Microchurch Minute
Romans 4 takes a deep dive into justification by faith. Our salvation is not something we can boast about, it’s not something that we earned. It’s a contrast to the logical nature of earning what we deserve. At the end of the pay period, we expect payment from our employer – we have earned it. But, God freely forgives us and offers us eternal relationship when we lay all of ourselves down at His feet. Paul confirms that Abraham believed God’s promises, he had this faith even before circumcision. God’s covenant with Abraham did not come through the law, it came directly from the grace of God. When we believe that God is the One that raised Jesus from the dead, the faith we have is credited just as it was to Abraham when he believed God would make him the father of many nations. In faith, we are descendants of Abraham. Do you realize that as you continue to read about the lineage of Abraham, you’re actually reading about your spiritual lineage? This directly applies to you! The divine blessing of adoption into the family of God means that we’re written into the story, descendants of the father of nations. What beautiful family legacy we’ve obtained in our justification. God allowed Jesus to be handed over to death, so that He could mightily display his ultimate power of death. We accept that. We believe that. Our faith in the God who raised Jesus from the dead allows us to be justified and enter eternal relationship with the creator of the universe. God doesn’t give us what we earn or what we deserve. For that, I am so glad.
Microchurch Minute
What advantage do the Jews have in relation to eternity and relationship with Jesus? Jews were entrusted with the Word of God. However, some have been unfaithful. Despite the Jew’s rebellion, God has remained faithful and just. Our flawed human logic sometimes justifies that His redeeming grace is glorified in our sin. Yes and no. See, when we follow our rebellion into sin and choose to repent, God does redeem us and His grace is sufficient. This becomes part of our testimony and should help to keep us aligned with God. It is part of the reason I feel it is necessary to regularly reflect on what God has done for me in the past, how He has pulled me through situations that could have resulted in my demise. God’s grace is not a permission to sin freely card – it truly is a redemptive experience. While it is true we can accept and appreciate God’s grace over our lives, when we truly receive the gift of eternal life through our belief in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, it aligns out hearts in such a way that we no longer want to sin. The temptation will still be there, the same for Jews and Gentiles, but we get to make the conscious choice to keep our eyes on the Light of the world, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to resist the sins and temptations. This grace is equally available to all. We are all in need of forgiveness. All in need of the Savior. This means that none of us can boast of our own good works, it’s not about keeping a record of all the “good” that we did to get into heaven. It’s one of the sneakiest lies conjured by the enemy – that your “good morals” are enough. The fallen angel of darkness doesn’t mind morality; he fears surrender to Jesus Christ. As Christians, we recognize that eternal life can only be attained through believing that God sent his one and only Son, to die a death that we deserved, so that we might be given eternity and togetherness with our Father in heaven. This justification is given by our faith, not by works or strictly adhering to the law. Yet, when our hearts are aligned with God’s redemption, good works naturally flow as the fruit of a transformed life.
Microchurch Minute
On his journey to reach Rome, Paul wasted no time in encouraging and exhorting those who were chosen according to God’s will. He begins his letter by confirming the truth of Jesus Christ — the Son of God, who came fully clothed in flesh. We know Paul’s story through his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus — a single, life-altering moment that transformed him from a persecutor of believers into a man wholly devoted to the mission of Christ. Paul affirms that the gospel is for all believers — that all people stand equal before God. The Jews are no longer elevated above the Gentiles; instead, all who believe are united as the body of Christ. As saints, we are called to pursue holiness — not through perfectionism, but through the forgiveness and complete justification made possible by the blood of Jesus. Here, we see the heartbeat of the gospel — the urgency to share the good news. Those who are called to His purpose are commanded to go and proclaim Christ to the ends of the earth. The world is fallen and desperate for a Savior. Yet, in His love, God allows humanity the freedom of choice. When people give in to the lusts of their hearts, He allows sin to run its course — not out of indifference, but as part of His sovereign will. We were created to worship, yet humanity often replaces God with idols of its own making. Still, God continually reveals Himself — both through the beauty of creation and within the hearts of men, even those who have never heard His name. What a powerful reminder that He never stops pursuing us. It is our responsibility to turn from sin and keep God at the center of our knowledge and lives. While unbelievers may feel free to live without moral restraint, we who belong to Christ are held to a higher standard — the standard of holiness and grace found in our sainthood.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (v.16)
Microchurch Minute
Human beings were created for connection. We get to be connected to God. We get to be connected to each other. God showed His love for us in sending His son as the ultimate sacrifice to bridge the gap that sin created. When we are in relationship with God, we are filled with His love. As He fills us, out cup overflows! We have the opportunity to tap into this abundant love and grace to, in turn, pour it out on others. We embrace and forgive others. We hold each other accountable. Boundaries and accountability are biblical concepts. When we truly care for fellow believers, as a good parent cares for their children, we correct out of a longing to restore their walk with Christ. We do these things out of joy in being aligned with Christ. Biblical obedience isn’t about following a set of laws “because I said so”. Instead, it is because we know Him and trust that His ways are better than ours.
