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It has been nearly 500 years since the German monk and college professor, Martin Luther challenged the largest religious institution of his day. It wasn’t that he set out to challenge anyone, but he had found a wonderful truth in the writings of Paul that dramatically transformed his life.

After years of feeling the weight of his own personal sinfulness, he found peace with God through faith in the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. He had been taught that good works, both charitable acts and the sacraments of the church would lead to peace with God and eternal life in heaven. For some reason this peace for him did not come…. until he began his thorough studies of Paul’s writings, especially his letter to the Romans.

When he read that God’s grace, his favor towards those who have not performed sufficient good works, is the means by which we are saved, and that we are justified by faith in Christ alone, it was if the heavens were open unto him! Having already realized that on his own he could never be good enough, he was thrilled to learn that he could have the very righteousness of Christ applied on his account!

This event, along with other situations in Europe at that time, led to the Protestant Reformation, which altered the course of history.

The leaders of the Reformation were very serious about the Word of God, and they could articulate the Gospel of grace in the context of the major themes of the Bible. They also understood what the New Testament writers knew, that the Gospel could and would be distorted.

When a person understands and truly experiences the wonderful grace of God, the response should be a changed heart, and a desire to please Him. We must be careful, however, to attend to the whole counsel of God. A few Scriptures can easily be taken out of context, even in sincerity, that could mislead many.

The Unfinished Work

Some internationally popular preachers today have perfected a terrific feel-good version of the Gospel that has enormous appeal to this modern generation. They downplay the need for confrontation and repentance from sin. They relegate those aspects of Jesus’ teachings to the Old Testament. According to them, these teachings were before His death on the Cross, after which everything changed.

This fits in nicely with the Prosperity Gospel, where people are told exactly what they want to hear, and the goal is personal pleasure, comfort and material wealth. They say: “Jesus suffered so we would not have to suffer.”

So now, grace means we do not have own up to our failures. This they would call having a “sin-consciousness.” Any church that sees any value at all in learning the 10 Commandments, is accused of bringing death upon the people, and “mixing the law with grace.”

This is obviously an overreaction to the many groups in Christianity that still emphasize rule-keeping as a means to salvation. One group appears to be weak on their understanding of Justification, while the reacting groups misunderstand Sanctification. The finished work of Christ on the Cross is immediate in our justification, while the same work of Christ is progressive in our Sanctification!

Paul and the Law

Without getting too technical on this subject, I would encourage you to take a look at Paul’s writings to see what he actually did say. It has been already established that “by the works of the law will no one be justified before God.” Our justification, God’s counting us righteous, is based upon our trust in the righteousness of Christ alone.

Justification is a done deal for the believer. But what about our sanctification? How do we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Our Lord? Is the finished work of Christ on the Cross the only Bible truth we need to know? If there is nothing left for us to do but to listen to positive preaching, why did Paul himself have so many negative things to say?

If the Ten Commandments only brought death, why did Paul tell the churches to honor their fathers and mothers? Why did he tell them to not steal? Why did he explicitly forbid lying? Why did he have a man put out of the church in Corinth for adultery? Why did he warn against covetousness and idolatry? Surely the Gospel of Grace would have eliminated the need for such references to the law!

The truth is, that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The primary agent in the changing of our thought life is the Word of God, including both the Old and New Testaments!

In fact, the New Testament had not been compiled yet when Paul wrote that all scripture has been given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof, correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God can be perfect fully equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:17)

Yes, those whose hearts have not yet turned to the Lord have a veil over their minds in the reading of the Old Testament. But — when the heart turns to the Lord, that veil is taken away. Therefore, beholding the glory of the Lord Himself, even in the reading of the Law, we are transformed into that same image, from glory to glory! Hallelujah! (2 Corinthians 3:14-18).

It was Paul who said, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man!” For one who is born of the Spirit, there is a deepness there that calls unto the depths of the Christ Who lives within us. There is a hunger for the wisdom, knowledge and counsel of God. We know that obedience begins in the heart, but that it has to be worked out in our daily words and actions.

We are working out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God who is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure! (Philippians 2:12)

Don’t let yourself be robbed of the power of the Word of God, by those who “wrongly divide” it. Even the wounds we receive from the Sword of the Spirit, that is the Word of God, those wounds only come to remove those things that are deadly to us.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, this friend is the One Who laid down His life for us. But the kisses of the enemy are deceitful. We are living in wonderful and yet treacherous times. Our enemy would love for us to view our Heavenly Father as mean and abusive. But he would also portray Him as soft, indulgent and unconcerned for our growth unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, progressing from faith to faith, from strength to strength and from glory to glory!

Romans 12:1-2:

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, and acceptable and perfect. NASB

Amen!

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From the beginning of time every culture has had its heroes to inspire them. People have always been thrilled to tell and listen to stories of adventures both real and fictional. These are our heroes who have overcome impossible odds with courage, skill, and character that are almost superhuman. There is something about this desire in us to imagine far away places and exciting events that lift us out of the routine of our every day existence. Perhaps they serve us by encouraging us in the challenges we face in normal living.

