‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.‘” – Romans 14:11
Have you ever missed out on an opportunity?
My son is 3 years old and likes to push the limits. Sometimes when my wife or I tell him to do something and he refuses, we start counting down,
“3…2…1…”
We are giving him the opportunity to obey, but also letting him know there’s a limit to how long he can delay before there will be a consequence. It’s not uncommon for him to resist until past 0. Then we say something like, “Alright, you’re going to time-out.” Then he screams and usually says something like,
“No!!!! I’ll do it. I want to do it.”
Unfortunately, time is up. We explain that he needs to listen and obey the first time we say something. Then he’s put in time-out.
An Eternal Punishment It’s not good when my son misses the countdown. He doesn’t like the 3 minutes of time-out. However, it ends and life goes on.
God has given us a warning and an opportunity as well. There will be day of judgment. We don’t know exactly when, but we know it will come. Until then, or until we die, there is a great opportunity to repent and believe.
If we wait passed the deadline, punishment will come, but unlike my son’s time-out, it won’t end in 3 minutes…or ever.
All Will Kneel All will kneel before Jesus and confess Him as Lord. The question is whether we do it before the countdown ends or after. Before, means to repent and believe and be forgiven and given eternal life. After is to have the horrifying realization that we missed our opportunity.
It reminds me of Joshua who asked the people of Israel what they would do now that they had settled in the Promised Land.
“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15
Heavenly Father,
You have been merciful to all people, not immediately punishing, but being patient that many would be saved. Give me faith to believe and help me to endure until the day of Your return. May my knee bend before You, my Lord. Thank you for Your grace.
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” – 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Have you ever suffered the consequences of someone else’s choice?
The students were getting ready for recess when the teacher noticed someone had taken some money off her desk. She got the class’s attention and said,
“Alright, who stole the money off my desk?”
No one answered. She asked again. Still, nothing. Then she said,
“I’m going to give you one more chance. If you don’t come forward, no one goes out for recess.”
No one came forward. So, the whole class had to stay in. Then one of the kids spoke up,
“It’s not fair! I didn’t take the money. Why should I have to stay inside?”
An American Perspective In America, individuality is baked into our society. We all are affected by it. It affects how we see the world and how we see justice and fairness. The very idea of someone being punished for something someone else did grates on us.
It’s because of this that Americans struggle with some of the passages of the Bible where God deals with groups of people.
God sends pestilence on Israel when David orders a census rather than trusting God.
The people of Israel are attacked by snakes when some complain against God and Moses.
God tells Israel to kill all the people in an enemy country.
Often, when Americans hear passages like this is makes us bristle. We immediately try to find some justification for why God would do such a thing. After all, it’s only fair to punish the specific people who did something wrong.
There Are Other Perspectives This is not, however, how everyone thinks. This is not how everyone sees the world. In fact, many societies, see the world through the perspective of shared honor or shared shame. A parent or child can bring shame or honor to a family. A single member of a village can bring honor or shame to the whole village. We could learn something from them.
Today’s passage is one of those passages that can frustrate Americans. It’s because of Adam that all people are born into sin and are condemned by that sin. How is that fair? Shouldn’t we all have the same choice as Adam? However, that’s not how it works.
Of course, the other part of the passage is just as unfair, right? We all can receive forgiveness and eternal life because of the one man, Jesus. Just as we all participate in the failure of Adam, we all, by faith, get to participate in Christ’s victory.
God’s Not Fair The truth is it isn’t fair. We shouldn’t be able to participate in eternal life by our own merits, but God isn’t fair. He is merciful, gracious, just, and loving. Jesus, unfairly, took our punishment and then, unfairly, gave us His reward. Thank goodness, God isn’t fair.
Heavenly Father,
You do not treat us as we deserve. You treat us as Jesus deserved. Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:6-8
What is your favorite passage in the Bible?
This is one of my favorites. In it we see the perfection of God’s timing and the unimaginable love He has for us. We also see our pre-Christ condition and our complete dependence on Him for our salvation.
It’s a great place to be. To know that God didn’t wait for us nor did He base His saving actions on our merit. He saved us because He loves us, period.
It reminds me of a quote from Martin Luther.
“when Satan comes, accuses us, and says, ‘You are a sinner. God hates sin. You are damned to hell!’, we can say, ‘You’re right. I am a sinner. A terrible sinner. In fact, I am the worst of all sinners. But I will be saved.’ And when the devil says, ‘No, you’re damned. There’s no help for you,’ Christians can say, ‘No, there is a helper. His name is Jesus Christ, who gave himself for my sins.'”
In other words, when Satan accuses us of being sinners, it brings great comfort, because Christ died for sinners.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for not coming for the righteous, for I am not righteous. Thank You for not sacrificing for the good, for I am not good. Thank you for dying for sinners, for that I am, and that puts me is a great place, in the center of Your love and grace.
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
What did you think of the Easter service message?
I don’t mean the illustrations or how well it was delivered. I mean the message. It’s wasn’t original. It’s been told for over 2000 years. In a way, it’s been told since Adam and Eve were booted from the Garden.
Why do we keep retelling the Gospel story?
Is it because maybe there’s someone listening who hasn’t heard it? Yes.
Is it because maybe, if someone who has been resisting the Holy Spirit hears one more time, they will finally receive faith? Yes.
Is it because you needed to hear it?
Yes!
We all need to hear the Gospel and hear it over and over again. Just like Paul is doing for the Corinthians, we all need a reminder and we need it often.
It’s not that your not smart or are particularly forgetful. It’s that we are constantly under attack from the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature. We struggle against the arrogance of works-righteousness, the despair of unworthiness, the allure of temptation, and the discontentment of selfishness.
It’s the Real Never-ending Story. So, every year, we celebrate Easter and retell the Gospel, but not just Easter. Every Sunday is a mini-Easter celebration and every day a renewal of Your baptism and mercies of God.
So, set reminders for yourself. Dig into the Word, daily. Retell the great story to your family. Encourage your church-mates with it. Share it with those who don’t know. The Gospel is the life-blood of our faith. It’s the promise which created our faith and which our faith clings to. It never gets old. It is always sweet.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.“
Amen!
Dear Jesus,
You have redeemed us and give us new life. Renew my Faith with Your Word. Strengthen me with Your Promises. Keep telling me Your Gospel and defend me against all attacks.
“On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” – Psalm 62:7
Are you going to heaven?
This is a helpful question because the answer reveals what we are trusting in for our salvation. Many people answer,
“I hope so,” or
“I think so, I’m a pretty good person.”
These answers are common but unfortunate. They demonstrate that the person is looking to their works, the good they do and the bad they avoid, for their assurance. There’s no assurance of salvation in that. In fact, if we think we can earn eternal life, we can be sure we won’t.
I hope your answer is,
“Yes, by the grace of God!”
This answer looks solely to God through the work of Jesus Christ. We’re saved by God’s love and Jesus’ work, not ours. You don’t need to “hope” it’s true or think about how good or bad you are. That’s irrelevant because salvation is only by grace through faith apart from our works.
So, are you going to heaven? “Yes, by the grace of God!!”
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for saving me by Your grace. If it depended on my works, I would have no hope. When doubt enters my mind, remind me of Your promise and remind me that my salvation rests on You alone.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
What sin(s) tempt you the most?
Maybe it’s gossip.
Maybe it’s covetousness.
Maybe it’s disobeying your parents.
Maybe it’s…
A few weeks ago in my sermon, we looked at the lies of temptation. Satan loves to make sin look great. He tries to make sin look like a blessing, but the truth is it’s a curse.
The result of sin, ultimately, is death.
It’s what we earn by our sinful actions. In terms of our actions in life, when we went to cash the paycheck for those actions, we wouldn’t like what we received.
It’s not always easy to recognize it, though, because it doesn’t happen right away. It’s kind of like drinking ocean water when your stranded and really thirsty. When you drink, it may feel good and you continue to live. However, you are really dehydrating yourself and will die, eventually.
However, the gift of God is eternal life.
Notice, eternal life isn’t a wage. We don’t earn it like we do death. It’s a gift. It comes from God at no cost to us. Jesus paid the cost. This is great since we couldn’t earn eternal life no matter how hard we tried.
Next time satan tempts you with a sin, try to look past the slick veneer to the death that lies underneath.
Heavenly Father,
Open my eyes to nature and consequences of sin that I might avoid it. Open my eyes to the truth that my sin condemns me that I might repent. Open my eyes to Your gift of eternal life through Jesus’ death and resurrection that I might believe, be forgiven, and live.
“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 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.” – Acts 4:10-12
Have you ever heard someone ask, “Aren’t all religions basically the same?”
It’s a relatively common question in our American society, today. Our society values inclusion and tolerance and one of the effects of this has been a growing number of people who want to accept all religions as the same, just different ways of getting to God or into heaven.
You may hear statements like,
“As long as you believe in God, your fine. It doesn’t matter whether you call God Jesus or Allah or the Great Sky Spirit.”
