Love

Rescued

Tonight I begin leading a new Bible study through the book of Galatians.  The study-group meets from 6:30-7:30 on Wednesdays at Murphy Road Baptist Church.  Galatians is a goto book in the Bible for me, because it teaches me what it means to find freedom in Christ.  Take a look at the opening statement:

Galatians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 5 To whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Have you ever been rescued from something? If so, you remember the overwhelming feelings of gratitude and joy when your liberator freed you from danger. The Bible says that Christ “rescued us from this present age “when he “gave Himself for our sins.” The vividness of this picture is a stark contrast to how we often envision salvation. Being rescued from evil, sin, and the shackles of this age is so much more than adding Christ to your life, getting dunked, finding religion, going to church, cleaning up your act, or knowing the ABC’s.

Repenting of sin and believing in Christ as Lord and Savior means all things become new: Christ rescues me from the prison of me. I am no longer shackled to my sins or confined the trap of the temporal. Instead of justice and law, God brings the freedom of grace. Instead of conflict and angst, the Father brings comfort and the calm of peace. Instead of chasing my glory to my grave, I exist for His glory forever and ever.

10 Mind Blowing Realities About God’s Love For You
  • God sent His son because He loves you—John 3:16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
  • God loves you even though you sin—Romans 5:8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
  • God saves you through grace—Ephesians 2:8-9 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift not from works, so that no one can boast
  • God is faithful to forgive—I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
  • God gives you a new life—Galatians 2:19b-20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
  • God’s love for you lasts forever—Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love is eternal.
  • God’s love brings quiet to your soul—Zephaniah 3:17 Yahweh your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy.”
  • God’s love matures you—Ephesians 3:17b-18 I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,
  • God’s love exalts you to new heights—I Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.
  • God’s love brings you victory—Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Lash Banks is Lead Pastor at Murphy Road Baptist Church (murphychurch.com).  Lash’s weekly podcast/sermon can be heard at http://www.buzzsprout.com/17504   
 
All Scripture citations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.  Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

When Pride Meets Love

Image

Pride is an interesting word. You can’t say pride without saying I and without saying ride. We all ride pride sometimes through the streets of life. Pride is odd in that it can be a positive word conveying love or admiration, or it can be a distasteful word conveying egotism, vanity, rebellion, and sin.  

In pride, I am the object of my faith. Pride elevates me to a position that rightfully belongs to God. Pride focuses on my needs and selfishly views God and others as existing to serve me. Pride is confusing; it shuffles my perspective and causes me to embrace rational lies. I see my arrogance as confidence. My superiority expresses itself in cynical humor. The ride of pride leads me to a fictional world where I am all knowing and everyone around me is trapped in foolishness. Pride draws me in with that new car smell and soft ride. Pride drives fast and reckless; the law does not apply when I grip the wheel of pride. But in the end, the ride of pride leaves nothing more than a mangled mess of broken dreams, manipulated relationships, and a cold soul. 

 The Bible teaches, “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).” Three times in Scripture we are reminded that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, I Peter 5:5). By contrast, “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited. . . (I Corinthians 13:4).” Pride is to sin what love is to grace.  

The ringing of Calvary’s hammer is a collision of pride and love. The cross is necessary because of my pride, but it also necessary because of God’s love. The cross is a clumsy display of my hideous pride and a graceful display of God’s forgiving grace. On the cross, love is pierced by pride and grace is crowned by evil. On the cross pride drains the veins of love: drop by drop pride’s antidote puddles below. When His head bowed in death, pride raised his head in victory. But when the earth stood still and the tomb stood opened, it was pride that had died and love that was alive. 

The antidote to pride is the cross. When I look upon the humility and love of the cross, I see the magnificence of His love for me and I have nothing left in which to boast. From the cross the purity of His righteousness shines into the corners of my heart exposing the darkness of my sin and contempt is poured on my pride. From the cross the glories of money, power, and fame lose their allure and my richest gain I count but lost. At the cross, my broken dreams, my manipulated relationships, my cold soul collide with love. When my pride surveys His love, I bow beneath the cross, my faith is transferred from me to Him, and the drops of grace cleanse me and make me fully whole. At the cross, pride dies and love comes alive. 

Lash Banks is Lead Pastor at Murphy Road Baptist Church (murphychurch.com).  For more on this subject you can listen to Lash’s sermon When Pride Meets Love http://www.buzzsprout.com/17504/151296-faces-when-pride-meets-love  

Inspired by Isaac Watts’ great hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross