In these past weeks, you’ve probably learned how crippling the education system has been to the hopes and dreams of your own, that of a student that you know, or even that of a young person that you love. If it has not been the disappointment and confusion of exam results, it has been the loss of securing a place at the university of your choice. To say that young people have been let down is an understatement. The Education Ministers have by and large put to shame the trust that students have put in the education system to benefit them.
And while you may still feel sore from being discounted by a system that should support you, your faith in Christ – counts you to be at better standing than others – even amidst failure.
Placing Your Hope on Vain Results
When we rely and place our trust on things that have the possibility to fail us, it is same as us resting our weight on a ‘leaning wall’ or a ‘tottering fence’ that at any time will ‘topple us’ and ’throw us down’ (Psalm 62:1-4).
When we place our hope in the hours that we spend studying for our exams, the hours we spend taking these exams, the moments we receive our exam results and university places instead of placing our hope in Christ, it becomes a vain hope. Vain because such hope becomes meaningless as we pass through life and worse when it can become a disappointment.
I don’t have to lecture you about disappointment, you already know what that feels like. You, as I have, still wince when you think back to the pain of results day and the heart sunken moment when you pulled that paper from the envelope and you saw 3 (or for me 4) letters that had let you down. A leaning wall, a tottering fence that gave way and let you fall flat on your face as you let those letters define you. Define your future. Define your place in society.
God Does Not Put Us to Shame
During times of uncertainty, we should not let the tottering fence or the leaning wall of our vain hopes define a future that God has defined for us. When all that we have worked hard for can be snatched away from us in a moment by the inequality of an education system, let our souls truly find rest in God who is our rock and salvation (Psalm 62:1-2). When the world thinks all hope is lost, you can take delight amidst sorrow knowing that even if everything is taken away from you pertaining to the body, the future of your soul is truly secure.
God is a fortress and a refuge during moments such as disappointing exam results but further than that He is a sure and firm foundation that we can rest our hopes, dreams, abilities and worth on. A secure place from which even during an assault on our academic aspirations we can join King David in saying :
Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honour depend on God.
Psalm 62:6-7
Knowing that He has saved our souls through Christ, we should take hold of the reality that whatever befalls , our trusting in Him means that we will not be put to shame (Psalm 25:2).
We are closer to false teaching and false teachers than we think. Jesus alerts us that both wheat and weeds will grow together until He returns (Matthew 13:29-30). Whilst false teaching and false teachers can appear very distant, perhaps they are closer to home than first thought. Although we would not like to think of our friends as false teachers or being affected by false teaching, what do we do if they are?
False teaching is pervasive
This point should not be taken lightly: false teaching is pervasive. False teaching isn’t as obvious as we would like. It won’t always be an obvious error; it will often be words that “itch the ears of the hearer” (2 Timothy 4:3). False teaching grips the hearts and minds of the hearer by using cunning words and deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:14) and before too long, your heart is darkened, and you are none the wiser. It is very easy to be attracted to false teaching, after all, it’s by fabricated stories and flattery that hearts are deceived (2 Peter 2:3, Romans 16:18). As John Calvin rightly states, ‘the human heart is an idol factory’ and false teachers are eager to proclaim things that assist in the building of idols in the hearts of man. We incorrectly assume that people do not what to hear false teaching. The heart, apart from God, does not want God; therefore creates substitutes that will satisfy their lustful desires (Romans 1:21-25). Even as those that believe in Jesus, we are regularly called to be sober minded since the ‘devil roams like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour’ (1 Peter 5:8). So then what happens when our family and friends are drawn in by the deceitful clutches of false teaching?
Charitable, yet firm
Similarly, as Toye pointed out in the previous post on false teaching, an important distinction must be made. In the same way that not all errors are heresies, not all differences in doctrine are errors. Whilst we may be convinced that our theological positions have ‘gotten it right’ in correctly dividing the scriptures, we must be mindful that we do not discern truth through our theological tribe rather than the word of God. False teaching is a serious issue and not something to be taken lightly. We should not be nonchalant when approaching a friend or family member that may be indulging in false teaching, instead we should approach them with trembling and much tears (Philippians 3:19).
If we ascertain that a friend is believing something that is contrary to the scriptures we must be aware that their very soul is in danger. We must warn them firmly yet lovingly to ensure that they are receptive to the truth (Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:15). Paul exhorts to Timothy in his final letter that ‘For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passion,’. (Timothy 4:3), we cannot assume that our friends or family have accidentally received and believed false teaching. Whilst the naïve in heart are certainly vulnerable (Romans 16:18), we must know that others seek out teachers to satisfy their lusts (2 Timothy 4:3). The antidote for the naïve and the knowing is the same – sound doctrine.
Our only hope
Paul explains in Titus 2 how sound doctrine and sound living are inextricably linked. Before Paul states how men and women should behave, he states what they should hear – sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). Faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17) and faith wrought by Christ produces right living (James 2:17). If we want our friends and family to hear us when we speak, they need to see how we live. We cannot be hypocrites. There is too much at stake. If you are trusting in Christ then your Saviour and your Lord has given you a cosmic imperative – love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31). And who is your neighbour? Everybody (Luke 10:25-37). When engaging with your friend who is believing false doctrine you are not trying to win points for your theological tribe. Instead, you ought to see an image-bearer who is being blinded by lies, be filled with compassion and seek to proclaim the truth that sets free (John 8:32).
Our response
How can we engage responsibly and with gospel fervour? I will offer some practical steps that may help us think through how we engage with friends and family members that are caught up in false doctrine.
Make sure it is false doctrine – remember, if your friend disagrees with you theologically it does not mean that they are being deceived. We should be able to hold different positions on non-primary issues that are biblically rooted and still maintain unity.
Be gentle – after confirming that it is false doctrine that your friend or family member is believing, be gentle when you confront them. Gentleness seems to be an undervalued fruit of the Spirit. In a time where rash words and quick reactions reign, let us mirror our Saviour in being gentle and perhaps God will ‘grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth’ (2 Timothy 2:25)
Pray often – No matter the eloquence of our speech or the passion in our pleas, our many words cannot change the heart of those deceived, only God can. Before we engage in any discussion, let us be eager to go on our knees to intercede for our friends.
Finally, be patient – God doesn’t operate on a human schedule. He is not in a rush and He makes all things beautiful in His time. There is no heart too deceived that can escape the saving hands of Jesus. Be patient. Persevere in prayer, in discussion, and in love. God has been so patient with us; how can we not extend that to others? (2 Peter 3:9).
With false teaching so pervasive, we must be vigilant. Let us pray that we will not be swept up by any doctrine that will draw us away from the beauty of Christ. We must be people of the truth, after all our Saviour is called the Truth (John 14:6). As we pray for ourselves and others, let us be rest assured that God is watchful over those who are His and nobody can snatch us from His hands (John 10:29).
Does my life have any meaning? If my life has meaning, where does it come from? You don’t need to have experienced an existential crisis to have pondered upon these questions; you only need to be human. Even where you may attach meaning to your life you may still feel within yourself that there has got to be “more” than your ascribed meaning grasps. However, if you believe that God created the world and everything in it, you have a more solid basis to establish your meaning upon in which your fulfilment and joy are maximised in the present whilst simultaneously dealing with that longing for “more”.
Created in the image of God
The power, creativity and beauty with which God crafted the world is majestically displayed throughout the creation account. On the fifth day, God created the animals of the air and sea (Genesis 1:20-25), followed by the land animals on the sixth. We then arrive at the pinnacle of His work: the creation of human beings.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
God created humans with a uniqueness that separates us from the rest of creation. We are made in His image and likeness (the imago Dei). We resemble God in the immaterial sense. We share His communicable attributes, possessing personality, morality and spirituality, enabling us to fellowship with Him and reflect His glory. The entire world is God’s masterpiece, but humanity is the crown jewel of His creative work. The meaning we receive from being created in His likeness, surpasses anything we could ever attach to our ourselves. It is divine in its very origin, giving our lives inextinguishable and absolute value and meaning.
What are the alternatives?
Without the image of God, there is no objective meaning or value that is inherent in human life. This presents both rational and moral problems. Rejecting creationism and embracing naturalistic evolutionary theories means that all which exists is matter and nature. However, as human beings, we love and care for one another. We have a sense of morality and justice. Can this really be a result of natural selection which is essentially survival of the fittest? The impersonal and purely biological evolutionary explanations of how we came into being fail to account for the attributes above.
Even some secularists have concluded that the absence of an objective basis on which our meaning is grounded, which is compromised by naturalistic evolutionary theories, produces a meaningless existence. In light of this, French existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said:
“I understand that life is meaningless, what I can’t understand is why I haven’t killed myself yet.”
Jean-Paul Sartre
Surely a better explanation seems to be offered in God creating humanity in His image, thus sharing these attributes with Him, the One who made them.
What about morality?