“All religions are essentially the same. As long as you are a good person, you’ll get into heaven.”
You may even hear more negative statements like,
“How arrogant are you that you think your religion is right and everyone else is wrong?”
In the end, though, it doesn’t matter what we think or what others think. It matters what God says. After all, He’s the one who gets to determine this.
The Bible is very clear. There is only one way to God and one way to heaven, Jesus. It is only by faith in Jesus that we are saved.
This can be a hard teaching for us, today. We may feel like we are being exclusionary and people around us may say we are not being loving or kind to insist that Jesus is the only way. However, it is the truth and to share the truth is loving and kind.
Salvation is a gift, but Christianity isn’t easy. We are called to stand in Christ alone and speak His Words, even when they aren’t popular, but we can do so with confidence. We can be confident that it is true and confident we are truly being loving.
Dear Jesus,
You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by You. Help me to believe this. Help me to share this with kindness and gentleness and always in an attitude of love. Help those around me to come to believe this as well.
“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,” – 2 Timothy 1:9
Are you holy enough for God to let you into heaven?
This is a question many people wonder and struggle with. 2 Timothy gives us some important insight into this question.
God saved you and He didn’t do it because you were good enough. He did it for His own purposes and because He is gracious. In fact, He planned your salvation from the beginning of time.
This passage also says that we are called to a holy life, but notice the order. We are saved first, by God’s will, then we are called to a holy life as one who is already saved. In fact, Hebrews 10:10 says we are holy because God makes us holy.
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” – Hebrews 10:10
So, the holy life we are called to is a matter of God telling us to live like the holy people we are through Christ. So, yes, if you believe in Jesus, you are holy enough to get into heaven. You are holy enough because God has made you holy apart from anything you have done or avoided doing.
You can also live in that holiness as well!
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for saving me and making me holy. Help me to trust in Your work making me holy rather than my works which do nothing for my salvation. Thank you also for the blessing of being able to live as one who is holy. Help me to live as Your called and chosen child to Your glory.
“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 been saved.” – Ephesians 2:4-5
When did you come to Jesus?
Sorry, it’s a trick question. You didn’t come to Jesus. Jesus came to you.
This is a tricky subject in Christianity. Many good Christian people talk about coming to faith or making a decision for Jesus. I understand. That’s what it feels like. However, the Bible describes something different.
We are dead in our transgressions until God makes us alive in Christ. Dead people don’t do anything. I once heard a pastor describe salvation as us being in the ocean drowning and Jesus is the lifeguard. We just need to call out to Him. This pastor’s heart was in the right place. He was trying to get people to believe.
Unfortunately, before Christ we aren’t drowning in our sin, we have drowned. It’s done. They are dead. We can’t call out. Like a great lifeguard, however, Jesus still goes out and saves us. He sees our spiritually dead corpse and gives us life. He gives us Faith. Then we call out, not in desperation as one drowning, but in thanksgiving as one saved!
Why does this matter?
Aside from being true to the Word, if I had to come to Jesus, I may start to wonder if I meant it or did enough. My salvation becomes, at least in part, my work. This isn’t just an assumption on my part. I have spoken with several people over the years who have expressed this very thought to me. It’s scary.
Anything to do with me is unsure. If it’s God’s work, on the other hand, it’s sure. Thankfully, it is God’s work and, thus, we can be sure of our salvation. You don’t have to doubt your faith or salvation because God worked it in you. There is great peace and rest in this.
Praise the Lord!
Heavenly Father,
You have given me faith and given me life. My salvation is 100% a gift from You out of Your great love and grace. Thank you. Help me to rest in Your work.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17
Why did Jesus die for you?
Is it because you are so awesome at stuff? Is it because you are better than other people?
Nope.
It’s because He loves you. It’s that simple. John 3 16-17 is Jesus speaking. He’s explaining to Nicodemus who He was and why He came. He later, by His Spirit, inspired John to write this for us. Jesus wants you to know why He came. It was to save you and everyone else. He wanted you to know why He saved you. It is because He loves you. It’s a simple truth, but one that changes everything.
What do you need to do to be saved?
Do you need to do awesome stuff? Do you need to stop doing so many bad things?
Nope.
Just believe in Jesus. It’s that simple. Jesus saves you because He wants to…because He loves you. You can’t earn it.
What you can do, however, is rest in His love. You can rest from striving to earn His love by your good deeds. He already loves you and loves you regardless. You can rest from wondering if your good enough. He loves you. You can rest is His words of love, grace, and truth.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for giving me rest.