Wednesday, October 22, 2008

In Christ We Are Free

As Paul preached in the synagogue, he shared the good news that in Christ we are free. "Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38-39). So what are we free from? Here are just a couple of things from which Christ has freed us.

First, we are free from the power of death. Yes, we will all die unless Christ returns first. However, we will one day be raised, just as He was raised. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory?O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:51-57).

Second, we are from the wages of sin. Paul preached: "through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you" (Acts 13:38). Romans 3:23 tells us: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." And John 1:9 promises: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Praise the Lord that we are free in Christ! Let me encourage you today to thank the Lord for the freedom that we have as believers. Moreover, let us serve the Lord because of the gratitude we have in our heart for what He has done for us.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

An Early View of Redemption

Many people mistakenly have the idea that God has changed His plans for man throughout history. He dealt with man in a certain way in the Old Testament, but when that didn't work out he changed His plans and sent Jesus to the cross to redeem mankind. Nothing could be farther from the truth. God has been planning the redemption of man since before man existed. He has always had a heart of love and compassion that longed to see His children come home.

In the book of Exodus, we see God at work redeeming His people from the slavery of Egypt. Exodus 14:30-31 reads: "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses."

Israel saw the redeeming work of the Lord and believed in Him. How much more have we seen of the redeeming work of God? Daniel in the lion's den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace; and Israel's return from exile all point to the redeeming hand of God. But the greatest work of redemption was the death of Christ on the cross.

And so we have hope. If God has redeemed His people from the beginning of time, then we can believe that He will not forsake us if we only trust in Him. Don't be mislead to think that your redemption was an afterthought. God loves you and He has been planning to redeem you from your sin from the very beginning. Trust in Him and you will never be disappointed.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

A Contagious Zeal

The Psalmist wrote: "For zeal for your house has consumed me" (Psalms 69:9). The disciples remembered this verse as they saw Jesus' response to the profiteering that had taken the place of worship in the temple (John 2:13-22). What they saw that day was a holy zeal for the work of the Father.

Sadly, we rarely see the level of passion and zeal in the church today. I emphasize in the church today, because we see plenty of zeal for other things. People are zealous about their sports teams, zealous about making money, and even zealous about hobbies, but when it comes to the work of the Lord, we are often bland--a mere flicker of light in a dark world.

I believe it was D.L. Moody who told preachers: "Set yourself on fire, and the world will come to watch you burn." What great advice for all believers. Passion is contagious. Live for Jesus with a passion and a zeal and you will be sure to attract others.

This week, let me encourage you to examine your life for areas where you can be more passionate for the Lord.

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