the encounter

Funny how some people see things completely backwards. When it comes to faith, people think that going to church, doing good things, avoiding certain vices, knowing much of the Bible, and voting a certain way makes a someone a “good” Christian. These could not be further from the truth.

The writers of the New Testament said that the real evidence of a person’s faith was not in their outward religious actions, but in the way they related to others they came in contact with. Relating to others with sacrifice, grace, love, and mercy with real joy says much more about a person than how many “church” points they have in their life.

After 4 chapters of writing about the extreme grace that God offers to us in Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul makes a statement deep into chapter 5 about what characterizes real faith. It is one more expression of where real faith plays out = in our relationships!

Paul lays down the challenge when he says, “Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ.”

Have a heart, motivation, desire, love in making yourself second, going last, making others successful, putting others needs above your own, finding joy in showing extreme grace to others.

God look for the man, woman, student, parent who lives out this kind of faith. He’s not impressed by how much you know about the Bible, how often you go to church, what you do in ministry, or how much money you give.

The one who lives out his faith like this will be blessed in what he does.

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What do you communicate to people? What is it they sense when they are around you? The stranger. The neighbor. Your children. Your spouse. What do they take away from being with you?

How we relate to others has everything to do with how we see God relating to us!

In the New Testament a man named Paul was at one time a very religious man. He was obsessed with religion. He kept all the rules, became a leader in his religion, and taught others how to be religious.

Religion did not help him in his relationships.

It only made things worse. Paul was religious because he thought the way to God was through keeping the rules and making everyone else keep the rules as well. He chased it with every fiber in his being. And it was destroying him. His rules and religion took him so far as to stand guard over a man who was being stoned because he refused to follow the religious rules. Really? Killing a man because he won’t keep the rules?

Paul, one day came face to face with God and it forever changed him.

In the encounter with God, Paul was blinded and forced to be dependent on others for life. He learned the value of grace. He saw the love of Christ. He saw how much God loved Him. He understood he was accepted, cherished, and forgiven. He learned to be humble and Paul was never the same.

He became a man of great significance to the people and churches of the New Testament. He had been a man known for condemnation, anger, harshness, and bitterness. He became a man known for compassion, love, and hope.

In particular, he became known for one phrase – a phrase that would sum up the essence of who he now was. He would include this phrase in the openings of his letters, the closings of his letters, and throughout whenever he spoke. What was the phrase that characterized this new man’s life?

Grace to you…

Romans 1:7, 2 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 4:23, Colossians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:18, Titus 3:15, Philemon 1:3

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How do you respond to the overwhelming forgiveness, acceptance, favor, and love of God for you? There is an unmistakable way of knowing whether you have received it or not. It flows from their life with real joy and sincerity. It is so powerful that it shapes how they see every event of their life – even the most challenging.

In this message, we conclude the series “Jump Free” with a look at the meaning and purpose of why God shows His unbelievable grace, forgiveness, and favor.

Download the slides here:it all comes down to this

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everyone has a lens through which they see life. like a tinted glass it colors everything they see – their circumstances, their problems, their friends, their family, themselves.

that same lens affects how a person sees God.

some would say, “Well they just need to read the Bible to find out who God is.” while I would agree, I would also know that their lens affects how they read the Bible.

one reads and only finds rules, condemnation, and rejection;

another reads and finds hope, help, acceptance, and grace.

one reads and finds a God who is distant, angry, and guilt inducing;

another reads and finds forgiveness, mercy, and love.

one reads and finds disconnected ancient literature;

another finds personal words of affection and relationship with God.

the lens of your heart will determine who and what you find.

the most religious people in Jesus’ day read the Scriptures. yet what they found was far from life. instead they found rules, laws, condemnation, and ways to oppress people with empty religion. Jesus confronts them with these words…

You diligently studythe Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me,yet you refuse to come to me to have life. john 5:39-40

the same Scriptures that were meant to bring life were tainted by the condition of their heart – their lens.

what lens do you look through when you read the Scriptures? do you only find confusion, rules, and condemnation or do you look for hope, life, forgiveness, and love?

Jesus waits there for those who have a lens to see!

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