We all have an inner sense of morality. We’re outraged by injustices and evil. The evil, suffering and pain you and I feel doesn’t matter a thing if there is no objective morality; but we know they do matter. We believe in good and evil which in turn implies a moral law. For a moral law to exist, there must be a moral law giver (God), without whom there can be none of the above. Evolution fails to explain this because it fails to assume implicit worth for a moral law giver and the imago Dei.
There’s something within us that is dissatisfied with accrediting the fact that we love and experience love, to a trait developed by nature which the fittest displayed for the sake of survival and reproduction. Atheists such as Sam Carroll may raise the objection that we are simply reading the above onto the universe. But it’s less likely that we could successfully do so across the globe from generation to generation for over 2000 years. A transcendental reality in the being of God who created people with the same longing for that which is good, beautiful, true and moral whilst being all these things in His nature seems more plausible.
What about eternity?
At one point or another, we’ve all had that aching within us “there’s got to be more to life than this”. This longing for more within ourselves gives us a sense that all the world has to offer us doesn’t quite satisfy in the long run. Hedonistic pursuits where we jump from one pleasure to another prove futile as their gratification is temporal. This is because we all have a God-given awareness that there is something more than this transient world.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
The God who made us for His pleasure (Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11), is the source of joy and fulfilment our souls are aching after because He personally imprinted us with His image. He desires to reconcile us unto Himself, delivering us from our sin and into relationship with Him as we stand before Him in the righteousness of His Son we receive by faith.
Did you know it was possible for you to overcome temptation? Even when it seems like its too much, God always provides a way to escape. In this episode, we discuss how to overcome crushing temptation
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Walking into a new church for the first time can be daunting. You approach the door with clammy hands and a lump in your throat. Thoughts whizz back and forth in your mind like the Central Line during rush hour. Will they notice me when I walk in? Will I have to introduce myself or will they approach me? Will I like the worship songs they sing? Should I sit at the front where they can see me or should I find a seat at the back so I can be out of plain sight? Should I stay and speak to people after or should I leave early to avoid the awkward chit chat?
Reasons to Search
Maybe you’re looking for a church for the first time as a believer or leaving the church that you grew up in. Perhaps you moved country, city or area and you’re searching for a new local church to attend. You might be as I was, fed up with your current church situation – something just isn’t right and you can smell it from a mile off. Whether it’s the doctrine, the leadership or the church as a whole – there isn’t a Christ-centred approach to the way things are run and you are ready to leave.
You might be a recent convert from a different religion or spiritual practice. You may even be in the extreme category and you’re finally leaving a ‘cult’ and just want to find a safe, good church to attend. As you dread the long drawn-out process of searching for a new church and the possibility of falling victim to ‘church hopping’, you might be asking yourself the question, where do I even begin?
Pray
Prayer is one of the most undermined resources of the believer. Despite being one of the most impactful and effectual instruments in the Christian’s arsenal, many of us do not draw for it as regularly as we should. The implications of not finding a local church, let alone a sound local church, are major, both to our spiritual condition and our ability to fulfil the purposes and commands that have been set out for us to do as part of the body. Therefore we cannot afford to depend on our own wisdom to guide us to a church that will enable the fruitfulness of both of these aspects. The wonderful thing about making prayer your first effort in finding a church is that it will never be in vain. The Bible speaks on both the assurance of having our prayers answered when we appeal to God in His will and also the vast access to God’s wisdom when we ask for it (1 John 5:13-15, Proverbs 2: 6-7). God not only invites us to ask for wisdom when making decisions but he stores up wisdom that he is waiting lavish us with, to help us make the right decision.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
Proverbs 2:6-7
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God–who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly–and it will be given to him.
James 1:5
So we must approach God’s well of wisdom, constantly, like a thirsty pilgrim who continually laps up the water in his palms to his lips knowing he needs energy for the journey ahead. We must saturate every thought and decision with prayer. Along the course of finding a church, we must consult God at every step of the way.
Research
It is important to have a clear definition of what it is that you are looking for. Therefore it is necessary to do your own study and research in order to be clear on what a healthy church looks like. The Bible gives both demonstrative and prescriptive examples of what a good church should entail. The book of Acts paints a beautiful picture demonstrating what church life should look like through the practical example of the early church. If you study closely at the life and times of these early believers, you will discover a useful framework to guide your decision making for finding a new church to attend
And they devoted themselves to apostles’ teaching and fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers
Acts 2:42
The first fundamental thing to look for when seeking a new church, is both the leadership and members’ desire and commitment to sound gospel-centred preaching and teaching and following the sacraments (i.e. baptism and Lord’s supper). A church, whose leaders are devoted to shepherding their congregants through the teaching of God’s word and whose members delight in sitting under such preaching and teaching and allowing their lives to be shaped and changed by it. Furthermore it is important look for whether the members demonstrate their commitment, love and bond to one another through regular prayer meetings.
