it requires perfect parents to accomplish this, then you don't know Marilyn and me very well (though Marilyn is pretty close). What it takes is consistently trying and most of all the grace of God. To Him be all glory and praise!

THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL

What if no one had told you about Jesus? Where would you be today?

I would either be in hell or well on my way to being there. Thankfully, someone did share the Gospel with me—and if you are saved—they did with you.

Maybe it was your parents, perhaps a SS teacher or VBS worker; possibly a preacher or a friend—but if you are a Christian someone, somewhere, sometime shared the Gospel. That’s all it took.

That is the glory of the Gospel. In the words of Adrian Rogers, “It is simply glorious and gloriously simple.” Just place your faith in Christ who died on the cross for your sins and rose again to make you just before a holy God. That’s it!

No wonder then that it was Paul’s passion to share the gospel in all its glory and it needs to be ours, as well. The Apostle makes three great “I am” statements in verses thirteen through seventeen in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans: “I am a debtor” (v.14); “I am ready” (v.15); “I am not ashamed” (v.16). These three statements give us the framework for understanding the glory of the Gospel.

Have you thanked God today for the significant people in your life that shared Christ with you? Take a moment and, if they are still living, contact them by phone, letter or email and let them know how grateful you are that they loved you that much.

Do you know someone who needs to hear the message that, “Jesus Saves”? Pray for them and seek an opportunity that as soon as possible you will tell them—in the words of Fanny Crosby’s hymn—about Jesus, the Mighty to save.

“Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one,
Lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.”

VIDEO OF BAPTIST MEN WORKING IN HAITI

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD: A WORD OF PARTNERSHIP

Paul knew that His ministry would encourage the saints at Rome, but that he in turn would receive encouragement from them. We read, “For I long to see you…that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Rom.1:11-12 NKJV).

The relationship between the preacher and the people is described as a partnership. He calls it a “mutual faith.”

One of the great things about the church is that each time we gather we are reminded that we are not alone. We look around us and find fellow pilgrims to stand with us. Their very presence is a powerful encouragement. Consider what the wise King Solomon wrote:
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.
10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?
12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT)

Commit yourself today to be a minister of encouragement. Do you need encouragement? Tell someone. Your pastors care. Let us know how we can pray for you. Beyond that, if there are other needs we can supply, we will partner with others to make it happen. Don’t forget to partner with your pastors in return. Sometimes they need encouragement. They are not supermen. If Paul could appreciate the partnership of people, then you may rest assured that your pastor does.

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD: A WORD OF POWER

Paul wanted to come and minister to the Roman believers, so God might use him to strengthen their faith. We read in chapter one, verse eleven, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established.”

The power comes from God. It is a “spiritual gift.” Still, God uses people as channels of His power. The result of this ministry would be that the Romans would be “established” to stand firm in faith.

Someone reading these words is wavering and wobbling today. You have been shaken by some tremor of trouble, but right now God is using His Word to give you strength. God’s Spirit is bringing grace into your life. You were in a state with your head hanging down and you will rise with your heart lifted up.

I am praying for God to use this message in that way. I don’t know who will read it. I don’t know who needs it. But, it is sent into cyberspace with a prayer that God would bring it like an arrow to the heart of someone. Has it hit the bull’s eye?

Are you aware that you can be used by God also? These are words on a page. God can use them. But, how much better are words from your lips, accompanied by genuine concern and human touch. Find someone needing encouragement today and dispense it in generous quantities. God has placed in your hands this tremendous power!

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD: A WORD OF PROVIDENCE

Paul, the Apostle, had a will. He wanted desperately, by any means possible to reach Rome and visit the church there. He writes concerning his prayer to God, “making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you” (Rom.1:10 NKJV).

He had not started the church. But, from all that he heard of them, he knew they would be an encouragement to him if he came there. Paul understood that the heart of the empire would be an incredible launching pad to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Yet, even though Paul had a will, he knew that God did also, and for whatever reason in the providence of God, the Lord had not seen fit to allow the Apostle to reach Rome. Paul was content to rest in that providence. He recognized that God knew more than he did and even when he didn’t understand God’s ways fully that God could always be trusted. Perhaps Paul pondered this verse, “A man’s mind plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). That is providence.

