Cain & Abel

            As we continue our look at the story of Cain and Abel, something else stands out to me.  What strikes me is the response of Cain to his punishment.  After murdering his brother, God confronts Cain.  And God tells him that, because of what he’s done, he’s cursed from the ground.  He tells Cain that, when he works the ground, it will no longer yield to him its strength.  He will now be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.

            If we’re to understand this punishment, we must remember what Cain did for work.  He was a worker of the ground.  He was a farmer.  And now, because of his sin, the ground would no longer produce for him.  He would have to wander the earth to find sustenance.

            In one sense, this punishment seems very gracious.  After murdering his brother in cold blood, after killing Abel due to jealousy, my initial reaction is that God should have taken his life as well.  And, in his justice, God could have done just that.  However, God allowed him to live and took only Cain’s work.  He took only Cain’s ability to produce food from the ground.

            Yet, Cain didn’t view it in this way.  He didn’t see it as gracious in the least.  In his mind, this was an unbearable consequence.  He was driven from the ground.  And, in his mind, this was the same as being denied God’s blessing. 

            In addition to this, there was another aspect of his guilt that frightened him.  He feared that, as he wandered the earth, he might be put to death by anyone who found him.  However, God again showed his grace to Cain by giving him a mark, and by promising that anyone who killed Cain would have vengeance visited on him sevenfold.

            Yet, considering his sin and the grace that God had given him, Cain’s response is less than satisfying.  It’s less than satisfying because he doesn’t show any remorse for the murder he’d committed.  He regrets only the punishment that he must now bear.  He complains that his punishment is too great.

            As we notice this flaw in Cain’s character, it’s easy for us to look down on him.  However, we typically approach God with the very same attitude.  Even as we recognize our sin, we act as though the punishment of that sin is too great.  We approach God with the attitude that he’s unjust in his judgment.

            We saw in the account of the fall the consequences that fell on Adam and Eve.  Because they’d sinned, they would now suffer until the day of their death.  They were also removed from the garden, that they might not eat from the tree of life and live forever.  As we’re clearly told in Scripture, the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Revelation 21:8).

            Yet, even though these penalties are the result of our sin, even though we deserve them because of our guilt, we also act as if our punishment is too great.  Instead of acknowledging our guilt, instead of acknowledging that we deserve God’s wrath, we accuse him of being too harsh in his judgment.

            For example, as we face hardships in this life, we accuse God of being unfair.  As we face the loss of a loved one, or as we’re confronted with the inevitability of our own death, we insist that God is unloving.  And as we consider the eternal consequence of our sin, as we consider an eternity in hell for those who haven’t received God’s grace, we complain that it’s a cruel sentence.

            As we consider Cain’s punishment, it’s fair to say that he deserved everything he got.  In fact, God could have dealt with him in a way that was even more severe and been perfectly just in doing so.  And the same is true of us.

            God could have destroyed Adam and Eve at the moment of their sin, and would have been right in his judgment.  God could send us all to hell at this very moment and it would be a proper judgment.  God could have issued his sentence, withholding the grace that’s found in Jesus, and it would be perfectly fair.

            Yet, just as we see in the case of Cain, in spite of our sin, in spite of the punishment we deserve, God has given us his grace.  He sent Jesus into the world to bear the penalty of our sin.  And he offers his forgiveness and mercy to all who receive Jesus in faith.  He has offered us something that we do not deserve because of his great love for us, and because he desires our salvation.

Yesterday, we heard the third part of our series on major Bible stories.  We looked specifically at the story of Cain and Abel, and we focused our attention on the gifts that they brought to the Lord.  We asked why God accepted Abel's offering but not Cain's.  And we discussed what this means to us as we bring our offerings to the Lord as a part of our worship.  To stream or download the audio file, click on the link.

The Fall into Sin

           Our focus this week, as we continue our trek through Scripture, is on the fall of man in Genesis 3.  And what we find here is interesting.  We find that, in his effort to lead us into sin, Satan continues to use the same tactics as he did in the Garden.

            We see at the beginning of this passage that the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord had made.  But it also becomes clear to us that this was no ordinary serpent.  It was the devil, who had either possessed a serpent or appeared to Eve in the form of a serpent.

            He began his effort to corrupt these people, made in God’s image, by asking this question of Eve: “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”  So he began by calling the Word of God into question.  He tried to cause Eve to wonder if this is what God had truly said.

