What happens when we fully surrender to Jesus? Yesterday I gave you a hint. It is found in the third chapter of the gospel of John.
Read John 3:1-19 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:1-19&version=NIV (Click back arrow on browser to return here)
Nicodemus apparently was convinced that there was something special with Jesus. The Jewish Ruling Council had been aware of Jesus and his activiites. They had been debating if Jesus was a lunatic or someone they should consider as a prophet/teacher. It's possible that Nicodemus had been selected to visit with Jesus in search of some answers or he came to Jesus on his own in his search of his own answers. Regardless, here he is with Jesus.
Jesus cuts to the chase and tells him, "...no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Born again? What is that?
As a result of our condemnation, our spirit within us is dead. Paul says that we (our spirit) is dead in our sins. We have no ability to have a living relationship with God until our spirit is made alive. So, how can our spirit be made alive?
Our spirit is alive when we are born again. When we surrender to Jesus Christ as Savior, our spirit is made alive, we are born again. It's that simple. When we believe in Jesus as he tells us in verse 15, "...that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life..." our spirit is made alive. We now have a personal living relationship with Jesus.
Actually, there are many things that happen in that instant we place our faith in Jesus. Let me highlight 3 of them in connection with our sentence on Day 3.
1. Death Physically: Jesus tells us that we will die physically but we will be resurrected with a new body, one that will never die.
2. Death Spiritually: Jesus tells us that we will be made alive, born again, as a result of believing in Him. We will have a living relationship that will never end.
3. Death Eternally: Jesus teaches us that when we believe in Him we will never perish, meaning never experience Hell, but we will have everlasting life with Him in Heaven.
Believing in Jesus is more than just saying a prayer to confirm your faith. It is a LIFE transformation that takes place. The Condemnation has been lifted and we have been Reconciled to him.
What does that word, Reconciled, mean? That is what we will explore this next week.
As you finish: Thank God for lifting the condemnation we are due because of our sin. We have been accused of breaking His law and He is right. The evidence is enormously against us. The sentence fits the crime. But Jesus lifts that condemnation when we believe in Him. What an amazing Savior we have. Thank Him today.
God Bless and see you next week!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Condemnation - Day 4
So far we've talked about some pretty heavy stuff. It appears that life under this "condemnation" is quite depressing. Most of us can handle a little discouragement but we thrive on encouragment. Is there anything encouraging about condemnation? Is there any hope?
Paul tells us in Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..."
The hope Paul is talking about is in Jesus Christ. Jesus offers us encouragement to our dire situation. He offers us hope that life doesn't have to stay the way that it is. Jesus gives us a detour from the road we are traveling and a better detination to pursue. The condemnation over our lives can be lifted.
How do we get this "condemnation" status lifted?
Jesus says, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." - John 3:18 NIV
The condemnation can be lifted when we choose to believe in him. What does it really mean to believe?
I can believe that something exists but I don't entrust my life to it. I can say that I believe my purple hotrod that I drive will get me somewhere but until I actually get in the drivers seat, put the key in the egnition, I will not have acted on that belief. That is the struggle between passive belief and active belief.
When we believe in Jesus, and that belief is considered active, we are saying that we need him to get to heaven. We need him to get this condemnation lifted. We can't do it. We entrust our lives to him. That is what Jesus is meaning when he says we need to believe in him.
Have you fully surrendered your life to Jesus? Are you willing to follow him wherever he leads you? Are you entrusting your life to him as if your life depended on it?
Read Mark 5:21-34 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5%3A21-34&version=NIV (Click back arrow on browser to return here)
This woman realized that there was no other way to be rescued. She needed Jesus. All she needed to do was to touch His garment. You and I can only have the "condemnation" status lifted when we fully surrender to Jesus, when we reach out to him. Have you fully surrendered to him?
If not, pray this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, I fully surrender to you today. I can't save myself from this condemnation. But you can save me from it. I believe in you as my savior and I fully surrender to you. I entrust my life into your hands. In Jesus name, Amen.
To be fully surrendered to Jesus is to know the Hope that God has for everyone of us. But what happens to us when we fully surrender? Is there a change in us? (Hint: John 3)
As you finish today: Pray for Pastor Rob and all his staff as they serve our youth and children. He is such a great pastor and his staff is truly outstanding. I believe God has great things in store for our youth and children's ministries.
God Bless!
Paul tells us in Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..."
The hope Paul is talking about is in Jesus Christ. Jesus offers us encouragement to our dire situation. He offers us hope that life doesn't have to stay the way that it is. Jesus gives us a detour from the road we are traveling and a better detination to pursue. The condemnation over our lives can be lifted.
How do we get this "condemnation" status lifted?
Jesus says, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." - John 3:18 NIV
The condemnation can be lifted when we choose to believe in him. What does it really mean to believe?
