Thank you for joining today as we seek God’s wisdom together. Let us begin with prayer.
“Lord Jesus, I ask that you search our hearts and see if there be anything wicked in them. We ask that your Holy Spirit show us what you are saying to us today. I ask that the words on this page would jump out to us as you speak to our hearts and minds truth and life. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Romans 5: 6-11 (NASB).
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous person, though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
What the Word is Saying
It is an amazing thing to think about what Jesus did for us. Consider how you would have done it. You are confronted with the fact that your enemy was trapped and unable to come where you are forever. Now mind you your enemy is not apologetic for how they have wronged you. Is likely to continue to defy you for a very long time and may never seek forgiveness for what they have done. Instead of distancing yourself from the offender you decide to give up your life to provide a way to be restored to you in this life and in eternity. What a gift.
We don’t deserve it and in fact the ability to bridge the gap comes from Him. Listen to the Savior:
“He said to them, ‘But who do you yourselves say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My father who is in heaven (Matt.16: 15-17).’”
Our ability to even know who Jesus is comes from Him. When I had surrendered my life to God from knees in a German forest that was just the beginning. The Holy Spirit was guiding me, he reminded me of a Sargent in the company who no one dared do anything wrong around because he was too honest and would not likely cover up a mistake for you (I.E., drug use and partying). I felt compelled to seek him out and found him later that day. I told him about what had happened to me, and He told me that he was praying for me. He told me he believed in Jesus and invited me to go to church with him that Sunday. Despite having no real knowledge of who Jesus was and what He did I agreed to go with him.
That Sunday the preacher gave his sermon. Honestly, I can’t even remember what the message was. However, at the end of the sermon he invited anyone to come forward if they wanted to give their life to Jesus. I remember thinking I don’t know what any of this means. But I felt that I should go forward for some reason. I prayed with him confessed Jesus as Lord (did not know what that meant) and confessed believing that He died and rose again from the grave (that specifically I did not understand but I could hear a voice telling me to pray it now and you will understand I later) and asked him to forgive me my sins. That whole thing was an act of faith. I truly did not know what I was praying about. Though I had been to Sunday school as a child I only remember coloring a pamphlet with Moses on it and an ark with Noah. I had been to church services in basic training but that was only because if I did not go, I had to clean the barracks. But I did not receive the message in my mind. Maybe a seed was planted that was later watered when I surrendered to God I the woods. Nevertheless, my life at that moment changed.
I consumed the bible reading it front to back three times in that two-month period, as well as reading just the New Testament many times as well. The Holy Spirit was giving me a hunger for His word and revealing truth I had never known before It was quite glorious. After I got out of the Army shortly after this. I took a job as a security guard at an oil refinery. I worked with a backslidden Christian (someone who had believed, but was now in rebellion against Christ), He would question me on doctrines and point out things. I would go for drives in the truck or walk the perimeter praying that God would give me knowledge. I would quite literally get back to the guard shack and open my bible and the answer would be right there on the page I opened to. Amazing, it was awesome. God literally used Him to grow my knowledge and faith as I sought answers in His word.
That condition does not exist anymore. Well God does still speak to me, but he reminds me of things I have read in his word that appl to the situation I am in. For example, today as I was praying what to write about this passage of scripture, He reminded me of a verse:
“Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run the race that is set before us. Looking only to Jesus, the originator and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12: 1-2).”
Our faith in Him comes from Him. He is the originator, and we see Him for who is because the Father shows us to Him. He then takes that which he started and perfects it. Every day He is leading us to further sanctification and participation in the work of the body of Christ.
If you have not yet given to your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do so now. Right where you are; say these words out loud: “Jesus, I confess you are Lord of all, I believe you came to this earth and lived a sinless life, I believe you suffered and died on the cross for my sins, I believe they placed your lifeless body in a tomb, and I believe three days later you rose from the dead. I confess to you I am a sinner and ask you to forgive me. I ask you to send me your Holy Spirit right now to give me power to live this new life with you, witness to those who do not yet know you, and to lead me into all truth. In Jesus name, amen.” If you prayed that prayer, I encourage you to contact us. We have all been where you are before, and it would be our honor to stand beside you and hold you up as you begin your Journey with Jesus.
Thank you for joining me today as we searched the scriptures for What the Word is Saying. I pray that God will send His Holy Spirit into our lives anew and fill us again with His love and His purpose for us. So that we can fulfill the mission He left us in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world.
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” lockman.org.
Comments