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INSTRUCTIONS FOR GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE

(Colossians 3:12-14) Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

It is always good to remind ourselves as God’s chosen people, how we should act, remembering that we are holy and dearly loved.  In all humility, we remember what Jesus sacrificed for us. We have surrendered ourselves to him, and he has lavished on us holiness and love.  In return, we strive to do what pleases him by following his instructions.  Jesus put it this way, “A new command I give you: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34).”

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THE NARROW WAY

(Matthew 7:14) But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I was standing on the trail watching the approaching hikers coming from the direction I planned to travel.  As they approached, I asked them how the trail looked back in the direction from which they’d come.  Each one looked weary and haggard, and most of them didn’t give me any useful information.  Finally, an older gentleman stopped and smiled at me.

“Are you looking for information?” He asked.

“Yes, I replied.  I’d like to know what’s ahead.”

 He invited me to sit down on a nearby rock.  Compared to the other travelers he looked surprisingly fresh.  We sat down, and he began to share his knowledge of the trail.

“I’ve traveled this way many times.  In the beginning, I just relied on my own abilities.  It was always grueling.  I made it through, but I always had some type of injury.  The difference came when I met a man who changed my way of thinking.  He actually changed my whole life.  He showed me a better way.  I was amazed when he showed me an alternate trail.  It seemed so obvious.  I was embarrassed that I’d missed it. The alternate trail was narrow, but it was much easier to traverse.  Every time I came to a fork in the trail, he was right there to direct me.”

He paused to see my reaction.  I must admit I was excited by the thought of an alternate trail.  The one I was traveling on seem to lead to nowhere.

“Would you like to meet this man?” He asked me.

“Yes! I would.  I’d like to discover this narrow way.  Where can I find him?”

The older gentleman smiled, “He’s right here; let me introduce him to you.”

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JESUS IS THE SOURCE OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE

(Colossians 2:8-10 MSG) Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk.  They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything.  They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spiritual beings.  But that’s not the way of Christ.  Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly.  You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him.  When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too.  His power extends over everything. 

It is very common for people to intellectualize Christianity.  But no amount of study or discussion can give a person what Christ has to offer.  When you come to him, when you open yourself to him, then you’re on the road to understanding how God planned your redemption, and from that premise, you have the foundation to study and discuss the wonders of God’s world. 

No matter how intelligent a person considers himself or herself to be, their reasoning is flawed in comparison to the one who created the universe and all it contains.  It makes sense to first seek- out this all powerful and loving being we call God.  For knowing God is the beginning of wisdom (see Proverbs 9:10).  I began to make sense of this life when I surrendered my will to God and received Jesus as my savior.  I was given understanding that was unavailable before God gave me his Holy Spirit.  Then the words of the Bible became illuminated. The Holy Spirit guided me as I read , and I began to understand God’s truth. 

(1 Corinthians 1:20)  Where is the wise person?  Where is the teacher of the law?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

Jesus is the source of wisdom and knowledge. It all begins with him.  Clear thinking isn’t found in the words of man, but it is found in the words of God’s son. For those who desire to have wisdom and knowledge, you will find them in Jesus.

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REVIVAL

Throughout the history of Christianity there have been times when the Holy Spirit has come in power among us, and multitudes of people have come to Jesus to be saves from their sins.  We call this move of the Spirit “revival”.  The first time the Holy Spirit came in this way was on the Day of Pentecost.  Thus, when we pray for revival, we seek to revive the events that happened on that day. 

(Acts 2:1-4) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

This occurred in an upper room where the disciples and other believers were gathered together in prayer.  Acts 1:15 tells us there were about a hundred and twenty present.  As this miraculous event progressed, it flowed from the building to the street.  Many gathered to discover what was happening.  Peter stepped up and explained to the crowd that this is the Holy Spirit.  When he was finished explaining, about three thousand people gave their lives to Jesus.  The account in Acts goes on to explain that every day others were added to their number. 

Since this first manifestation of the Holy Spirit, God has caused these events to happen throughout the world.  The Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection has been spreading from that time in Jerusalem till now.  From time to time, God, in his perfect timing, has used these miraculous events to draw people to himself.

Each time there is a revival there is a powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, miracles happen, people speak in other tongues, and supernatural healings take place.  The presence of the Holy Spirit is so strong that people sometimes become overwhelmed.  Yet the most significant outcome is that multitudes receive salvation. 

The movie “Jesus Revolution” does a great job of showing what happens during a revival.  I recommend that you see this movie.  I was personally revived and encouraged as I watched how God comes in power for the redemption of his people.

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (3)

(Colossians 1:19-22) For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (His Son), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

Isn’t it interesting that God’s plan of redemption is for all things both in heaven and on earth?  The Old Testament (Isaiah chapter 11) talks about what it will be like when God’s plan is completed.  He says things like “the lion will lay down with the lamb” indicating that there will be peace for all of God’s creation. We get to experience some of what is to come when we receive the peace that Christ brings to us through salvation.

Through faith in God’s Son we have become holy in God’s sight.  We are without blemish and free from accusation before God.   Jesus made this possible.  God our Father never intended to be without us, and he has gone to great lengths to bring us back to himself.  The guilt that we lived with when we were lost in our sins has been paid for.  We are free!  Our sins have been forgiven.  Praise to Jesus our Lord and Savior.

The conclusion of God’s plan is still to come.  This will include a new heaven and a new earth without evil.  We will live in the full presence of God.  However, there is still time for those who don’t know God to take advantage of the redemption that Jesus provided for all mankind.  We, his children, are given the opportunity to share the good news of our redemption with those who are still lost in their sins.  Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (See Matthew 9:37&38)

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (2)

(Romans 5:6-8) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Why was this time, roughly six to eight thousand years after creation, and some two thousand years before our time, the right time?  In our attempts to answer this question, we often refer to the “Pax Romana” which basically means the peace of Rome.  During the time from 27 BC to AD 180, The Roman Empire spread to its greatest extent. It was a prosperous time that was generally peaceful. The Roman roads covered the empire, and the Roman soldiers patrolled the roads to keep them safe.  The Roman Empire encompassed a wide variety of languages, but Koine Greek was widely spoken throughout the empire. In short, the Pax Romana provided a great opportunity for spreading the Gospel to most of the known world. This is man’s idea of why the coming of Jesus was the right time, but really, only God knows for sure. 

(John 3:16&17)  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

We were powerless to save ourselves from our sins.  Justice demanded the death penalty for our sins.  We were in a hopeless situation.  God’s plan provided a way out of our predicament.  God loves us so much that he was willing to send his Son to take our place.  Jesus took our death penalty on himself.  He suffered a horrible death on our behalf.  He paid the price for all sinners.  Now that the price for sin has been paid, God can offer forgiveness to all of us.  This is how we enter into this forgiveness.

(John 3:18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The word “whoever” declares an open invitation.  All are invited to receive forgiveness of their sins and eternal life.  God has done his part, and he is waiting with open arms for us to return to him.  All we have to do is believe.   

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (1)

  (Romans 3:23) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

In order to understand forgiveness of sin, let’s look at sin, clarify what it is, and review how we all became sinners.  Disobedience to God is the base definition of sin. Sin came into the world when Adam and eve disobeyed God.  God told Adam and eve to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they would certainly die.  They ate of that tree. Death and self-awareness then entered into God’s creation.  From that time they and their offspring would be self-aware and have the knowledge of good and evil.  This opened the door to continued disobedience to God.  Humans wanted to satisfy themselves, thus they turned their back on God and sought their own way.  Their own way led them into evil. 

God loved his created ones, and he wanted to save them from themselves.  Living in a land of evil is not what he wanted for them.  His plan to redeem them was set in motion.  The goal of his plan was to make a way for forgiveness of sins and open the door for his beloved to return to fellowship with him.  The Old Testament scriptures walk us through how God patiently worked his plan.  All the time he was working toward our redemption.

Evil filled the earth and God brought a flood to reboot creation.  Noah built an ark as God commanded him.  He and his family stayed on the ark till God rescued them.  The world Noah and his family found when they left the ark was greatly changed.  Mankind’s life expectancy was shortened; meat was now part of their food, and the earth began the process of repopulation.

Time moved on, and the people began to fill the earth.  God called Abram to father a people who he chose to carry out his plan.  The story of these chosen people then filled the pages of the Old Testament scriptures.  Next week we’ll look into the culmination of God’s plan. 

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WHO CAN BE SAVED?

(Matthew 19:26) Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus said this to his disciples in response to their question, “who then can be saved?”  Do you have someone that you have been praying for that shows no inclination to accepting Jesus?  I have a small group of people I pray for that have not shown any apparent move toward salvation.  This scripture has been an encouragement, and it has helped with my resolve to keep on praying.

My wife’s mother use to say, “Remember, everyone is just one prayer away from salvation.”  This is true, and salvation can happen at any time.  We don’t know what is taking place in a person’s heart, or what circumstances they will encounter on their path, but God does.  We pray, and God does the work.  God’s timing is perfect.  He can bring them to that place where they see their need for him.  As for us, we trust in God’s ability, have faith in his goodness and mercy, and we patiently wait upon him. 

We can also find strength in knowing that we are praying in God’s will, because he desires that none would perish, but that all should have eternal life.  Therefore, we can be encouraged knowing that “with God all things are possible”.

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WAITING ON GOD

(Isaiah 40:31 MSG) But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.  They spread their wings and soar like eagles; they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

About six years ago, my son Ben came and cut down a tree in our back yard.  In order to use the area for a vegetable garden, the stump needed to be removed.  I drilled holes in it and used all the recommended chemicals to cause it to rot, but it remained solid, then came the drought.  Without moisture, the stump maintained its rock hard composition, and the ground around it was equally rock hard.  Each year in the spring I’d take my axe and strike it.  The result was always the same.  The axe simply bounced back at me.  So, I waited.

This year, the rains came, and the ground soften.  The soil was so easy to dig that I was able to approach the stump differently.  I dug around the stump and discovered that though the stump was still hard the roots had rotted.  Within 20 minutes, the stump was out.  The time was right, and the task became easy.  Patience had prevailed.

I share this thrilling adventure to address the topic of waiting.  Oh, I know that waiting is not that thrilling, because it requires patience.  Waiting on God requires patience, but in faith we know and trust God’s perfect timing.  The Bible is filled with stories of humans waiting on God.  Abraham and Sarah and the son that God promised them (found in Genesis chapters 15-21) provides an excellent example of humans waiting on God.  They were patient for a long time, but then they tried to come up with their own solution which greatly complicated the situation.  Yet, when the time was right, the son God promised them was born.

Waiting on God doesn’t always mesh well with our human nature, but in the end patience brings about the best and most often simplest solution.

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LOVE ALWAYS

(Matthew 5:44) But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7) Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered.  It keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  His last command to his disciples was to love one another.  He also taught us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  My conclusion then is that we should love everybody.  How often should we love?  Love always seems to be the answer.

I am grateful to the Apostle Paul for his definitive description of what love is, but knowing what love is doesn’t make following the teaching any easier.  Now that I know I’m to love always, I ask myself, “Do I do this in all my encounters with others?”  Not really is the true answer.  As a teacher, I wonder what grade I might receive.  Actually, I don’t want to know.  I think I’m going to need to retake the class.  I’ve come up short in application of the lesson.

Love is a lesson that requires daily and continuous application.  There are many obstacles, moods, fears, emotions, prejudices, and cultural attitudes to name a few.  Oh, and there is always my self-seeking nature.  In order to love always, I’m going to need a lot of tutoring.  Thanks be to Jesus that he sent the Holy Spirit to be constantly with me.

I’m reminded that the closer I am to Jesus, and the more I am able to receive the Father’s love, the easier it will be to give love to others.  I have my work cut out for me.  I not sure I have enough to get a decent grade for this lesson, but I’ll keep taking the class as long as I can.  It’s worth every effort.