Counted Faithful?

            I’m always amazed when I read the words of Hebrews 11:11, which say: “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” I’m amazed, because when we read the account of Sarah and the birth of Isaac in Genesis, it seems less than trusting.

            In Genesis 16 we see how, after waiting ten years, Sarah decided that God was preventing her from bearing children.  And for this reason, she encouraged Abraham to marry her servant, that they might build a family through her.  Hagar did conceive and bear a son by Abraham.  However, God made it clear that this was not the child of promise.

            Then, in Genesis 18, we see how God came to Abraham.  And God promised him that, by the next year, he and Sarah would have a son.  Sarah overheard this conversation, and her response was laughter.  She said to herself: “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”

            Yet, even though this is true of her, even though she did struggle with her doubts, we find in Hebrews that God counted her faithful.  We find that, by faith, Sarah received the power to conceive.  And this wasn’t merely the power to conceive as most women.  It was miraculous because she was past the age of childbearing.

            I find this comforting because, as I consider Sarah, I find that my faith resembles hers more than I care to admit.  Even though I too have received a great promise of God, it’s sometimes difficult to believe.  It’s difficult to believe because it seems beyond reason.  It’s difficult to believe because of the circumstances in which I find myself.

            At times, I find it hard to comprehend the fact that God would want to save someone like me.  I find it hard to comprehend that he’d want me to spend eternity in his presence.  Because of my failures, it seems unreasonable.

            I also find it hard to believe because of the circumstances in which I find myself.  I’m a sinner, with no power to escape my condition.  I live in a world of sin, with evil all around me.  I’m tempted and lured by the evil one, who seeks my destruction.  And considering these circumstances, my situation seems hopeless.  I can only be saved by the miraculous power of God.

            Even though I generally believe, there are times when faith is a struggle.  There are times when it seems easier to pursue a blessing by my own means rather than trusting in God.  There have been times when his promise has brought me to laughter. 

            Yet, in spite of my human response, and in spite of my doubts, God also counts me as faithful.  In spite of my sin, my faith is counted to me as righteousness.  And, for this reason, I am enabled to receive the blessings of God.

            

This past Wednesday, I started a series that Pastor Nate and I will share.  We're looking again at the Passion history.  This message was titled Jesus Anointed.

On Sunday, I continued our look at major Bible stories.  We again looked at the circumstances surrounding the birth of Isaac.  We looked specifically at Hagar & Ishmael.

To stream or download the audio files, click on the links.

Children of Abraham

          

            I remember, as a child, singing the song “Father Abraham” at Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and church camps.  We always loved it because it was goofy and enabled us to get up and wiggle around.  However, this song contains a truth that we find in Scripture.  It tells us that we are the children of Abraham.

            When the name of Abram was changed to Abraham, God said that he would be the father of many nations.  Now, this is true in a physical sense.  Through Isaac came the people of Israel, who eventually split into two nations.  Abraham’s son through Hagar, Ishmael, also became a great people.  Isaac’s son, Esau, eventually became the nation of Edom.  However, when we read Romans 4, we see that God’s promise referred to more than only the physical nations that descended from him.

            In Romans 4, starting in verse 13, Paul says: “For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.  For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring-- not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"-- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”

            If it were through the law, if it were through our obedience and good deeds, that we were counted righteous in the eyes of God, his promise would be empty.  It would be void because the law brings wrath.  Because we’re sinful, the law brings to us the condemnation that we deserve.  It does nothing to guarantee the promise God has given.

            In order for God’s promise to be guaranteed, it had to rest on faith.  Because it’s a free gift, given to us by God, we can be assured of the hope it gives us.  We can be assured because it doesn’t rest upon our ability to measure up to God’s standards, which is impossible for us to attain.  It rests instead upon the faithfulness of God.

            Because it’s given by faith, God’s promise can be guaranteed to all of Abraham’s offspring.  It can be given not only to the physical descendants of Abraham, to those who live under the law.  It can be given also to us, to those who share the faith of Abraham.

            Paul says that, in this way, Abraham is the father of us all.  He then points us back to the promise God gave to Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations.  So he’s the father not only of those who’ve physically descended from him, but of those who share his faith.

            As believers, then, we are all the children of Abraham.  We’re not less than those who were born of him in the physical sense.  We are inheritors of the promise that God gave to him so long ago. 

            Knowing this, that Abraham is our father, may we then continue in the faith he displayed.  May we trust in God’s promise knowing that, in this way, we too will be counted righteous in his sight.  And may we seek to share this promise with others, that the Lord might draw them to faith, and that they too might become the children of Abraham, inheritors of the promise of God.

As we're continuing our look at major Bible stories, we came this week to the Birth of Isaac.  We saw how, when Abraham was once again promised a child, he laughed.  He found it unbelievable that a child would be born to Sarah and himself in their old age.  In the same way, as we receive the promise of God, we're called to believe the unbelievable.  To stream or download the audio file, click on the link.

            Abraham is a key figure in the Old Testament.  He is counted as the father of Israel because of the great promise God made to him, and because their nation descended from him. And his example of faith is meaningful for us, even today.

            As we read through the Biblical account, it seems to us that Abraham had a faith that far surpasses our own.  When called, he left his home and family and journeyed to a land he knew nothing about.  He trusted God’s promise, that he would become a great nation, even though his wife was barren.  And after God miraculously gave them a child, he obeyed God’s command to offer him as a sacrifice to the Lord (although God stopped him before he actually killed his son). 

