The Gospel of God's Grace

What is the gospel?  The gospel is the story of God's grace.  The word gospel means good news, but what is this good news and why do we need to hear it?  If you think about it, good news is only "good" when it is spoken of in light of the bad news. Suppose you hear the news that the medical field has found a cure for pancreatic cancer. (Pancreatic cancer is a major killer: 94% of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis and only 6% will survive more than five years. 74% of patients die within the first year of diagnosis). Reading about this major achievement in the newspaper or hearing about it on the news channel certainly is news, but this news is not "good" in the respect that it has no effect on your life--unless you have pancreatic cancer!  You see, if the doctor has never told you the bad news--"you have pancreatic cancer," then then news about a cure for pancreatic cancer is just news.  Until you are hit with the reality of the bad news, the good news will have no effect in your life.

The gospel of God's grace IS good news, but it will only be news to you until you understand the bad news.  When I share the gospel with people I seek to communicate five key components of the gospel that I outline in the word grace.  The bible makes clear that we are saved by grace.  It is by God's grace that any of us are saved.  It is by His doing for His glory.  So as I share the gospel, I focus on the GRACE of God and the way I seek to do that is to use the word grace as an acronym--each letter represents a key component in the gospel. 

God is holy

Rebellion of man

Achievement of Christ

Change of heart 

Eternal life  

So let me provide you with an outline for your consideration.  Everything must begin with God and where we must begin is with the holiness of God.

GOD IS HOLY

The Bible tells us that God is HOLY. Holiness is the attribute of God that makes Him completely unique and separate from His creation; Holiness is the pinnacle of all His attributes.  God is absolutely perfect.   Revelation 4:8 says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come"

And because God is holy he is also JUST, Deuteronomy 32:4 says, ""The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

And because God is holy and just, the bible says He hates wrongdoing (sin) and therefore must judge all sin justly.  Psalm 5:4-6 says, "For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with You.  The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.  You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man."  And Nahum 1:3 says, "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished."   And we read in Habakkuk 1:13, "Your eyes are too pure (holy) to approve evil,  and You can not look on wickedness with favor."

 And what God demands from us is holiness, He demands perfection.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48, "You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  And the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:14, "Without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

The question you must ask yourself at this point is "am I a perfect person?"  I know I am not perfect, in fact, the Bible tells me that I am not--that no one is perfect.  Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory (perfection) of God.”  And we read in Genesis and Psalms about the extent of our depravity.  Genesis 8:21 says, "the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth."  And Psalm 58:3 tells us that "The wicked go astray from the womb, they err from their birth, speaking lies."  So the Bible says “all have sinned,” and in our sin we have rebelled against God.

REBELLION OF MAN

You know, I used to think that I was a pretty good person, but the bible says in Romans 3:10-12  that there is "None 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."  Think about what the bible is saying.  Sin is anything we feel, think, say, or do that does not please God.  How many times a day do we fall short of God’s perfection? Let’s say you only sinned one time a day, if that were true you would be considered a pretty good person, right?  Even if you were this good (which you are not), you still would have sinned 365 times in a year.  And if you lived to the age of 75, you would have over 27,000 violations against God’s Law on record against you.  Now what do you think would happen to you if you stood before a judge with 27,000 offenses against the law? 

Here is the reality.  We do not sin once a day.  We sin multiple times a minute.  We sin knowingly and we sin unknowingly.  Romans 14:23 tells us that "Everything that does not come from faith is sin." An unbeliever (lost person) by definition does not have saving faith, therefore, everything they do is corrupted by sin.  Titus 1:15 says it this way, "to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled."

The Bible says that everyone has sinned; no one is right with God and therefore, the PENALTY of our sin is death, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  This means that because of our sin, we are spiritually dead — dead to God, "you are dead in your trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).  And because of our sin, we are eternal dead — separated from God, “the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord" (2Thessalonians 1:9).   We cannot save our self.  We cannot do enough good things to make up for our sin.  Even if it were possible to only sin once a day, even so, when you stood before a judge with 27,000 violations against the law, it would not matter how many good deeds you have done in life, because you would still be guilty of 27,000 violations and must pay the penalty for your sins.    

So how can we as sinners become righteous (or perfect) in God's sight?  How can God express His love without compromising His holiness?  If God is to be righteous judge He cannot ignore our sin.  He must judge us in our sin--we are guilty and the penalty is eternal.  So how can a holy God judge us for our sin and,  at the same time, set us free from the penalty of our sin?

ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHRIST

What we cannot do, God did for us by sending His Son Jesus.  In Ephesians 2:4-5 Paul tells us of this wonderful act of grace, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -by grace you have be saved."  And Romans 5:8 says, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In Jesus Christ, God provides a SUBSTITUTE.  A substitute is someone who stands in the place of another.  My wife is a teacher.  On days when she is unable to make it to school they call in a substitute teacher.  The substitute stands in the place of my wife.  In a much deeper way, God has provided a substitute for us.  God demands holy perfection; Jesus, as our substitute, came to live a sinless life and to earn for us the perfection of God according to Hebrews 4:15, "Jesus has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”  God demands payment for sin; Jesus came to die in the place of sinners to satisfy the justice of God according to 1Peter 3:18, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God." And 1Peter 2:24, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross.”  And Romans 5:10, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

At the cross, an amazing exchange took place: our sins were credited to Jesus; His righteousness is credited to those who follow him. “He (God) made Him(Jesus)  who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Therefore, Jesus alone is Savior and Lord!   By His life, Jesus attained righteousness on sinners’ behalf.   By His death, Jesus paid the penalty that sinners owed.  By His resurrection, Jesus defeated death for all who will follow Him.  This is why Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Does this make sense to you?

The bible calls what God has done for us, in Jesus Christ, a GIFT.  Do you remember how Romans 6:23 said “for the wages of sin is death…”?  It goes on to say “BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  And this is great news because what we deserve is justice; but in Jesus, God gives us grace according to Ephesians 2:8-9, "by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not of your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” What we deserve is death; but in Jesus, God gives us life according to John 3:16, “for God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

GRACE means unmerited favor.   It means you cannot earn God’s approval.  Grace is not something that can be earned; it is something that is received. God welcomes you not based on what you have done for Him; He welcomes you based completely and only on that Jesus Christ has done for you. “For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10).  Through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus has finished all the work required by God for the salvation of sinners.  Salvation is by God’s grace, it is a gift that is available to anyone will receive it.  Would you like to receive this free gift?

CHANGE OF HEART

The bible tells us that we receive this gift through faith and repentance.  We must TURN from our sin and self (repentance) and TRUST in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Faith).  Jesus commanded the people to repent and believe in the Gospel.  In Mark 1:15 Jesus says, "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."  Jesus demands a response.  What will your response be?  Will you repent and believe the gospel?  Will you turn from your sin and self and trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?


Then, by His Grace through faith, confess your sin before God, Romans 10:9 says, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  And by His grace through faith, trust in the promise of God, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not of your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). And by His grace through faith, forsake yourself and live for God, Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

ETERNAL LIFE

Jesus says,  “I tell you the truth, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47)

Reflecting on God's Greatness

"Who is it that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?...

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were the bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed?'

Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place?...

Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth?

Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightenings, that they may go and say to you, 'Here we are'?

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?" (Job 32:1-37)

Oh that I might stand in awe of the sheer power and greatness of God and worship Him for who He is in Himself.

This Uncaused One (God) has caused me to be born again into a living hope. Into a sure hope and one day I will see Him, the one who made all things and sustains all things by His Word, for His own glory and in that seeing there will be joy inexpressible and full of glory.

Oh God deliver me from feeble faith and flabby worship.

Boast in this: That You Understand and Know God

God, through the prophet Jeremiah, says,

Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

What does it mean to understand and know the Lord?

Well the idea is a progress that begins with salvation and continues through eternity.

Yes, in one since salvation is immediate "for everyone who calls on the will be saved" (Romans 10:13). And John tells us, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life" (1John 5:13).

But there is a sense in which salvation is a progression. Paul writes in to the Corinthian believers, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are BEING saved it is the power of God" (1Corinthians 1:18). And Paul prays for the Ephesian believers saying, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might" (Ephesians 1:17-19).

So there is a progression in salvation, a growing that takes place. Therefore, when God says in Jeremiah that our boast is in knowing and understanding God, not to be only a saving knowledge of Him, but an ever deepening understanding of Him.

The more deeply we know God the more rightly we see our selves and the more we know ourselves rightly the more we understand our absolute need for God and the more we see our need for God the more glorious He becomes to us. This is what Paul is praying for in the hearts and minds of the Ephesians--and for us.

So this journey of knowing and understanding God is humbling because we will realize our own depravity, that there is nothing in us that would cause God to save us.

Our emotions will run wild as we see the depths of our own sin and the even deeper truth of God's grace, that God has called His people by their name--individually and personally "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:14-15).