All who believed were together
Acts 2:44
It’s also important to look for sense of unity in what the members believe and how they live their lives as a result of what they believe. This means that membership should consist of solely believers, even if unbelievers are regular attendees.
Day by day attending to the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts
Acts 2:46
Another thing to notice is the attitude of the members; do you notice the same faces who faithfully attend every service, every week showing a born again love and generosity to one another? Do they have genuine tight-knit relationships, sharing each other’s burdens and their possessions with one another?
Praising God and having favour with all the people
Acts 2:47
What reputation does your church have with the local community/unbelievers? Are they engaging with members of the local area/borough?
Asking for personal recommendations from Christians you deem as reliable and trustworthy sources, particularly those who you notice are mature and growing steadily in the faith, is a quick and easy way to find churches that you can check out.
Explore these churches’ websites. What is their statement of faith? What do they believe? What are their values? Does it place the Gospel at the heart of their beliefs and affirmations? Do they have a correct biblical understanding of God and salvation, i.e. a Trinitarian view, salvation through grace by faith alone etc? Is the way that the church is set up and their practices, according to biblical command?
Examine
There is only so much that you can gauge about a church based on their website and testimonials. In order to get a better estimation of a church, attend their services.
Reflect back to your study of church examples in the Bible, does the leadership, membership, teaching reflect biblical example? Take note of leadership – look for joyful leaders who are humble yet eager to cheerfully serve their members, exercising oversight not under compulsion but willingly, not for shameful gain but with genuine godly passion.
Fellowship – does it have a membership that loves the brethren, caring for one another and their needs? With humility, do they exhibit born again love? (1 John 3: 16-18, Rom 12:11-17). What is the spirit and life of the church? Is it one of intense joy? Even while being realistic about their problems and suffering are they are able to remain constantly rejoicing? Is it an environment where the members have their gaze fixed on eternity and are able to find more meaning and joy on the living hope that is to come rather than their present reality? (1 Pet 1:3).
Finally, do they welcome you well? Could you see yourself serving at this church? Is there an emphasis on the members maturing spiritually, discipleship and equipping the saints for the work of ministry?
Test the teaching – do they teach the whole counsel of God’s Word as being infallible? What do they teach concerning matters such as roles of manhood and womanhood, sexuality, race, sin etc? Do they preach and teach on these matters uncompromisingly from a gospel-centred lens?
Make a Choice
All while you are doing these things, be sure to remain prayerful and seek God’s Word for direction. Trusting God’s wisdom, make a decision, choose a good church and commit to it.
If you are searching for good churches to attend and would like some recommendations, be sure to contact the OGGM team through our social media platforms or via email at hello@ourgodgivenission.com. We are more than willing to help.
This weeks episode aims to answer one of the more deeper and personal questions. What do we do when we’re faced with doubts? Join us as we dive into what the Bible says about this … #ThePulsePodcast
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When the Bible has been translated so many times, how can we be sure it can be trusted? Is God in control of the whole process? Join Mike as he explores the question: How Can I trust the Bible if there are so many translations? #ThePulsePodcast
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Separated, saved and adopted. These three words capture the progression of our relationship with God from unbelief to belief in Christ which we explored last week. We also looked at the spiritual privileges we receive as we become members of God’s family. Now we shall explore two more privileges of adoption and how they influence our interaction with fellow believers.
The Spirit of Grace
A fourth privilege of adoption is that we are led by the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of grace. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity – God the Holy Spirit. As Jesus departed the earth, He sent the Holy Spirit to permanently live in the believer upon their salvation. (John 14:16-17; 26; 16:7; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 3:2). The work of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God are intertwined. The Holy Spirit is the means by which we obtain the grace to do that which pleases God.
The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in the grace of God, this simply means maturing as a Christian. We must scrap all our self-efforts to please God (Galatians 5:24) through actively walking in and keeping in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). We depend on the Spirit by trusting in Him, reading God’s Word and prayer which empowers us to live in obedience to God’s commands. He works in and through our lives, producing traits which glorify God and reflect His nature by His grace (Galatians 5:16-18; 23-24).
