Pastor Stephen Hecht used Romans 5 as his text. He asked a question: "Do I have the right outlook?" (See Romans 5:1-19.) When someone asks, "Are you righteous?," how do you respond? Do you say, "Maybe I'll be righteous when I get to heaven or I hope so?" That may sound humble, but it doesn't square with the Scriptures.
Did you ever wonder why Jesus had to be born of a virgin? The human race was infected by sin as a result of Adam's fall. Scripture tells us that sin is passed through Adam (not Eve). If he'd been born with an earthly father, he would have gotten the sinful human nature. So, the man was bypassed in order that he would be free. Jesus is called, "the second Adam." He fulfilled God's requirements of righteousness, and then took on the penalty for our sins on the cross.
You may ask, "what does this have to do with me?" Everything! When we recognize our sinful condition, ask Jesus to forgive us, our sins are washed away, and we are covered by his righteousness. Ephesians 2:8, 9 tells us that we're saved by grace through faith. It's not because of our righteousness. If it was, we could boast. Forgiveness and God's grace to live for him is a gift - unearned and undeserved.
Until we have this clear in our hearts and heads, the enemy can beat us up with all of our failures and past sins. If we understand that our sins are forgiven and we are covered with the robe of righteousness, he can't neutralize our effectiveness as believers. Guilty people do not reign in life. Timid people do not reign in life. Those who see themselves as unrighteous do not reign in life.
How do I become righteous? Pastor Steve read Luke 15:11-32. It's the story of the prodigal son. How did the son get restored to fellowship with the father? He changed his mind about his way of living and returned home. He did not feel worthy to be a son, but wanted only to be a servant. Instead, his father ran to meet him, hugged him, and threw a big party in his honor. The son could have refused the robe his father gave me because he felt unworthy, but he received it.
Jesus made the way for us to be reconciled to the Father, to enjoy fellowship with him. The opportunity is there. The gift is offered. Will you turn from your own efforts to please him and accept his offer of grace, forgiveness, and mercy based on what Jesus did through his life, death, and resurrection?
To listen to the message in its entirety, you can visit the website and access the sermon player, podcast, or download it to your MP3 free of charge. If you're looking for a church home, you're always welcome at Zoe Christian Fellowship, 1111 Easton Rd., Rte. 611, Warrington, PA.
No comments:
Post a Comment