            This is the same tactic he uses against us, which we encounter regularly in the world today.  Did God really say that divorce is wrong?  Did God really say that sex is for a man and a woman in the context of marriage?  Did God really say that Jesus is the only way of salvation?  We’re asked if God really gave the commands, or if he actually made the statements that we read in Scripture.  His aim is to cause us to question God’s Word.  And it’s easy for us to feed into this temptation and do just that.

            In this case, we see that Eve understood God’s command.  She understood what he’d said, as well as the consequence he’d issued if they violated his will.  She answered him, starting in verse 2, saying: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

            Satan then tried another tactic.  He denied the Word of God.  He claimed that the Word of God was false.  Starting in verse 4, he said to her: “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

            He essentially calls God a liar.  He tells Eve that, regardless of what God had declared, she would not die if she disobeyed his Word.  He goes on to suggest that God is withholding a great blessing, which could only be received by violating his will.

            If she disobeyed God, she would be like God.  If she violated his will, she would know both good and evil.  She would possess a knowledge which was being kept from her by the Lord himself.

            Again, Satan works in the same way today.  He tells us that what God has declared is false.  Regardless of what we read in Scripture, we’re told that homosexuality is not sin.  We’re told that God wouldn’t condemn good people to hell simply because they fail to trust in Christ.  And he tells us that we’re missing out on something great by trusting in God’s Word.  We’re missing out on a truth.  We’re missing out on love.  We’re missing out on unity with the rest of humanity.  And we’re told that a blessing will be gained if we violate God’s message.

            We see in Genesis 3 that Eve gave into this temptation, as did Adam.  And we’re also prone to do the same thing.  The tactic of the enemy often proves to be successful in our life as well as in that of others.

            As those who confess faith in the Lord, we must hold faithfully to the Word of God.  We must not cave in to the lies of the enemy.  We must recognize that his desire is only to kill and destroy.  It’s his desire to pull us away from the God who created us and loves us.

Yesterday, we continued our new series of messages, looking at major Bible stories.  Our message centered around The Fall into Sin.  We specifically looked at the reason why we experience so many trials and hardships in life.  We found that they're the consequence of sin and that they'll be with us as long as sin is in the world.  But we also received the hope that, one day, sin and its consequences will be no more.  To stream or download the audio file, click on the link.

Made in God's Image

            As we continue our look at the first chapter of Genesis, we’ll again focus on the statement, found in verse 27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” So we see that Adam and Eve were created in the image of God.

            Last week I discussed the fact that this makes man distinct from everything else he’d made.  And this is true.  But what else does this mean, when it says that man was made in God’s image?

            Whenever I ask this question of my confirmation students, they answer by saying that we were made to look like God.  And, initially, this may seem to make sense.  However, we must bear in mind that God is spirit (John 4:24).  So, ultimately, this has nothing to do with our physical appearance.

            Others, when they read this, rightly understand it to mean that we have been made to be like God.  And they take this to mean that we share many of his character traits.  For example, they say that, just as God is a relational being, so too are we.  As God is creative, so too are we.  And, as God is intelligent, so too are we.  However, even though this is true, the fact that we’re made in God’s image means so much more.

            When man was created, God declared that all he’d made was very good (Genesis 1:31).  We see from this that the original condition of man was one of integrity.   Adam and Eve were created to be like God in his righteousness, holiness, and wisdom.  They were without sin so that they had a proper relationship with God.  They knew God and desired the things that he desires.

            However, when Adam and Eve sinned, something changed.  They were suddenly fallen creatures.  And this remains true of us today.  The description of fallen man that we read in Romans 1 and 3, as well as in many other passages, shows that, even though we’re aware of God, our natural tendency is to worship the creature.  We’re no longer righteous and we no longer do good.  And what this tells us is that, by the fall, much of the image of God, possessed by the first man and woman, has been lost.

            Even though this is true, we see in Genesis 9:6 and James 3:9 that man continues to bear the image of God to a degree.  We’re told that the one who murders shall have his life taken, because man was made in God’s image.  In speaking of our tendency to both praise God and to curse man, James reminds us that man was made in God’s likeness.  So to what is this referring?

            Even though, in the broader sense, man retains God’s image regarding his intelligence, his relational nature, etc., these passages refer back to his original condition, as well as the condition to which we’ll be restored through faith in Jesus.  Regardless of the fact that we are now sinners and that we’ve largely lost the image of God in which we’re created, this is what God intended for man, and it remains as his desire for us.

