Why Live For Jesus? (Video)

Here's a quick clip from a sermon I recently preached from Galatians 2:20.

Most believers know what we are supposed to be doing, but not why we are to do it? So, why should we live for Jesus?

4 Parts of Effective Focus

Focus is important. What we focus on helps make us into who we are.

 

Here are 4 parts of the Christian walk that we need focus on to be effective members of the body of Christ.

 

 

 

1. Love Jesus:

"And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength."

Deut. 6:5

 

It all starts with us responding to His love with our love. Falling deeper and deeper in love with Jesus is what our entire Christian life is to come from. Without love from God and an increasing love for God, we will surely be a hotter mess than we already are.

 

 

2. Share Jesus:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth."

Acts 1:8

 

When you fall in love, you can't keep it to yourself. When Taylor and I got engaged last September, I wanted to tell everyone. We ought to feel the same way when we experience God's love for us. How could we ever keep a love that saves a secret. We must focus on sharing Jesus and His love with our community and our world.

 

3. Make Disciples of Jesus:

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Matthew 28:19

 

A love that saves is a love that changes. Focus on making an investment in the lives of others in order to see Jesus change them and make them more like Him. In the process, He'll be changing you too.

 

 

4. Celebrate Jesus Together:

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near"

Hebrews 10:25

 

A love that saves and changes ties those who have been saved and changed together. Focus on hanging out with other followers of Jesus to encourage each other and make much of Jesus. Don't get bogged down with routine. Just focus on Jesus and grow together. It's that simple.

 

 

See the common factor in all of these?

 

Jesus.

 

Focus on Jesus. He is Life, and our source for being who He has created and saved us to be. It's...

 

ALL ABOUT JESUS!



You Choose: Example or Excuse

It is easy to make excuses. I am a major mess-up, so I know all about them. They're easy to make when we sin. Others are easy to blame when things go sour. Its easy to expect much of people, but take no responsibility for/on ourselves.

 

I'm young and dumb. I come from a broken home. I grew up in a house where drug abuse and addiction played a big part. I have struggled to read. I go on stuttering rampages. I am not the coolest. I am a little ragtag. My pockets aren't usually full. I'm just all-around very good at making messes.

 

Those are some of the daily excuses that I battle, and my heart would usually love to use them. But, God says...

 

 

"NO!"

 

I'm chosen, blessed, adopted, forgiven, redeemed, and accepted by the one, true, living God of all creation. That gives a thumbs down to all excuses. That erases any ugly past, and any skeletons in your closet. His presence in us makes up for our stutters and stumbles. His grace empowers us to be more that young, dumb, and inexperienced. So, RISE UP. Rise up over your excuses. Rise up over your past. Rise up over your imperfections. Rise up over your surroundings. RISE UP! Christ did! And, haven't we been united with in His death and His resurrection? Rise up!

 

I believe that the Timothy of the bible had excuses. I believe Timothy had those who would look down upon him for his age and lack of experience. Why else would his mentor, Apostle Paul, say to him...

 

"Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

1 Tim 4:12 (NLT)

 

What will you be? Just another pile of excuses that point back to a broken and wasted life, or an example that leads others into the footprints of Christ? Will you continue to allow your downfalls to keep you down? Or, will you rise up in your new identity found in Christ Jesus? You are no longer to be an excuse. I believe those died on the cross too. Be an example today. The world needs Jesus. He has chosen you to show them His great love.



FOR US (Good Friday)

 "But He was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed."

Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)

Last night I sat and watched  The Passion of The Christ. With me was Taylor, my girlfriend, and Matthew, my 9 yr old little brother. This movie is what it is called, passionate.

Jesus passionately prayed in the garden as He sweat bullets of blood.

Jesus compassionately placed the soldiers ear back where it belonged.

Jesus passionately sought after His Father's will.

Jesus passionately took being beaten with rods.

Jesus passionately took being whipped with whips of glass and rock.

Jesus walked passionate steps as He carried our cross to Calvary.

Jesus died a passionate death as He poured out His life and was nailed to that tree.

But, what struck me this most?

IT WAS FOR US!

This wasn't just a movie. These were real events. Jesus was a real man, who was also God. He was really beaten. Real nails went through His real hands. And, yes, His real body arose from a real grave.....

and it was all for us!

That's the glory of the Gospel. The God of the universe sending His Son for our rescue. His Son paying our ransom. Its universal in the fact that He died for all, but its personal in the fact that He died just for you. Each whip, nail, and drop of blood was for you. What should have been us, was Him. He took our place.

For Him?

Realizing this must make us think. We must go further than teary eyes and a tossed stomach. Remembering Christ's cross and suffering confronts us with the question: Do we know Jesus personally? Have we given up our old life and are we living THE NEW LIFE with Jesus? Is our old life dead, on the cross, and have we been resurrected with Jesus?

Good, Pleasing, and Perfect.

We spend our whole lives searching. We search for something solid. We look for something steady. We look for something that stands up when others sit down. We live our journey focused on something that will make us happy. We pour energy into finding something that works. We have sleepless nights and stressful days while striving to find that perfect path...or one that at least works half of the time.

Search no longer.

If someone has ever told you that the Word of God isn't true that person is a liar. If someone has told you that the Word of God is not applicable don't listen to another word they have to say on the subject.

Romans 12:1-2 has been on my heart big time the last 2 weeks.

Romans 12:1-2
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

In a world full of uncertainty, this passage tells us that we can be certain. As the world rushes around searching without a clue, the Word says that we can have much more than a clue. God has HUGE plans for your life. He has a plan for your life that leads to good things. A plan that is pleasing to you, and Himself. This plan is perfect, unlike any other plan. But, none of that matters unless we respond correctly to God's grace.

The way to respond to God's grace is to offer ourselves back to Him. The bible says that by God's grace we were bought at a high price. Therefore, we no longer belong to ourselves. As believers, we have been made a new creature by belonging to Jesus. He deserves us. He is worthy of our lives. He is calling us to give up our life so that we may live a life that glorifies Him, but one that also satisfies us.

How awesome is that? God has our best interests in mind. Though He wants our life, He wants to give us one that is worth living. God loves you so much that He wants to give you something that will be good, and that will last forever. This is the calling that you have been searching for!

Turn it over. Don't debate if it's worth it or not. Jesus is better. I can tell you from being in the will of God and not being in the will of God, that following Jesus is much better than not. That doing what God has called me to do has been much more pleasing than living a life full of lust and sin. Knowing God's plan for my life by giving it to Him has been far more peaceful than living on the edge and not knowing what will come next.

You may be looking at what you will lose, but you will get so much more in return. Something that is good, pleasing, and perfect.

Jesus is better.

Names of God: "G"

Do you have a new life?

Generous

Gentle

Gift

Giver of every good gift

Giver of Life

Glorious Lord

Glory of Israel

God of all Comfort

God of all Grace

God of deliverances

God of Glory

God of Hope

God of Israel

God of love and peace

God of retribution

God of vengeance

God our Savior

God the Father

God who sees

Good

Good Shepherd

Governor

Gracious One

Great

Great High Priest

Guardian of my soul

Guide

Living and Dying (Romans 11 and 12)

In Romans 9 and 10, Apostle Paul goes into deep detail about the choosing of His Children, both Jews and Gentiles. He talks about our sins, and God's grace. He continues in this trend through Chapter 11.

Tonight we will cover two chapters. We will read through Chapter 11 together, reflecting on the choice of Christ, and then move into Chapter 12 to discuss the call of Christ. I must say that Chapter 12 is my favorite Chapter in Romans, and one of my favorite Chapters in the entire Bible. It's a good one, so hold on!

Romans 11

1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.


2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said,3 "LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."*


4 And do you remember God's reply? He said, "No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!"*


5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel* have remained faithful because of God's grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them.6 And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.


7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.8 As the Scriptures say,






"God has put them into a deep sleep.


To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,


and closed their ears so they do not hear."*






9 Likewise, David said,






"Let their bountiful table become a snare,


a trap that makes them think all is well.


Let their blessings cause them to stumble,


and let them get what they deserve.


10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,


and let their backs be bent forever."*






11 Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.


13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.


17 But some of these branches from Abraham's tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree.18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.


19 "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me."20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't* spare you either.


22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree.24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.






25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,* so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,






"The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,*


and he will turn Israel* away from ungodliness.


27 And this is my covenant with them,


that I will take away their sins."*






28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.29 For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead.31 Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share* in God's mercy.32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.


33 Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!






34 For who can know the LORD's thoughts?


Who knows enough to give him advice?*


35 And who has given him so much


that he needs to pay it back?*



36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.


Boast in nothing but Jesus. He is King and His grace is clear. We are not worthy, no matter who your family is. Don't look at denomination, or earthly preferences. Look to Jesus.