Paul meant what he said about reaching Rome by any means possible and God in His time and His way made it happen. It is a good thing though that Paul meant it, for the way he would reach the city would be in chains, counted a criminal, transported by a ship through a horrible storm, cast into the ocean when the ship went down and experiencing snakebite when he reached shore! You can read all about it in Acts 27-28. That is providence.

Some may be wondering, “What is providence?” It is rooted in a composite Latin word meaning pro—ahead and videre—to see. So, it is God seeing all things before they occur and working to accomplish His will in all things.

Here’s the encouragement—nothing ever catches God by surprise. What’s more, He will accomplish His perfect plan whatever the circumstances may seem, whether we view them as good or evil in and of themselves. And the end result—listen—is ALWAYS for His glory and our good! (Rom.8:28).

Some of us have made plans—good plans—and we have run into dead ends at every turn. We prayed about it, we tried to do it right and all that has happened is a mess. That’s discouraging—unless we factor in the providence of God. Even a man of such insight as Paul had to admit, “Now, we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now, we know in part, but then we shall know even as we also are known.” (1 Cor.13:12)

The world is a mess and days are growing darker. We look at the heart-wrenching scenes from Haiti, for instance, and wonder, “Where is God in this?” He’s there—He’s at work—and when we can’t know how it all fits yet, we do know some. Don’t you know that these convulsions that are rocking our world are simply the birth pains of a new world that is coming? Jesus said that when we would see all these things to lift up our heads for our redemption draws near! (Luke 21:25-28).

Maybe you’ve had your own mini-earthquake. Something in your life has shaken you. You feel jostled by circumstances beyond your control. Just remember that in a world that appears out of control, God is firmly in control. That’s the encouragement we find in this word: providence!

Why don’t you pause from whatever is happening in the maelstrom of your life and take a deep breath, focus on God and whisper a prayer of thanks to Him for His providence? Share your will with Him. Express the desires of your heart. But, then rest in the will of God. Father knows best.

AIR CONDITIONING HELL?
Read this article by Al Mohler by going to:
http://www.9marks.org/CC/ejournal/2010v7-1/article_mohler.htm

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD: A WORD OF PRAYER

Not only did Paul express thanks to God for the Christians at Rome, he continuously prayed for them. “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers,” (Romans 1:9 NKJV). What could be more encouraging than that?

It means so much to me when someone says, “I’m praying for you.” I don’t take that lightly. Doesn’t it bless you?

The world tries to drag us down, so we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to lift us up. Not only does it mean a lot to hear that someone cares enough to pray for us, but those prayers actually have an impact—God hears and answers. The Almighty, loving Heavenly Father responds to the heart cries of His children.

Pastors need to cover their people in prayer. Paul sets the standard for us. People need to cover their pastors in prayer. Paul always pled with the people to pray for him. If he needed it—how much more do I! Parents need to cover their children in constant prayer and teach them to pray.

A praying church will drive away clouds of discouragement and open a window in heaven where the light of God’s glory will flood the place! Will you pray for this weekend’s services that this will be the incredible experience of the manifest presence of God? That would be encouraging!

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD: A WORD OF PRAISE

Paul thanks God for the Roman Christians. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Rom.1:8). He praises them that their faith is being recognized around the world. They are making an impact for Christ and that is an encouraging thing to Paul. So, he encourages them in return. This isn’t empty flattery. The Apostle isn’t telling them something he thinks they want to hear, to manipulate them to do something for him. He is genuinely grateful and offers them an encouraging word of praise.

There will always be those who will find fault—that will use their words like daggers to stab us. Their caustic words eat at our soul like a corrosive acid. That’s the way the world works to discourage us. Let us choose that this church house will be a place of encouragement—a refuge from the harsh treatment we receive in the world. Refuse to participate in demeaning speech. Instead, offer words that build up, rather than tear down.

Parents need to exercise caution about what they say to their little ones and how they say it. Harsh, hurtful words will make soul-wounds that are difficult to get over. As Paul expressed his gratitude to God for each member of that church, let us express that for each child God gives to us—all unique and all to be equally valued.

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD

Life is relentless—it just keeps coming and coming. The daily grind will wear you down. Our world is a pressure cooker of problems. It will suck the life right out of you. Discouragement is a constant temptation.

Somehow we have gotten the idea that this is unique to our age—that the problems we face are more immense than any known in the history of man. I will assure you that the challenges faced by God’s people today ought not to be minimized, but they are nothing new.

Imagine how tough it was to be a Christian in the first century dwelling in the heart of heathenism—imperial Rome. All roads led to Rome and when the people came there from the far-flung reaches of the world, they brought their idolatry and their immorality. Rome was like a cesspool where every kind of filth had flowed. Yet, there God planted a church. It not only took root in the decadent culture, it thrived!

Those early Christians were mostly poor, often persecuted, but were full of hope and marked by joy. You can hear it in Paul’s voice as he writes to the saints at Rome. He shares some encouraging words in a discouraging world. Listen to his words:

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. (NKJV)

This week we will consider this passage in more detail and find for us an encouraging word in a discouraging world!

CLOTHES DO NOT MAKE THE MAN

We have likely heard the expression, “Clothes make the man.” But, it just isn’t true. Not that what we wear is unimportant, but the critical thing is the one inside the garment. Put a self-absorbed, cynical man in a tailor-made suit and he will just be a well-dressed jerk. Put a humble, kind man in a worn and tattered outfit and the quality of his life will overcome the appearance.

Too often, the church focuses on (and even fights over) the external appearance of the church. We think if we can change the structure of the organization, have a larger attendance, bigger buildings and budgets, a new style of music (or return to the old style), and the like, that we will be a successful church. Again, these matters are not insignificant. Change may need to happen, but all these things can change externally—policies, personnel, procedures, programming—and our church be an empty suit!

What God is after is transformation—an internal revolution—that will, of course, lead to an external difference. But, it starts in the heart—and until such a radical realignment of our thoughts, emotions and will toward loving God and loving people occurs—we will never be any different. We will fritter away our opportunity and waste our energy on dressing up—keeping up appearances—and fail to impact our world.

It starts with me. As a leader in the church, am I mostly hot air, or is there a heart, hot for God that marks me? It is a sobering thing to consider that I may have served as a pastor for thirty years—during which time I have learned new ways of doing things, having honed my skills as a “professional,” but be no closer to God and no more like Christ than when I began this journey. Perhaps I am being too introspective and too harsh in that judgment, but if I am not ruthless in my evaluation and relentless in my pursuit of whole-hearted devotion then transformation is impossible.

During the nearly decade and a half of shepherding this flock, we have seen some changes. You might like them; you might not. Some may think them too many; others not enough. Those are not my concerns this morning as I write this. My fear is that most of these changes are external and that at the core we are no different than when we started down this road together. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Is this the tragic reality?

What can be done? We choose to modify the externals—polish them and perfect them—because that involves a lesser price. We know that transformation is costly—it is a willingness to deny self and die to who we are and what we want in order to be raised to walk in a new and higher way. It is “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor.10:5). It is letting “this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil.2:5). It is to, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth…” and losing our life in “Christ who is our life” (Col.3:2-4). That high price tag is why we often choose external change rather than internal transformation.

When you dress for church tomorrow, put on your body that which would honor God, whether it be a business suit or blue jeans. Much more importantly, “put off the old man with his deeds, and…put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Col.3:9b-10). That’s transformation. That’s what I’m praying for. Let it begin with me.

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF PEACE

Peace with God in our relationship with Him through Christ, and the peace of God in our hearts that results from that love relationship, is one of God’s great gifts. Paul speaks of his desire that we experience that “peace” in Romans 1:7.

He greets them with the expression, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace was a Gentile greeting and peace (shalom) was a Hebrew greeting. Paul combines them as God had united both Jew and Gentile in the church.

Don’t miss the order: grace always precedes peace. You cannot have peace with God until you experience the grace of God.

This peace means that we are no longer at war with God. We have surrendered to His will. It is an inward serenity of knowing that it is well with our soul. It proceeds from the Father and through the Lord Jesus.

Did you catch that title? The Son is spoken of in the same sentence and with the same standing as the Father—showing Paul the monotheist’s understanding that Christ is God—and there is no contradiction between belief in One God and that He is Triune.

It is in bowing before Jesus as Lord that peace comes. If we insist on our way and living in sin, Scripture warns that there is no peace to the wicked. There is nothing like being able to pillow one’s head in peace—knowing that if death should come, we will awaken in heaven. Do you have that conviction?

