Seal…

In the same way, David also pronounces a blessing on the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from actions: Happy are those whose actions outside the Law are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Happy are those whose sin isn’t counted against them by the Lord. Is this state of happiness only for the circumcised or is it also for those who aren’t circumcised? We say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” So how was it credited? When he was circumcised, or when he wasn’t circumcised? In fact, it was credited while he still wasn’t circumcised, not after he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that comes from the faith he had while he still wasn’t circumcised. It happened this way so that Abraham could be the ancestor of all those people who aren’t circumcised, who have faith in God, and so are counted as righteous. He could also be the ancestor of those circumcised people, who aren’t only circumcised but who also walk in the path of faith, like our ancestor Abraham did while he wasn’t circumcised. The promise to Abraham and to his descendants, that he would inherit the world, didn’t come through the Law but through the righteousness that comes from faith. (Romans 4:6-13, CEB)

What is it that makes us right with God?

Is it circumcision? Is it baptism? Is it our faith?

All of these are works. Things we do. And none of these are what make us right with God. Following the law, which we can’t, will not make us right with God.

We are only right with God because God makes us right in that relationship. We do what God asks us to and be who God calls us to be because we are right with God. We can love the world because God first loved and loves us.

Loving People. Loving God.

Are you faithful?

Therefore, brothers and sisters who are partners in the heavenly calling, think about Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. Jesus was faithful to the one who appointed him just like Moses was faithful in God’s house. But he deserves greater glory than Moses in the same way that the builder of the house deserves more honor than the house itself. Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant in order to affirm the things that would be spoken later. But Jesus was faithful over God’s house as a Son. We are his house if we hold on to the confidence and the pride that our hope gives us. (Hebrews 3:1-6, CEB)

We are saved by Jesus’ faith, but are we still faithful?

Are we living the way God has called us to live?

Are we doing what God has asked us to do with our lives?

Are we keeping the space God has provided for us the way God wants us to keep it?

We have all received a great gift, what are we doing with it?

Loving People. Loving God.

Might

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:1-17, NSRV)

We all know John 3:16. For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only son so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

But do you know John 3:17 without looking at it above?

God did not send God’s son into the world to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved through him. That is Pastor Jerry’s paraphrase. Jesus didn’t come to condemn. Jesus came so the world, the cosmos, might be saved. Saved. Not condemned.

If God didn’t send Jesus to condemn, I’m pretty sure God didn’t send you to condemn either.

Loving People. Loving God.

Faith

After Jesus finished presenting all his words among the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion had a servant who was very important to him, but the servant was ill and about to die. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Jesus to ask him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they earnestly pleaded with Jesus. “He deserves to have you do this for him,” they said. “He loves our people and he built our synagogue for us.” Jesus went with them. He had almost reached the house when the centurion sent friends to say to Jesus, “Lord, don’t be bothered. I don’t deserve to have you come under my roof. In fact, I didn’t even consider myself worthy to come to you. Just say the word and my servant will be healed. I’m also a man appointed under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and the servant does it.” When Jesus heard these words, he was impressed with the centurion. He turned to the crowd following him and said, “I tell you, even in Israel I haven’t found faith like this.” When the centurion’s friends returned to his house, they found the servant restored to health. (Luke 7:1-10, CEB)

Just say the word and my servant will be healed you don’t have to come.

Do you have this faith? Just say the word God, and I know it will be done. This is the faith we should all have. Knowing that when we ask and it is God’s will, it will be done.

Do we have this faith? You can. Just claim it. God has never let me down. God won’t let you down either.

Loving People. Loving God.

faith

But now God’s righteousness has been revealed apart from the Law, which is confirmed by the Law and the Prophets. God’s righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who have faith in him. There’s no distinction. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, but all are treated as righteous freely by his grace because of a ransom that was paid by Christ Jesus. Through his faithfulness, God displayed Jesus as the place of sacrifice where mercy is found by means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness in passing over sins that happened before, during the time of God’s patient tolerance. He also did this to demonstrate that he is righteous in the present time, and to treat the one who has faith in Jesus as righteous. What happens to our bragging? It’s thrown out. With which law? With what we have accomplished under the Law? No, not at all, but through the law of faith. We consider that a person is treated as righteous by faith, apart from what is accomplished under the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t God the God of Gentiles also? Yes, God is also the God of Gentiles. Since God is one, then the one who makes the circumcised righteous by faith will also make the one who isn’t circumcised righteous through faith. Do we then cancel the Law through this faith? Absolutely not! Instead, we confirm the Law. (Romans 3:21-31, CEB)

All have sinned and have fallen short. None of us can keep the law. But Jesus did not negate the law, we still have the law and always will until the fulfillment of God’s kindom. But we are made right because of Jesus’ faithfulness.