Romans 12

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,* I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.*2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.


3 Because of the privilege and authority* God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.*4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.


6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.


9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.10 Love each other with genuine affection,* and take delight in honoring each other.11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.*12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.


14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!


17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.


19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,






"I will take revenge;


I will pay them back,"*


says the LORD.






20 Instead,






"If your enemies are hungry, feed them.


If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.


In doing this, you will heap


burning coals of shame on their heads."*






21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.



I absolutely love this Chapter. I am in love with it because it is frank. I am in love with it because it is honest and doesn’t hold back. But, I am also in love with this Chapter because it is full of grace. I find my heart beating faster and faster due to the eloquence that Paul exhibits as he writes this letter of declaration and truth.



In this chapter, we see what we are called to be. We are called to worship. We are called to be humble. We are called to use what God has given us. We are called to love others and be patient with them. We are commanded to forgive. And, finally, we are called to live VICTORIOUSLY! How about that?





Called to Be…

To start off Chapter 12, Paul tells us that we are to do a whole lot more than just exist. Paul pleads with us to give our lives as a sacrifice. A living one at that…



Basically, Paul says that we are called to give up our rights. In our country, we have rights. With the constitution, and etc., we are given freedoms. In our Christianity, we are called to give these rights to Christ. We are to be crucified with Christ.



To follow Jesus, is to do what Jesus does. Well, Jesus was a living sacrifice to the Father. We find Him in the garden on Gethsemane, praying that God’s will be done over His own. We find Him being obedient as He is beaten beyond recognition. And, we see the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings, being a living sacrifice as He dies. Even in his death He remained what The Father called Him to be.



We are to have the same life as the man we follow. We are submit our every desire to the cross as we shout, “Your will be done”, to the Father. We have been called to throw out every plan of man, and pick up our lives to follow Jesus. This means we go to school where Jesus wants us to attend. We work the job that Jesus wants us to work. We marry who Jesus wants us to marry. The call of Christ is to crucify our every right, so that we may have the freedom of Christ. And when we do this, we become the most blessed people on earth.



Acceptable? Paul writes that being a living sacrifice is the only thing that God sees as acceptable. Heart Check: Have you submitted your life to Jesus? Are you taking the steps that Jesus wants you to take? Or, do you find yourself in a self consumed world? I can tell you, submitting to God’s will is not comfortable, but it’s worth it. There is such a peace. Do you have peace about the future? Do you have a peace about the now? Oh, and by the way, you may not understand why God is telling you to do something. Good news: God isn’t calling you to understand, but to obey.



We are called to be a living sacrifice.



Called to Worship

Everything that we do is an act of worship. But, who are we worshiping? If we are anything but a living sacrifice to Christ, then we are not worshiping Jesus.



To follow the commands, and to walk every step in the Spirit, is true worship. We see this as Jesus speaks with the women at the well in John 4.



We are to rise and worship in Spirit and in Truth. Look at your life. Look at who you hangout with. Look at the music that you listen to. Look at the TV shows that you watch. These are all acts of worship. Who are you worshiping?



Called to Humbleness

When asked what a great characteristic of Jesus is, you have to mention humbleness. Jesus was a humble man.



To be a living sacrifice to the Father, we must be HUMBLE. In verse 3, Paul gives the Romans a warning. He tells us to not think that we are better than we are. Recently, God gave me a heart check here. I must say, He wanted to crush my pride. So often we think that we are invincible, and to our surprise, we are not. This is why it is so important to place every thought and desire on the walking altar.



We must make sure that we are not the focal point of our lives. Christ has to be. The glorification of HIS name has to be our top priority.



Who are you? Boast in nothing but The LORD.



Call to use the Gifts of God

As workers in the army of God, He has equipped us with the tools to get the job done.



Paul writes that God gives us these gifts and abilities through His grace. His grace makes these gifts a privilege to use. We should not boast about them, but feel free to use them.



God has given His children different gifts. But, they are all of value. If you follow Jesus, He has blessed you with spiritual gifts so that you may glorify His name. What a privilege! Are using yours?



Called to Love and Love with Patience

People get on your nerves like they do mine. As believers in Christ, we are called to have a SINCERE love for others. Paul reminds us to not pretend, but to be real.



Who do you struggle to love? Why do you struggle to love them? Think about it. Is it something silly, like them smacking their food when they eat? Or is it a serious habit? Do they struggle with honesty or commitment?