            We know this because, in the end, we’ll be transformed into the image of Christ.  As we read in 1 Corinthians 15:49, “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” When Jesus returns, sin will be no more.  The redeemed will be transformed and will once again bear the image of God in its fullness.

Yesterday, I began a new series of messages that will go for some time.  We're looking at the major events of Scripture, starting in Genesis, and how they apply to us.  We started by taking a look at Creation.  We saw that all things were made by God.  And we saw that the creation account is a stark contrast to the viewpoint presented by the world.  To stream or download the audio file, click on the link.

Last week, in my absence, Pastor Nate Nash brought the message.  He talked about our New Year holiday, and why it's so important to us.  Click on the link for that audio file.

Set Apart from the Rest

            As we enter into the New Year, I’ll be delivering a series of messages looking at many basic Bible stories and how they apply to us.  I will also focus my blog posts on these stories, that we might give them additional consideration.  Because I’ll be delivering the first of these messages this upcoming Sunday, I’ll have the opportunity to address it in two blog posts.

            The first passage I’ll be looking at is the creation account, found in Genesis 1.  And there are many important truths we can pick out of this chapter.  But the one I want to address here is found in verses 26-27, which say: “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

            We learn from these verses that man was created in the image of God.  He was created in God’s likeness.  And this is true of both Adam and Eve.

            One of the things that stand out, as we consider this, is that it sets them apart from everything else God had made.  God had already created the fish and the birds.  He’d already made the creatures that dwell on earth.  But, when it came to man, something was to be different.  He was to be made in God’s image.  He was to be made after God’s likeness.

            We commonly hear today how man is simply one of the animals in the world.  Even though it’s acknowledged that we’re more intelligent than the other animals, we are classed together with them.    We’re considered, in no way, greater or more important than the other species on earth.

            This attitude can sometimes take an extreme form.  It often comes across that man is the problem in the world.  Man is portrayed as the enemy.  Some tell us that the world would be better off if there were less of us and more of the other creatures God has made. 

            This completely contradicts the message of Genesis 1.  Again, none of the fish, birds, or animals were made in God’s image.  This was true only of man.  In fact, God gave man dominion over all he had made.  He appointed Adam and Eve as caretakers of his creation.

            It also contradicts the word of Jesus in Luke 12:7, “Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” We don’t have equal standing with the birds of the air.  According to Jesus, we are more valuable than they.

            This, of course, doesn’t give man permission to do as he wants.  It doesn’t give him permission to selfishly destroy what God has made.  He’s entrusted us with the care of creation.  But it also tells us how wrong it is to lump man together with everything else.  It’s wrong to simply class him along with the animals.

            Man was made to be like God.  I’ll talk more about what this means in my next post.  But it’s clear that he was created with a quality that isn’t shared by the rest of creation.

                                                                       

The Source of Change

“…apart from me you can do nothing.”

 (Joh 15:5 ESV)

            As we approach another new year, we once again hear people speaking about resolutions.  And I think that most of those who make resolutions are well-intentioned.  They recognize certain changes that need to be made in their life, and they set out to make those changes.

            That being said, I’ve never been a big fan of resolutions.  In fact, I can’t recall that I’ve ever made one.  And the reason is simple.  Even though I certainly recognize my flaws, and even though I know many of the changes that need to be made in my life, I also recognize my inability to make these modifications.

            The reason for this is simple: I’m a sinner.  And we can see the sway that sin holds over our life all throughout Scripture (Romans 3, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 14:12, Romans 7:14-25, etc.).  We also see in passages, like the one above, that only in Christ do we have the means to overcome our sin.

            This verse comes from Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches.  He tells us in this passage that, unless we’re in Christ, we can do nothing.  If we’re separated from the vine, we can bear no fruit.  If we’re cut off from Christ, we’ll simply wither and be cast into the fire. 

            This is the concept from which the First Step of Alcoholics Anonymous is drawn.  It says: “We admitted that we were powerless over drugs and alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.”

            It rightly tells us that the first step to making a change is admitting that we’re powerless to make that change.  And it’s this that leads us to the source of change, which is seen in the Second Step: “Came to believe that God could restore us to sanity.”

            The same thing is true of any sin with which we struggle: Gluttony, gossip, taking God’s name in vain, etc.  We are powerless to overcome these sins by our own power.  It’s only as we come to understand our weakness that we discover the source of help.  And that source is Christ.