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF POSITION

Twice in Romans, chapter one, verses six and seven, Paul uses the expression “called” to speak of our position in Christ. God calls us into a love relationship with His Son and into a family fellowship with other believers. To be called is for God to seek us out and summon us by the drawing of the Holy Spirit. By faith, we respond to that call.

Then we are called, “saints”—that is our position. In the English translation the words “to be” are inserted, as though we are called to be saints. If you notice, however, these words are italicized, which means they are not in the original text but are supplied by the translators. Usually, that helps for a smoother reading, but in this instance, it muddies the waters. We are not called to be or to become saints, but are called saints—that is, what we are! It isn’t something we earn, not something bestowed upon us by some ecclesiastical authority, and not for a select few. It is the status of every true child of God.

We are saints—called out—set apart for God. You may argue, “Well, some Christians don’t behave very saintly!” That is true. We need to become what we are! The challenge is that even though our position is “in Christ”—that’s the New Testament expression—we are also, “in Rome.” The community of faith is fleshed out in a local assembly—in this case at Rome. This is our dual position—in Christ and in Rome—in the world, but not of the world. We may think of Rome in its splendor—its massive marble columns and imperial power. It was that, and more—it was a den of iniquity, a moral cesspool where all manner or vice and perversion were woven into the rotten fabric of pagan culture. Yet, that is the very place God plants a church! The challenge is to remain pure in a polluted world. We can, if we recognize our position as saints.

How Paul wanted to go to Rome and use it as a launching pad for planting churches! “All roads lead to Rome” and we might say from it, as well. This was the heart of the empire. The great missionary wanted to go to the frontier of Spain and to stop by Rome first. Church planting is still at the forefront of the way to spread the Gospel at home and abroad, by the called. Perhaps God is calling you to be involved in a direct way in planting a church.

Are you in Christ? If you are, then your position is secure. Thank God that you are His beloved. Begin to live as the saint which you are. Learn to view yourself as God views you in Christ. Be His witnesses where He has planted you—on the job, in the school, around the neighborhood. You are set apart for this. You may not feel worthy—but it is God who makes you holy.

Did you not know that even dirt can be holy? When Moses was summoned to the burning bush, God told him to take off his shoes for he was on “holy ground!” It was holy, because it was set apart as the meeting place between God and Moses—just some old dirt! Even dirty sinners as we were have been set apart by God’s presence in us and now we are called into His service. He can use you today!

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF PURPOSE

One of the things that makes life worth living is a sense of purpose. So many go through life and find it meaningless. Apart from God’s grace, that will always be the case. God had a specific purpose for the Apostle Paul—and He does for each of us. In Romans 1:5, he mentions his “apostleship.” The word literally means “a sent one.” In the absolute sense, there were the first-century apostles and when they died, the office died with them. Yet, in a lesser, but still actual way, we too are sent ones—every child of God. Jesus said to His followers, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21b). It is this awareness of God’s intention for us that gives meaning to life.

One purpose we can be assured of is that God has set us apart to be His witnesses—calling people to “the obedience of faith.” It isn’t our good works, but Christ’s gracious work that saves us—and we obey the Gospel when we place our faith in Christ alone—nothing more, nothing else. Still, we see that obedience and faith are intertwined. D.A. Carson notes that, “Believing and obeying are two different activities, but for Paul they were always inseparable: people cannot truly obey God without first bowing the knee to the Lord Jesus in faith; and people cannot truly believe in that Lord Jesus without obeying all that he has commanded us (Mt. 28:20).” Faith is the root of our Christian life and obedience is the fruit. One is the cause and the other the effect. These are two sides of the same coin of Christianity. As the old hymn aptly states, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

The Great Commission is to take this Gospel to the whole world. It is in the name of Jesus that we go (with His authority), proclaiming the name of Jesus (for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved), and all for the glory of that name! This gives purpose to life—what a gift!

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF PROVISION

In the fifth verse of Romans, we first encounter the great Gospel word “grace” in this epistle. By the time we reach verse seven, Paul uses it again. In all, the term is found twenty-two times in the letter to Rome’s saints. This word is the supreme gift from which all others flow. The three other gifts of God to us—that we will unwrap the remainder of this week—are ours through grace. Because of the provision of the grace of God, we have purpose from God, position in God and peace with God. So, what better to do today, than to examine the gift of grace?

