Peace Is Our Undeserved Privilege...

Peace is our undeserved privilege from God. Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in. And let it spark an attitude of gratitude towards the Giver of this peace. 1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2

The Dilemma Rages On...

The dilemma every man faces: through one man, Adam, we all were given a sinful nature. Every human being knows he is a sinner. He doesn’t argue or blame Adam, for he knows the capabilities of evil in his own heart. Yet when it comes to the acquittal of his condemnation, he refuses to believe that the same transmission process is available to him. Through another Man, Jesus, the remission of his sin is possible. He can be forgiven if his sin and it’s eternal consequences by placing his trust in Jesus. Through one man sin entered the world (Adam), which no one argues. And through one Man, Jesus, the forgiveness of sin is possible, which every proud man argues. How can it be? It’s simple, the second Man, Jesus, is denied by a man’s pride. Adam is welcomed, while Jesus is not. The dilemma rages on....

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died–from the time of Adam to the time of Moses–even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21

How Do We Know We Are Sinners?

The true purpose of the Law is to show us that we are sinners. It’s not something to try to keep. Paul clearly makes this point in Romans chapter 3. The point I want to emphasize is this: the law serves its purpose when we see it as impossible to keep. If we see that there is no hope in keeping the law, and thus we are deserving of God’s punishment for breaking it, we acknowledge that we are sinners. If we are sinners without hope of rescue, then we are willing to accept the only form of escape from God’s judgement by trusting Jesus, placing our faith in Him. A man can never truly know God while he is proud. Pride prevents us from knowing God. How? When a man spends all of his time looking down on people (that’s what pride does), how can he expect to see Something (God) that resides above him? Why does God emphasize throughout scripture that He opposes the proud? Because man’s first step in believing and following God’s choosing Him is the realization that God is above us, far superior in any comparison. This “knowing your place”, or humility as the Bible calls it, is the first step in gaining the wisdom that God often talks about in the Bible. When we place our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we agree with God. We know we can’t earn our salvation or forgiveness, so by having faith in Jesus, we fulfill the law. It points out our inadequacy, and directs us to the only Solution. We trust the only way God has provided for man to be made right in His sight. That is what Jesus meant when He told Thomas, “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, but by Me”. Does this make sense? We fulfill the 10 Commandments by knowing their purpose, and acting in the proper response in faith, not by trying to keep them. Trusting God, having faith in Jesus, is exactly what God intended by giving us the Law. Jesus said, (my paraphrase) “when we do these things, display the fruits of the Spirit, there is no law”. Loving others, forgiving them, teaching them to pursue God daily; these are above the law, meaning there is no law for these. Exactly how God wants us to behave. It’s seems too simple, having faith, but it’s exactly what the purpose of the Law is for. It may seem simple, but it’s not easy, and it takes a lifetime to workout. A journey worth the effort, for the reward is eternal.

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Christ Took Our Punishment 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t He also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is. 30 There is only one God, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. Romans 3:19-31

Vulnerability, Knowledge, and Satisfaction....

Reading through Psalm 90 several points stand out. First, in verse 8, we read of God spreading out our sins, our secret sins, seeing all of them. We can’t hide anything from God, though for some reason we think we can. You’ll never get to the point in life where you know you’ve grown stronger spiritually, until you get to the point where you can be vulnerable, letting those that think highly of you, see your dirty, sinful side. You have to learn to let go of the pride that promotes the reputation you want people to know with the actual, real person that you are. Secrets are for sinners. There are no secrets with You and God. Second point to ponder is in verse 12: life is short, without God it’s even shorter. We should strive to know Him, and thus gain wisdom. The third and last point is this: God satisfies, and joy is the result. I once met and elderly woman who seemed distraught and without hope. You could see it in her eyes as she spoke to me. I sent her this Psalm in a letter, hoping it would encourage her. It did. I met with here months later and she hugged me (I’m surprised she even remembered me), and told me that it meant the world to her (that I took the time to write her a letter). Never be afraid to speak the truth. And that’s only possible when it comes from God. Pray today for a “Divine appointment”, and be ready to share your Good News.

8 You spread out our sins before You–our secret sins–and You see them all. Psalms 90:8

12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. 13 O Lord, come back to us! How long will You delay?Take pity on Your servants!14 Satisfy us each morning with Your unfailing love,so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.16 Let us, Your servants, see You work again; let our children see Your glory.17 And may the Lord our God show us His approvaland make our efforts successful.Yes, make our efforts successful! Psalms 90:12-17

God’s Timing....

God’s timing isn’t our timing. His is so much more timely and appropriate. We may think we have a plan, but God’s plan is far superior to ours. Here in Esther, we see God’s sovereignty working out a rescue for Mordecai. Haman is about to kill Mordecai but God mysteriously works out His plan by giving the king a severe case of insomnia. Because of his inability to sleep, the king brings out the records of his reign, to be read to him. He learns of Mordecai’s foiling of a plot to assassinate the king, that went unrewarded. The king decides to reward Mordecai, and of all the people to determine his reward, he asks Haman to come up with the protocol. Haman thinks the reward is for himself, so he devises this elaborate, glorious plan; only to later find out it’s for his despised enemy, Mordecai. He then has to carry out this celebratory reward by leading Mordecai out on the king’s horse while he wore the king’s royal robe. Oh, the irony. The story gets even better, but I’ll end it here. God’s timing is always the best timing, sometimes we might even lose all hope before we get to experience it. God knows what He’s doing. We have to trust Him.

9 Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious. 10 However, he restrained himself and went on home.Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.12 Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!” 13 Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”14 So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up. Esther 5:9-14 1 That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. 2 In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.3 “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”4 “Who is that in the outer court?” the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared.5 So the attendants replied to the king, “Haman is out in the court.”“Bring him in,” the king ordered. 6 So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?”Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?” 7 So he replied, “If the king wishes to honor someone, 8 he should bring out one of the king’s own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden–one with a royal emblem on its head. 9 Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king’s robes and led through the city square on the king’s horse. Have the official shout as they go, ‘This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!’ ”10 “Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!”11 So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king’s own horse, and led him through the city square, shouting, “This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!” 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated.13 When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, “Since Mordecai–this man who has humiliated you–is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.”14 While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared. Esther 6

The Law of God...

The law of God confuses so many people. Some say we must keep the 10 Commandments in order to please God, while others say we don’t have to keep the law because we can’t, so we are not to try. The purpose of the Law is spelled out for us here in Romans chapter 3. The Law does not save us, it simply shows us we need a Savior. The purpose of the Law is to keep people from making excuses. And it shows the world it’s guilty before God. No wonder people don’t want it displayed in schools, they wouldn’t be able to make anymore excuses.

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Romans 3:19-20

A Bad Example...

I’ve always told myself, “never let one person’s example be your entire example of God”. Yes, believers will fail you, and groups of believers will sometimes leave a sour taste in your mouth with their behavior, but they are not God. Their poor example may taint your faith in people, but you can’t allow it to taint your faith in God. Never allow yourself to go there, even if every feeling in your mind tells you to. God is always faithful, and He stays true to Himself regardless of what we may think, or how people behave.

True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. Romans 3:3-4a