Sunday 09/13/20
Series: Do we REALLY believe?
MESSAGE: Salvation…a 30,000′ View Pt. 1
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Salvation…a 30,000′ View Pt. 1
For weeks we have been using the 1st letter from Peter to illustrate suffering in the life of a believer… offering us practical examples of it in daily life… Such as at home with family, at work, toward government authorities… etc. We also saw in Peters letter the immediate connection between suffering (which is to deny your sinful tendencies) to forming Christ in you which is the entire goal of salvation.
But why is forming Christ in you the central goal of salvation? Why does God so desire conformity to His character?
Well, God desires eternal union with you but cannot fellowship (have continued and unbroken perfect koinonia) with character that is foreign to His.
So today we are taking a 10,000 foot aerial view of salvation ‘s goal a foreman Christ in you and some of its underlying reasons of importance.
As you already know, God, though Christ, reconciled the world to Himself by paying the penalty due for our rebellious treason and for defacing His image which we bear.
The sin of humanity was not a simple oversight that might simply be swept under the rug. It was relational treason…and the root of it was preferring self-interest over love and trust of God. That is why you will find at the core of everything God says throughout the entire Bible is it continued pressing Upon Our conscience the need to love God with all of our hearts and to trust him completely. Suffering becomes part of this process because when the human race fell are nature’s also found so that it is among our first thoughts to serve our own self-interest. But we were created for him and for his pleasure we exist so nothing could be more contrary to the very purpose of our creation than to be self-serving. We do him Injustice and we wound ourselves effectively making us birds in a cage or fish out of water. When we seek to serve our own self-interest which includes worry and anxiety which we will see later we place ourselves inside of an environment that is entirely hostile to our purpose in existence and what is most wholesome and healthy for our existence.
Let’s begin by looking at 2 passages which address our need to lay aside sin and how that directly impacts our ability to fellowship with God…
2Cor. 6:14-18, “14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.” 17 Therefore “COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE, SAYS THE LORD. DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN, AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU.” 18 “I WILL BE A FATHER TO YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS, SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY.”
2Cor. 5:13-21, “13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
If we place our trust into Christ and surrender to His Lordship we are born anew. He does we we could not do. As His Creatures we need our Creator to change our nature, but from that point our freewill lays it at our doorstep to make changes of character through choices we make.
Rom. 10:8-15, “8 But what does it say?»The Message is close to you, in your mouth and in your heart;« that is, the Message which we are publishing about the faith– 9 that if with your mouth you confess Jesus as Lord and in your heart believe that God brought Him back to life, you shall be saved. 10 For with the heart men believe and obtain righteousness, and with the mouth they make confession and obtain salvation. 11 The Scripture says, »No one who believes in Him shall have reason to feel ashamed.« 12 Jew and Gentile are on precisely the same footing; for the same Lord is Lord over all, and is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him for deliverance. 13 For »every one, without exception, who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.«”
What was dead becomes life, what was darkness becomes light – now internally…who we are…our spirits are made like Him once more.
Matt. 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Eph. 5:8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
1Thess. 5:5, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”
1Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
1Jn 1:5, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
Ezek. 11:19, “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,”
When this happens God can commune with us in the spirit, but God made man a tri-part being. He wants all of you! Spirit Soul & BODY. Which is where we get passages like these in Deuteronomy…
Deut. 4:29, “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Deut. 6:5, ” You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Deut. 10:12, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,”
Deut. 11:13-25, “13 ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’ 16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, 17 lest the LORD’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you. 18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. 22 “For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do-to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him- 23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. 24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. 25 No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you.”
In order for our souls to experience our new birth it takes place gradually…here a little, there a little, and because such change requires a death – it involves suffering.
2Cor. 3:17-18, “17 Now by »the Lord« is meant the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is enjoyed. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting like bright mirrors the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same likeness, from one degree of radiant holiness to another, even as derived from the Lord the Spirit.”
This occurs not only in how we act, but how we think. Not only in what we allow ourselves to pursue, but also in what we allow ourselves to desire. He does not want pretense He wants US…a whole burnt offering – all of us, passionately devoted to Him as He is to us.
Isaiah 1:11-20, “11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. 12 “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? 13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. 14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Matthew 15:1-20, “1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘HE WHO CURSES FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”- 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. 9 AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’ “
10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
This should not seem strange to any of us – all of us desire fidelity in our relationships. We want to know that the person we’ve committed our lives to are in it with us. They know us – they accept us – they want us -they will not forsake or abandon us and they have chosen us above all others with no divided loyalties. They will always have our backs, always build up the best and encourage us in our weaknesses and never betray us. They are 100% worthy of all our trust.
So God desires us to trust Him, but so often we are too caught up in our little lives to offer Him the one relational proof of our devotion which He so deserves – our trust.
The example of this I am about to read covers two things with trust being the central and most important one – then humility.
Luke 18:1-18,
” 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
“9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” [Even as we learned about last week]
“15 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
I hope this message will bless you richly…not because I taught it, but because it reveals Christ. He alone is our blessing and if in any way – whether big or small, 100% accurate or even just partially so – I have revealed our great God and Savior to you in a relationally knowable way, then this was time well spent on both our parts.
We at Living Grace Fellowship encourage you to place your trust in Jesus Christ, deliberately choosing Him and bowing the knee to Him as your Master and Lord, so as to come to realize Him as your Savior.
You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. The fact that you exist… that you are His creation, says you were in His heart, you are His delight!
If you do not know Him, please reach out to us. Give us a call at the number located on every page of this website or use our ‘Contact Us‘ page. We would be deeply honored, if you gave us the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will EVER be mentioned.
If you HAVE been spiritually fed by this ministry and WANT to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but please understand that all the outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.
Blessings!
