John 3:15-18 (New King James Version)
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Most would agree that there are things in this world that are not as they should be but
How is this Gospel going to answer the problems of today?
Many people are not convinced that faith in God can do anything in the world of economics, politics social reform,
When talking with some people they don’t see how faith can affect their daily lives. They cannot see the relevance of Christ in their lives; if they have a belief in God they don’t see the need to have God presence daily.
Even Christians that I know don’t see the need for prayer, or perhaps their faith in their prayers is lacking so they don’t ask God for anything.
To try and solve the problems of today the government like any government takes one of the following as their solution, economic structures, relationships, social structure, psychological therapy, or education, favorable taxation.
To fully understand where we went wrong we have to look back further than our own childhood even past the so called golden age of proper society perhaps in our grandparents day when things that go on today just did not happen, or perhaps they did happen but people kept it quiet.
To go back further we as Christians see the world as in a state of rebellion against God. Most people agree that there are problems in the world: it is full of suffering and injustice. Many diagnoses have been proposed and if only people were properly educated in the human values of tolerance and cooperation.
The problem on the outside seems like it is a human to human issue but when in fact the root cause of most problems we face is a human to God relationship.
The most serious problem we face today is a result from the fact that we human beings have lost sight of our proper relationship to God first and consequently to each other.
We can trace this back to what we call Sin. Man created by God to live in fellowship but to continue in this fellowship man has an obligation to obey God, but we are currently in a situation of rebellion against him. All have sinned and fallen short of God standard.
We can define this as a state of "sin". Following that we can define individual actions of disobedience are referred to as "sins".
Although you can say that we are born with this nature that is contrary to God and humanly speaking mankind has no desire for God, people often don't start out intending to be evil. Most people believe that they are doing their best nice to people and that is enough born into a Christian nation as long as I don’t do any of the major sins I will be ok.
If people believe that they are basically OK, perhaps socially they could do with more opportunities, or better education, it seems that Christianity doesn't have much to offer.
It's like dealing with alcoholism or any other addiction: the victim has to understand that he is addicted before much can be done to treat him.
Sin can be seen as an addiction.
So what has been attempted to try and solve this problems in today society.
Marxism looked at today problems and tried to solve them economically
Nazism tried to eliminate what they say as corrupting influences
Today it seems that people have tried to use what is basically therapeutic.
There are all kinds’ different ways to avoid taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions and try to put the blame on others, we see it today we are what we are because of our parents or lack of parents and push them blame onto others.
So how far can we push back this blame?
Adam and Eve as the first human beings. They were created by God. We all descended from them. They were originally in perfect fellowship with God and with each other, living in the Garden of Eden. However at some point they broke a command by God not to each the fruit of a certain tree. This seems to have been symbolic of a desire to be independent of God. This constituted the first sin.
As result of this sin, Adam and Eve were ejected from the Garden of Eden, and brought into the world as we know it now. The sin affected their very nature. They became subject to death and suffering. These effects were passed on to their children, and hence to us.
All human beings are incapable of following God's will, until God has regenerated us. This inability is a result of the degeneration of human nature that resulted from the first sin.
The image of God was not completely wiped out by sin, as people are certainly capable of doing good things. However original sin corrupted us to the extent that nothing we do is ever completely pure. Our motivations are always mixed with selfish desires. This means that nothing we do can be in the strict sense righteous or meritorious.
The Law
We can read in the Law of Moses the regulations both morale and spiritual the purpose of the law was that we could be held until the time of Christ
Forgiveness
Now we're ready for good news. The good news is that God is ready to deal with sin. He is ready to forgive and to "regenerate" us.
Quickly summaries this process of forgiveness
• Is based on Christ's death and resurrection, and our relationship with him as disciples.
• Is given by God before we are even prepared to ask for it.
• Is only possible for people who are willing to depend upon God to help them, rather than their own righteousness.
• Is accompanied by repentance a turn around from the old life to a new life.
The thing with this we did not deserve this Grace and we can partake of this grace through faith.
Read chapter from Captivating Grace
Chapter One
The Captivating Presence of Grace
Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound
It's autumn in New York. November 2004.
Freezing rain, weary drivers.
One carload of delinquents on a joyride.
Got the picture?
Their spree begins at the local cineplex. Bored with action flicks, the teenagers decide to act one out. They break into a car, grab a credit card, and proceed to a video store. There they charge four hundred dollars' worth of DVDs and video games.
Why not pick up a few groceries while they're at it? A surveillance tape catches the kids selecting a twenty-pound turkey.
Remember the turkey.
Pedal to the metal in a silver Nissan, the kids move along an irregular line intersecting with a Hyundai containing one Victoria Ruvolo. The two cars cross paths at approximately 12:30 a.m.
Victoria Ruvolo, forty-four, is heading for her Long Island home. Having attended her fourteen-year-old niece's vocal recital, she looks forward to home and hearth-particularly hearth. She's ready to unravel the overcoat and scarves, burrow under an electric blanket, and rest her weary self.
Maybe the silver Nissan, approaching from the east, catches Victoria's eye-maybe not. Later, she won't be sure. She certainly won't recall the image of a teenage boy leaning out the window of the Nissan as the car approaches. Nor will she retain any memory of the bulky projectile taking flight from his hands.
