And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
(Romans 4:5 – ESV)
(Romans 4:5 – ESV)
This is the truth that anchors us in a real hope. Unlike all other hope it is not dependent on our efforts or other factors, but on God and His own character alone. As we see it demonstrated in the death of Christ we know that it is real, it is sure, it is hope we can count on, the only one. People are getting really excited about the false hopes of humanity but they depend on humanity and its goodness not on God and His. How can they depend on some collective consciousness when they cannot even depend on themselves? If people aren’t as good as them and they have trouble, how can they do this, why would they believe it?
They can say yes they can all they want but their own lives and the lives of the others who have messed things up in the first place (which is who they are depending on) these lives tell the true story that no they can’t. What makes them think they can unless they think they are God? That is the real problem; they think they are God. They won’t say it, but in their hearts they believe in the goodness of mankind, the ability to save ourselves. If they will just open their eyes they will see their demise without the true God. But unless God opens their eyes will they ever see – no, they can’t.
This truth is why we see the need for suffering and evil in the world – to continue to show us that we need the Lord. Can we stop poverty by our purity – no we can’t. Can Jesus Christ give hope to the humble – yes He can.
Ungodliness means not like God, not only in holiness but also in power. We cannot band together and take care of it all. Yes we should love all our neighbors and try and help where we can, and truthfully we would do a lot if people would get together, but it will never be enough. The truth is that we will never band ourselves in unity enough to be able to reach such heights that we can climb our way out of our own hearts. We love Him because He first loved us. We can love others with true love because we have received the true love, the eternal love of Christ.
They are looking to save the world we are looking to the One who saved us
They are looking to the power of unity we are looking to the One who united us
They are looking to the power of humanity we are looking to the power of divinity
They are looking to the divine within we are looking at the divine as Him
We don’t look to ourselves but to our God; we work not for justification but from it. We have the real hope and can we proclaim it in utter confidence, yes we can, but the only reason we say yes we can is not because of we, but because of He. It is not simply yes we can, but yes HE can.
11 comments:
This is the fourth in a series of posts derived from the sermon of 3-2-08 titled "Yes HE Can"...
Say it with me now...
Jesus Christ:
Yes,
He
Can.
Come on, people, leave a comment, an amen, a "yes He can", let's lift our voice in unision to Him who sits on the throne...
In the midst of all the despair, distraction, deception, and destruction, can God cause us to praise His name and show the Way to a lost and dying world? Can He bring us all the way home?
Yes,
He
Can.
Amen. So be it.
"In the midst of all the despair, distraction, deception, and destruction,"
Made me think of Psalm 40: "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the mirey clay,"
& also Jeremiah 20:7-11: "O LORD, You have deceived me, ... Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. BUT, his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not. ... But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one".
Jesus is faithful, and great is His faithfulness.
"Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it." 1 Thes. 5:24
Amen, Don, that was excellent!
Yes, grace powers all that is spiritually pleasing to God.
Indeed, Jazzy, indeed...
3-10-08
You can download this whole 7 part series in pdf form at voiceofvision.org
we work not for justification but from it.
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,... Titus 3:5
What? We can't have world peace? Then what are they going to talk about at beauty pageants and political debates?? Aw, Man!!
Hilarious!
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