Gospel

We become God’s children.

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23Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  Galatians 3:23-26
Knowing the rules of God could never turn you into a child of God. Committing yourself to doing all the good things commended and commanded by the Law could not turn you into a child of God. Avoiding breaking one of the commands of God’s Law could not make you a child of God.

No. Only faith jn Jesus makes you a child of God. Now the Law makes us aware of how much we desperately need a Saviour! Yes, the Law makes us wise for salvation. But its your faith in Jesus Christ that gives you the status of being a child of God. As His child you have full access to Him. Trying to be good, trying not to break the Law will never be enough. So God has gotten rid of that category of “good enough” for us. He sent Jesus to fulfill the Law completely!

Putting our faith in Jesus is an incredibly dynamic and powerful act! You will always be God’s child through faith in Jesus.

We are a new creation.

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15He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:15-18 (NLT)

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life ha begun!” Wow! Some translations put it this way: 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV) Having received this gift of forgiveness of sin, this gift of Jesus, the new life through Him, you are a new creation. God is doing a new work in you. God has given you the new nature of Christ Jesus. God is working for you to know Him and to live according to calling you have received.

I pray for you that you will recall throughout this day, “I am a new creation of God in Christ Jesus my Lord!” Why? Because He died for you to bring you back to God!

Our labour is not in vain.

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56For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.  1 Corinthians 15:56-58

Ever since the Great Catastrophe in the Garden of Eden, humanity has pressed against the infection of death — work is hard and often filled with thorns and thistles. Solomon called it, “Vanity, vanity, everything is vanity.” This cry against the despair and futility of life is sometimes translated “Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.” Sometimes life feels that way. But here’s the good news of Jesus and His Gospel: He gives us victory over sin and death. He makes use of our work and our faith in Him. Its never useless! Its never useless to live your life for Jesus!

We have wisdom from God.

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30God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31

The Apostle Paul spent a lot of time among first century Greeks. They were keen to have wisdom. In fact they had competing “schools” of wisdom or systems of thought. People might appeal to one or the other for their “way of life.” In Christ, you too have wisdom. We all know the appeal of having a group, leader, or school that gives us a certain respect or prestige. But now, you have the very wisdom of God for us: Jesus Christ.

The writer of many Proverbs in the Old Testament declared that the beginning of wisdom is the fear/respect/love of God. So now, our boast isn’t that we are of a certain school of thought, or political party, or in a certain group of Christians. Now, our boast is that we are actually IN Christ Jesus. He is our wisdom.  May you value Jesus above all other relationships at the core of who you are.

We who are many form one body.

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4Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. Romans 12:4-5

The New Testament writers used many images to help followers of Jesus get the church. One of those images is the “Body of Christ.” Today we are the living representation of Jesus in and to the world. And you are a part of it. Paul writes here that you have a special function in the body of Jesus. You are a part of the body.

Here’s a challenging feature to our hyper-individualization as it comes to our idea of private spirituality and the church: we all belong together in Christ. Jesus has actually called us into relationship with each other. The cool feature is that as you grow and relate within the Body of Christ you will discover the special ways He has gifted you for the mission and ministry of the Church.  I’m glad to be in this family, His Body, and adventure of faith with you.