The Spirit of Holiness
Lastly, children of God are led by the Holy Spirit into holiness.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Romans 8:12-14
Whilst it is true that we are led by the Spirit into knowledge of the wisdom and power of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11) and guided by Him into the truth of God’s Word (John 16:13-15), this is not what is being referred to in Romans 8. This speaks of being led into holiness.
To be holy is to besanctified.This means being set apart unto God, for His special use and purposes. This occurs once saved (1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11 Hebrews 10:10), but is also progressive. God gradually frees us from sin, making us more like Jesus in character and nature by the work of His Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 3:18) as we actively pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14).
We strive to please our earthly parents, not to gain their favour, but because we are their children. This is no different with our heavenly Father. We obey God in response to His love for us, out of love for Him and through the Spirit. Therefore, as Romans 8:12-14 indicates, we are being led by the Spirit into holiness which requires that we put to death particular sins in our life as the evidence of our faith and being born again into the family of God (Philippians 2:12-13).
This is not passive, but intentional and rigorous. We are not to rest in sinful habits and behaviours, but to kill the sin in our lives by submitting to God and resisting the devil when temptation creeps up on us (James 4:7). How so? By strengthening our faith through reading of the Word and prayer (Ephesians 6:16-17). Addressing temptation with the truth of God’s Word is crucial because God sanctifies us by His Word. (John 17:17).
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Romans 6:12-13
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
Pursue God Together
Belief in Jesus sees us enter into a family with billions of brothers and sisters in the faith, united by the same Gospel. By diving into Christian community, we are led by the Spirit of grace and holiness with greater effectiveness. I know it can be daunting, but reach out to your siblings in Christ. Gather together in churches, Bible studies or small friendship groups to study the Bible and pray. Few things compare to the joy of maturing in Christ fellow believers, sharpening and motivating each other as we grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25
A Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me from my sins, bringing me to belief in your Son and adopting me into Your family. Help me to experience the joys of the privileges of adoption. Please help me to submit to the leading of Your Spirit into grace and holiness, matured by Your Word, Spirit and my brothers and sisters in Christ. Please give me the boldness to share this with others that they may also believe in Your Son, In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Society has a funny way of labelling us by what we do or what we may’ve done. Defining us by our past mistakes rather than who we truly are. But not God. God looked upon sinful humanity, but moved by love, sent His Son Jesus Christ to die in their place and resurrect on the third day. Therefore, when God sees the believer, He sees Christ. He sees us in light of His Son’s perfect sacrifice with whom He is well pleased. Accordingly, we become children of God; members of God’s family blessed with great privileges which bring joy to the soul.
Separated From God
Not one human being who has walked the face of the earth has ever been born into God’s family. Everyone single one of us is born into sin inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12). Sinful in our very nature, from birth and as early as conception. (Psalm 51:5). Sin rendered us spiritually dead. Utterly powerless and incapable of doing anything which would bring us into a right standing/relationship with God (Ephesians 2:1). Walking in disobedience to God, under the influence of Satan (Ephesians 2:2-3). In short, we were separated from God with no way to Him. We were children of wrath, destined for hell and subject to eternal punishment for our sins (Ephesians 2:3; Matthew 25:41;46).
From Outcasts to Children
Well, this all sounds depressing and glum! Is there any hope for such people? Can I be rescued from this sorry state? Is there any way then that I may know if I am a child of God? Yes: repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15). God brings to life the dead sinner, making them responsive to Him. They receive this Gospel message by the grace of God and through faith in Christ alone; the good things you do are incapable of saving you. We only become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
John 1:12
for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
Galatians 3:26
Defined By Your Status in Christ
You are not defined by your past mistakes. Once saved, no present flaw or sin in your life is great enough to revoke your new identity in Christ. To quote Charles Spurgeon in modern English, “God loves to forgive more than you love to sin.” Take a second to reflect on the pleasure of sin; how good it feels in the moment. How your flesh loves to delight and indulgein it. Ok, that’s enough reflection. Having done so, it should begin to dawn on you the depth of God’s love and willingness to forgive His children as we confess our sins and repent. (1 John 1:9). God saves. He declares us guilt-free and then lovingly welcomes us into His familywith numerous privileges.
Sons, Not Slaves to Sin
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Galatians 4:6-7
In the book of Galatians, the writer was addressing both Jewish and Greek (non-Jewish) people. Both cultures had a “coming of age” ceremony where a boy was no longer identified as a child but a man as he possessed the legal rights as an heir. Therefore, he inherited his father’s estate. The context demands that I use the term “sons” to refer to both men and women in order to capture the fulness of the message communicated by the analogy.