What is grace anyway? It is often described as God’s unmerited favor. That is accurate, but let’s explain it this way: grace is God’s provision for what we could never provide for ourselves. Note: it is “through Him.” (1:5a). It is only through Christ that every blessing comes. It is all undeserved on our part—that’s what makes it grace.

• There is a grace that saves. “For by grace you have been saved…” (Eph.2:8). We are most familiar with this dimension of grace. We cannot save ourselves, so God provides salvation in His Son.
• There is a grace that sanctifies. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet.3:18). Once we are saved, we do not graduate beyond grace to something else, but rather God provides grace for spiritual growth.
• There is a grace that strengthens “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor.12:9). We need not face our trials in our own puniness, but we can face them in God’s power.
• There is a grace to serve. Paul testified, “I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me.” (1 Cor.15:10). The fruitfulness in our service springs not from self-effort but spiritual energy.
• There is a grace to share. In 2 Cor.8-9, Paul speaks of the concept of the grace of giving. Out of poverty, God gave the Macedonian church supernatural motivation and means to give generously—beyond their ability.

So, the Christian life, from start to finish, is all of grace! Paul speaks of those in the church at Rome who have received grace as having received it already—they were saved—past tense (v.5) but prays they will continue to receive grace for every need—future tense (v.7b). As the Apostle John wrote, “And of [Christ’s] fullness we have all received, and grace for grace,” literally, “grace on top of grace!”

Have you received the gift of God’s grace to save you from your sins? You cannot save yourself! Cry out to a merciful God to save you through His Son’s sacrifice on the cross!

If you have received that gift, rejoice and give thanks for the other dimensions of grace. Sing those familiar words of “Amazing Grace” and be in awe of God’s provision.

Are you growing in grace? Have you by faith embraced the sufficiency of grace for your needs today? Is there spiritual fruit from your service, coming from the gracious life of Christ as you abide in Him as a branch in the vine (see John 15)? Are you practicing the grace of giving?

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN

The day after Thanksgiving is a busy shopping day as people take a lot of merchandise out of the stores for Christmas gifts. The day after Christmas is also a busy day as people take a lot of it back—things that don’t fit or things they don’t want. I think everyone has an Aunt Clara who gives you a gaudy tie or a pair of garish socks. Ralphie, in the movie, A Christmas Story had an Aunt Clara and here’s what she gave him:




Pink bunny pajamas!

His father said he looked like a “deranged Easter Bunny” and called it a “pink nightmare!” What he wanted was an official Red Ryder carbine action 200 shot range model air rifle! Despite all the concerned adults who constantly told Ralphie that he would shoot his eye out—he did get the BB gun. All was well with the world.

The fact is, however, that even if we got something for Christmas that we really wanted—and not something we’d want to return—the pleasure that anything this world affords is fleeting at best. Yet, our Heavenly Father has given us gifts that we will treasure more than anything this world offers. These are gifts you won’t return. They are gifts of eternal satisfaction, for they are spiritual and not temporal in nature. This week, in our daily messages, we will unwrap four of these great gifts.

Have you paused and given thanks to God for His many, many blessings? Why not do that right now?

CAN I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I AM GOING TO HEAVEN?

What an important question! After all—if we miss heaven, we have missed everything. It would have been better not to have been born. The good news that we’ve been sharing all week (that is the meaning of the term Gospel) assures us that we can know for sure that we are going to heaven.

As Paul begins to follow this theme in the book of Romans, he lays out the foundation of faith that will stand the test of time—and eternity—in the first chapter, verses two through four. He writes, “which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

This is not mere religious speculation or wishful thinking. It is a message we can be sure of because it is rooted in the promises of God. “He promised,” the Apostle emphatically declares. God is faithful. He cannot lie. What He promises, He performs. We can be sure of heaven not only because the message is rooted in the promises of God, but because it is revealed through the prophets of God: “through His prophets.” This wasn’t a novelty. It wasn’t an afterthought of God. It wasn’t a back-up plan when the first one didn’t work and man fell into sin. Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. From Gen.3:15 and the promised seed of woman that would crush the serpent’s head to Mal.4:5-6 and the prophecy of the herald, John the Baptist, who would come to announce Christ’s coming, the Old Testament has well over 300 prophecies of Christ. The Old Testament is full of the Gospel!

