Grace

“And Jesse fathered David the king; and David the king fathered Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah.” (Matthew 1:6)

Someone asked, “How do you explain God allowing David to be the king of Israel after committing adultery with the wife of a soldier in David’s army, who was fighting a battle? And the king in an attempt to cover his sin had her husband murdered in battle? (II Samuel 11) One word explains it: GRACE.

There have been no sinless people serving in any position in the Bible. In the listings of the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke we see adulterers, prostitutes, murderers, fornicators and idolaters, but no perfect people. Only one sinless Man is listed in the Bible and we crucified Him.

The Bible is not about perfect people. It is about the grace of our perfect God. It is about God’s offer of forgiveness to sinners. If God waited for sinless, perfect people to get His work on earth done it would never get done. God uses people who acknowledge their imperfections and sinfulness to tell a lost world where to find forgiveness.

The Two Greatest Commandments

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:40)

A young  lawyer, attempting  to  entrap  Jesus,  asked Him, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy might” Then Christ quoted from Leviticus 19:18, which says, “…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself…”

When we look at the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17, we can see that the first four commandments have to do with loving God, and the last six refer to loving others. Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever kept the Ten Commandments. All of us have, “sinned and come short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23) The law shows us how dreadfully sinful we are and how desperately we need the Savior. That is why we must receive by faith God’s Son and what He did for us at Calvary.

This would be a good day to receive Christ if you have not done so.

What Shall We Do with Jesus?

“…What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22)

Following a local option election on whether or not our city would be “wet” or “dry,” my preacher father, who had taken a very active part with the anti-liquor group said, “I’m afraid the devil is laughing at us pastors. If we had spent as much time and effort presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ and trying to get folks saved as we did in trying to get them sober we would have accomplished both, salvation and sobriety.”

Pilate’s question to the multitude is valid for us today. Millions upon millions of dollars, much time and much labor have been spent to save the population from big, corrupt government. But, during that time what did we Christians do with Jesus and His purpose for coming into the world?

It is a question we should ask before we undertake any project, large or small, whether at the court house or the church house. “What shall we do with Jesus?” There are many worthy projects, such as the local option election mentioned above. But, if a project puts Jesus on a shelf or stands Him in a useless corner, we need to re-think the project.

Heart Change

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…” (Matthew 15:19)

Why do people do bad things? What causes someone to go on a shooting spree and kill innocent people? Why do people steal? Why do people lie about other folks? These evil instigators need a change of heart, like everyone else in Adam’s race need a change of heart.

Changing one’s ways of living will not change one’s heart. Changing one’s heart will change one’s way of living. (II Corinthians 5:17) Changing religions is not the same as changing one’s heart. Changing where you attend church is not the same as heart change.

The deceived, unregenerate heart of man will make him think that being as good as his neighbor is what satisfies God. Such deceived thinking comes from an unchanged heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Jesus and only Jesus the Son of God can change the sinful heart of man.

An Invitation to You

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

As a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I have given many invitations for people to come to Jesus. I have heard many invitations from other preachers through the years. When we preach and give an invitation to Christ we are doing what Jesus did and what He authorized us to do.

The invitation to come to Jesus is “inclusive” and not “exclusive.” The word “all” includes everyone who is laboring and is heavy laden. Additionally, the word, “ye” is plural in number. It means everyone. People in Christless religions, bowing down to sticks, stones, the moon, stars and the sun are laboring in an attempt to please God and be accepted of Him. Many people are laden with sin and guilt. Many are laboring with health problems and financial burdens. Whatever your burden or whoever you are, Jesus invites you to come to Him and accept His promise that He will give you rest.

If you are struggling with some sin, perhaps a sinful habit, Jesus invites you to come to Him. Often people struggle with guilt. Take it to Jesus. People labor with expectations and demands of their religion. They find it difficult to keep all the rules and regulations laid down by some religious leader. “Come to me,” Jesus says.

No burden you have is too great for Him. Take your burdens and cares to Jesus. His invitation is inclusive and you are included in the invitation and His promise to give you rest. As the old hymn says, “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.”

Bear Fruit, Not Foliage

“And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.” (Matthew 21:19)

I have a picture of my son when he was a little boy about five or six years old. He is standing in our garden, between two rows of potatoes. The potato vines are up to his shoulders. With all that foliage I anticipated a bumper crop of potatoes. But, I was wrong. The potatoes were few, very small and hardly worth digging. It was the worst yield of potatoes I have ever seen. I was very disappointed.

The Bible says Jesus was hungry. He came to the fig tree and found no fruit, but leaves only. He was disappointed. The fig tree has long been a symbol of the nation of Israel. Jesus had observed the nation and its fruitlessness and used the cursing of the fig tree and its withering and dying as a lesson in what was soon to happen to that nation. Israel continues to be fruitless to this day but after the Lord comes back that will change.

There is a lesson for Christians in this event. God wants us to bear fruit, not foliage. The church of Sardis, in Revelation 3:1-7, had a name that it was alive, but was dead. It was all foliage. The fruit of the Spirit living in us is, “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Foliage is no substitute for fruitfulness.

Be Ready - Maybe Today

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:44)

Before you set your feet on the floor beside your bed this morning did you think, “This could be the day Christ returns?” Before you had your breakfast, before you left your house for school or work did you anticipate the coming of Christ?

Our Lord tells us in Matthew 24 that as it was in the days of Noah before the flood, life before the return of Christ would be going on as usual. Many years ago a Scottish preacher would ask when he stood to preach, “How many of you believe Jesus will return before I finish my sermon?” Sometimes a few hands would go up, sometimes three or four and sometimes no one would lift a hand. Then he would read our text in Matthew 24:44 and preach on being ready for the Lord’s return.

The New Testament mentions the return of Christ 318 times. Just because He didn't return yesterday doesn’t mean He might not return today. Are you ready for the Lord's return?