This is the part about the turkey.
The twenty-pound bird crashes through Victoria's windshield. It bends the steering wheel inward, smashes into her face, and breaks every bone it encounters.
Victoria will remember none of this-frankly, a stroke of mercy. Eight hours of surgery and three weeks of recovery later, however, friends and family fill in the blanks. Victoria lies impassively in a bed in Stony Brook University Hospital and listens to every detail. Yet her emotions are difficult to discern, given the mask her face has become: shattered like pottery, now stapled together by titanium plates; an eye affixed by synthetic film; a wired jaw; a tracheotomy.
The public reaction is much more vigorous. The media has run with this story; weblogs follow every new detail of arrest and arraignment. Over Thanksgiving, New Yorkers whisper prayers of gratitude that they were not Victoria Ruvolo. Over Christmas, they cherish their health and their fortunes a little bit more than usual. Over the New Year, they cry out for justice.
Internet bloggers and TV pundits suggest what they'd do if they could be in a room for five minutes with those punks in the Nissan. They'd especially love to lay hands on Ryan Cushing, the eighteen-year-old who heaved the turkey. His face should be shattered. His life should lie in ruins. That's how the man in the street sees it.
But it's all in the hands of the justice system. On Monday, August 15, 2005, Ryan and Victoria meet face-to-restructured-face in the courtroom. Nine agonizing, titanium-bolted months have passed since the attack. Victoria manages to walk into the courtroom unaided, a victory in itself.
A trembling Ryan Cushing pleads guilty-to a lesser charge. Sentence: a trifling six months behind bars, five years probation, a bit of counseling, a dash of public service. People shake their heads in righteous indignation. Is that all the punishment we can dish out? When did this country become so soft on crime? Let's lock up all these criminals and throw away the key.
Who is responsible for this plea bargain anyway?
The victim. That's who. The victim requests leniency.
Ryan makes his plea and then turns to Victoria Ruvolo, all the essence of tough guy long since drained away. He is weeping with abandon. The attorney leads the assailant to the victim, and Victoria holds him tight, comforts him, strokes his hair, and offers reassuring words. "I forgive you," she whispers. "I want your life to be the best it can be."
An acronym of Grace is God’s rescue at Christ’s Expense
You could say that it is the greatest rescue mission ever undertaken.
Man in his sinful state in total isolation from God longingly looking back into the past in the Garden of Eden, but in our own strength never able to achieve that fellowship or level of intimacy with God! Then out of eternity and into history Messiah bursts. Grace cost Yeshua everthing! And we can give nothing to deserve this great favour!
There are many Christians who are saved by Grace but keep trying to keep being saved through the Law!
This was true of the Galatian Christians
Galatians 3 Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
Paul’s question to the Galatians was answered in chapter 3:11
10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all these commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”* 11 Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Does this allow us to just sin with abandon? Of course not
Phil 2:12-13
12 Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God’s saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
This is Grace. “
1) God is working in you
2) Giving you the desire to obey Him
3) Giving you the power to do what pleases Him.
The key is Yield to Jesus! He is the one who performs the works of Righteousness.
When we are saved we do good works because we are saved not in order to be saved.
A Dog barks because he is a Dog not in order to become a Dog.
So where does the Law fit in?
Rom 7:16 “Wherefore the law is holy and just and good.
Romans 19:7-8 “The law is perfect and right”
So obviously the law is
Holy, Good, Just, perfect and right.
Grace is God’s unmerited favour. Love towards us (While we were yet sinners)
A) under the law God demands righteousness
Under Grace God gives righteousness through Christ.
There is a problem if we try to live according to the law by our own strength,
The bible says there is none righteousness, no not one!
The problem is we cant keep the Law.
The Law says Obey me and live!
Grace says whoever hears and believes has passed from death into life! John 5:24
The law says you must die for your sin!
Grace offer peace and pardon through the death of another
The Law condemns every person ever born
Grace says “There is no condemnation in Christ.
The Law can never justify a sinner
Grace forgives the sinner through the death of Christ
So why was the Law given?
Acts 13: 38 “Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39 Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God—something the Jewish law could never do.
But without the law man would have no knowledge of Sin
Gal 3:24 24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian and teacher to lead us until Christ came. So now, through faith in Christ, we are made right with God. 25 But now that faith in Christ has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
The law is our School master to bring us to Christ.
So the law is wonderful, without it we would never see Christ
Man doesn’t deserve anything! But God loved us John 3:16
So our conclusion is:
Don’t despise the law embrace it, not in bondage to it, but to allow it to show you your sin. And then allow Christ to forgive you.
1 JOHN 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.
Forgiveness is the way of God because it accepts we have done wrong, But there is mercy.
Forgiveness doesn’t justify a bad action, or excuse it.
Rather when we seek forgiveness we find mercy!
People need to be told not to be so hard on themselves! If God is prepared to forgive you, why can’t you forgive you?
God moves in our moving. Once our will is set in motion we can expect the power of God to assist us. Even though we may slip and fall in this pursuit of forsaking sin, the blood of Christ is still effective to cleanse us.
This is the wonder and grace of the cross of Christ.
The Law kills
The cross brings resurrection life!
Embrace the Grace of God today and receive Jesus as your Lord and master.