It is instructive that Paul doesn’t just appeal to his experience of salvation—powerful and appropriate as that is—but validates it with the Scripture. When we consider our experience of salvation, are we relying only on the past experience or are we leaning on the eternal Word? If you were to ask me today, “Pastor, are you sure you are going to heaven?” I would answer yes—but not based on an experience or decision or good works that I do now. I could say that my hope of heaven rests in the promises of God to me. His Word has said, “Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom.10:13) That’s good enough for me!

This salvation centers in the person of Jesus Christ. The Christian message is unique from any religion for it centers in a unique Person—Jesus! Brit Hume, commentator for Fox News, recently stirred up a hornet’s nest by suggesting that Tiger Woods needed Christ, for only Christianity offered the redemption and forgiveness that the adulterous golfer (and all of the rest of us sinners) required. He was dead on target!

In Buddhism and Confucianism, it is the teaching, not the teacher that matters. Remove Buddha and Confuscious and the religion remains. Even in Islam, as important as Mohammed is, he is not Allah. The five pillars of Islam and the teachings of the Koran are the main thing. But, if you take Christ from Christianity you take out its heart! Salvation is in a Person and Paul declares that person to be of the Seed of David. That is His Incarnation (v.3) “according to the flesh.” Jesus was a real man. He was conceived of the Spirit in the womb of a virgin. He was legally and biologically of David’s line—in fulfillment of the covenant. But Christ is also the Son of God. That is His Resurrection (v.4) “according to the Spirit of holiness.” He was always God from eternity—the second person of the Trinity, but He was “declared” to be the Son of God in His resurrection.

What are the implications? “[God] has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31) Will you be ready to stand before Him? You can be—and you can know for certain!

MAKING CHANGE!

Change happens! Nothing ever stays the same. Sadly, much of the change happening in our world today is not change for the better, but for the worse. Rapid advancements in technology have been mirrored by a moral freefall. It is the course of human nature, when left alone. Nothing has to be done. Life brings change—regression—back to the wild—not Eden, but the jungle.

Is there hope for real change—good change? Yes! God can and will change us and then we can be used in making change for good.

You need look no further for evidence of the miraculous grace of God to produce such transformation than examining the first word of the epistle to the Romans where “Paul” identifies himself as the author. That is a stunning fact when you consider his background.

This was a man who was a fanatical zealot in his religion—totally sold out as a terrorist. In his devotion to religion, Saul (as he was known at the time) ruthlessly and relentlessly pursued Christians to persecute them. He wanted to obliterate the name of Christ from the earth—but then the Lord hunted him down, even as he was hunting down Christians. That is the arresting power of the Gospel! On the road to Damascus, Saul the Pharisee was changed forever—from one who loathed Jesus to one who loved Him, from a man intent on slaughtering Christians to serving the church. Soon his name was changed to a Roman name, Paul, from the Hebrew Saul, to reflect not only the change in his heart, but in his mission—to reach the Gentile world with the Gospel of God.

So, who is the kind of person that can make change for good? Paul first identifies himself as a bondslave and only then as an apostle. He was no big shot—but one who clearly understood that it was grace for him to even be a slave, much less an apostle. He wasn’t into titles. In the Roman Empire, at the time, there were about 60 million slaves. In their despair, some of them had turned to the hope of the Gospel. It is likely that the dominant demographic in the Roman church would have been slaves. You can imagine their shock and awe when such a spiritual leader as Paul took this designation for himself. People were bought and sold in the slave market in those days. Paul had been in the slave market of sin held in the chains of human corruption. Then, he saw himself as purchased by another Master—Jesus! He was a bondslave now to Him. Likewise, we have been purchased by the blood of Christ. Paul wrote in 1 Cor.6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (NIV)

Is there evidence of real change in your life? Believing the Gospel is all that will bring such a transformation. You must be changed in order to make change—the kind of change our world desperately needs. Submit yourself to Christ. He owns you! He will use you to bring real hope and change.

EXCLUSIVE!

Reporters and journalists dream of landing the exclusive—an interview with a mover and shaker—some big news that nobody else has. Today, you are privileged to read the biggest exclusive—the most dramatic piece of news ever shared. That good news is called in Romans 1:1, “the Gospel of God.”

This Gospel is exclusive to the Christian faith—no other religion has it. It is THE Gospel from THE only true and living GOD! Therefore, it is properly called, “the Gospel of God.”

The Gospel isn’t a message that Paul, or any other man, invented. It was birthed in the heart of God from eternity. It is the only good news there is!

