NO CONDEMNATION

A short explanation about last week's post. The idea for my first post last week was triggered by an incident in our church but some felt this post would be viewed as an attack on an individual so I replaced that post with a devotional on justification by faith. Sorry for any confusion.

Liberia: I have completed my notes to teach Biblical Theology and will now begin to develop 4 quizzes and some other handout material. Next week I will apply for my visa which requires sending my passport and other documents to Washington DC. Please pray that the Liberian embassy will be quick in giving me a visa and returning my paperwork. Soon we will be booking our flights. I much appreciate your prayers at this time. Departure is 6 weeks from now.

 Just a few thoughts on Romans 8.34, "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." In Romans 8, Paul is giving signs for the believer to examine him/herself to know for sure that he/she is in Christ Jesus and then follows this examination with proofs of assurance that this salvation cannot be lost. This verse is part of the proofs for assurance of our salvation.

 Paul begins chapter 8 by writing, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". With no condemnation for sin there can be no punishment or judgement for sin. In verse 34 Paul gives three reasons why there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. God is the only one who has a right to condemn the sinner and if God does not condemn then there is no condemnation. The first reason that God does not condemn is because Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for sin. Christ's death was God's plan to pay for the condemnation of sin so if Christ died for sin neither God nor Christ nor the Holy Spirit condemns the believer who died with Christ on the cross. The second reason that God does not condemn is because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In the resurrection, God validated the death of Christ for sin and in our resurrection with Christ gave us new life, eternal life and imputed to us the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5.21). Finally Christ stands on our behalf at the right hand of God and intercedes for us so certainly we are not condemned and will never be condemned and will inherit eternal life as promised.
Now a closing word to those who continue to condemn themselves for past sins and failures which can never be made right and lifestyles which have caused irreparable damage. In the death and resurrection of Christ there is no condemnation from God and there should be no self-condemnation. God has made you a new creation in Christ to move ahead in life without dragging the past into the present. Grieve the past, learn from the past, repair the past where possible, but in the believer there is no more place for self-condemnation because of the forgiven past. Move forward in life as a new creation in Christ.

JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD

Liberia:The physical needs in Liberia are great. There is much poverty, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS, and health and sanitation problems. The United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) rates Liberia 177th out of 185 countries and Monrovia as the poorest capital in the world. Liberia has 43% of its population under the age of 15. So this is a needy country both physically and spiritually. Please pray with me for the country of Liberia.

Just wanted to share with you this devotional from The Institute for Creation Research
The Sinner's Prayer
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)

Evangelists have often urged lost men and women to pray this “sinner’s prayer” if they desired to be saved. The account does say that this publican, after praying thus, “went down to his house justified” (v. 14).

But there is more here than appears on the surface. It is not merely God’s mercy that is needed for He has already been merciful to let us continue to live at all. The word translated “merciful” is used only one other time in the New Testament and is there translated “make reconciliation for.” Speaking of the saving work of Christ, it says that He came “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). It is also closely related to the words for “propitiation” and “mercy seat.”

This parable of the Pharisee and the publican is set in the context of the Jewish temple worship, where sinners would bring their sacrificial offerings to cover their sins, knowing that “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). Such sacrifices were completely worthless, however, if offered in a spirit of religious pride and/or self-righteousness, like those of the Pharisee. There must be repentance and faith in God’s promise of forgiveness through the death of an innocent substitute, pre-figuring the true Lamb of God whose coming death would truly make eternal reconciliation for the sins of the people. The publican prayed in this vein, and he was saved.

In our day, on the other side of the cross, a sinner’s saving prayer must say, in effect: “God, be propitiated to me on the basis of the death of Christ for my sins.” Such a prayer, offered in sincere repentance and faith in God’s promise, brings justification before God. HMM 

MY FOOD

Liberia: Liberia has now enjoyed 12 years of peace and rebuilding but is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Most churches are involved in evangelism and holistic ministries. Church buildings are being repaired and closed institutions are being reopened. But the church is often characterized by scriptural ignorance, materialism and syncretism but still sensitive to teaching and instruction. Pray for the ministry of Center for Leadership Development the Training Leaders International partners in Liberia and pray for the Pastors of Liberia.

 "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work". Jesus said this to his disciples once when they offered him food to eat. This confession reveals to us Jesus' motivation and challenges the motivations that rule our life. Jesus did not say he did not need to eat but that his physical needs were not what he lived for. Jesus lived to do the will of God and to accomplish the work God gave him to do on earth. God's will for Jesus was the cross as the end goal, and teaching, healing and casting out demons as the daily goals toward the end goal. Jesus also made it a priority to be in fellowship with his Father each day so he could know both the daily will of God and continue to focus on the end goal of God's will. When Jesus said "it is finished" he was not only commenting on the work of salvation through his death but also that he had completed God's work on earth.

 God's greater will for us is that we be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus (Romans 8.29). God also has daily work for us to do, most of which may seem mundane but which is used to fulfill the greater will of God through renewal of our minds, the formation of Christlike attitudes, and good works in Christ's name.
Jesus also said "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" citing Deuteronomy 8.3 when tempted by the Devil to focus on his physical needs. Our lives as followers of Jesus are to focus on God, God's Word and doing God's will as our nourishment and source of life (John 6.35,51).
Is doing the will of God and accomplishing God's work the food of your life?

LIKE AND LOVE

Liberia: Liberia is well watered with abundant natural resources of rubber, iron, diamonds and timber but is a very poor country still recovering from civil war which ended in 2003. The jobless rate is as high as 75% and the majority survive on less than 1 US dollar a day. The country is slowly rebuilding. Training Leaders International is committed to training 100 enthusiastic Pastors to preach and teach and bring hope to this devastated land. Pray for Liberia this week.

 I may not like you but I am committed to love you in Jesus Christ. The Bible does not call us to unconditional like but it does call us to unconditional love in Jesus Christ, and especially unconditional love to fellow saints.
I hope God is continuing to convict and call you to conformity to Christ. Here is one area that God has pointed out in my life over the last number of months. By the grace of God I noticed how my natural reaction to the personality, attitudes and actions of others was influencing how I viewed them and responded to them. My response to them was very conditional based on my own standards of assessment which can be very critical and petty. As I continued to evaluate my thinking and behavior in this area and to pray about it I came across this quote by Oswald Chambers which was a great help to me. "Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections - some people we like and others we don't like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life". This common sense insight has really freed me in my conditional liking. So I may not like you but I can at the same time totally commit my prayers, my resources, my words, and my actions to bring you to Christ and better your life in Christ. I can love you unconditionally even if I may not like you unconditionally.
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2.3-4.