Category: Uncategorized

Scripture Passages: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13

As Chris taught us on Sunday, the story that surrounds the choosing of the first deacons illustrates how the early church handled two things: (1) growth (Acts 6:1), and (2) conflict (6:1). Acts 6 is the church at her best doing the one thing that seems to be the hardest for us to do – change, adapt, be flexible. The ability to resolve conflict in a healthy way is an important characteristic of a healthy church. The early church recognized that as needs arise, new ministries would need to be raised up to meet the needs. Baptists as well as many other Christians have recognized the continuing need of deacons.

As we begin the process of selecting men to serve at Harvest Pointe Fellowship, it would be good to look at exactly what the ministry of the deacon actually is. In this way, you and I will be able to prayerfully select men for this important ministry.

Let’s look first at the ministry of the deacon. The word Deacon literally means “servant” from the Greek word, “diakonos.” A deacon is one who provides service to another – he is a minister.

The deacon’s ministry is one of serving Gods people. The ministry of a deacon is not so much a position of power and privilege as it is a trust, a responsibility. Above all else, the deacon is to be a minister, a servant. As a servant, the deacon performs many of the same functions as the ministerial staff. The deacons serve alongside the ministerial staff of the church and they are ultimately responsible to the church. Deacons are truly biblical deacons when they serve God’s people.

The deacon’s ministry is one of meeting the practical needs of people. The first deacons served the widows and others in the church that had great needs. Their ministry was both spiritual and administrative as they handled the benevolent needs in the church. This meeting of practical needs extended to taking care of matters that would have taken the apostles away from their main task, that of ministering the word and prayer (6:2, 4). They were to be a help to the apostles. The overwhelming needs in ministry, then and now, make a practical deacon ministry all the more needed.

The deacon’s ministry is one of protecting the unity of the Church. Because godly and wise men were first selected to serve the church body, the early church prospered in unity. The potential rift between the Hebrew-speaking and the Greek-speaking Jews was avoided. The chief duties of a deacon surely include providing for the needy but also include protecting church harmony. As a deacon serves in a godly manner, he preserves and promotes unity.

The deacon’s ministry is one of reaching out with the Gospel. The early deacons (e.g., Stephen and Philip) had a heart to see the Gospel extended beyond the bounds of the church into all the world. Deacons who are truly deacons are men who desire to see God’s kingdom grow and flourish. They are missionary-minded men who desire to see others reconciled to God.

Lets look now at the man who would be a deacon. What kind of man is needed to fill this vital ministry?

A deacon is a man who is “called”. Believers are to “Walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1). A man who serves as a deacon should sense the call to serve as a deacon. He should have a true desire for the ministry. Men are called to serve as deacons just as men are called to serve as all pastors and ministers. As a church, our first task is to pray about people that God places on our heart and then approach those people. Ask them to pray about this matter, ask them to consider what God might be doing with them.

A deacon is a man who is committed. Faithfulness in service cannot be overstated. A man does not become a deacon in order to become a committed Christian; he is already a committed Christian. He is faithful in attending worship, Bible study, and involved in the ministries of the church. The men who were selected in the early church were men who immediately rose to the top as outstanding men because they were already serving faithfully.

A deacon is one who is qualified. Aside from the qualifications mentioned in Acts 6:3, the specific qualifications of a deacon are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. What are the qualifications of a deacon?

• Good Reputation (3:8) The word “reverent” means worthy of respect. He’s respected because he is godly, committed, mature, and wise.
• Man of His Word (3:8) Not “double-tongued” (3:8). He can be trusted; he can keep a matter in confidence. He doesn’t say one thing at church and another outside church. This is crucial to the deacon’s ministry especially since he is may be counseling people and dealing with sensitive personal matters.
• Does Not Cause Others to Stumble (3:8) Not “given to much wine” (3:8). “Addicted” NASB. In general his life will not cause others to stumble.
• Generous Giver (3:8) “Not greedy for money” (3:8). He handles his finances in a biblical way. He will be a one who tithes and is a supporter of the church.
• Solid in God’s Word (3:10) He must have knowledge and an understanding of God’s word. “Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.” This means he has a clear understanding of basic biblical teachings. For example, teachings such as salvation by grace through faith and who Jesus is, teachings about the church, and many others. He is sound in the faith and he knows the faith.

Think of how important this is to preserving godliness and harmony in the church. Many problems have occurred in the church because of spiritual immaturity. Godly people handle their business in a godly way. It’s just that simple. The worse thing a church can do is put a spiritual infant in a place of leadership. Unspiritual men have destroyed the fellowship of many good churches.

A deacon is one who is proven (3:10) “Tested.” That is, he will be a proven man, a man that shows evidence in his life that he not only knows God but He is walking with God as well. No man should be elected to serve as a deacon if he has established a pattern of unfaithfulness in areas such as church attendance, tithing, sharing his faith, prayer, and Bible study. Instead, he should be proven in these areas.

A deacon is one who is understood to be blameless (3:10) “Blameless.” is not perfect but the word implies above reproach. To be blameless means that there is no valid accusations being circulated that might indicate or point to problems with his character or conduct.

A deacon is one who is faithful and pure (3:12) “Husbands of one wife” (3:12). He is faithful to his wife, not flirtatious, an adulterer. He is a “one woman” kind of man. His moral integrity is unquestioned.

A deacon is a good father and spiritual leader (3:12) He manages his home well (3:12). He’s a good husband and a good father. He loves his family and desires to set the spiritual example for them. He is a spiritual leader in the home.

The deacon’s wife is very important to his ministry (3:11) When a man is called to a ministry, his wife is too! Just as a pastor’s wife is in ministry, so a deacon’s wife is as well. A deacon’s wife is to be worthy of respect, she is not to participate in malicious talk (gossip), and she is to be temperate and trustworthy.

This is the ministry of the deacon and a picture of what the men who will serve as deacons will look like. The charge to us as the church is the charge found in Acts 6:3, “Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select . . . men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business” (Acts 6:3, NLT).

Deeper In God’s Word

Tom Renew

Read the Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-7

 ¹Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. ²Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. ⁵(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

The notable thing in this paragraph is that the very first point the apostle wants Timothy to make at Ephesus about this subject is that the office of an overseer or an elder is a very important and significant role, not to be taken lightly at all. Paul calls it “a noble task.”

The appointing of elders in a local church is Jesus’ own provision for leadership. This is not a human invention. Too many churches today are being operated by a corporate or country club model and run for the benefit of their members. In this fashion, they go about electing their own leaders according to democratic procedures. But in the New Testament, you never find leaders chosen like this. There you see that it was Jesus Himself who set up the structure of leadership. He is the Head of the church. As such, He has designated the type of leaders and identified their function within the church. (DeLucia)

The elders had basically one primary task. Like the apostles in the church at Jerusalem, their whole task was to be accomplished through the ministry of the Word–teaching, preaching, studying, and learning the Word of God. Through prayer, they were to discover the will of the Lord Jesus, who was Head of the church, who was present in every church, and ready to direct its activities through the Spirit of Christ.

This is the great and exciting truth that today’s churches have largely forgotten. It appears that very few people have a consciousness of Christ’s being a living Lord in their midst. They don’t seem to be aware that Christ is still in His church, ready to direct its every activities. By the leading of Christ, the church will challenge the culture of the day and explore the great possibilities that arise as the changing circumstances of people’s lives create hunger for deliverance from bondage. (Dr. Roberts)

It takes a living Lord in the midst of His people to direct the activities of the church, and the elders are the human instruments for the divine direction of the church. The elders are to be the means and the channels, through which the Lord’s innovative, unexpected approaches to life are carried out and brought into being through the body of Christians who meet together. (Gracetoyou.com)

In truth, every Christian is in “the ministry”. It is not only the elders who are to do the work of the ministry. You are directly related to the Lord Jesus so that He can say to you at any time, “I have opened up a door here in your church, city or neighborhood for you. I want you to reach these people.” Elders are to be watching for this. That is what the word for elder, episkopos, means: “looking over.” Elders are to be looking to see what the Lord is doing with His people and utilizing the opportunities that arise on every hand. They are to be instructed in what the Lord has said in His Word so as to be able to guide this new and exciting thing that is coming into being, correcting it if need be. That is the work of elders.

How do we apply this to our personal and church life? With Christ at the helm, leadership can steer a righteous course in every context. Are we earnestly praying for our leaders to follow Christ with integrity?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for the elders You have already placed in the family of Harvest Pointe Fellowship. We ask that you begin now to reveal the leaders who will guide this church by Your wisdom and discernment. Remind us to pray for those who will grasp the noble task of leadership.

Resources:

• Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts – “The Mission of God and the Missional Church”
• Tony DeLucia – “Elders Among You”
• Answering the Key Questions About Elders – Gracetoyou.com

 Deeper In God’s Word

Tom Renew

I don’t know about you but I was blessed, filled up to overflowing after our worship time today.  I thought Chris demonstrated great courage and supreme discernment as he literally turned the service over to the congregation. I was amazed as I saw so many men, women and children eagerly share how God has moved in their life and spirit through this study of Joshua. God is doing a mighty work in hearts of His people. He is preparing us to unleash strength and courage.

Joshua has spoken to me about courage and strength throughout this study.

Scripture Reading: Joshua 1:1-9

“Be strong and very courageous.” Joshua 1:7

 Our hearts stir with the stories of courageous people in the Bible. We admire Abram for leaving his homeland to follow the Lord. We applaud Moses for marching in before Pharaoh with God’s demand “Let my people go!” We love to hear of young David going out to meet mighty Goliath.

Well, notice God’s approach to Joshua, who is chosen to take over leadership after the death of Moses. God’s first words to Joshua are about courage. Three times in His address to Joshua, God repeats the challenge “Be strong and courageous.”

Courage is needed when the task is big–and this task is immense! God says, in effect, “Call Israel together; cross the Jordan; conquer the cities; overcome the enemies; resist their gods. Yes, the enemies will be fearsome, but you must be courageous!”

Courage has always been a necessary quality among the people of God. Standing for righteousness in a society that accommodates itself to evil takes courage. Spreading the true gospel of Jesus Christ in a culture that wants to say any religion will do, takes courage. Allegiance to Jesus Christ in a world that is often against Christ takes courage.

Paul’s charge to his friends in Corinth applies to us all. “Be alert. Continue strong in the faith. Have courage, and be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13, NCV).

Prayer

O Lord, I know there are issues to face, temptations to withstand, and enemies to meet. Give me a courageous heart, that I may be firm in my obedience. In Jesus name, Amen.

Deeper In God’s Word

Tom Renew

In the 1700s, a young man named James Taylor proposed to the love of his life and a wedding date was set. Neither of them however, were Christians. James, in fact, so detested all preachers that he would often assail them with rotten tomatoes or eggs. Shortly before the day of the wedding, one of John Wesley’s students entered town to preach a tent meeting. As soon as James heard of the event, he determined to disrupt the meeting. But as James listened in the fringes of the large crowd, the preacher quoted Joshua 24:15: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. The words pierced James’ heart like an arrow. When the day of his wedding finally arrived, the words of Joshua continued to be lodged in his thoughts. That morning James took time to walk alone in the fields near his home to ponder all that was on his mind. He was about to take a wife, to establish a home, but he wasn’t serving the Lord. He knelt in the grass and earnestly asked Christ to be his Savior. By the time he finished praying, he was alarmed to discover it was time for the wedding. Rushing to the chapel, he apologized for being late, and the ceremony proceeded. Then he shocked his bride and guests, by announcing he had become a Christian. He soon began witnessing to his new wife, but she remained resistant. Finally one day James came home so burdened for her that he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. There, he insisted that she join him as he earnestly kneeled to pray for her salvation. Soon both were weeping, and there she, too, became a Christian. Eight generations have passed since that moment of decision. Each generation has been filled with Christian workers serving the Lord. Included among them is James Taylor’s great-grandson, Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, who opened the interior of China to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. (Joshua 24:15)

This amazing story shows how one person’s obedience to the Lord can start a generational chain reaction that can alter the course of an entire family.

