Monthly Archives: May 2015

by Pastor Tommy | May 6, 2015 · 12:13 pm

POINTING TO YOUR PRINCE

How well do you point others to Christ? One of the best ways to evaluate the answer to that question is by paying close attention to the words you use. Do you talk more about you when speaking to others . . . or more about Him? The apostle Paul was a master at pointing to His Prince whenever he opened his mouth, especially when he was boasting.

I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of sings and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:17-19)

Paul was continually boasting . . . but never about himself. He was constantly pointing to his Prince and all that Jesus was doing through Paul and his ministry. To be sure, Paul was proud of his ministry and what he was doing for the glory of God. And he should have been proud! We all should be serving God in such a way that we are proud of our service. Being proud of what we do is biblical and a good thing. Being prideful is not!

Notice Paul said, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me . . .” He never talked about his abilities or his accomplishments. He never sought the applause of man. No, Paul was constantly pointing to his Prince and sought to bring acclaim to his Master. Paul used every word to witness for Jesus. His language was designed to point others away from himself and toward his Savior.

Can the same be said about you? The apostle Paul’s ministry was immensely successful by anyone’s standard, including God’s, who confirmed Paul’s success with “signs and miracles.” Yet Paul steadfastly refused to take any credit for any of it. He always exulted in what God in Christ was doing both in Paul and through him.

The great reformer Martin Luther obviously took a page from Paul’s book:

We preach always Him, this may seem a limited and monotonous subject, likely to be soon exhausted, but we are never at the end of it.

Christ was the foundation upon which Paul built his entire existence, and the apostle made sure to give all the credit where the credit was due. Paul was totally dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit for the advancement of his ministry. Paul knew his success was not due to his intellect, education, up-bringing, social status, or past training. It was solely the result of God’s powerful grace flowing through his weak life. Because of this truth, Paul could point only to his Prince as the reason for his successful results.

So . . . in what direction have you been pointing lately?

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

GOSPEL: NOT A POINT…BUT THE POINT IN LIFE

When Kim and I first placed our trust in Jesus Christ in 1995, we thought the Gospel was limited to that exact point in our lives when we said “I believe!” I am a whole lot older today and a little bit wiser and, by God’s grace, I have been given a much clearer understanding of the Gospel. And that can be summarized with this statement:

The Gospel is not “a” point in life; the Gospel is “the” point of life!

It is very much like the difference between a snapshot picture and a full-length movie. To be sure, the Gospel is first and foremost, the moment of new life. It is the singular moment when Jesus shows up and raises us from death to life. But in every moment after that moment, the Gospel is the momentum of life that keeps us keeping on.

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Is this not the point of life that keeps us moving forward? Is it not enough to know there is no condemnation for those who trust in Christ alone? We must know it, trust it, and live it every moment after we are saved. The only sin we will ever slay is the sin we know has been fully forgiven through the cross work of Christ. On the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ took our guilt and shame and filth and crushed them all and cleansed them with His precious blood. All that is left for you and I to do is to receive this truth, by grace through faith.

Remembering this truth daily is the only way to live the abundant life Jesus has promised. Knowing that there is no condemnation—even when we do something that deserves condemnation—strengthens our resolve to return to the cross for the strength we need. God already condemned Jesus in our place, and He will never again count our sin against us.

Far too many Christians live defeated lives, simply because they do not understand this truth. They picture God as some kind of harsh ogre in the sky, waiting to squash them when they step out of line. And that is why they Gospel is more than a point in life; it is the point of life.

Do you get the point? Knowing that there is no condemnation frees you to live for Jesus and nothing smaller. And when you mess it up, know that you are unconditionally loved and fully forgiven. This provides the motive and motivation to honestly face our sin (rather than hide from it) and to lay it down at the foot of the cross. When we know that our sin—all of our sin, past, present, and future—has been fully forgiven, we have the strength to face it when it rears its ugly head.

One more thing: Knowing the Gospel as more than just a specific point in life is a continual reminder that God is for you every step of the way. And “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). And that, beloved, makes the Gospel the point of life.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

VISION FOR VICTORY

Far too many in the church today do not understand the power they have been given to do battle against the enemy. Often they tell themselves what comedian Flip Wilson would say back in the 1970’s: “The devil made me do it!” In essence, these beaten believers are saying that they have an excuse for sinning; the power of the evil one is just too great for them.

But this is not for you! If you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. And the power of the Spirit of God in you is greater than any power that can come up against you. And herein lies the single most important key that will unlock the door leading to victory in the areas that you struggle most:

REMEMBER THAT IT’S HIS POWER

It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

(Philippians 2:13)

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.

(Zechariah 4:6)

You will not enjoy sustained success fighting the world, the flesh, and the devil in your strength; you must fight in His strength, that incomparable power which has already defeated every enemy that can come up against you. The work of redemption that God is doing in you is according to His good purpose . . . and nothing can stop the purposes of God.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28-29)

The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand . . . The Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? (Isaiah 14:24, 27)

Regardless of the enemy that comes up against you—an enemy which will always be stronger than your measly personal power—the power to overcome will be found in the Spirit of Christ. It is a supernatural battle, to be sure, so the only power that can overcome must also be supernatural, and that is only found in the Holy Spirit who is at work within us.

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:3)

What began with the Spirit must continue with the Spirit and be brought to conclusion by the Spirit. How foolish we are to think we can win any battle we face in our own strength! Yet this is the problem we all face from time to time. Our sinful human nature overestimates its own strength and underestimates the extent of its own sin. When we lapse into this kind of foolish thinking, we strive to achieve victory in our strength rather than His strength. “If it’s to be, it’s up to me,” we tell ourselves. And that never ends well.

We have a clear vision of victory when we continually look outside ourselves to our Savior and continually rely on His supernatural strength for every battle we face. Remember, whatever has a hold on you has no hold on your Savior. Trust in Him. Look to Him! Rest in the fact that God will bring you victory against every enemy you face, in His perfect timing and in His perfect way.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!