The gospel rhythm that you and I need to find our lives in tune with is
really that rhythm of remembering who God is, what God has done, what
He has accomplished on our behalf and then rejoicing in that. And you
will find that a firm foundation regardless of circumstance. It’s when
you forget that you get yourself in problems and when the weight of the
world feels crushing.
1. Remember and rejoice that God saved
you. God saved you. It is unbelievably imperative that you understand
that you did not save you.
God saved
you. You don’t save you. This is not your act, not your work. This
should be fresh news to those of you who find it impossible to measure
up to God’s standards. Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who
once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
You were brought near by the blood of Christ. It is the blood of Christ
that enables you to come near to the Father. God saved you.
2.
Remember and rejoice that God is sovereign over all things. We remember
and rejoice that God has not abandoned us to our circumstances,
regardless of what those circumstances are. It doesn’t matter how dark
the night is, we have not been abandoned to wrestle with sin, we have
not been abandoned to deal with dark days and we have not been abandoned
to walk through hard things on our own.
You need the Spirit’s power
to believe in the promises of God to overcome temptation, not your
grit, not your will, not your flesh. Flesh begets flesh. You need the
Spirit to overcome the flesh. And that’s the point of Galatians 3-5.
3. Rejoice and remember that God started this, therefore God will
finish this. If you believe you save you, then of course you’ve got
doubts about whether or not you can carry that on to completion. But if
God saved you, then God has the ability to carry on to completion
because God does not fail. That’s why it’s so imperative that you get
and understand that salvation belongs to God and if you have it, it was
given to you by God. “Salvation belongs to our God” is what Revelation
would say. Let me give you some texts. Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure
of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to
completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God began it. God will finish
it. God is never surprised by you screwing up. That has never taken Him
aback. You can’t wear Him out. He does not grow weary.
The gospel rhythm that you and I need to find our lives in tune with is really that rhythm of remembering who God is, what God has done, what He has accomplished on our behalf and then rejoicing in that. And you will find that a firm foundation regardless of circumstance. It’s when you forget that you get yourself in problems and when the weight of the world feels crushing.
1. Remember and rejoice that God saved you. God saved you. It is unbelievably imperative that you understand that you did not save you.
God saved you. You don’t save you. This is not your act, not your work. This should be fresh news to those of you who find it impossible to measure up to God’s standards. Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
You were brought near by the blood of Christ. It is the blood of Christ that enables you to come near to the Father. God saved you.
2. Remember and rejoice that God is sovereign over all things. We remember and rejoice that God has not abandoned us to our circumstances, regardless of what those circumstances are. It doesn’t matter how dark the night is, we have not been abandoned to wrestle with sin, we have not been abandoned to deal with dark days and we have not been abandoned to walk through hard things on our own.
You need the Spirit’s power to believe in the promises of God to overcome temptation, not your grit, not your will, not your flesh. Flesh begets flesh. You need the Spirit to overcome the flesh. And that’s the point of Galatians 3-5.
3. Rejoice and remember that God started this, therefore God will finish this. If you believe you save you, then of course you’ve got doubts about whether or not you can carry that on to completion. But if God saved you, then God has the ability to carry on to completion because God does not fail. That’s why it’s so imperative that you get and understand that salvation belongs to God and if you have it, it was given to you by God. “Salvation belongs to our God” is what Revelation would say. Let me give you some texts. Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God began it. God will finish it. God is never surprised by you screwing up. That has never taken Him aback. You can’t wear Him out. He does not grow weary.