You too can set off a chain reaction for good or bad in your family by even one decision. Where will your decisions lead them? I pray with God’s help that I will lead my family down the blessed path of righteous living. I sincerely pray that by God’s grace my example will effect change in the generations beyond me long after I am gone, and that I will look down from heaven should Jesus tarry and see generations of righteous and Godly world changers effecting change in their families and on and on and on…. thus setting off a divine Holy Ghost, God-ordained, blessed chain reaction.

Be encouraged! Your obedience today can change your entire family!

Deeper In God’s Word

Tom Renew

 

Resources:

“Stake of Commitment”, Ron Moore – ronmoore.org

“We Will Serve The Lord”, Chad Young – Findingauthenticchristianity.org

Joshua 24:15 – biblehub.com

“Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.” (Joshua 23:11-12, ESV)

 

 The end of the book of Joshua represents the pinnacle of both the physical and spiritual journey of the Nation of Israel. They had finally conquered the land of Canaan, and they were settling down on their God given land. Most importantly, they had been committed to following the Lord throughout the life of their leader, Joshua. However, the book of Judges (the sequel to Joshua) is one of the darkest books of the Bible because over the next several hundred years the nation of Israel became more and more mesmerized and enamored by idolatry. It all started with their disobedience when they didn’t drive out all of the nations from the land of Canaan. Eventually, they married foreigners who worshipped Baal, and they became Baal worshippers themselves until God kept his word and drove the Israelites out of the land.

When you look back on your Christian walk, is there a time that you reached an all-time-high in your relationship with God like the Israelites? Years after I started following God and as a young husband and father, I attended several Promise Keepers events. It was from these worshipful and instructional gatherings with thousands of other men that I truly feel in love with Jesus. However, after I returned home and was away from that highly emotional and encouraging environment, I lost my intimacy with God. It’s not that I did a lot of really terrable things. I just didn’t spend time with God, and as a result, I “fell out of love” with God. For the next several years, I rarely felt intimate with Him the way I that I once had. I longed to get back to that “peak relationship” with God so I could experience that joy and intimacy with Him daily. Finally, I was discipled to become more disciplined in my spiritual walk. I began practicing a dedicated Christian life. Soon, I was getting up in the morning and spending precious time with God in prayer and personal Bible study. This discipline helped me to fall back in love with God and His Word. With this renewed obedience, I’ve experienced more consistent spiritual growth ever since.

Thankfully, God is just waiting for us to take steps to get to know him. He hasn’t gone anywhere. He is not angry or disappointed. He is always with us. He is ready to pour his lavish love on us when we come to Him in our brokenness, confess our sins, and submit our hearts to Him and turn from sin. Today, spend time in prayer, thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins. Start today asking God to keep you from “hitting a peak” spiritually and then losing your intimacy with Him. Ask Him to make you the man or woman or young person He created you to be!

Resources:

Spotlight.org – David Guzik’s commentary on Joshua

Ronmoore.org – Ron Moorre, Our Protector, Joshua 23 Devotional

Brandonweb.org – Brandon Web, The Danger of Complacency

Deeper In God’s Word

Tom Renew

“And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.” (Joshua 22:10, ESV)

 This passage of Joshua chapter 22 is very interesting. Not long after the Israelites had taken possession of the Promised Land, each tribe was sent to the land they inherited to settle there. Soon afterward, the nine tribes of Israel to the west of the Jordan River found out that the three tribes living on the eastern side of the Jordan had built a huge, mysterious altar.

Having misunderstood the purpose of the altar (thinking it was rebellion against God), the tribes from the west sent a delegation to confront the eastern tribes. They understood well that one sin by anyone in Israel affects all of Israel, and they reminded the eastern tribes of two events (Baal worship at Peor and the story of Achan in Joshua 7) in which many Israelites died because of one Israelite’s sin. However, the eastern tribes of Israel did not build their altar in rebellion against the Lord, and they quickly explained that the altar was built as a reminder to follow God. War was averted, and peace came to Israel.

So it was kind of a waste of everyone’s time (it would have taken some of the Israelites weeks to meet up with the delegation) since it was all just a big misunderstanding, right? Does it seem odd that God wasted nearly an entire chapter of the Bible with this story?

