Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. Ephesians 2:19
Here the apostle Paul begins to give a different picture of what it is to be in Jesus the Christ. Most of us would view our trials and problems, that which I call opportunities, in an entirely different manner if we really saw ourselves as we are in Christ.
Our Lord and Savior always thought in terms of the Kingdom of God. In fact he was crucified because of these things. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Matthew 27:37.
To Nicodemus, Jesus said – “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3. Even our salvation, that which we call being born again has to do with our relationship in the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is where God reigns and in his presence there are no dead things. So how does this apply to us in this Scripture? Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people.
The result of grace – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39
In the midst of all our opportunities, let the freedom of God’s word let you relax and praise him. Enjoy the journey of being overwhelmed by grace.
a post from Sandy Garman
Grace. We sing about it on Sunday but have a difficult time living it on Monday. Sometimes it is hard to believe that The Almighty God would have grace on puny little us. Many of us have experienced God’s saving grace; the grace that frees us from our chains of sin. But we still live like shackled people. How can we break the bondage of our own list of do’s and don’ts; our own set of rules that keep us drowning in shame? We need to anchor our self image to the Word of God.
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1
2 Samuel 22 says that God “…reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He led me to a place of safety; because he delights in me.”
How amazing, how astounding that the creator of the universe delights in us. God cannot love us any more than he does now, and He will not love us any less no matter what we do. Nothing we do can increase or decrease God’s love for us. This is grace. It is astounding that God should love us so. Knowing this helps us have a more accurate view of who we are in Jesus Christ and helps us be more compassionate and patient with others. God in His mercy has shown his abundant grace towards us; how dare we not extend a small measure of that grace to others who are image-bearers of God?
Tim Keller in The Reason for God said this,
“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”
This is not easy to do. But when we yield ourselves to God and focus on His grace bestowed upon us, we will become changed people; overwhelmed by grace. We will hang on less to past and present hurts. We will forgive quicker, both others and ourselves. We will be more compassionate toward others. We will focus more on who we are in Jesus Christ instead of what we do for Jesus. We will serve him out of love and not out of obligation because we are following a list of do’s and don’ts. This is freedom. This is love. This is grace.
Be Holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
What thoughts come across our minds when we hear these words? Do we think we feel the importance of holiness as much as we should? Do these words bring condemnation to our mind or bring joy and praise to our mind?
Whatever we may think, we must be holy, for that is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Where is our Christianity if we are not holy? There must be more than just the name and knowledge of Christianity, we must have the character of Jesus the Christ being formed in us along our journey.
J. C. Ryle – Holiness – page 57 – “We must be saints on earth, if ever we mean to be saints in heaven. God has said it, and he will not go back: “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” Let not men deceive themselves, says Owen, “sanctification is a qualification indispensably necessary unto those who will be under the conduct of the Lord Christ unto salvation. He leads none to heaven but whom He sanctifies on earth. This living Head will not admit dead members.”"
To be holy we must begin with Jesus the Christ. He is the root and beginning of all holiness and the way to be holy is to come to him by faith and be joined to him.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29
What does this likeness of his Son look like? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22,,23.
Holiness lets us relax, for there is now no condemnation in Jesus the Christ, which allows us the freedom of worship and praise along the journey, no matter where we find ourselves. Enjoy his holiness, your life in Jesus the Christ is a new song of praise to him.
by Sandy Garman
The Book of Judges Chapter 3 tells the story of one of Israel’s judges who was left-handed. His name was Ehud and his unique characteristic was considered an exceptional asset in those days. At this point in Israel’s history they are being controlled by the evil King Eglon of Moab. Ehud is appointed by God to rescue Israel by killing this king. Ehud goes to visit the king with a double-edged dagger hidden it in his right boot, knowing that the king’s bodyguards would be searching the left side of the king’s visitors. Everything goes according to plan but Ehud loses his nerve and leaves the palace discouraged and defeated.
On his way home, Ehud passes what Judges calls “the stone idols”. These stone idols were actually an historical landmark for Israel. They were the 12 stones that God had instructed Joshua to be brought out of the dry riverbed of the Jordan River after the Israelites had crossed into the Promised Land. (Joshua 4). The stones were to be a reminder of God’s covenant with Israel and were to “stand as a memorial among the people forever” (Jos. 4:7). But the Jews had forgotten about the memorial and over time the memorial had been reduced to a pile of stones that travelers passed by with no notice.
But on this day, Ehud notices them. And he remembers. He remembers God’s promises. He remembers his calling and the purpose for which he was sent. He goes back to Moab and asks to see the king, telling him he has a secret message for him. The king ushers him in and Ehud does something for God that no right-handed man could do. He kills the Moabite king.
God used Joshua’s landmark to remind Ehud of his purpose. God use landmarks in our lives as well. We all have those landmark moments when God rescues us or empowers us with His Spirit to fulfill a unique calling. As you look forward to a New Year, remember that God had called you and gifted you for His purpose. Don’t let your landmarks become a pile of stones but keep them as memorial and testimony to the power of God in your life.