While We Were Still Sinners

While We Were Still Sinners

When a genuine encounter with God opens the heart and mind of a person to the realities of who He is, that person begins to see themselves for who they really are – a sinner in need of a Savior. This revelation from the Holy Spirit of God can lead to several responses.

Rejecting 

Fear, doubt, selfishness, greed, ego, perversion, hardheartedness, etc. (all based in pride) lead to the rejection of the truth about God. Rejecting God is the natural response of depraved man and leaves him in an unreconciled relationship with God. If not dealt with, rejection of God ultimately leads to eternal separation from Him in Hell.

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

Renovating

When the truth about God is misunderstood or misapplied, and someone believes that they can earn God’s favor and forgiveness, they begin to renovate their lives. Many people, many religions, literally work themselves to death for something that can only be obtained by grace (which is unmerited favor). The forgiveness and favor of God is only found through faith in Christ.

• Romans 4:4-5 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

Receiving

When the truth about God is received in humility, and the good news about salvation in Jesus Christ is believed, God performs a supernatural work of reconciliation that results in eternal life for those who surrender all they are to Jesus. Those reconciled with Father God in and through Jesus spend eternity in Heaven with God.

• Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The Word of God, The Holy Bible, has a very clear message for all of humanity:

Faith in Jesus is the only way

to peace with Father God!

• Isaiah 53:5-6 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
• John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
• Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
• 1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Whether you are a Rejecter, Renovator or a Receiver, there is something you need to know about Father God. He does not want anyone to perish – He desires for all people to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ!

• Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
• 1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The fact of the matter is, He loves us so much, that while we were still sinners, He sent Jesus Christ (the human incarnation of God) to die for us.

• Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Sovereign Lord of the universe does not require you to clean yourself up, learn the entire Bible, perform just the right number of good works, or anything else that could be equated to you earning a right standing with Him. All that He asks, the one thing He demands, is that you believe with a life-changing faith that Jesus Christ died on a Roman cross to pay the debt for your sins.

• John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Prayer

Father God, not much else really matters until we understand that because You love us so much, and because we desperately need a Savior, You came to earth as the fully God fully man, Jesus, lived a sinless life, died to pay our sin debt, rose from the grave, and ascended back to Heaven. Once we understand this, and you give us the faith to believe, we must decide to receive this truth. When we do, all of our sins are forgiven and you send Your Holy Spirit to live in us – we become a new creation and begin a new life as Your children. Our new lives are meant to honor You as we share Your truth and love with others and seek to obey You in all things. Father, bring these truths into many lives by the truth and power of Your Word and Your Spirit. I pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Solidarity in Our Savior

Solidarity in Our Savior

While the life and experiences of every follower of Jesus are unique, there are some basic elements of a Christian’s walk with Christ that are meant to be common to all. Although far from a complete list, the ten items included below celebrate the magnificent journey believers take from darkness to light, from lies to truth, from eternal death to everlasting life. Living out our faith according to the truth of the Word of God, the power and presence of His indwelling Holy Spirit, and our dynamic relationship with a risen Savior declare that we are truly children of the sovereign Lord of the universe.

• John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

As Christians, no matter how distinctive our individual testimonies and situations may be, the commonalities in our faith, salvation, calling, experiences and ultimate eternal destination bring us together as the body of Christ – His Church.

Every follower of Jesus should recognize the following elements of the Christian experience as something they are, have been, are called to be, ought to be, or in due course will become.

Sentient

The existence and power of God are demonstrated in creation. We become conscious of God by the work of His hands (Psalm 19:1-6).

• Romans 1:19-20 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
• We have all become aware of the self-evident truth that there is a God.

Shown

The good news of salvation in Jesus Christ is proclaimed in the Word of God. Many nations, tribes, peoples and tongues are exposed to the truth of the Bible (Revelation 7:9-10).

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
• We have all heard the good news about Jesus.

Stirred

Only those moved by the Holy Spirit of God can be saved by the truth about our need for a Savior. Apart from the work of God’s Spirit, we can’t understand the depths of God’s truth (1 Corinthians 2:11-16).

• John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
• We have all been drawn to Christ by God for salvation.

Saved

The lost sinner is redeemed from slavery to sin, delivered from eternal punishment in Hell, and is adopted as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to a reconciled relationship with God (John 14:6).

• Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
• We have all believed, received and professed Christ as our risen Savior.

Surrendered

A child of God submits to the will of God – the will of God is revealed in the Word of God. After Paul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus, he humbly and immediately asked Christ what to do (Acts 9:6).

• Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
• We have all been called to submit to the desires, guidance, plans, and purposes of our God.

Seeking

A follower of Jesus has a deep longing for the things of God. Christians hunger and thirst for God’s truth, God’s love, God’s direction, God’s righteousness. (Matthew 5:5-7).

• Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
• We have all experienced the deep yearning to know Christ better and to be more like Him.

Sharing

Christians talk about Jesus – He is the most important part of our lives and we want to share the good news about Him with others. Jesus commands us to share the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20).

• Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
• We have all been commanded to share the good new about Jesus with others.

Serving

We know who we serve by who we obey (Do your serve God or someone/something else?). To love Jesus is to serve Him (Matthew 4:10).

• Colossians 3:23-24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
• We have all been freed from slavery to our sinful nature so we can obediently serve Christ.

Sold-out

The closer we get to Jesus, the less we need and want from this world. For the totally committed Christian, there is nowhere else to go but Jesus (John 6:66-69).

• Philippians 3:7-8 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
• We have all accepted the call to put Christ above everything and everyone else in our lives.

Satisfied

Although our salvation is a present reality, the fullness of it will not be realized until we are in Heaven. God has prepared for us an eternal future with Him that is beyond our imagination or understanding (1 Corinthians 2:9).

• Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
• We have all embraced the truth of our promised eternal home in Heaven.

Yet even with the many commonalities of our Christian experiences and beliefs, there is tremendous diversity in the universal Church. Differences in geography, culture, resources, congregational size, spiritual gifts, maturity levels, teaching/preaching styles, musical preferences, order of service, etc. could lead to division in the body of Christ. One of the greatest challenges for the Church is to be unified despite our differences.

Paul’s writings in the New Testament make clear that the Church is called to Solidarity in our Savior.

• Romans 15:5-6 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
• Ephesians 4:1-6 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Paul tells us clearly, ‘If salvation in Jesus Christ has made a difference in your life, there should be unity in the Church!’

• Philippians 2:1-2 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

We are to find unity in our love for Christ and our love for one another.

• Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Embrace the common experiences

that bring us together

as followers of Christ.

Rejoice in the shared beliefs

that bind us together

as brothers and sisters in Christ!

Display the realities of salvation

that bond us together

as the universal Church of Christ.

Prayer

Savior King, thank You for all You do to bless, encourage, challenge, correct and grow Your Church. Help us to be unified in all we do. But also help us to recognize and appreciate diversity in the church, and to recognize and apply the individual gifts and abilities You have given us (as individuals and as distinct churches). Thank You for the variety of gifts, callings and opportunities you have given us to better honor and obey You. Help us to show humility and love in all things. In the name of Jesus Christ my Savior I pray. Amen.