Paul used this custom as an analogy to illustrate one of the privileges of being adopted into the family of God highlighted in the verses above. We are no longer slaves to sin. Though we may fall into sin, we are no longer under its penalty nor power (Romans 6:14). God has given us the capacity to overcome sin in His Son’s death and through His Holy Spirit who empowers us to overcome temptation as we submit to God. (Romans 6:18 James 4:7). We are sons of God with the Holy Spirit bearing witness to this beautiful reality (Romans 8:16).
We Receive An Inheritance
We are sons of God, no longer enslaved by sin. Another privilege of our adoption into God’s family is that we receive an eternal inheritance. God has entitled us to all heavenly privileges and blessings, secured for us in Christ. We are members of God’s royal family and we are co-heirs with Jesus. We will share in His glory (John 17:22) and His eternal riches (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you
1 Peter 1:3-4
An Intimate Relationship With God
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:15
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Galatians 4:6
As we are adopted into the family of God our relationship with Him changes. The omnipotent, sovereign, holy God becomes our heavenly Father. He loves you and you belong in his family. As Archbishop Fenelon puts it, “He has loved you too much to ever cease loving you”. You have a sweet and intimate relationship with our great God who is also our Father, with the Holy Spirit crying out unto God “Abba!”
This “cry” is similar to that expressed in Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane as the hour of his arrest and death loomed near. (Luke 22:41-44). This is a cry of dereliction and pain. A cry we may also make in our moments of loss and hopelessness. When we’re most distressed and feel like we’re distant from God, we can call upon the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, that we may remember to cry out to God in the most intimate way possible “Abba, Father!” The Spirit serves as a reminder that we may never forget that God is our heavenly Father who cares for us. He is with us. He is near and His Son understands our greatest struggles and temptations (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Regardless of whatever situation you find yourself in as you read this, God is near. He is a friend in the time of loneliness and the One we can call on at all times. He has blessed His children in both the past and the present and for the future with a glorious inheritance awaiting. You can only experience His nearness and intimate love once you’ve placed your faith in Jesus and commit your life to following Him. Next week we’ll explore our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ as members of God family and how we relate to one another as we receive the privileges of adoption.
Before going on a mission trip, whether it be long-term or short-term, we will need to be clear on the message we are preaching. With so many variations of different “gospels” spreading and polluting the world, we need to be sure that we know the true Gospel.
What is the good news? Have we believed it ourselves?
What Is The True Gospel?
Begin by watching this video, where members of the OGGM team give a break down of what the true Gospel is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oolvlAbMbQ
Questions:
What were your key takeaways from this video?
If you had 1 minute to share the Gospel what would you say?
What are the key components of the Gospel?
How Did the Fall of Man Affect Our Relationship With God?
Adam was made in the image of God. He distorted that image and forfeited his original blessedness – for himself and all his progeny – by falling into sin through Satan’s temptation. As a result, all human beings are alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being (physically, mentally, spiritually, etc.) and condemned finally and irrevocably to death – apart from God’s own gracious intervention. The supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to the God under whose just and holy wrath we stand. The only hope for all human beings is the undeserved love of God, who alone can rescue us and restore us to himself (Romans 3:21-26).
What Was The Role of Jesus in Reconciling Our Relationship With God?
Moved by love and in obedience to His Father, the eternal Son became human. The Word became flesh; fully God and fully human being, one person in two natures (John 1:14).
Jesus lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven. He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, exercising in heaven and on earth all of God’s sovereignty (1 Peter 3:22). By His incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus Christ acted as our representative and substitute (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Hebrews 4:14-15). He did this so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. On the cross He conquered sin, had victory over Satan, propitiated God and, by bearing the full penalty of our sins, reconciled to God all those who believe, bringing everlasting life to them.
Why Was it Necessary for Jesus to go to the Cross? Why Him?
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ, by His obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By His perfect obedience, He satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf. Those who have been saved by the grace of God through union with Christ by faith and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit enter the kingdom of God and delight in the blessing of the new covenant: the forgiveness of sins, the inward transformation that awakens a desire to glorify, trust and obey God, and the prospect of the glory yet to be revealed.
Reflection Questions:
Have you heard of any alternative gospels?
What is so appealing about these alternative versions?
What can we learn about the Gospel from the parable of the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44)?
Is there an urgent need to go and share the gospel? (Read Luke 16:19-31, Matthew 25:31-46) Jesus himself spoke extensively about hell, much more than he did about heaven).