Think about this the knowledge of God. His knowledge is perfect. He knows you completely. There is nothing hidden from God. There is no secret sin that He does not know about you. There is no accusation given against you that He does not already know. He knew you fully and completely before He created you. And He knew you fully and completely when He chose to save you before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4). And still He has called you--individually and personally--unto Himself, bearing your sin on the cross.

Knowing and understanding God is a personal journey and it is an emotional journey. But it is also a very practical journey because growing in a knowledge of God produces obedience to Christ and obedience produces a deeper knowledge of God. You cannot grow in a true knowledge of God and not be continually transformed by His grace.

God invites us to know Him. He has given us His Word, so that we can understand Him. Let's embark on this thrilling journey of knowing God.

Oh Father, grant us eyes to see the wonderful things in Your law and in seeing them may we behold the beauty of who You so that our souls will be satisfied in Christ. Amen!

Kidism of the day

What is a "Kidism"? Well, clearly that is not a word--I don't think, but it does describe, in a word, the funny things my kids say.

So what is the kidism today?

Silas (my 2 year old) asked for some "flup-flup's" (translation: Fruit-Loops)

Do You Hate God?

Many people, I would assume, would say that "no, I do not hate God." Others would say that they simply do not believe in God, or at least the same God that I believe in. But for those of us who claim to know Christ and for those of you who say that you are a Christian, do you hate God?

I know that might seem like an odd question to ask, but think about what God says in the Ten Commandments.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

(Exodus 20:4-6, NASU)

In these verses God equates hatred towards Him as loving anything or anyone more than Him.

An idol is anything or anyone "in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth" that you value more than Christ. An idol is not simply a image carved out of stone or wood. An idol is far more reaching than that. Consider the following verses:

"For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

He has also rejected you from being king."

(1 Samuel 15:23, NASU)

"Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "the people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play. Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did. "

(1 Corinthians 10:6-8, NASU)

"Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."

(Colossians 3:5, NASU)

A rejection of the Word of God is insubordination and idolatry. Craving evil things, things that are not according to godliness, is idolatry. Immorality, impurity, passion (not directed toward God), evil desire, and greed are all forms of idolatry. These are not images carved out of stone or wood, these are images carved out in our hearts.

A.W. Tozar said, "The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him."

God commands us not to long for and go after those things that we think will make us happy, but we must find our happiness in Him.

"In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."

(Psalm 16:11, NASU)

So according to Exodus and the testimony of Scripture, to love anything or anyone more than to love Christ is idolatry which is hatred toward God. Even indifference towards Him and His Word is a form of hatred towards Him because we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Therefore, someone that has been transformed by His grace and indwelt by His Spirit cannot remain indifferent towards God. To be indifferent towards God is to love something or someone more than Him and to do that is hatred toward God.

Are you loving God or are you hating God? One way you know what you love is by what you say. Your words, your conversations give evidence as to what is in your heart.

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."

(Luke 6:45, NASU)

Father, we are a people who are easily entangled by the desires of our own sinful nature and we are in constant need of Your forgiveness. Strengthen us so that we might stand firm in Your might against all forms of idolatry. Grant us faith to see Christ as more valuable than the thousands of daily pleasures. Give to us the desire to obey your Word, that it might be to us more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Stir in us affections for You, that we might love you above everything else and that our worship will be the overflow of our enjoyment in Christ. Awaken us from our stupor to see Your greatness and goodness that we might enjoy Your grace and extend Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

Re-Start

Well it has been more than a year since I last wrote on this thing. I think it is time to start again. So this is my official notice of a Re-Start.

A Wedding Poem

Adam gave his rib, so that Eve would have life.
God then gave Eve to Adam to be his wife.
Joining them together, let no man separate
The sign of their covenant is when they consummate

Marriage is more than vows and rings
It is more than promises and ceremonies
It is the mysterious blending of two separate lives,
The creation of God, in joining a man to his wife.

Now there will be days of uncertainty,

disagreements and even strife
But remember that what God brings together,

it is meant for the whole of life.
There are not many things that I can promise you,

but this is one
Make Jesus the treasure of your heart

and you will have a happy home

So tonight we have gather together to celebrate and sing
Not just the marriage of Cacey and Megan,

but to our risen King
Who loved us and died for us,

so that we might see,
That through faith in Jesus

we are made alive, in Him, eternally.

Now let me end by pronouncing this blessing upon you
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, And the love of God the Father,
And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.”[1]

“May the Lord bless you, and keep you;
And make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
And lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace”[2]

[1] 2 Corinthians 13:14
[2] Numbers 6:24-26