True Freedom

Thursday, July 4, 2024

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22-26

What is the condition of all humankind? What is the result of that condition? Does the OT law help with our condition? What is the answer to the human condition? How do we receive this solution?

True Freedom

It is July 4^th and freedom in on everyone’s mind. The greatest story of freedom ever told didn’t happen on a battlefield – at least not the kind of battlefield you think of in connection with the word freedom. The greatest story of freedom happened on a cross and in an empty grave. Jesus’ death and resurrection freed us from the bondage of sin and eternal separation from Him. This is the freedom that will save your life. 

Paul tells us in Romans Chapter 3 that the condition of all humankind is that we are all sinners. We are imperfect human beings, incapable of redeeming ourselves of this sinful nature. This sin in our lives separates us from God – keeping us from having a relationship with him. The law Paul speaks of is the Old Testament law, made up of over 600 individual commandments. If a person breaks even one, they are guilty. No one has ever kept the law perfectly except for Jesus. The law can show us our sinfulness andour need for a holy God, but the law will not make us righteous, only Jesus can do that. And it is available to all who believe. The way to righteousness is the same for everyone. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction… v22

So, we are all sinners, incapable of saving ourselves. But the good news is that God knew that and sent His son, Jesus, who paid the debt for us and reconciled us to God so that we can have a relationship with Him. Paul, in the same breath, goes from telling us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, to telling us that we have been justified freely in Jesus.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. v23-24

When we confess our sin, trust Jesus as our Savior and accept the free gift of eternal life He gives, our sin is forgiven and we are made new in Him. The forgiveness of God restores us so that we can have a relationship with Him and it is free for everyone, no matter who you are, what you have done, or where you are from. You only have to receive it and it is yours. 

Where are you today? 

Have you received this free gift of salvation and eternal life that Jesus offers? 

Maybe you know someone who needs to hear about this free gift. Be intentional about sharing this good news when God lays someone on your heart. Reach out to those around you – in your family, at work, in your neighborhood – and show the love of Jesus to them. When they see you walk The Jesus Way they will notice and want what you have.

If you have questions or would like to talk to someone, please click on the link and fill out an information card so we can connect with you:

https://nsbcweatherford.com/connect-card 

God Really Loves Us

 Wednesday, July 3, 2024

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17

God Really Loves Us 

Most of our problems in life are because we were not responsible in some area of our life. (Money, marriage, health, faith) As a child, most of us had boundaries we had to stay within and consequences to disobedience. As we grow, our disobedience grows and so does the consequences. Especially if we do not learn from our childhood consequences, or if we didn’t have any in the first place. Adult consequences are sometimes much more life changing and last a lot longer.

It is true that God does not usually remove our consequences. He may deliver us from whatever caused the consequences, but the majority of us still have to live in the consequences we have created for ourselves. Depending on what they are, this can be a very dark and lonesome place. It can feel like God doesn’t love us because of what we have done. He certainly cannot be rejoicing over us. He must not care about us because our cries are going unanswered, and the silence is deafening. But if we are His child, He never leaves our side no matter what we do. He never turns His back on us. He does not give us what we deserve – for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) Jesus paid the debt in full as far as God is concerned. We have been liberated from our sin by the lavish love of God. 

In Numbers 21:4-9, we read the story of the Children of Israel complaining and speaking out against God and Moses. The consequences to their actions were fiery serpents! They bit many of them and they died. But then God made a way just as He has made a way for us. 

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Numbers 21:4-9

God didn’t take away their consequences (fiery snakes!), but He did take away the ultimate consequence – death. The snakes were still there, but if they were bitten, they could look to the serpent that Moses had made and set on a pole and then they would live. 

This was a foreshadowing of what God has done for us, as Jesus said in John 3:14-15 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. We sin, and the wages of sin is death. But Jesus, on the cross, paid our debt, which removed the consequence of eternal death for believers. We still die an earthly death, but when we turn from our sin, we have eternal life by lifting our eyes to Jesus and trusting Him as our Lord and Savior. This is the sacrifice of a Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally, even when we were still sinners. 

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! 
Romans 5:8

All through scripture we can see God’s love for His people, even through their most rebellious times. He delivered, He disciplined, and He still does those things for us today. Hard consequences do not mean God doesn’t love us. It may mean some hard times, but He still loves us - and He even rejoices over us. Even in the ruins of our lives, when we turn back to Him and find our purpose, peace, and joy, He rejoices over us. 

As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.  Isaiah 62:5