            However, even though these acts were a great demonstration of his faith, it’s equally clear that Abraham was a sinner.  We see how he lied about his wife, allowing her to be taken by another man, to protect himself.  We see how, before the birth of Isaac, he struggled with God’s promise.  We see how he went along with Sarah, trying to fulfill God’s promise in their way, when she remained childless. 

            Yet, in spite of his shortcomings, the Lord counted Abraham as righteous.  And why?  It wasn’t because of anything he did.  It was because of his faith.

            In Genesis 15, we see that God came to him, and once again reassured him of his blessing.  But he answered the Lord, in verse 2, saying: “O LORD GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And, in verse 3, he went on to say: “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”

            Abraham had left his home and family trusting God’s promise.  And here he was, a long time after, without any children.  God had yet to bless them with a son. 

            At this point, God spoke to him again.  He assured Abraham that his very own son would be his heir.  He then took him outside and had him look at the stars.  He told Abram to number the stars, if he was able.  God then said: “So shall your offspring be.”

            It’s here that we see the statement I want to consider.  We’re told that Abraham believed the Lord.  And we’re told that the Lord counted it to him as righteousness.

            He was counted righteous not because of anything he’d done.  He was counted righteous because of his faith.  He was saved, not by his obedience, but by the grace of God that he received through faith.

            Paul talks about this in Romans 4.  Starting in verse 1, he says: “What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.  And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…”

            This is a great encouragement to us.  When we look at ourselves in light of God’s Word, we see our sin.  When we compare ourselves to the great men of faith in Scripture, or even those around us today, our shortcomings glare right back at us.  And we tend to think that we don’t measure up in the eyes of God. 

            It’s true that we don’t measure up to God’s standards.  Scripture tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But this isn’t what determines our standing before God.  We aren’t declared righteous based on our good works.

            Like Abraham, it’s by faith that God counts us righteous.  Righteousness is not something we earn.  It’s a gift, given to us by God, and received by faith.

            So, even as we see our guilt, we can be comforted by the fact that, by faith, we are counted righteous in the eyes of God.  As we trust in his promise, given to us in his Word, we’re reckoned as upright and blameless before him.

This week, in our series looking at major Bible stories, we come to The Call of Abram in Genesis 12. We see how he was called to leave behind his home and family to go to an unknown land that that Lord would show him.  In the same way, as believers, we've been called to leave behind all that we value most in this life that we might follow the Lord.  But, like Abram, will we make the sacrifice? You can stream or download the audio file by clicking on the link.

Noah

            As I come to the story of Noah, I’m always amazed by the description of man that’s given to us.  And we find that this is the reason for the judgment of God that fell upon the world of that day.  We see this description in the fifth verse of Genesis 6, which says: “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

            Think about this description for a minute, especially the last part.  It tells us that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  Each phrase in this statement is exhaustive.  It rules out any other possibility.  And what we find is that there was nothing at all good in man.

            Every intention of the heart of man was evil.  Not only were some of them evil.  All of them were evil.

            His intentions were only evil.  Again, there were no good intentions present at all.  His sole intent was to commit acts of wickedness.

            And this was the case continually.  It wasn’t true only some of the time.  It was true all of the time. 

            After this statement is made, we’re told that God regretted that he’d made man on earth and his heart was filled with pain.  This too is an intense statement.  When we consider the greatness of God’s love for man, it’s hard to reconcile the fact that he regretted making us.

            Just as a point of comparison, I can’t imagine having these feelings about my children.  Yes, kids can make bad decisions.  In fact, they can do things that cause their parents to grieve.  But it’s hard to fathom getting to the point where you regret having them.

            So, again, this says something to us about the greatness of man’s sin.  It was so great that God regretted making man.  It was something that caused him great pain.

            There are many other statements about the sinful nature of man that we find throughout Scripture.  For example, in Jeremiah 17:9, we read this: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

            The heart is deceitful above all things.  In other words, it’s more deceitful than everything else in creation.  It’s desperately sick.  It’s in a dreadful condition and in need of immediate help.  It’s in such a condition that we can’t understand it.

            In Romans 3, starting in verse 10, we find the following description of man.  And this isn’t a new statement Paul is making.  Each phrase is a direct quotation from the Old Testament.  He says: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known." "There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

            Once again, this is not a pretty statement.  And it’s also exhaustive.  There are no exceptions to the statements that are made.

            When we consider the truth regarding man and his sinfulness, it becomes clear that God’s judgment is just.  It was just in the days of Noah, when God sent the flood on the earth.  And it will be just at the return of Christ, when the present age comes to an end.

            However, it also highlights the greatness of the grace of God.  It does so because, in spite of our condition, God loves us.  In spite of our sin, he desires our salvation.  And he’s done everything necessary, to the point of sacrificing his only Son, that we might have mercy.

Yesterday, we continued our series, looking at major Bible stories.  And the focus of our time was the story of Noah.  We looked specifically into God's reason for the flood.  Many people struggle with God's judgment.  They struggle with the thought of him destroying all of mankind.  However, as we look at the text, we see that he was right in doing so.  To stream or download the audio file, click on the link.

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.