I can believe that something exists but I don't entrust my life to it. I can say that I believe my purple hotrod that I drive will get me somewhere but until I actually get in the drivers seat, put the key in the egnition, I will not have acted on that belief. That is the struggle between passive belief and active belief.
When we believe in Jesus, and that belief is considered active, we are saying that we need him to get to heaven. We need him to get this condemnation lifted. We can't do it. We entrust our lives to him. That is what Jesus is meaning when he says we need to believe in him.
Have you fully surrendered your life to Jesus? Are you willing to follow him wherever he leads you? Are you entrusting your life to him as if your life depended on it?
Read Mark 5:21-34 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5%3A21-34&version=NIV (Click back arrow on browser to return here)
This woman realized that there was no other way to be rescued. She needed Jesus. All she needed to do was to touch His garment. You and I can only have the "condemnation" status lifted when we fully surrender to Jesus, when we reach out to him. Have you fully surrendered to him?
If not, pray this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, I fully surrender to you today. I can't save myself from this condemnation. But you can save me from it. I believe in you as my savior and I fully surrender to you. I entrust my life into your hands. In Jesus name, Amen.
To be fully surrendered to Jesus is to know the Hope that God has for everyone of us. But what happens to us when we fully surrender? Is there a change in us? (Hint: John 3)
As you finish today: Pray for Pastor Rob and all his staff as they serve our youth and children. He is such a great pastor and his staff is truly outstanding. I believe God has great things in store for our youth and children's ministries.
God Bless!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Condemnation - Day 3
We've already established that we are declared guilty by God. The standard is perfection and we find that standard simply described in Exodus 20, the ten commandments. If we have committed even one crime against the law, we have failed and are therefore guilty. That guilt has consequences. What is the sentence? What is the punishment?
Paul says in Romans 1:32, "...they deserve death..." Paul is describing our culture and the condition of the human heart in chapter one of Romans. Because of our depravity, our desire to rebel against God, Paul says that we deserve death. God says to Adam, "...for when you eat of it, you shall surely die."
The punishment for our crime, our guilt before God, is death.
That death is describe through the Bible in three areas:
1. Death Physically. For Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity, are now subject to physical death. Everyone will die some day. Death is a stench in God's nostrils that He will end some day. But until then, everyone will experience a physical death.
2. Spiritual Death. God is spirit and in order for us to communicate with God we must have a spirit to have that connection. According to scripture our spirit is dead because of sin. Since our spirit is dead, we have no ability to have a personal relationship with God.
3. Eternal Death. The bible calls this place Hell. Because we are guilty, we will spend eternity in Hell.
What is Hell like? Lot's of people want to explain what Hell will be like. The best way to understand Hell is to look in scripture for God's perspective.
Read Luke 16:19-31 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A19-31&version=NIV (Click back arrow on browser to return here)
Sounds terrible doesn't it? We've been accused of crime. We've been told the evidence and declared guilty. Now to top that all off, our punishment is Hell. Sounds terrible.
Is there any good news? Yes, there is. His name is Jesus. Tomorrow we will talk about that hope we have in Him.
As you finish, take a moment and pray for our Teen Ministry. They need us to stand up for them and pray for them. When you see one of our teens from church, let them know that you are praying for God to do great things for His Kingdom in and through them.
God Bless!
Paul says in Romans 1:32, "...they deserve death..." Paul is describing our culture and the condition of the human heart in chapter one of Romans. Because of our depravity, our desire to rebel against God, Paul says that we deserve death. God says to Adam, "...for when you eat of it, you shall surely die."
The punishment for our crime, our guilt before God, is death.
That death is describe through the Bible in three areas:
1. Death Physically. For Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity, are now subject to physical death. Everyone will die some day. Death is a stench in God's nostrils that He will end some day. But until then, everyone will experience a physical death.
2. Spiritual Death. God is spirit and in order for us to communicate with God we must have a spirit to have that connection. According to scripture our spirit is dead because of sin. Since our spirit is dead, we have no ability to have a personal relationship with God.
3. Eternal Death. The bible calls this place Hell. Because we are guilty, we will spend eternity in Hell.
What is Hell like? Lot's of people want to explain what Hell will be like. The best way to understand Hell is to look in scripture for God's perspective.
Read Luke 16:19-31 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A19-31&version=NIV (Click back arrow on browser to return here)
Sounds terrible doesn't it? We've been accused of crime. We've been told the evidence and declared guilty. Now to top that all off, our punishment is Hell. Sounds terrible.
Is there any good news? Yes, there is. His name is Jesus. Tomorrow we will talk about that hope we have in Him.
As you finish, take a moment and pray for our Teen Ministry. They need us to stand up for them and pray for them. When you see one of our teens from church, let them know that you are praying for God to do great things for His Kingdom in and through them.
God Bless!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)