Religion can’t offer you good news. Look into the faces of the monks and mullahs. You will see a miserable countenance. See people trying to wash their sins away by bathing in the Ganges River, or bowing toward Mecca, or saying the Rosary, or stuffing a prayer in the Wailing Wall. It is all an effort to somehow appease some god somewhere, without ever knowing for sure if you’ve done enough. That’s not good news. That’s bad news!

Martin Luther tried the route of ritual religion. He dedicated himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, and frequent confession. He gave this testimony of bad news, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would indeed have been among them." Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. Frantically, he attempted to jump through every hoop that Rome prescribed as the way to make one acceptable to God. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailor and hangman of my poor soul." The guilt weighed upon him so heavily that he nearly went insane. But it was then, reading the book of Romans, he found the good news that the righteousness God demanded, He supplied in His Son. He was transformed and the world has never been the same. That is the power of “the Gospel of God!”

It is an exclusive message, for only those who place their faith in Christ can be saved. Yet, it is also inclusive in that anyone who does receive Christ will be saved! Have you done that? If you were to stand before God today, and He asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What would you say? Only one answer is acceptable, “Because of the work of Christ for me. I believe He died for me and rose again to save me. I have placed my life and my hope for heaven in Him alone.” Dare you trust anything else? Would you boast in being raised in a Christian home, or walking down an aisle, or going into the baptistery, or teaching a Sunday School class, or…whatever you might think to do to earn eternal life? IT CANNOT BE DONE! Rest your faith in Christ exclusively!

If you are trusting in Christ, are you sharing this “Gospel of God” with those who haven’t heard it? In a former day, there were many who had heard, yet not responded to the Gospel. That is no longer the case. They may have heard a lot of bad news religion. What they need is the Good News!

DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY

A great debate stretches across the centuries of theological study. Does God take the initiative in salvation? Is it all of Him and all of grace? Does He choose us for His pleasure and not because of whom we are or what we do? Thinking along these lines is often framed with a set of theological propositions known as Calvinism. On the other side, there are those who say we are responsible for answering God’s call. The call of God can be resisted. God’s salvation is offered in Christ, but I can spurn that love. I can embrace by faith His Son or I can reject Him. This doctrinal disposition is often called Arminianism. So, does the Bible teach Divine sovereignty? Absolutely! God takes the initiative in salvation or none of us could be saved. Then, do I have any responsibility? Undoubtedly! I must repent and believe the Gospel. So, how do we reconcile these?

Perhaps Spurgeon’s answer is best. In a sermon on Jacob and Esau, he said, “He saves man by grace, and if men perish they perish justly by their own fault. ‘How,’ says some one, ‘do you reconcile these two doctrines?’ My dear brethren, I never reconcile two friends, never. These two doctrines are friends with one another; for they are both in God's Word, and I shall not attempt to reconcile them.” In our limited understanding, we have difficulty grasping the mind of God—so infinitely higher are His thoughts. But, both these dimensions of our salvation are held in perfect balance in the eternal One. If I cannot fully apprehend the truth, I can still let the truth fully apprehend me!

As we begin the study of Romans, we see this fascinating teaching in the opening verses. Throughout the text there are interwoven threads of the heavenly and the human. It is God’s message, but Paul is the messenger: “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God” (v.1). It is promised by God’s Word, but proclaimed by God’s prophets: “which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures” (v.2). It is provided by Christ who is fully God and fully man: “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (v.3-4). So—salvation is God’s initiative, but we must receive the gift. We can’t save ourselves—it is His choice, but we He will not save us apart from our choice—a perfect balance of Divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Have you responded to the call of God? If not—then right now would be the time. Don’t delay!

If you have come to Him, it is because He has first come to you—have you spent some time in awe and thanksgiving for such amazing grace?

I’M TIRED OF BAD NEWS

It seems like all you hear any more is bad news. In Colorado Springs, on Christmas Eve, Mike Hermanstorfer held his pregnant wife’s hand as it became ice cold. Her heart had stopped. The call went out, “Code Blue!” Medical personnel were trying to save them, but it seemed hopeless. Five minutes that seemed like an eternity went by before the baby could be removed by C-section. The baby wasn’t breathing. The still, tiny form was handed to Dad and then—wonder of wonders—the apparently stillborn infant finally took his first breath—and something else, equally, if not more remarkable—Tracy Hermanstorfer’s heart started beating again. Now, Mom and baby are doing fine—it was a Christmas miracle! There’s some good news for a change!