When Jesus says ‘abide in Me” it shows a matter of free will. How do we live our lives? What do we fixate on? We must be remaining and abiding in Him to produce good fruit. The good news, through the Holy Spirit, God is already abiding in us. Your responsibility is to press in to Him, to stay pressed in to Him. Reach out and talk to God, but also be on the ready to listen for His response. In the same way that you would not confidently leave your home with your clothes next to you, but rather “abiding” in them, wearing them, being immersed in them – walk boldly abiding in the love of God, in obedience with His will.
Trust that God has planted you where He will provide what you need to blossom. Do these circumstances always look ideal? Not a chance. But remember that even grapes require rocky soil to grow. Is it comfortable? Not always. When God sees that we are aligned with Him, He will continue pruning, removing what is holding us back and blocking our spiritual fruit from blossoming. Abide in Jesus, acquiring knowledge from His life and your user manual (a.k.a. the Bible).
Microchurch Minute
As we wrapped up the book of 1 John, we took some time to focus on our foundation in the identity of Jesus Christ through the Spirit, blood and water. We have a unique opportunity to live our lives from a position of victory, we aren’t fighting with fear of the ultimate outcome. We already know how the story ends. We have confidence that Jesus has already overcome the world. When we believe in Him and have the Holy Spirit inside of us, that makes us overcomers as well. When He freely gave Himself on Calvary’s hill, Jesus granted the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to fill all who believe. This gives us the ultimate gift of eternal life to look forward to, as well as a distinct comfort and understanding on this side of Heaven that unbelievers don’t get to experience. As human beings, we were created for worship. But, what are you worshiping? Is there something (or someone) in your life that you are putting on a pedestal above God? We must reject the worship of idols, this can be commonly recognized as money or the earth itself. There is a fine line between honoring what God has created versus elevating it to a status that puts importance above the Creator of the universe. Alternately, we can be fooled into worshiping a “good” idol too. Think about your past relationships – has there been another human relationship that you placed so much value on that it was slowly pacing your relationship with Jesus out of the picture? We hear “all things in moderation”. But the truth of the matter is God first. When we allow our primary focus to be on Him, God will appoint space in our heads and hearts to prioritize what He wants us to focus on. When we relinquish the “power” we like to think that we have over life, we find the confidence to freely share our own testimony with whatever audience God gives us. We shift from fearing the judgement of the world to living unashamed because we already have the love and approval of the only One that matters.
Three things I will leave you challenged with this week:
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stop going through life on the fight for victory – recognize that Christ has already won, you are fighting from a position of having already achieved the ultimate victory, you get to keep it with confidence
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hold fast to the testimony of the Truth – to include where you’ve been, what God has brought you through and the Truth of His written Word – this pushes accountability on you (do you know the Word of God? are you spending time immersing yourself in the Word?)
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pray with confidence – God wants to pour out all the goodness that He has stored up for you, but this will require that you ask for it – that you are aligned with God in such a way that the desires of your heart are written by your Heavenly Father, He is the God Who can
