The Hope of the Gospel
By Pastor James Black | January 27, 2010
In Colossians 1:23 the Apostle Paul speaks of the hope of the gospel. This is one of the elements that we are considering in these days. It is amazing how many people have hope in their church, religion, standing, or their works and yet we forget that our hope is in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice with me that for someone who doesn’t know Christ they find no hope in the gospel. Paul clearly states this in I Thessalonians 4:13 and Ephesians 2:12. This is because we hold on to the false hopes in our lives. Only when our paper houses fall apart can we realize that we are without hope. When our world is shattered by the sorrows and reality of life.
This is the time to see the hope of the gospel. The Bible says in Romans 5: 1-6 that we can have access and hope through the Lord Jesus Christ. The hope of the gospel is to know that God loves you and that He gave His Son as your ransom from the grip of sin and death. Jesus said that he would not turn away any that come to him in repentance and faith. Ephesians 6:6 tells us that we ARE accepted in the beloved.
But this is only the beginning of hope. In I John 3:1-2 the Bible tells us that now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be… . The hope of knowing that we are the sons of God and that He cares about every aspect of His childrens lives. To love and lead in our every day lives! This is hope!
I read a statment this week that basically stated that God knows every thing about me and if I am accepted by Him why should I fear what men think. Friend there is no hope in this world outside of Christ. There may be peace for a moment but there is no hope for eternity – no real, peaceful, expectant hope.
Where is your hope anchored?
Pastor James
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The Reconciliation of the Gospel
By Pastor James Black | January 15, 2010
The second element of the gospel that I want to consider is the element of reconciliation. Have you ever had a disagreement with someone? How do you move past this moment? In Isaiah 59:1-4 God says that our sin has separated us from Him. The first question is do you believe in sin! Some people don’t! If God is true – and He is- then this becomes the first disagreement. You know what – there is a time in every persons life that they disagree with God about sin. The longer the standoff remains the wider the gap becomes. So now what? Who makes the first move?
God did! In II Corinthians 5:19 the Bible says “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,…” . While we were still hiding in our sin God was already seeking reconciliation. How did He do this? By giving His Son in an act of forgiveness. We are reminded in Colossians 1:21-22 that it was Christ’s death that brings reconciliation. God saw the separation between us and then gave His Son as an act of reconciliation.
The question now is how will you respond. As is the case in every disagreement one makes a move and then it is the other parties decision of what to do. God gave the invitation in Isaiah 1:18 to come and reason together. When we are willing to listen to the truth from the Word of God it is then that we can be reconciled to Him. After that we are given the ministry of reconciling others to Him – and yes to ourselves.
Jesus said to be reconciled to those around us in Matthew 5:22-24. To live in the Gospel of Reconciliation means our earthly relations are important to our heavenly relation. Remember the old saying – Practice what you preach!
Pastor James
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The Gospel Elements
By Pastor James Black | January 11, 2010
Have you ever taken the time to consider all of the elements contained in the gospel. It is more than a story in the pages of the Bible – it was an actual event in the lives of many individuals. The primary person was Jesus himself.
The first element I want to consider is the love of God. The song says ” how measureless and sure”. It was the very love of God that began the whole process of the gospel before the foundations of the world. It was the love of God that set the very act into motion at the birth of Jesus. To think that an eternal God loves us enough to give his son as our ransom. There is not any religion that is founded on the principle of love except Christianity. The others are based on making their god happy by working good works.
It is the love of God that gives us comfort and assurance when we have yielded control of our lives to Him. The Holy Spirit helps us to bear the fruit of God’s love in our lives. This brings me to the challenge of gospel love. I John 4:20-21; I John 3:10 tells us that if we are true believers in Christ that this gospel love will be evident in our lives.
Without the elements of the gospel in our lives the gospel becomes a story and not an event! Watch for more elements to follow and may the God of all love touch our hearts with gospel of His son, Jesus Christ.
Pastor James
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