I believe we have this story for at least 2 reasons:

1) God is very serious about the sin of his people. He is perfect and holy, and he expects us to be perfect and holy. Just one sin of one believer affects us all, and as Christians, we need to be sure to protect the reputation of Christ and deal with the sin of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This isn’t to say we should judge others or “throw stones” at them. However, we need to hold each other accountable and seek the purity of the church. We should expect our leaders to be good examples of what it means to be in love with Christ.

2) God is a God of second chances. Could you imagine if the western tribes of Israel had just gone to war with the eastern tribes without talking to them? They would have wiped out 25% of Israel over a simple misunderstanding. In the same way, we need to communicate with each other. There are times we assume the worst in people instead of assuming the best in them and talking out our difference.

Reflection:

What did you get out of this passage? Spend time praising God for sending Christ to die for our sins. Although we deserve to be punished for our sins, Christ took that punishment upon himself. I try to speak this truth to myself each day because the gospel helps me to fall deeper in love with God. When I come to God in repentance and brokenness, I experience the Father’s lavish love. Praise God for being so merciful and loving, and for helping us to experience real joy in Christ.

 

Resources:

EnduringWord.org – Joshua Chapter 22

Studylight.org – Joshua 22-A misunderstanding reconciled

PreceptAustin.org – F.B. Meyer-A Witness Between You and Me – Joshua 22

Tom Renew

Deeper In God’s Word

Is it possible that every promise made by God was perfectly kept? The message from Pastor Chris was loud and clear; Our God keeps His promises. Pastor Chris shared this amazing truth with us this past Sunday.

It is undeniably true; He really does keep His promises. Even when we can’t see it today or even if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime, He doesn’t forget and He never changes His mind. If God has every made a promise, He intends to keep it.

On Sunday, we studied Joshua 21:41-44. It is important to recall that these words were spoken after the years of defiance and disobedience, after stories of rebellion and murmuring against Moses and God, and after 40 years of wilderness wandering. In reality, Israel had tried to put their covenant with God out of their minds by their idolatrous ways. Even after God gave them the land of Canaan, they went back to idols. So it is after Israel seemingly did all they could to mess things up that we read these astounding words at the end of Joshua’s life:

“So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

Remember that the promises Joshua is referring to dated back hundreds of years. All the way back, in fact, to the early chapters of the book of Genesis where God chooses Abraham, promising Him abundant descendants, a national legacy, and land for each subsequent generation to come. Abraham acted on these promises, trusting the Lord, but the author of Hebrews 11:13 says this: Abraham and his wife, Sarah, “were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised.” They had one son, Isaac, but that hardly seemed like a promising start to a nation populated by their descendants—to say nothing of the fact that they never inherited the land.

But their story didn’t end there. From Joshua’s vantage point and on his side of history, he had the great privilege of seeing that God in His perfect time had kept His promises! God hadn’t forgotten. He hadn’t lost the list of the things He promised to give to Abraham. And so Joshua, standing in the land promised to Abraham, surrounded by the descendants of Abraham, could marvel and praise God. No promises were left unfulfilled. Not one of them had failed. AMEN.

Today we are so programmed to expect instant gratification. From instant credit to ATM machines to high-speed Internet and fast-food restaurants, we are wired to expect everything we need and want now. If we don’t get what we want immediately, our blood pressure starts to rise! But God’s timelines are different than our imperfect expectations.

So stand strong! If He said it, claim it and cling to it. You can believe it. You can have confidence because the one thing you can count on is God’s faithfulness. We have the trustworthy witness of history and of Scripture that none of His promises will fail. I am reminded of the words Paul wrote to Timothy when he affirmed that though we are often faithless, God will be faithful to us because He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).

Questions for thought:

1. What promises of God are you counting on?
2. How can a fascination with the here and now derail your faithfulness to God and His promises?
3. Make a list of His life-changing promises. If you need a head start, read Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:19; and Hebrews 13:5-6.

Tom Renew

Deeper In God’s Word

 

Resources:

Ron Moore – The Journey – Life Uncertain

Bibleportal.com – Joshua 21

George H. Harris – Did God Fulfill Every Promise?