All of us are sinful and no sin is worse than another so we were without hope, but Jesus showed us how to live. If we can live in love and show God’s mercy to all we will be as God called us to be.

Believe that you are made right by Jesus and have faith that God doesn’t see your sin but sees Jesus, and love like Jesus loved.

Loving People. Loving God.

spirit

I’m grateful to God, whom I serve with a good conscience as my ancestors did. I constantly remember you in my prayers day and night. When I remember your tears, I long to see you so that I can be filled with happiness. I’m reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m sure that this faith is also inside you. Because of this, I’m reminding you to revive God’s gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled. (2 Timothy 1:3-7, CEB)

I’m grateful for all of the people who have been with me on my journey. Who have helped me remain faithful when trials came and tested me. Their authentic faith helped me remain steadfast with God.

People in our lives are there to be a help, a lifting up of us when we come to places we can not seem to navigate on our own.

Who are those people in your life? Who has a spirit of power that has helped you see the faith you have?

Loving People. Loving God.

little one

“Be careful that you don’t look down on one of these little ones. I say to you that their angels in heaven are always looking into the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If someone had one hundred sheep and one of them wandered off, wouldn’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go in search for the one that wandered off? If he finds it, I assure you that he is happier about having that one sheep than about the ninety-nine who didn’t wander off. In the same way, my Father who is in heaven doesn’t want to lose one of these little ones. (Matthew 18:10-14, CEB)

It always seems foolish to leave 99 sheep on the hillside to go after the 1, until you are the 1.

God will never let us wander by ourselves without coming after us.

God pursues us all of our days, not waiting for us to come home, but looks for us and seeks us out.

Know that you are loved beyond measure and knowledge.

Loving People. Loving God.

forever

Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son; because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin. Finally, let’s draw near to the throne of favor with confidence so that we can receive mercy and find grace when we need help. Every high priest is taken from the people and put in charge of things that relate to God for their sake, in order to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. The high priest is able to deal gently with the ignorant and those who are misled since he himself is prone to weakness. Because of his weakness, he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the people. No one takes this honor for themselves but takes it only when they are called by God, just like Aaron. In the same way Christ also didn’t promote himself to become high priest. Instead, it was the one who said to him, You are my Son. Today I have become your Father, as he also says in another place, You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. During his days on earth, Christ offered prayers and requests with loud cries and tears as his sacrifices to the one who was able to save him from death. He was heard because of his godly devotion. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. After he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. He was appointed by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 4:14-5:10, CEB)

Jesus is a priest forever and makes a sacrifice once and for all for everyone.

The sacrifice was made and we are covered by the atonement it gives to all. We are made perfect in that sacrifice and made able to stand before God through the working of our priest Jesus.

Know that Jesus is always there for you and will always intercede for you.

Loving People. Loving God.

Rely

It was appropriate for God, for whom and through whom everything exists, to use experiences of suffering to make perfect the pioneer of salvation. This salvation belongs to many sons and daughters whom he’s leading to glory. This is because the one who makes people holy and the people who are being made holy all come from one source. That is why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters when he says, I will publicly announce your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you in the middle of the assembly. He also says, I will rely on him. And also, Here I am with the children whom God has given to me. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he also shared the same things in the same way. He did this to destroy the one who holds the power over death—the devil—by dying. He set free those who were held in slavery their entire lives by their fear of death. Of course, he isn’t trying to help angels, but rather he’s helping Abraham’s descendants. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way. This was so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, in order to wipe away the sins of the people. He’s able to help those who are being tempted, since he himself experienced suffering when he was tempted. (Hebrews 2:10-18, CEB)

Jesus says I will rely on God.

Jesus knows that God is someone he can rely on and someone we can rely on.

God is always there with us.

Rely on God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Since

Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.” Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.” After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.” Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.” Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him. (Matthew 4:1-11, CEB)

This translation of the text uses since instead of if.

I have always said that the Devil isn’t questioning who Jesus is, the Devil is trying to get Jesus to question who he is.

That is what happens to us. We know who we are and then the world says, that’s not you, or you should be this or that, or that is just wrong for you. And we listen, and we change who God made us be to make someone else happy.

It isn’t about pleasing the world or anyone in the world but you.

Loving your neighbor means loving yourself.

Love who God made you be and know there is nothing better.

Loving People. Loving God.