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| Pegg Registered user Username: Pegg Post Number: 462 Registered: 2-2006 |
I believe I was saved from the foundations of the earth, but the moment the Lord lifted the veil from my eyes and I KNEW IT was one day when He pointed me to From that moment I knew the truth that there could be NO OTHER REQUIREMENT beyond belief. Anything Else Would Be Wages --> It's Just Too Good To Be True!  Our pastor preached about this on Sunday. I hope His message will mean as much to you as it does to me. Pegg ______________________ Rappahannock Christian Church - 10/11/09 Dr. Kenneth Wilbur Too Good To Be True! My message for this morning takes us back to our study of Paul's letter to the Romans. Today we are going to look at Romans 4. Romans 4:1-12 - What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God. What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Some of you were in attendance at the District Assembly meeting that was held here a couple of weeks ago. If you were, I think you got a preview of some of what will be said next Sunday. Alex Dillard told us about the restoration of this sanctuary. In part he said that they actually scraped layers and layers of paint from the wood of the sanctuary to find the original colors. I think this is the way we sometimes have to approach Scripture as well. Look at the words we just read in the letter to the Romans. "Credited?" "Justified?" "Circumcision?" What do those words mean? It's like Paul is speaking a foreign language! And, what's more importanat, what can all this have to do with my life? The situation in Rome is very different from the one we encounter today, but all we have to do is scrape a little and we will see parallels to our church and our individual lives. The Early Church in Rome was made up of 2 kinds of people - Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. This was a huge divide in those days. Paul sometimes speaks to the Jewish Christians and at other times he is speaking to the Gentile Christians. In our Scripture today he is speaking to the Jewish Christian group. The Jewish Christians have been living for a thousand years under the Old Covenant. The Law of Moses told people how God wanted them to live. It was detailed and exacting. In order to be blessed by God, they had to comply with rules upon rules. The Mosiac Law informed God's people that sin was unacceptable. But it also taught them, through daily experience, that they were not capable of keeping the Law. Now, the New Covenant that Paul proclaims is somewhat similar. In the New Covenant God still cares about sin, sin is just as unacceptable to God as it ever was, but Jesus has fulfilled the Law's demands for sinlessness. His death wasn't to pay the price for his own sins, but for ours. It was a sacrifice of atonement. Lastly, by faith in Christ we are cleansed and forgiven. Christ's own righteousness is credited to us. We don't deserve that gift, but the New Covenant is about God's grace, not about works of the Law. I would say that at up to this point the Jewish Christians would have been in agreement with Paul. The Jewish Christians agreed that we are saved by faith, but they believed that as soon as we are saved we go back under the Mosaic Law. Christians must observe all of the traditions, all of the rituals and rules in order to remain in the fold. Paul says, "No, no no! We live by faith from first to last." Gentiles do not need to be circumcised. They do not need to observe the Sabbath and its restrictions. They do not have to obey the dietary laws of the Old Testament. The blessings of God are ours because of God's love and grace not because we deserve them! In his argument Paul points to Father Abraham. He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Had he been circumcised? Was he living under the Law of Moses then? No, all of that came later! The Gentile Christians are just like Abraham! So what does this have to do with you and me? We aren't a mixed group of Jewish and Gentile Christians here at Rappahannock Christian Church. Here's where you have to scrape a little below the surface to find the points Paul is making that are relevant to how God extends grace to us. Maybe it's just human nature, but there are people today who are still resistant to the gospel's proclamation that we are saved, not by our good works, but by the grace of God, through faith. "You can't get something for nothing," they would say. "It's impossible that Salvation could be free! There's just no way our sins could just be cancelled out, our debt forgiven! Surely we have to do something! Surely we have to earn it, somehow! Maybe I have to give a big enough offering or come to church every week, or help lots of little old ladies cross busy streets?" But the hard truth here is, folks -please don't throw your hymnbooks at me!- the hard truth that is set forth in the New Testament is that you just are not good enough to deserve a place in the Kingdom. You never will be. You will never be able to earn it or to deserve to keep your place in the Kingdom of God. Now, that does not mean that we should go out and live like the devil. God still wants us to be holy, godly, kind, faithful, generous, hospitable. But that is between ourselves and God. No Jewish Christian can stand up and say to us, "Hey! You can't remain in Christ unless you observe the Sabbath and eat the right kinds of foods." No bishop can stand up and say to us, "Hey! If you offer communion to that Presbyterian, you'll be thrown out of Christ's Church!" It's not about externals! It's not about obedience to somebody's set of old or new rules. It's about internals -what's happening in our hearts. Here's what should be happening. The love of Christ should be so compelling, so precious to us, and we are so grateful for the mercy God has shown to us that devotion to the Way of Christ wells up within us. We are motivated to serve God and live for Christ by thankfulness and gratitude, NOT BY OBLIGATION! Perhaps you are thinking, "This too good to be true! It just can't be! I know have to earn it!" Don't you believe it! The truth of the Gospel is that we are totally undeserving, but God loves us so much that He sent Christ and has saved us! _________________________ | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10510 Registered: 12-2003  |
Awesome, Pegg! Thank you! I agree--when I understood that God isn't making a covenant with me, that His blessings don't depend upon my obedience and goodness, but that instead, the new covenant is made between the Father and His Son—the human substitute for ME—I was completely overwhelmed and undone. Everything changed. The new covenant is absolutely amazing. Jesus is all we need. We trample on His blood if we insist we have to do anything to prove we love Him. Our obedience is not part of our "salvation package". Obedience only makes sense after we have believed. Then God gives us the opportunity to begin to put the "deeds of the flesh" to death "by the Spirit". This transformation is not to ensure salvation. It is only possible after we have been saved. Praise God! Colleen | ||
| Pegg Registered user Username: Pegg Post Number: 466 Registered: 2-2006 |
What a breath of fresh air to hear this after Sabbath 2 weeks ago. (Scroll to my post #466.) It Is Impossible To Imagine Why He Would Have Chosen To Show This Kindness To Me! Pegg |
