"it's been a while..."

Hi everyone,
It's been an awfully long time since I posted a new blog.  I apologize--things have been kind of busy and I just got away from it. 
At both Hazelwood and Sq Hill CC's, we've been seeing some cool things.  We've had a lot of discussions on:  baptism (what we do when we believe and want to follow Jesus--sort of the first step; see Mtk16:16, and Ac10:43 with 11:17 and 15:9), what it means to be justified (what happens to us when we have faith in Jesus and look to Him for salvation--we're put in a state of grace because of Jesus' work for us; see Ac13:38-39, Rom3:23-26, and Gal2:15-16), and yesterday we saw that church membership is just an extension of our being a part of the family of God through rebirth in Christ (see John1:12-13 and Gal4:4-6). 

As every sermon and every Bible study is about Jesus, we've seen God's grace in the form of showing that things like these (justification, baptism, church membership, etc.) have to be understood in light of Jesus and His finished work.  If we're not saved by our works but JESUS' work to be received in faith (which flows INTO good works as Jesus is in us--see Jn15:1-10 and Eph2:8-10), then the most important thing we could ever be reminded of is that what makes us Christians is Jesus, believed on and obeyed.  It's His life and resurrection that has regenerated us and given us new life (see 1Pet1:3), and the Church is the Church when we're making much of Him and what He's done.

Everyone needs this.  As a Christian, you're not allowed to say you believe that Jesus is God who came to save us and then turn around and not think that everyone needs it.  Jesus Himself said that everyone is enslaved to sin (Jn8:34) and unless they believe in Him, they'll DIE in their sin (8:24). 
Sin on earth makes everything dysfunctional as people more and more slide away from God (see the loss of sanity and sexual morality because of sin in Rom1:18-24, and the destruction of the family unit because of sin in Genesis3:8-4:7)--because of this, everyone has massive strongholds built up against the knowledge of God (see 2Cor10:4-5).  This is why one must be reborn to  follow Jesus (see John3:2-8). 

The ones seeking to deal with the problems in 2013 Post-modern Post-Christian society from a Christian perspective are largely seeking to do so without the only source of power that there is:  Jesus, and what He's done for us.  Sure, many may talk about Jesus (His love, forgiveness, etc.), but no one talks about a) His finished work, which is supposed to be understood as giving us power to overcome sin (even sexual sin) (see Rom6:3-5), or b) the fact that BECAUSE He's loving, He tells the truth (John8:14, 18:37).  Sometimes the truth hurts.  But if the one telling us the truth went to the cross to die for our sins, obviously He's looking out for our best interest; and if the one telling us the truth rose from the grave, obviously He's God and knows best. 

Jesus is God who came to save us from sin.  Sin leads to a) hell on earth, and b) hell eternally.  Hell on earth and hell eternally are both just and fair.  Grace is rebirth and eternal life with God the Father and His Son, because of what the Father and the Son have done for us.  He requires holiness and godliness from us, and in our state of sin and death, Jesus dies for us to provide holiness and godliness to us (see Rom5:6-8, Eph2:4-5). 

This isn't an oppressive message at all--it's grace AND truth.  If grace doesn't have truth, it's not really grace.  Grace needs truth in order to be grace, because grace is mercy IN LIGHT OF the truth.  "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory; glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John1:14).  Jesus doesn't sweep problems under the rug (see his handling of the Pharisees in Matt6:1-18 and 23:1-36).  Instead, he tells the hard truth of sin, and then goes to the cross to die for said sin, that we'd believe and be saved, and then rise with Him into new life. 

May Christ's Name be lifted high, and the Church look like the Church--bearing witness to His grace and truth.  "We're eyewitnesses of His majesty". 
Pray for revival in our city, so that people come to know Jesus not just as a concept...but for who He really is:  a Person--God who came to save us.  He builds His Church, and will continue regardless of what happens.