Sunday Review, November 25, 2012

Paul the apostle takes his time teaching the churches of Galatia — as well as teaching us, I might add — that we are free from the Law and licentiousness. He addresses this in Galatians 5:7-15 a he continues to speak of turning away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we as believers turn to legalism, then we ruin the grace that God has given us. The Law makes us a debtor. Finally, if we turn to the Law and turn away from the grace that God has given us through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, then we fall away from grace. This does not mean that we lose our salvation, rather, it means that we leave behind what it is that we know to be Truth, that is, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is Truth! In addition, Paul continues to say that turning to the Law hinders our growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, turning to the Law removes the offense of the Cross of Christ. Rather than that offense, the offense is the breaking of the Law. Paul then encourages us to live a life apart from license. You can listen to the sermon here:  http://deniliojgorena.sermon.net/da/1199889021/play.

This evening’s message was about the calling of Moses and the structure of Exodus 3-4. Written in narrative form, Moses tells us his story of when God called him from the burning bush. Interestingly enough, the bush is not being consumed by the fire as it is “the angel of the LORD” that is speaking to Moses. He tells Moses that He has heard the cries of His people and He has seen the affliction brought on by the Egyptians that are holding them in bondage. God tells Moses that He is going to deliver His people from Egypt and will free them. This is a beautiful picture of how God hears the cries of those who are held in bondage to sin. And those who are without Christ are certainly held in bondage as they are slaves of sin. God, however, comes to those who are crying out for salvation and He hears their prayers. In addition, He hears the cries of His afflicted people — those who already know Jesus Christ as their Deliverer. You can listen to the sermon here: http://deniliojgorena.sermon.net/da/1199889028/play.

Exalt the Lord Jesus Christ

I believe that as a Christian, I am to exalt Jesus as Savior to all who believe in His Person and Work for their salvation by preaching salvation in Christ alone, by grace alone, by faith alone. For what reason do I believe this to be true? The answers follow:

John 1:1-5 says:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Philippians 2:5-11 says:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Colossians 1:15-20 says:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to Have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Hebrews 1:1-4 says:

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

 

Sunday Review, November 18, 2012

The Christian is free indeed! This is the whole reason that Jesus Christ died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures: it was for freedom that Christ set us free! This is Paul the apostle’s claim and what a truth claim it is! Too many times we bind ourselves either to a legalistic mindset or to a licentious mindset. Both of these are absolute killers of the faith that we place in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. As a matter of fact, committing ourselves to either legalism or licentiousness we change the very Gospel of Jesus Christ by saying that we either have to keep the Mosaic Law for salvation or that we can still be saved by Christ and live any way that we please. Paul on the other hand says that we are waiting for the hope of righteousness that is found only in Christ Jesus. (You can listen to the message here, however, there is a 38 second silent spot at the beginning of the track: http://wpc.473a.edgecastcdn.net/80473A/spcdn/sermon_sto2_fast/deniliojgorena/audio/1199884850_103883.mp3/play.)