2021 07 04
Dispelling Darkness, Reveling Christ Jesus
Jesus Christ is the revelation of the goodness of God.
Bring to light the goodness of God that leads to repentance.
In other words, Grace.
Romans 2:4 (NKJV) Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
2 Peter 3:15 (NKJV) and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
2 Peter 3:15 (NLT2) And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—
Jesus was not born to be a king, He was born a King
The law demands, grace imparts
Gospel (n.)
- From Middle English gospel, gospell, godspel, godspell, goddspell, from Old English godspell (“gospel”), corresponding to good + spell (“talk, tale, story”), literally “the message of God”, believed to be an alteration of earlier *gōdspell (literally “good news”),
- Compare Old Saxon godspel, godspell (“gospel”), Old High German gotspel (“gospel”), Icelandic guðspjall (“gospel”).
Gospel
How can the Gospel be good news if all it does is condemn?
- The law sets God’s standard, 10 commandments.
- Fallen man cannot achieve that through works
- So, Jesus fulfilled God’s requirement for us.
- He established a new covenant
- He empowered us to be Holy by giving us the Holy Spirit
Maturity
Galatians 3:22-29 (NKJV) 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Law – tutor
- Can be born a Jew
- Physical covenant
- Do not play with fire-to a todler
Faith in Christ – maturity
- Cannot be born saved/Christian
- Spiritual covenant
- Offer advice when necessary-mature
John 1:17 (NKJV) For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
- Grace from Egypt to Mount Sinai, where the law was given
- Law from mount Sinai
- Jesus surety for a better covenant (Heb. 7:22)
2 Corinthians 3:9 (NKJV) For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
- Law demands
- Grace imparts
The Holy Spirit
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NKJV) 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech– 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Acts 20:32 (NKJV) So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Bring to light the goodness of God that leads to repentance.
- Law = Repentance first before the Lord’s blessing
- Grace = God blesses you first, and His goodness leads you to repentance
Romans 2:4 (NKJV) Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Grace of God that brings salvation
Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Titus 2:11 (NKJV) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
2 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV) who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
My grace is sufficient
2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Romans 3:22-26 (NKJV) 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:22-26 (NLT2) 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
It is more than enough to save us
undeserved kindness f God
Redeem from Sin and its effects on mankind
The Fall and redemption of Man
Genesis 2:15-17 (NKJV) 15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Matthew 26:26 (NKJV) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
- Remember, the Bible ends with Grace
Revelation 22:21 (NKJV) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (NIV) The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Condemnation
John 3:16-19 (NKJV) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Romans 8:1 (NKJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
- Now – new covenant
- no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
- who do not walk according to the flesh,
- but according to the Spirit.
- Flesh=bad, Spirit=good.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34 (NKJV) 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.
- When Paul said that no one should take the Lord’s Supper unworthily, he was speaking to the church members who were participating in it without thinking of its meaning.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- We are all sinners saved by grace.
- This is why we should prepare ourselves for Communion through healthy introspection, confession of sin, and resolution of differences with others.
- These actions remove the barriers that affect our relationship with Christ and with other believers.
- Awareness of your sin should not keep you away from Communion but drive you to participate in it.
- 2 Corinthians 9:8 (KJV) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: