November 27
Romans 11:1-14:23
We must live in humble appreciation for His grace and mercy in allowing us to be called His children, to be covered by the blood of Jesus, and to one day enter heaven. It is all based on His perfect work not on our often feeble attempts at goodness. Yet, this is not how most view their standing with God. When a loved one dies they take for granted and expect that they will be in heaven as though it is somehow owed them for being a mother, father, daughter, brother, etc. Many think that their standing is based on being on the right team, such as a particular denomination. Many like to raise their standing in the eyes of others by their association with a relative: my father is a pastor, my son is a priest, my aunt is a nun, my brother is a big Rabbi. That's great for them, but what about you? Salvation is not earned, it is given. It is not due to pedigree but choice. So, like the example on the airplane losing pressure in the cabin, first place the oxygen mask on yourself. Have you made that choice? Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when you breathe your last that you will indeed be ushered into heaven? Because God has spelled it out for us in His Word, the Bible, what decisions must be made in order to know this. He doesn't ask for much. Once you have made this all important decision, then take the Great Commission seriously in Matthew 28:18-20, that Jesus gave before ascending into heaven to go to the far reaches of the planet and present the gospel message, the only way of salvation to others. God has given you your own unique mission field.
It's amazing how some Christians puff themselves up. It's as though they have forgotten their standing before coming into a relationship with Jesus Christ. How any Christian can be anti-Semitic is shocking. Paul wrote in Romans 11:17-21, "But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either." He goes on in 11:29-20, "For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead."
The truth is I don't know why God would choose one as unworthy as myself to be considered one of His children. His reasons are not necessary for us to know, as Paul wrote in 11:33-36, "Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen." If you have made that decision, then He has chosen us, not based on the merits of our lives. But since we are His representatives on Earth (Philippians 3:20), may we never forget that it is for His glory, not our own. So, in appreciation for this gift that can never be repaid, and which is unearned, may we take seriously Paul's exhortation in 12:1-2, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." May we live in such a way that the world sees Jesus in us.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: