Sanctified by the Cross

“ 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” - John 3:7 There is a crisis in our world today.  Everyone responds, “Which one?” It is an eternal spiritual crisis that effects everyone on this earth.  It is the same crisis Jesus brought up with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. It is about being born again, which Jesus says must happen if one is going to be a Christian.  Nicodemus, and many in world today miss what being born again is about.  Here are some of the most common misunderstandings of what it is to be a Christian: Generally believing (in God).   Suppose someone believes in God, and we think, “Yay, they believe in God!” Does that mean they are born again?  Or saved? Or have new life from above? Not at all, One must believe specifically in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their sin problem.  James 2:19 19  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!  Turnin...

13  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.    Colossians 1:13-14 Transfers change things. On the small scale we find ourselves, maybe more often than we like, transferring money from the savings account to the debit or credit card account to cover the amount.  The transfer that we make there changes things.  Doing so avoids a penalty, covers our credit, and accomplishes something in our lives and the way we are able to live.  The bigger the transfer, the bigger the change moving forward.  Any transfer has effects, it changes things. Think for a moment of an even bigger transfer.  Suppose you were called into the office at work and you were told you were going to be transferred. At that point you would want to know the location and the scope of your transfer.  If you were merely being shifted to a different area ...

11 May you be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. – Colossians 1:11-12 Sometimes we need prayed for. We often need prayed for more often then we think we do.  If you are not used to it, being prayed for can feel awkward, uncomfortable, even wrong, rather than it being the breath of fresh air that is should be. That is often because we have a hard time realizing or admitting our need for God to be at work in us.  Here Paul prays for the believers living in the crossroads town of Colossae.   He asks God to grant them certain things that they (and we like them) need.  He has just previously asked that God would grant them knowledge of his will, spiritual wisdom, understanding, and the ability to walk in a manner worthy of Jesus Christ (vs 9-10).  His hope is that they bear fruit and grow....

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  19   For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  20   For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope  21   that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  22   For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  23   And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  24   For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  25   But if we hope for what we do not see, w...

9  And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-10  What if you could only make one request of God? What has been the most recurring or most desperate plea from your heart lately? What is the thing that you want God to do the most? The reality is, what we pray for reveals our heart. What we most desire for God to do reveals what we think is most important.  Some of us may struggle to pray at all.  That too reveals our heart. Not praying it reveals that we think we have it handled on our own, that God doesn’t care, that he can’t or won’t help us. None of those things are true and yet that is what we believe when we do not pray or avoid praying for certain things. If and w...

4  We (have) heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5  because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6  which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.  Colossians 1:4-6 It is amazing to watch things grow. Plants grow by fertile soil, water, and sunlight. Newborn infants grow up by the nourishment of their mother’s milk.  Babies and Toddlers grow by Gerber baby food, small little bites and Sippy cups. From about 4-14 you grow astronomically just by eating Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches, carrot sticks and a glass of milk. That is a miracle. At some point though, we do ourselves a disservice in our growing up. We leave behind the fundamental and nourishing things that we are meant to grow up on. Without concentr...

3  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5  because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel. Colossians 1:3-5 What happened to visible virtue?  I recently watched the movie Captain America, a superhero movie set in the throes of World War 2.  The main character, Steve Rodgers, is selected to be the recipient of enhancements that will make everything that he already has within him greater and more powerful. Virtue multiplies and evil does as well.  Thankfully, in Rodgers, they chose someone with visible, consistent, matured virtue. Those of you who have enjoyed this character know exactly what I mean. I look around today and wonder, even if fancifully, would there be anyone around we could select today?  Anyone with deep, consistent, visible virtu...

3   Who shall ascend the hill of the  LORD ? And who shall stand in his holy place?  4   He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  5   He will receive blessing from the  LORD  and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  6   Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah     Psalm 24:3-6  Seeking God's presence, or being in God's presence is not just an occasional thing in the Christian life.  It ought be happening all the time.  If we are to have a relationship with the God that redeemed, reconciled and made sons and friends out of slaves and enemies, we must find a way to seek Him.   Psalm 14:2 "The  LORD  looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who s...

15   I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  16   They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  17   Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  John 17:15-17  Imagine yourself washed adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  You are treading water but just barely. You need something to keep you afloat. And Now.  When you see a piece of driftwood floating over the crest of the next wave, what do you do?  The answer is obvious: swim to it and cling to it for your very life. What Jesus has to say from about John chapter 13 through his final prayer for the disciples and for us is some of the most incredible teaching ever to be taught. It is more than a life raft in the midst of this world.  We could (and maybe should) spend the rest of our lives studying, memorizing and believing what he has to say to his disciples both then and now.  ...

30   This God—his way is perfect; the word of the  LORD  proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.    -   Psalm 18:30 I, like many people love all you can eat buffets. I think my high school football team my have closed down an USA Steak Buffet near our town. It gets me thinking though about the appeal of spiritual buffets. Many people think about God as if he were a buffet.  Some believe that we can choose a god of our own liking. We stand in line at the buffet (with a clean plate) and get to choose from the many gods that present themselves. OR in a similar way we get to choose something that we would consider worth spending and giving our lives to serve.  Our own unhindered choice, pleasure, freedom, family, or even religious service can be our false gods, that which we serve in place of the true God as described in the Scriptures.   Or, to stretch the spiritual buffet idea further, many woul...

Acts 2:22-24   22   “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—  23   this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.  24   God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.  Acts 2 contains possibly one of the best "sermons" ever given in the Bible.  Here Peter lays out point #2 of his two point sermon.  That Jesus Christ is the Messiah and Savior.  The description that Peter has of Jesus is incredible.  Jesus was "attested" by God: proved, approved, set forth, demonstrated, exhibit A to be the Messiah and Savior of all men.  He is the one, the signs and wonders done through him in front of their eyes proved Jesus to be from God an...

In light of our Easter holiday, it is appropriate to say: The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in human history.  What happened on the cross of Calvary is the absolute bedrock of our faith.  Yet sadly our view of what happened at the cross is sometimes way off or inadequate.  Sometimes what we say about Jesus dying is true, but it is not the whole truth nor is it the most essential part of the truth.  For example, We often say that the cross at its core is all about or only about the love of God. It is about the love of God, but not only.  That is like saying that someone is a "nice guy", it tells you something about them, but it falls short because it doesn’t tell you enough about the person to tell you why or how he is "nice".  The person may be a nice guy because he is trying to get something from you, or because he has no backbone, or because he is naïve.  Instead of saying this guy is a nice guy because he ha...

   1  I will give thanks to the  LORD  with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.  2   I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.            Psalm 9:1-2 Our hope and goal as believers in Jesus Christ is to give God whole hearted praise.  To have true and full thanksgiving come from our hearts to God i praise.  To be truly glad and exult in God and sing praise to His name.  I hope that is your experience not only on Sunday mornings as you gather to worship God, but every day of your existence on this earth.   But what if that isn't your heart on Sundays or Anydays? What if you find that your thankfulness seems to have the same problems as the old galvanized pipes in your chlildhood home?  What if the water pressure of your praise has been reduced to a small trickle? If we have been walking with Christ for any length of ...

8  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9  who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10  and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. -  2 Timothy 1:8-10   So far this year, my morning time in the Scriptures has been in the Pastoral Epistles.  That is, I have been eavesdropping on Paul’s conversation with Timothy and Titus as they seek to faithfully carry out the ministry that God has given them in Ephesus and Crete. These are incredible books. As they are in the Bible and from the very mouth of God, we would expect no less.  The incredibleness of them lies not so much in the greatness of who they ...