Just Saying: You struggle too. Just like me. But, through our stubbornness and sin, Jesus still loves us with a genuine affection. Are we not called to be living sacrifices for the cause of Christ? Then, should we not love the world and be patient with others? Yes, they are annoying, but we are too.



Called to Forgive

This leads us to forgiveness. As Christ loved us, He forgave us.



We have all been hurt. We have all been at the place where we feel that we’ve been wronged.



GIVE IT AWAY! Paul tells us not to hold on to this junk. Unforgiveness drags us down. We have to leave vengeance up to the Lord.



What if Jesus were to hold a grudge against you? What if He refused to show you pardon?



Who are you holding a grudge against?



Called to Victorious Living!

I love verse 21. “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”



God’s will is good, as we discussed earlier. Do God’s will. This is where the extreme blessing comes in. Because, God’s plan contains no worry and no doubt. We can be sure that God’s will is right. We can be sure that when we follow God’s will, we have been made right.



When we walk the way we want to, we walk in defeat. When we walk with Jesus, we walk in VICTORY!



Are you seeking God’s will? Do.

Pretty Feet and Big Hugs (Romans 10)

In Romans 9, we discussed Jews and Gentiles, Promises and Breaking Promises, and Faith versus Works. The Holy Spirit continues to work on us through Chapter 10...

Romans 10

1 Dear brothers and sisters,* the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.3 For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.* As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.*6 But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven?' (to bring Christ down to earth).7 And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead?' (to bring Christ back to life again)."8 In fact, it says,






"The message is very close at hand;


it is on your lips and in your heart."*






And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:9 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.10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.11 As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."*12 Jew and Gentile* are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.13 For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."*


14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"*


16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "LORD, who has believed our message?"*17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:






"The message has gone throughout the earth,


and the words to all the world."*






19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,






"I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation.


I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles."*






20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,






"I was found by people who were not looking for me.


I showed myself to those who were not asking for me."*






21 But regarding Israel, God said,






"All day long I opened my arms to them,


but they were disobedient and rebellious."*



Re-cap:
 
In verses 1-4, Paul re-caps Chapter 9. He writes about his love for the Jews. Paul had the love of Christ within him. He re-establishes the fact that they refuse to follow God's way, which is The Way: Jesus. I love that the NLT uses the word "clinging" in verse 3. I can see the entire human race with a tight grip around their sin, refusing to let go of themselves. (We are all guilty)
 
News that is Good
 
Starting in verse 5, Paul writes the Gospel. Paul preaches the good news through writing utensil and paper. He establishes that Christ came for us. He did not sit in heaven, pumping His religious fist, but He left his throne to come get His people.
 
Work? The bible clearly teaches that salvation is a free gift. This passage re-iterates that. Verse 8 expresses that salvation is within easy reach. How awesome is that? It is in easy-reach because Jesus brought it straight to us. Straight to the manger, straight to the cross, and straight from the grave. Jesus brought it.
 
So what does that mean  for us? Read it, hear it, believe it, and live it. We must know and have confidence that Jesus saves, and that He is capable of saving us. Jesus is the only one capable of making us right with the Father, and we must trust in that fact through every smile and every trial.
 
Pretty Feet-
 
After we believe, we are given direct directions. In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus tells the disciples to go and make disciples. Meaning, go, preach the Gospel, and teach them that Jesus is Lord. Paul knew this. Paul writes in verse 14 that those who do not know Jesus, will not know Him unless those who do know Jesus, tell them about Him. You get all of that?
 
If you believe, you are called to tell. You are called to tell the precious message of God's love to those who do not know it! And if you do this, you have beautiful feet.
 
I hate feet. They gross me out. Feet have never been seen as glorious or precious. That is why it was such a big deal for Jesus to wash the disciples feet. They're gross. Those feet belonged to men who wore flip-flops and rode camels. They belonged to men whose top priority was probably not their personal hygiene. Jesus did this to serve. We are to serve. One way to serve is by sharing the Gospel. The word tells us that all who share the good news have gorgeous feet.
 
What does God see when he looks at your feet? Are you spreading the Good News? Did you share it today? Why or why not? Heart-check.
 
Big hug...or Not?
 
Paul makes it clear that many will not cuddle up to the Gospel. Many people will reject what you have to say if you are telling the truth about Jesus. It will not be a bunch of big hugs, but you may have to deal with a rejection. As believers, this should break our heart in a way that motivates us to tell so many more souls!
 
