Romans Road Part Three – A Way Out
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9 New International Version (NIV)
At first glance, this verse makes me think that this might be a magical incantation from a group of superstitious middle easterners. At least, that is how some people look at it today. Some think that all you have to do is say Christian things like, “Jesus is my lord and savior” and some how they think they are miraculously saved from any afterlife harm. But this isn’t a children’s story and God knows the heart. He knows if He has a place with you or not. Your confession of Christ has to be from the heart, or its just lip service.
I think that believing in Christ is a supernatural opening of the mind. But at the same time it is a bending of the human will. Sort of like how a plant twists and turns to find more sunlight. And I imagine for a plant, it may think it has twisted into some unnatural shape merely for survival. But for the gardener, the plant is beautiful, strong and growing just as expected. I think that being a believer is sometimes embarrassing, sometimes amazing and we also experience moments full of hope. Being a believer is intriguing, for we live in this slowly deteriorating world while connected to an unchanging God that intends to bring us into a “forever world” that will never die. We are incessantly peeling back the layers of this world to view the real world. All the while, we are being lead by God’s Spirit. And I believe the Holy Spirit causes this new faith to take root in us through a series of wonderful and sometimes incredibly difficult circumstances. Our confession, our belief and our saved-condition come from God and are irrevocable.
The Cross-work of Jesus is the way out, if you want it…
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Romans Road Part Two – Second half of the Gospel
Romans Road Part Two – Second half of the Gospel
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 New International Version (NIV)
Without the bad, you can’t appreciate the good. And the Law (Ten Commandments) makes the bad known. The Ten reveal that we have fallen short of God’s glory standard. We know we don’t measure up. By now I hope you know that the best we deserve is a free to trip to Hell. I hope by now you know that you can’t earn a pass on Hell. You can’t “be good enough” and you can’t “make a deal” with God.
I once said that the problem with Jesus is that he does things for us that we think we can do on our own. We want to make up our own ideas on sin removal (if we think we have any sin to begin with) and we expect God to call our ideas acceptable. If anything, that attitude is a smack on the face of Christ. It is an insult to the cross. If you and I could actually be reunited with God on our own, do you think God’s son would have to die in our place?
Do you really want to take part in your salvation from Hell? Do you want to take things into your own hands? Then say yes to Christ! That is the only control you and I really have.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 New International Version (NIV)
Without the bad, you can’t appreciate the good. And the Law (Ten Commandments) makes the bad known. The Ten reveal that we have fallen short of God’s glory standard. We know we don’t measure up. By now I hope you know that the best we deserve is a free to trip to Hell. I hope by now you know that you can’t earn a pass on Hell. You can’t “be good enough” and you can’t “make a deal” with God.
I once said that the problem with Jesus is that he does things for us that we think we can do on our own. We want to make up our own ideas on sin removal (if we think we have any sin to begin with) and we expect God to call our ideas acceptable. If anything, that attitude is a smack on the face of Christ. It is an insult to the cross. If you and I could actually be reunited with God on our own, do you think God’s son would have to die in our place?
Do you really want to take part in your salvation from Hell? Do you want to take things into your own hands? Then say yes to Christ! That is the only control you and I really have.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Romans Road Part One – First half of the Gospel
Romans Road Part One – First half of the Gospel
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23 New International Version (NIV)
My friend Jim and I sat in my living room sharing wisdom with each other. One of the things that came up was sharing the good news or the gospel as some call it. One thing that we discussed is what the good news actually consists of. Some will tell you that the good news is that “God loves you.” But Jim and I agreed that if we only share God’s love, we have only shared half of the truth.
The thing that makes the good news good is that you and I are undeserving of God’s love. Or my way of translating this verse is to say that we have all failed to meet God’s glory standard. In other words, you don’t measure up. Neither do I.
What is God’s glory standard? I think the heart of the glory standard is explained in The Ten Commandments. The Big Ten are not ten separate commandments; they are actually one commandment with ten parts. The ten are not multiple choice either. An infraction on any one of them, and the entire ten have been broken. Be honest. Ask yourself if you have ever told a lie. Yes, white lies count as lies. Ask yourself if you have ever stolen anything? If you answered yes to these questions, then you are a lying thief…. I am a liar and a thief as well.
Do you really think we deserve God’s unmerited favor? Do you really think you and I deserve Heaven?
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23 New International Version (NIV)
My friend Jim and I sat in my living room sharing wisdom with each other. One of the things that came up was sharing the good news or the gospel as some call it. One thing that we discussed is what the good news actually consists of. Some will tell you that the good news is that “God loves you.” But Jim and I agreed that if we only share God’s love, we have only shared half of the truth.
The thing that makes the good news good is that you and I are undeserving of God’s love. Or my way of translating this verse is to say that we have all failed to meet God’s glory standard. In other words, you don’t measure up. Neither do I.
What is God’s glory standard? I think the heart of the glory standard is explained in The Ten Commandments. The Big Ten are not ten separate commandments; they are actually one commandment with ten parts. The ten are not multiple choice either. An infraction on any one of them, and the entire ten have been broken. Be honest. Ask yourself if you have ever told a lie. Yes, white lies count as lies. Ask yourself if you have ever stolen anything? If you answered yes to these questions, then you are a lying thief…. I am a liar and a thief as well.
Do you really think we deserve God’s unmerited favor? Do you really think you and I deserve Heaven?
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Meaning of Life
The Meaning of Life
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
Revelation 4:11 New Living Translation
What do you think? Why are we here? Do we have a purpose for being alive?
I have had lots of ideas in regards to my purpose, to the reason I am alive. I thought I was an accident of my parents (and of God’s will, if that were possible). Physical and emotional pain have such a strong grasp upon me that at times, I have considered the idea that I was placed here to suffer. Maybe I am here so that I could bring Erica (my daughter) into existence because she will touch someone else’s life for the next generation? My wife says I am here because she asked God for me.
Why do you think you are here?
In this verse, God says we are created for his pleasure. In other words, we are here to be the objects of his love. Or, as C.S. Lewis puts it, “We were made… that we may become objects in which the Divine love may rest… well pleased”.
Imagine it, me, being the object of affection for God. Imagine it, you, being created for the express purpose of being an object of God’s unfailing love…? I like the sound of that.
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
Revelation 4:11 New Living Translation
What do you think? Why are we here? Do we have a purpose for being alive?
I have had lots of ideas in regards to my purpose, to the reason I am alive. I thought I was an accident of my parents (and of God’s will, if that were possible). Physical and emotional pain have such a strong grasp upon me that at times, I have considered the idea that I was placed here to suffer. Maybe I am here so that I could bring Erica (my daughter) into existence because she will touch someone else’s life for the next generation? My wife says I am here because she asked God for me.
Why do you think you are here?
In this verse, God says we are created for his pleasure. In other words, we are here to be the objects of his love. Or, as C.S. Lewis puts it, “We were made… that we may become objects in which the Divine love may rest… well pleased”.
Imagine it, me, being the object of affection for God. Imagine it, you, being created for the express purpose of being an object of God’s unfailing love…? I like the sound of that.
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