            We see this again in Galatians 5, starting in verse 16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

            Our sin results from the flesh.  It flows from the desires of the flesh.  And, left to ourselves, it will control our life.  However, the fruit that God desires in our life flows from the Spirit.  It’s produced by the Spirit of God in our life.  It’s by his power, it’s by his leading, that we’re able to bear fruit for God.

            So, as we face the New Year, and as we think about the changes that need to be made in our life, let us not strive to accomplish them by our own strength.  If we do, we will only fail.  Let us instead admit our lack of power over sin.  Let us look to Christ for forgiveness, and for the power to overcome our sin.  Let us trust in the Spirit of God to produce his fruit in our life.

With no one in the sound booth yesterday, our message did not get recorded.  Sorry!  However, with Lent beginning on February 18th, let me encourage you to check out my newest book, Reflections on the Passion.  It's a great way to reflect upon the sufferings of Christ and the blessings he provided for us.  It's also a great way to examine ourselves as we prepare for our Easter celebration.  It's available on Amazon in both kindle and paperback formats.  Click on the link to take a look!

Sharing the Message of Christmas

            One of the familiar stories of the first Christmas is that surrounding the shepherds, who were tending their flocks by night.  An angel appeared to them, saying: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” The shepherds then went to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. 

            Even though we’re familiar with this account, it’s the next part of the story on which I’d like to focus.  After they found Jesus, we’re told, the shepherds made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 

            Reading this story, in Luke 2, we might understand this phrase to mean that the shepherds shared with Mary and Joseph the message they’d received from the angels.  However, we’re told in the next line that all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  This suggests that the shepherds shared their experience not only with Mary and Joseph, but many others.

            What a great example for us, today.  We know that we’ve been called to share the gospel with all people.  However, few of us are faithful in this calling.  We’re typically content to keep the good news of Jesus to ourselves.

            Like the shepherds, we too should gladly go and share the message of Jesus’ coming with those we encounter.  As the angel proclaimed, it is a message of joy for all people.  It isn’t intended for only a select few.

            This is especially easy during the season of Christmas.  It’s easy because, even though it’s often neglected, the reason for the holiday is widely known.  And it provides us with a simple outlet to share the message of salvation.  As we sing the Christmas carols, proclaiming Christ’s birth, and as we recount the Christmas story, we share the gospel with those around us.

            As we look throughout the Old Testament, we see that this was one of the main purposes for the celebrations God instituted for Israel.  Not only was it a remembrance of the salvation God had provided them.  It was also a means for them to pass the message on to the next generation and to others in their community.  As they celebrated their redemption, they shared the good news of God’s salvation.

            Even though Christmas is a ripe time for us to share the gospel, it’s not the only time.  This is a message that we should joyfully proclaim each day.  It’s a message we should gladly proclaim that we might glorify God for what he’s done for us.  And it’s a message we should gladly proclaim that others might hear, believe, and confess faith in the Savior.

            

As we continued in our series, The Names of Jesus, we heard that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor. We saw that he is uniquely qualified to advise us in all matters of faith and life.  And, for this reason, he is the one to whom we should turn when seeking answers.  He's the one to whom we should turn when seeking direction in life.  To stream or download the audio file, please click on the link.

Jesus Blesses the Lowly

            As I consider Christ’s birth, the words of Mary stand out to me.  In Luke 1, starting in verse 46, she says: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

            There’s a theme that runs throughout her song of praise that is echoed by Jesus several times during his ministry.  We see that the Lord exalts the humble and brings low the proud. 

            Mary begins by praising God for looking on her humble estate and blessing her.  Although we haven’t been blessed in the same way as Mary, although none of us have carried and given birth to the Savior, this is a statement that is true also of us.

            Jesus came into the world for the humble.  His mercy is for those who fear his name.  This is true from generation to generation.

            Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying.  Jesus came and gave his life for the sin of all people.  God's desire is that all should repent and come to a knowledge of the truth.  And Jesus offers his forgiveness to all people.  However, it’s only those who see their low condition, it’s only those who understand their sin and their need for salvation, who’ll receive this blessing.

            This brings to mind the words of Jesus in Luke 5:31: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Jesus made this statement after being criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners.  He was criticized by those who believed themselves to be righteous.  And his point is clear.  It’s the sick, the sinful, who need help and not the righteous.

In saying this, Jesus wasn’t stating that those criticizing him were more righteous than those with whom he ate.  According to Scripture, we are all sick.  No one is righteous (Romans 3:10). All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).  However, it’s only those who realize they’re sick who will seek the help of the doctor.  It’s only those who are sick who will receive the help that a doctor can offer.

