I am Redeemed

1Co 6:11-20 NASB

(11)  Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

(12)  All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

(13)  Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.

(14)  Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.

(15)  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!

(16)  Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."

(17)  But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

(18)  Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.

(19)  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

(20)  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Just what happens as a result of redemption?  We are transformed by God’s power.  Paul tells us we are Washed, Sanctified, and Justified.  When we experience the redemption of our soul it changes our priorities from those of the world to Godly priorities. 

Our world view is changed to a God centered focus.  This means we must be conscience of God’s priorities and it involves the self-discipline of our bodies. Just because something is not necessarily wrong does not mean it is beneficial to the person or to those around him.  So if something is going to be a stumbling block for you or someone else it probably should be avoided

Our redemption was purchased with the high cost of Jesus’ blood shed upon Calvary.  We must be willing to present ourselves as a living sacrifice so others may come to repentance.

FREEDOM

In the Movie Brave Heart, William Wallace dies fighting for freedom.  Who can ever forget the gut wrenching seen when he is being tortured and just before he dies he gives one last cry for freedom that cuts to the very core of everyone who is witness.  True freedom can only come through Jesus Christ.

Col 2:13-19 NASB  When you were dead in your transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 

(14)  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 

(15)  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. 

(16)  Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day

(17)  Things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 

(18)  Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 

(19)  and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

Christ gained full and complete victory over sin on the cross. In New Testament times a debtor could be taken to court and sold into slavery. Because of our great record of debt God could have forced us to spend eternity in Hell.  Aren’t you glad that God has canceled the certificate of debt that sin caused in our lives?  Through Jesus our debt has been paid in full.  God wants us to live for him as victors. If we know Christ we should not live enslaved.

Christ is the reality of which all else is a mere shadow.  Paul tells us that they were teaching that the observance of days and festivals and foods were essential for salvation.  Paul says no.

Paul does not condemn the dietary laws but they are not essential for salvation. Anytime we place extras as being essential for salvation we are going back to justification under the law and that is a shadow.  It is like looking at a picture of Jesus when he is standing right in front of you.  We must avoid setting mandates on others and find our liberty in Christ.

Walk In Him

Colossians 2:6-10 NASB 

(6) Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 

(7)  having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 

(8)  See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 

(9)  For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 

(10)  and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Christ makes us complete and secure against false teachings.  Paul tells us to be firmly rooted. Our faith is based in Jesus Christ.  Both our foundation and outward expression of faith are to be rooted in Jesus so we may be able to with stand the attacks of the devil.  In the last month my area has experienced tornados that have ripped through our neighborhoods.  I have seen the devastation of homes and businesses along with the destruction of huge stands of forests.  Trees well over 100 years old up rooted and lying on the ground.

Years ago I worked with a guy that had a degree in forestry as well as years of experience.  I once asked him how much ground do you need to dig up to move a tree or to another location.  He told me that you needed to take as much area as the limbs shaded.  Verse 7 tells us we must be firmly rooted.  Does our roots cover as much area as we are claiming on the surface?  In other words are we grounded in the biblical truths of the risen savior? 

We must always guard against philosophies and those who would deceive us using traditions.  Traditions can creep into our beliefs and practices without us being aware.  For example a man said his wife always cuts the pointed end off of the ham before she bakes it.  He asked why she did that and she said that is how mom did it.  He then asked mom why she did it and she said that is how granny did.  He called up granny and asked her why she cut the end off of the ham before she baked it and she said that she did it so it would fit into the pot.  See the wife and the mother had no idea why they were cutting the end off of the ham.  It was just a tradition that had crept in and was believed to be the correct way to bake a ham.

When we make sure we measure everything through the lens of the bible.  We can be assured that we walk in Him and have been made complete.

Now What

Romans 10:14-15 NASB

(14)  How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher?

(15)  How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week.  This is the third part of our What, Then What, & Now What series.  Last week we closed with Romans 10:13 “Whoever will call upon the name of Lord will be saved”.  This verse takes us straight into the Now What.

People cannot call upon the Lord unless they have heard of Him.  Verse 14 asks the question how can they call on whom they have not believed and then goes on to charge each and every Christian to proclaim the Gospel to the world.

I think sometimes there is a misconception here as to the word Preacher. 

The Greek is kērussō pronounced      kay-roos'-so

MEANING -  to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel): - preach (-er), proclaim, publish.

Yes we all have a ministry remember Jesus saves us to serve Him.  Our ministry is what we do to proclaim the Gospel (the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior for the entire world). 

Our ministry can be many things but it should touch every aspect of our lives.  Our family should be a major part of our ministry.  We should never neglect our families for the ministry.  We must engage our families to be a part of our ministries.  They are a living testimony of the wonderful gifts of God. 

Our ministry must include our jobs.  How many opportunities does God give us each and every day while we are at work?  What a wonderful way to bring others to Christ then to walk a walk that shows Jesus in your workplace.

The third aspect of our lives where we need to have a ministry is Church.  Many times we attend church and we are the audience.  Meaning we come in and take our seats and watch the singers and the preacher.  There are so many opportunities to have a ministry at church.  Churches need greeters, just someone to circulate around the church and have a kind word.  Churches need people with the gift to pray.  Yes everyone can pray but there are certain people who are gifted with the ability to go to God in earnest prayer.  Maybe you could start a prayer chain.  Other areas could be to start a women or men’s group or maybe a couples group.  Ministries can come through services like a food pantry, meal service or working with seniors.  Each of these examples are wonderful ways that can provide opportunities to engage others and share the Gospel.  Remember one of the best ways to show we love God is to show love toward our fellow man.

The Now What is making sure our ministries are full and fruitful.  

Please pray that my ministry at Decaf After Dark will grow and people will hear and believe.