One day, I was listening to a college professor discussing the many religions of the world. He noted that many of the great religions of the east were contemplative and generally were in pursuit of tranquility, but that Christianity was more heroic. This set off a line of thinking in me that I had never considered before. From that time on I began to see heroism as an element that is very central to the Christian Faith.

The message of the Good News of the Kingdom of God that Jesus Christ brought to mankind goes to the very core of human need. The love that He expressed and the forgiveness He brought is commonly known to us as the salvation experience. The peace that follows our surrender to God our Father, and our reunion with Him is described in many ways, depending upon our religious and cultural backgrounds, but the desire and need for it is universal. The title of “Savior of the World,” has appropriately been given to Jesus, but today the phrase has become so worn out that to some it has lost its meaning.

Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, has indeed become the Great Rescuer of the world, in that He has delivered us all from guilt, sin, failure and defeat and death! You and I have simply to believe and submit to the truth of what He purchased for us by His death, burial and resurrection. By it we can obtain great peace of mind, but there is even more awaiting us than that! He can and will also fill us with a great sense of purpose and adventure! Besides needing love, forgiveness, acceptance, peace and security, human beings have another great need. That need is to live in an atmosphere of excitement, enthusiasm and exuberance for life itself! We all need a reason to be here! Some might be satisfied to say that our reason for being is God, but what does that actually mean? It is my contention that living, moving and having our being in God includes possessing His passion and enthusiasm for His Creation as well!

Jesus sent His 12 disciples, and the others who followed Him, out on the greatest adventure of all. They were to tell the world the Good News that the Kingdom of God had come and was continuing to come upon the earth. They were to be ambassadors sent by God Himself to demonstrate how this rule was to take place. In a short time, they became living examples to the world of God’s forgiveness and love, and it was easy for people to see it by the harmony in which they lived. Among other things, Church life became as environment where disciples were developed and equipped to witnesses to this reality. Then they were sent forth out into the workplaces and marketplaces of the world to share this Good News to others in their own unique way. These people were by no means perfect, and we can read about their weaknesses in the New Testament, but this did not hinder their mission. In fact this only enhanced their relationships with God and kept them together in their need for Him. Therefor His power and grace became even more abundant in their lives!

These fisherman, rebels and tax collectors obviously met with great opposition from the religious and political leaders of that day. Because their economic security was at risk and their authority was being challenged, some of the more fanatic religionists even risked their lives to stop this message from being preached! Now the excitement is really building up, and these nobodies from Galilee were going to begin calling up courage from within themselves that they did not know they had! The Holy Spirit which had empowered them from the birth of God’s Church proved to be sufficient in every test, and by His Strength the Early Church drove back the gates of Hell!

These early Christians were not content to be “the rescued. “Having been well instructed by their Master, they knew the art of becoming rescuers, and because they were on fire with their love for Him, they were driven to save anyone they could. Some of them faced the most viscous hatred that men could muster, all the while revealing the fullness of Jesus’ grace and love. Many laid down their physical lives in order that many more could be translated into the Kingdom of God’s righteousness, peace, and joy. The Reign of God that started in them began to expand, as the prophets foretold, until less than 300 years later Christianity became the dominant faith in Europe.

Over the centuries, Christians have developed a false sense of security, with the material prosperity and acceptance the institution of Christianity has enjoyed. But God has always had His flame burning in some of the nobodies of each age. The modern church in North America tends to forget about the flaming messengers of the New Testament times. Sure we can usually work up some excitement in our services, and many are out there actually living the Jesus Life, but we as a whole need liberated from our sleepy Sunday morning thinking! What we don’t need, is more motivation by guilt that often quenches our enthusiasm. The only answer is a renewing of our original sense of adventure that only Jesus Himself can impart, and He has come to bring it to us all today!

Are you up to the challenge of the ages? Is your heart crying out for new meaning and purpose? Then just say “YES, YES, YES!” to the Lord, for He is calling us to rise up today, and be empowered in His Quest! The only thing you need is a willing heart. He will do the rest. He will take you out of your boring routine and transplant you into the work that He Himself has designed you for. Many of you are already prepared, but if not, don’t worry. Being prepared by God and going to His School is an adventure in itself! I won’t guarantee He will relocate you physically, or even change your natural vocation. I do know that your days of being a “Pew Potato” will be over and you will begin experience a sense of mission in everything you do!

Every day I am learning of more individuals and groups who are through with the boring routine of “going to church” that has dominated us for centuries. Thousands are coming together today in large and small groups to learn more of Him and His Glorious Church, the Many-Membered Body of Christ. In this Body every individual is absolutely crucial to the health and well-being of the whole body. God has given us leadership whose desire is to equip every saint for the work he/she is called by God to do. As you find your place to function in God’s economy, all of us will benefit, and the wall of sickness and death will be driven back! I am talking about coming into a riotous, rowdy, informal family of believers in Jesus Christ! These people know about laughter and pain, success and failure, pressure and challenge, but they have said good-bye forever to falling asleep in “church” on Sunday morning!