If you have embraced Jesus, rejoice. If you have led someone to Christ, rejoice.
 
God's Love: Take it and tell it. It's a gift, and a privilege!

Declaration of Dependence (Romans 3)

In Romans 1 and 2, it was good. It gets even better in Romans 3.

Romans 3

1 Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.*

3 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. As the Scriptures say about him,






"You will be proved right in what you say,


and you will win your case in court."*






5 "But," some might say, "our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair, then, for him to punish us?" (This is merely a human point of view.)6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?7 "But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?"8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!" Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.






All People Are Sinners


9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,* are under the power of sin.10 As the Scriptures say,






"No one is righteous—


not even one.


11 No one is truly wise;


no one is seeking God.


12 All have turned away;


all have become useless.


No one does good,


not a single one."*


13 "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.


Their tongues are filled with lies."


"Snake venom drips from their lips."*


14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."*


15 "They rush to commit murder.


16 Destruction and misery always follow them.


17 They don't know where to find peace."*


18 "They have no fear of God at all."*






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.

We are wrong. Jesus is right. It's a good thing that Jesus is right.
 
WE ARE WRONG
Look at your life: Yes, the past mistakes, current struggles, and future obstacles. The statement that "we are wrong" is obvious. God uses Paul to say this in Romans 3.
 
It is obvious that we are all cursed by sin. We have been stained by the filth of this life and our decisions. Look at the statistics. They prove that we are wrong. Verses 10-18 screams of our sinfulness. Verse 15 says that we even run to murder, yes, that includes you. God's word says it. That is powerful, and convicting.
 
Romans 3:23 is one of the most used, read, taught, and preached scriptures in the history of holy scripture, and for good reason. The fact that we have all sinned and that no one is excluded convicts hearts, breaks egos, and calls us all to repentance. THIS IS GOOD STUFF.
 
So what?
 
Jesus is Right
Jesus is not only right, but He is all righteousness summed up in one name. God is good, so is His Son. Romans 3:4 states that God is true. John 14:6 states that Jesus is Truth. Both of the statements are true.
 
Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years. He did so without sinning. That's tough stuff, and it continues to be true. Jesus was righteous, blameless, good, holy, salvation, right, pure, and everything thing else that can be labeled as good.
 
So what?!

Jesus being right benefits us
Usually disagreements make people sour. If someone else is right, and we are wrong, it usually does not go over well. This situation should be handled differently. We are wrong. Jesus is right. This benefits us.

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.

The grace of God should bring tears of joy to our eyes.

We are sinful, Jesus was not, so he could take our place. Don't you get it? If Jesus was not blameless he could not satisfy God's holy and just wrath. Out of love and righteousness, Jesus did something scandalous. He gave us what we didn't deserve. We have reason to celebrate our perfect and worthy King. His name is Jesus.



Chapter 3 can be summed up by saying... God is good. We are not. Jesus is the answer. Boast only in Him, for He alone is worthy.

Let's declare dependence on the one and only Jesus Christ.

Fire Ants...

I often ask the popular question..."why?". Why this and why that. It is a natural action of the human mind, most of them anyways, to search for reasoning or the "why" factor in most situations. I often ask myself and even God why about the simple or even silly things of life. Why was it Adam and Eve and not George and Martha? Or why do I find myself stumping my toe on things that seem to have been in the same place for a century? Oh and I always seem to question why god created fire ants while I'm dancing across my yard and swiping at my feet and legs.
Then again there are the serious, more impacting questions that we ask. It seems to me that every time something goes terribly wrong we seem to look at the sky, shake our heads, and say, "Why God?". I admit I am guilty of this insanity and often forget that, "It rains on the just and unjust alike". I am so quick to throw all of the blame into God's arms and tend to forget that the world we live in is an imperfect one.
I also often forget to ask God the question of, "Why did you bless me so much?". Or "Why do I have a place to live and enough food to eat". It's quite obvious that we're okay with the good but it happens to slip our minds to rest it upon the shoulders of the almighty one. We can curse the heavens when we have red insects running up our ankles but we forget to to praise the Lord when everything is right. Praise the Lord through everything, with all that is within you, and at all times, not just when its comfortable or the sunshine seems to be just right.
Tonight as I sit here typing away, I think about grace. Not just a song but the true grace of God. I imagine his nail pierced hands and his thorn crowned brow. I think about the words, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.", that my Jesus prayed while he was hanging on that cross. Tonight I ask, "Why does he love me, the undeserving, that much?"....