The same message is contained in the words of Mary.  Those who are exalted will be brought low.  This isn’t because they’re unable to receive his blessing.  It’s because they think so highly of themselves that they will not receive his blessing.  But those who are lowly, who see their need for salvation, rejoice in the gift Jesus brings.  They see their need for salvation and they gladly receive it.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, may we see our need.  May we understand the salvation we require, as well as the salvation Jesus offers.  When this is true of us, we can, like Mary, rejoice in his mercy.  We can rejoice in the fact that we too will be called blessed.

Yesterday, I delivered the third part of our Advent series on the names of Jesus.  We looked at Isaiah 9, where Jesus is called the Prince of Peace.  The first minute or so of the message didn't get recorded, but most of it is here for you.  To stream or download the message, click on the link.

The Coming of Jesus

As I shared in my last post, the message of Christmas is that Jesus was born into the world to save us from our sin.  He came to give his life on our behalf that we might receive the forgiveness and the salvation of God.  

This brings to mind the words of Jesus in John 3, starting in verse 16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

These words are comforting because, when we think of our sin, the coming of God seems rather scary.  The thought of standing before God, the one who knows our every thought, action, and intention, seems absolutely terrifying.  It seems this way because we know our guilt.  It seems this way because we know the punishment we deserve.  

Our tendency is like that of Adam and Eve in the garden.  As they heard the sound of God walking in the garden, they hid themselves.  They hid themselves because they’d eaten from the tree which had been forbidden to them.  And they understood the consequence of their actions.

Recognizing our guilt, we too try to hide from God.  We are like children, scared at our parents' coming, because we have violated their commands.  We know that we deserve punishment, and this is what we expect with their arrival.

However, even though we deserve God’s wrath, Jesus' coming was for a very different purpose.  We're told that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.  We're told that God did not send his Son to condemn the world. Jesus came that the world might be saved through him.  He came that those who believe in him will not perish.

What wonderful news this is in the face of our sin. And only when we recognize our sin, only when we recognize the punishment we deserve, does this message fill our hearts with joy. Jesus came for those who are undeserving of life.  He came for those who are unworthy of such a sacrifice.

On Sunday, we heard part 2 of our Advent series on the Names of Jesus.  We talked specifically about the name Christ.  We learned that this name is a title, meaning Anointed One.  And we learned that the Anointed One, foretold in the Old Testament, was to be the Savior and King of God's people.  To stream or download the audio file, click on the link.

The Meaning of Christmas

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."”

(Matthew 1:18-21 ESV)

            Most of us remember the Christmas story.  We remember how an angel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear the Son of the Most High.  But we also learn a great deal when we look at the story through the eyes of Joseph.

            He was betrothed to Mary.  But, when she was found to be pregnant, he planned to divorce her.  And the reason for this is obvious:  He knew that the child was not his.  But, as he considered these things, an angel appeared to him in a dream.

            The angel reassured Joseph that the child conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit.  It wasn’t the result of any unfaithfulness on her part.  And, for this reason, he was not to fear taking her as his wife.

            However, the angel also shared with Joseph what this child would accomplish.  He was told that, when this child was born, he was to give him the name Jesus.  This name means “The Lord Saves,” or “The Lord is Salvation.” And he was to do this because the child would save his people from their sins.

            This is one aspect of the Christmas account that often gets lost in the shuffle.  We learn that Jesus was born into this world because of our sin.  He came to save us from our sin.

            We see in this message our need for a Savior.  We are a sinful people who deserve only the wrath of God.  And this would be our fate were it not for Jesus.

            This is a truth that many of us are reluctant to receive.  We’re willing to concede that we’re far from perfect.  However, we think of ourselves as good people.  And we tend to think that we deserve the salvation and blessing of God.

            In fact, we tend to think that it would be unjust of God to condemn us.  We tend to think that it would be wrong of him to send us to hell.  After all, how could a just God condemn a person who is good?

            Unless we realize our condition, the message of Christmas is absolutely meaningless.  Unless we see our sin, the penalty we deserve, and our need for a Savior, we cannot receive the message of Christmas.  Instead of rejoicing in a salvation that we could not attain by our own power, we’ll only continue in our effort to save ourselves.