Yet, one day Tracy and her baby will face death again. It is a reality we all have to deal with—bad news! But, what if I told you that you could live forever? Now, that would be good news—the best news—and it is absolutely true. God offers you eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s what the book of Romans is about and the author, the Apostle Paul, doesn’t beat around the bush. He goes straight to the point. “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God…” (Romans 1:1).

This is a book about the Gospel (meaning good news). It occurs 6 times in the first 16 verses! It is found 60 times in the epistle. It will be the foundation of these weekday devotional thoughts for 2010.

Have you personally experienced this good news through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? The good news is that today, you can turn from your sin and turn to Him by faith in His death on the cross and His resurrection power for you. If you do know Him, have you thanked Him for this good news? Pause for a moment and whisper a prayer of gratitude. Then, why don’t you tell someone else today about this good news? Chances are they’ve heard enough bad news and need to hear this desperately. No one is better equipped than you to do so.

“BEING CHRISTIAN, BUT NOT RELIGIOUS”

The first Bible study I did as a new Christian was the book of Romans. It was a great place to start! There is perhaps no other book in the Bible which presents the full spectrum of Christian doctrine as this letter penned by the Apostle Paul. Those were formative days for me in my baby steps with God, and getting these fundamentals under my belt gave me a solid foundation for spiritual development.

Our youth pastor met with me and two other young men in a weekly home study. The guide for our Romans study was a little paperback called, “How to Be a Christian, Without Being Religious,” authored by Fritz Ridenhour. That is a concept that jolts us when we hear it, even today, so you can imagine how arresting those words were when written over thirty years ago. Being a young Christian, however, I didn’t have so much baggage, and I just thought, “Right on!” That’s the way, we hippies talked back then—even those that had become “Jesus Freaks” (you had to have been there). I was saved out of the generation that thought anything to do with the establishment needed to be overthrown, anyway. So, when someone was suggesting that the Bible supported such a radical idea—it didn’t take me long to get on board!

Here’s the big idea: religion is trying to reach up to God, find God and please God through our own futile efforts, while Christianity is God reaching down to us, finding us and making us pleasing to Him through faith in Christ. That’s the Gospel and that’s the preeminent message of Romans. Pretty important! Don’t you agree? Grasping that message makes the difference between heaven and hell. There is a real danger that even if we get the message of grace at the outset, and are truly saved, that we may revert back to religion, stunting our spiritual growth.

We are looking forward to our sermon series this year as week by week we travel the Roman Road through this fascinating letter. It all begins this Sunday morning with a message, “Good News for a Change.” In addition, I plan on sending a weekday e-mail to lead you into some deeper dimensions of Sunday’s message. Come, get on the Bible Bus! Romans was a great point for me to board and you will find a great adventure as God transforms your life through His Word.

FIRST THINGS

Christians enjoy discussing “last things.” Theologians call the study of end time events, “eschatology.” It is important and should be examined. This is, after all, the blessed hope!

But, the best way to prepare for the last things is to get started on the first things—that is those matters that are of first importance. What if 2010 is the final year before Christ comes for His church? If you could know that for certain about the last things, what would you do first thing?

The first thing we should do is make sure our relationship with God is real. The clarion call of Scripture is, “Prepare to meet your God,” (Amos 4:12). If we miss heaven, we miss it all!

The next thing we should do is make sure all our relations know that God is real and He wants them to have a genuine relationship with Him through Christ. We want to take as many people to heaven with us as we can. Of course, only God can save them, but He uses us.

The final thing—and I mean the last thing of the first things—is having assurance of a real experience of God’s grace. I want to be growing in that grace and knowledge of Him. Peter said it this way:

2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.
11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.
13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.
14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,
15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone. (2 Peter 1:2-15 NLT)

Along with the Apostle, I make the first thing to remind you of these priorities because, like Peter, this could be my last thing I do! Jesus is coming—and I believe soon. Even if He doesn’t come back in my lifetime—I only have this lifetime and I desperately want it to count for Him!

So—now what are you going to do about it? It’s the beginning of a New Year and for some of us this will be our last year—perhaps, for all of us. That truth will transform us, if we take it to heart.