On Sunday, Pastor Chris delivered a very powerful message from God’s word about refuge. In Joshua chapter 20 we learned that the cities of refuge, established by God, demonstrates the grace of God. These cities also give us a picture of the safety and salvation we find “in Christ Jesus”.

The Bible is very clear in its declaration that individuals who are not “in Christ” are lost and under judgment. If you are not “in Christ Jesus” you have not escaped the condemnation and the wrath of God.

The apostle John wrote, “He who believes in Him is not judged” (John 3:18a). Paul wrote “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). John goes on to say, “he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (v. 18b). The individual who does not believe is already condemned and that condemnation of unbelievers begins now.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

This assurance of “no condemnation” is the assurance found in the phrase “in Christ Jesus.” We were all condemned in the first Adam, but in the second Adam there is no condemnation to be found.

We as Christians do sin and fail to bring glory to God, and we do suffer the natural consequences of our sins. However, we do not suffer condemnation because Christ was condemned in our stead. He became the propitiation for our sin.

The legalist tries desperately to please God by obeying the law in his own strength, however this is futile. On the other hand, the Christian who is under the control of the Holy Spirit experiences the sanctifying work of the Spirit in his daily life.

By an act of dependence upon Jesus Christ the believer then realizes his position in Christ. “By nature I am in myself, and in sin and I am, therefore, condemned; but when the grace of God awakens me up to know my ruined state, then I fly to Christ. I trust alone in His blood and righteousness, and He becomes to me the cleft of the rock, whereas I hide myself from the storm of vengeance justly due to me for my many offences. The Lord Jesus is typified by the city of refuge,” writes C. H. Spurgeon.

Is your righteousness one that you have worked out yourself, or is the righteousness of Christ imputed to you? Do you look for salvation by self, or for salvation by Christ? “If you can truly say, ‘I hide in Christ,’ then this text warbles sweeter music than ever fell from angel’s lips. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Spurgeon continues, “Inasmuch as you have believed in Him, you are in Him.”

The promise holds true because the believer is “in Him who can never be condemned . . . If you are in Christ, there is for that very reason no condemnation to you.” (Spurgeon)

Christ fulfilled the law for us all, and since you believed on Him you are justified in Him. “By Christ’s righteous life and substitutionary death, justification has come to all who are in Him.” (DeWire)

“We are accepted in the beloved,” says the apostle Paul. “By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

“Will the Lord condemn those whom He has made righteous?” Will He condemn those for whom He has covered with His own perfect righteousness?” (Spurgeon)

God has placed the believer in a living and vital union in Christ. We have been made one with Christ through a living relationship.

J.I. Packer said, “since we have died in Christ and rose with Him, how shall we be put to death again for the sin for which we have already died in Him? We who are in Christ are justified because Christ is justified by His rising from the dead, and by His taking the position of honor and glory at the right hand of God. He is our representative and we are one with Him, and what He is that we are. Our union is inseparable, and therefore our condemnation is impossible”.

Questions for thought:

1. Are you in need of refuge today? Have you experienced the freedom of a personal relationship with the One who has taken your sin on Himself?
2. Are you living within the walls of the city of refuge or are you burdened by past sins or your old life? Has life situations and circumstances worked to steal your joy and peace? If so, allow Christ to help you reconnect with His assurance and freedom.
3. Will Harvest Pointe Fellowship stand out in this community as a “City of Refuge”? How will you participate to assure that this happens? Will you Go, Risk and Believe?

 

Deeper In God’s Word

Tom Renew

 

Resources:

Medford Foskey – Sermon “Christ Our Refuge”

Preceptaustin.com – Christ Our Rock and Refuge, Part ½

Will Pounds – The Spirit of Life

Bryan DeWire – Death through Adam, Life through Christ.

Somehow, not only for Christmas,
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others,
Is the joy that comes back to you.
And the more you spend in blessing,
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart’s possessing,
Returns to you glad.

– John Greenleaf Whittier
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”- Luke 6:38

Deeper In God’s Word

Tom Renew