            However, when we truly understand our lost condition, Christmas takes on a whole new meaning.  It’s only then that Christmas becomes more than just a fun holiday.  Our heart can’t help rejoicing the undeserved salvation God has provided for us.

            

Yesterday, with the start of Advent, we began a new series of messages.  We're looking at the names of Jesus, and what they reveal to us about him.  In our first message of the series, we learned that Jesus is Immanuel (God with Us), and why this is so important to us.  To stream or download the audio file, click on the link.

Thanksgiving - Part 4

            As we approach our Thanksgiving celebration, I’ll close my look at thankfulness with one more thought.  This thought comes from Ephesians 2, starting in verse 8, where Paul writes: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

            What we see in this passage is that salvation is a gift of God.  It’s something we receive by grace.  In other words, it’s an undeserved gift that God has given us.

            It’s an undeserved gift because we are all sinners.  And, because of our sin, the only thing we deserve is death and hell.  Yet, in spite of our sin and the punishment we deserve, God loved us enough to send his Son into the world.  Jesus loved us enough to give his life in our place, paying the penalty of our sin.  God loved us enough to offer his salvation to all people through faith in Jesus.

            Most of us believe that we’ll be saved in the end.  We believe that we’ll go to heaven.  However, this belief is based entirely upon our actions.  We believe that we’ll be saved because we think of ourselves as good people.  We believe that, over all, we’ve done more good than bad.

            However, as this passage tells us, our salvation is not our own doing.  It’s not the result of our works.  And, for this reason, we can’t boast in any way.  None of us can rightfully claim that we have earned our way into heaven.

            The only one who can take credit for our salvation is the Lord.  Were it not for him, none of us would be saved.  Were it not for him, we would be lost forever.

Even though it bruises our ego to hear of our sin and our inability to save ourselves, it’s a message that we need to hear.  Unless we realize this truth, we can’t receive the good news of the gospel.  As long as we try to save ourselves, we will not look to Christ for the salvation he’s already provided.  We will not receive his salvation for what it is, a gift freely given. 

Knowing this, we should be eternally grateful for the gift of Jesus.  We should be eternally grateful for the gift of salvation.  And, as we take time to thank God for his many blessings, this should be at the top of the list.

While we live in this world, we greatly value our physical body.  But, as we're confronted with death, our attitude changes.  We begin to act as if the spiritual is all that matters, disregarding the body.  However, the salvation of God means not only that we'll go to heaven at the time of death.  It means that, one day, our body will rise from that grave.We fail to realize Our Hope of the Resurrection.  To stream or download the audio file, please click on the link.

            As we continue to reflect upon the blessings God has given us, we come to our material blessings.  Scripture teaches us that our wealth is something that’s been given to us by God.  And it also highlights the danger of thinking that it’s something that we’ve earned or acquired by our own abilities.

            In Deuteronomy 8, starting in verse 17, he says: “Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

            In a land like Israel, where there was an abundance of the resources needed by the people, God knew that they would be tempted to take credit for everything they acquired.  They would be tempted to think that they had obtained material possessions by their own strength and effort.

            This is a temptation for us as well, especially in a country like the United States.  We too have an abundance of the resources we need for survival.  We’ve become wealthy and prosperous.  And we often begin to think that we’ve gained this wealth by our own abilities.

            After all, we may say, it’s we who worked hard for a good education.  It’s we who put in long hours at work to earn our pay.  It's we who climbed the corporate ladder.  It’s we who make decisions regarding how we handle our wealth. 

            Because of this, God’s reminder to Israel is something to which we should pay close attention.  He reminded them that it’s he who gave them the power to get wealth.  In other words, without his help, without his power, they wouldn’t have gained ownership of the things they now possessed.

            Again, the same is true for us.  If the Lord didn’t bless us with our talents, if he didn’t bless us with wisdom, if he didn’t bless us with strength and health, we wouldn’t be able to work and to prosper.  We wouldn’t be able to gain wealth.  So, in this way, all that we have is a gift of God.

            And not only is this true.  It’s also God who provides the resources by which we profit.  As we’re reminded in Matthew 5:45, it’s he who makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall.  As we’re reminded in Psalm 147:8-9, it’s God who prepares rain for the earth, makes grass to grow on the hills, and gives to the beasts their food.   As we’re reminded in Genesis 1, it’s he who created the world and everything in it.

            So, as we thank God for his blessings, let us thank him for his provision.  Let us thank him for the material blessings he has provided.  Let us acknowledge that, apart from him, we would have nothing.