CHRIST IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Rom. 1:17  This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.  This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.  As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." NLT

     We tend to get this verse wrong.  We start out on our journey with God by faith, but then we get the idea that we have to take over and work our way into heaven from there.  We tend to want to make ourselves righteous instead of trusting Christ to be our righteousness.  The Good News makes it clear that it is God who makes us righteous, not ourselves. 

      Salvation is proven by our works, but it is never achieved by our works.  Christ alone is our righteousness.  He alone can make us pure in heart and keep us pure.  He alone will get us to heaven.  The sooner we believe and accept it, the sooner we will live in victory and peace.

       When we try so hard to be pure before God on our own, we struggle mightily.  We are weak in the flesh and cannot overcome sin without Christ's help, no matter how hard we try.  We are no match for Satan or his demonic forces.  We can live in victory when we live and trust in He who has overcome Satan.  Only in Christ are we able to relax and live in peace.  It is by faith alone that we receive eternal life and it is by faith that we will see our faith give way to sight in heaven.  From start to finish, we are righteous before God in Christ alone.

ASHAMED?

Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes---Jews first and also Gentiles.  NLT

      Are you ashamed of the Good News? Before you answer that, think about it for a moment. How well do you show Christ in you? How well do you share the Good News with others? When was the last time you actually talked about your faith with someone? Do the people in your life know you go to church and are a part of the life of the church? Do you make your commitment to Christ and His Church more important than all the other commitments in your life? Does admitting you are a Christian embarrass you or make you uncomfortable when you are not surrounded by other Christians?

     Good New! You have within you the power of God and it is at work in you! You are not the same person as you once were because God has the power to change you. You do not have the same goals in life because the power of God has changed your way of thinking as to what life really is all about. You are not wandering around aimlessly through life because the power of God has given you a reason to live and a reason to die. The power of God is actively at work saving and transforming your life for the glory of Christ.

      As a child of God you are part of the Kingdom of God and it will never die or be defeated. You belong to He who has overcome the world. You belong to the Ruler of the universe! Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is the great, I AM. He is the source of all life. He is the reason life exists and is the reason why all who believe in Him will never die. If you are not ashamed to admit that you are a part of His family, let your life show it. Let all who will listen hear you say it. Let your words and your actions let all in your world know that Jesus is Savior and Lord.

A LOVING HEART

 A LOVING HEART

Rom. 1:11  For I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord.  NLT

      I admire the heart of the Apostle Paul.  As he thought of the church at Rome and wrote this letter, his longing was to visit them so that he could share with them a spiritual blessing.  He wanted to help them on their journey of faith.  He wanted to help them understand better the ways of God so that they would grow strong in the Lord.

      The Church would be in much better shape than she is today if this would be the heart of every church leader.  In fact, if we all had the same spirit, most of the problems in the Church would not exist.  We should desire for one another spiritual growth.  The longing of our hearts should be to help each other in our spiritual journey. 

       In order for us to have such a heart of love, we need to be a people of grace.  We need to not let our hang ups with one another drive a wedge between us.  We need to be able to overlook our differences for our mutual good.  We need to be quick to forgive and strive to forget the things that upset us.  We need to stay focused on Christ as the head of the Church and quit trying to be the head ourselves. 

      In order to have such a heart, we need to take care of our own souls.  We need to seriously develop within us hearts of righteousness.  We need to never stop growing in our faith.  We need to never stop learning how to better live in and for Christ.  We, nor the Church, will ever get any better than we are until we do.

NOW, NOT LATER

Acts 24:25  As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified.  "Go away for now," he replied.  "When it is more convenient, I'll call for you again."   NLT

       The Apostle Paul was making his defense before Felix and the Roman counsel.  He spoke clearly of life and the hand of God in it.  He shared what the Lord had done in his life and how those who were against him were defying God's obvious witness.  Paul gave a very clear message on the righteousness and self-control only found in the living Christ.  He warned those in attendance of God's impending judgment. 

       Felix took to heart what Paul said and it terrified him.  He knew enough about what Paul was saying to know that it was all true.  He also knew that his own heart was not right with God.  The Holy Spirit had gotten to him and he was very troubled.  Like the Gospel song puts it so well, "Almost persuaded now to believe; almost persuaded Christ to receive." 

      Yet Felix did not embrace Christ.  He put it off for some more convenient day.  I remember what it was like being in Felix's shoes.  I did not always respond to the urging of the Holy Spirit.  I, too, believed but wanted to commit myself to the Lord when it was more convenient for me to do so.

       We are not told if Felix ever had another opportunity to be saved.  I hope he did, but the chances are good that he probably didn't.  Or, if he did, the chances are good that he did not sense the urging of the Spirit again like he did that day. 

       We don't know how long we will live.  We don't know how many more opportunities we will have in life to come to the Lord.  We don't know if we will ever again feel the persuasive voice of God calling us into fellowship with Him.  If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, accept Him now.  Some more convenient day may never come for you.  Today is the day of salvation.  Don't let it pass you by.  Hell will be full of almost believers.

CHURCH LEADERSHIP

CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Acts 20:28  “And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God's flock--his church, purchased with his blood--over whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.”  NLT

      Paul was giving his farewell address to the elders of the church at Ephesus.  He had spent considerable time at the church preaching, teaching and disciple making.  He had poured his heart into the church and knew that this was going to be the last time he would be with them.  He had a deep love for the church and wanted them to do things the right way.

      Paul knew that without strong leadership there was the danger of the church slipping backwards.  He warned the church elders to do their job, to feed and shepherd the flock.  No church will stay on track with the Lord and have an impact on her community without proper nourishment and guidance.  Every church needs leaders who take serving the Lord seriously, who take their faith seriously. 

       Paul reminded them that the church was not theirs.  Jesus purchased the Church with His shed blood at Calvary.  Jesus alone is the head of the Church.  No one individual or group of individuals run the Church.  When man takes over the controls of the church, bad things happen.  There is the danger of false teaching taking root.  There is a huge pride issue amongst the leadership.  There are power issues.  There is the danger of controlling who may, or may not, serve in the church beyond what the Scriptures teach. 

      Paul also reminded them that their roles as leaders in the church was by God's appointment and not men.  If church leadership is determined by any other way, problems generally arise.  Church leaders should only be approved after waiting on the Lord.  There should be adequate time for the church to discuss and pray over potential leaders.  There should be clear guidelines and expectations spelled out.  No one should be allowed to serve in leadership in the church who is not spiritually qualified to do so.  When we do things God's way, good things happen.

        Let God’s Word guide us when we select leaders in the church and when we decide whether or not we should be a leader in the church.  God gave us clear guidance in this area because He knew what sinful man was capable of and the damage that can be done in a church where ungodly men rule.

DOING GOD'S WILL

Acts 20:24 But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.  NLT

       I really like this statement by the Apostle Paul.  It is a real challenge to me.  Do I really consider my life to be worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work God has assigned to me?  I have always lived my life striving to do what God has given me to do ever since I gave Him all of my heart.  For me, life simply is not worth it if I am not doing with it what God wants for it.

       In order for this statement to be true of any heart, we must first know what it is that God wants us to do with our lives.  I have heard so many people over the years who never have seemed to have settled this issue for their lives.  It's really not too hard to know what God wants you to do.  It begins with a fully surrendered heart before Him.

       A fully surrender heart is one who holds nothing back from the Lord.  It is one who sees himself as God's and not his own.  It is one who is willing to do anything or go anywhere the Lord wants him to do with no strings attached.  Anything short of a fully surrendered heart and it becomes very difficult to discern God's will for one's life.

       The main thing we are all called to do is to tell others the Good News about God's kindness and love.  The means to do that will vary, but the mandate is the same.  We are to tell others about God's love and saving grace.  Each of us has a mandate from God to be His ambassadors.  We are expected by God to let our lights shine in the world and to influence the world for Christ.  If you are not doing that, you are living in disobedience to God; you are not doing His will for you.  Make the most out of your life and make it count. Do all that the Lord has given you to do, be a voice for Him in the world.

NO MATTER THE COST

Acts 20:22-24 "And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus---the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love."  NLT

       Paul was saying his goodbyes to the elders of the church in Ephesus. He knew that this would be the last time he would see them on earth. He knew that what lied ahead of him in Jerusalem was not going to be good for him. But, he also knew that God was leading him there. Paul understood the dangers and they did not bother him. He valued the opportunities to be a witness for Christ more than he did life itself.

      We fight for life. We do everything we possibly can do to make sure we can still live. We don't want to die and often fear it. We associate death with the end of all living instead of its beginning. We don't want to let go of what we know and enter into the unknown. However, Paul had a different perspective on things.

       Paul understood that death was a stepping stone to life. He knew that on the other side of life lived Christ and all who die in the faith. He did not fear death; rather, he welcomed it. Far more important to Paul was seizing the opportunities he had to serve the Lord by telling others about Him. He was far more interested in living each moment for Christ than dwelling on his uncertain future on earth.

      Are you more concerned about your dying than you are your living? Don't squander your life away worrying about when you may die. Instead, serve the Lord. Occupy your mind with the things of God and you won't have time to dwell on that which may frighten you. There is so much that you can do for the Lord. Don't waste your time on those things beyond your control. Treat each day as the Lord's Day and serve Him well. If you do, there will be peace in the valley of the shadows of death for you.

        For the child of God, we die to live and live to die.  We understand that on the other side of death lies eternal life with our Lord.  So, no matter what it may cost you in this life, live for Jesus.  It will be worth it all when we see Him face-to-face.