Tag: Gospel

You Must Forsake Your Old Way of Life to be a Christian

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

“Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.” (Ps 45:10–11)

The Psalmist tells us that those who desire to be the Lord’s should forsake their past life. They shouldn’t hold on to it, instead, they should let it go, turning to live as God’s people in His kingdom.

Something We Must Do

Forsaking our past life not only pleases God but it is something we must do in order to be Christian. We cannot worship two Masters. Nor can we live a divided life. We must give of ourselves fully to the Lord, allowing Him to lead and guide us. He must be both our Savior and Lord.

The Mistake We Make

Mistakenly, many believe coming to Christ doesn’t involve forsaking their past way of living. This error is partly the product of our sinful nature wanting to hold on to control, and it’s partly the product of a decisionism culture that tells us all we need to do it accept Christ and everything will be alright. While we must believe/accept/profess the gospel message about Jesus – that God saves repentant sinners through the death and resurrection of Jesus – we must also give our life fully over to Him.

Repent – What Does it Mean?

Repentance is a key component of becoming a Christian. When we repent, we are essentially doing a 180. We are turning from a life lived for ourselves to a life lived for God. We are forsaking our desire to be our own god, and we are recognizing God’s right to be the God of our lives. When we repent, we not only tell God we are sorry for sinning against Him, but we also tell Him that we want Him to lead and guide us. We tell Him that we recognize His rightful place as our King and that we are willing to submit to His lordship over our lives.

Repentance, then, is a necessary part of becoming a Christian. If we haven’t repented, we haven’t forsaken our old way of life, and we aren’t citizens in God’s kingdom.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Have you forsaken your old way of life?
  2. Have you repented?
  3. Do you recognize that God is the King of your life?

Resource

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Preach the Gospel for a Changed Nation

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” (Ps 24:1–2)

The Sovereignty of God

The Psalmist tells us that God is sovereign over all creation. God’s sovereignty stems from His ownership. The heavens, the earth, and all that dwell within were created by God and are now sustained by Him.

Foreign Concept

God as Creator and sovereign Lord is a foreign concept for most. One that is rejected by our culture, which is why our nation is in the state it is in. When we reject the Creator and His design for how we are to live, we will suffer the consequences (Rom 1).



What’s Needed for Change

A revival of the idea that God is Creator and Sovereign Lord over all is what is needed for this nation to get back on track, not the right political candidate or governmental program. I say that because recognizing those things about God will cause us once again to live according to His design and plan, which is what our country was founded on, and it is what our country needs to be great again. So instead of preaching your favorite political candidate or governmental program, preach the gospel to your neighbor. It is the only thing that will change their heart and mind. It is the only thing that will cause them to see God for who He is – Our Creator and Sovereign Lord. So preach the gospel, it is the only thing that will bring about the change we desire.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you believe the gospel has the power to change our nation?

Resource

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Worship Should Drive Us to Missions

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Quotes1 Comment

Worship which does not beget witness is hypocrisy. We cannot acclaim the worth of God if we have no desire to proclaim it.

Question for Reflection

  1. Does your worship drive you to missions?

Resources

John Stott in The Mission of God’s People by Christopher Wright

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Spiritual Warfare in Marriage, Family, and Vocation

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Quotes1 Comment

It is significant that Paul’s classic exposition of spiritual warfare comes immediately after his instructions about Christians living in marriage, family and the workplace. In all these realms, there is a battle to be fought if we are to be able “to stand” (rather than sink or swim with the tide), and to fulfill our role as messengers of the “gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15, echoing Isa. 52:7).

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you find there is always a battle to be fought in these areas of your life?

Resources

The Mission of God’s People by Christopher Wright

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Discipleship Over Numbers

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, QuotesLeave a comment

In the drive to build a large church, elders can lose sight of what is most important – congregational discipleship. A large congregation might be spiritually mature, but it could also be that the tares outnumber the wheat in a given locale. The same dynamics are true of smaller churches as well. Let us encourage our pastors and elders to do the work of discipleship, and may we seek to be involved as well, according to our circumstances and abilities.

Question for Reflection

  1. What is most important growth in numbers or growth in spiritual maturity?

Resources

Table Talk Magazine, Tares Among the Wheat, February 11, 2016

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What Does Biblical Faith Involve?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, QuotesLeave a comment

Christian faith is more than just belief that God exists. It does not take any special gift of faith to believe in the existence of the Creator, for many people have lived and died believing that God exists even though they never became Christians.

Biblical faith involves believing also the specific promises of God. We must believe God, not simply believe in God.

As the Lord this day to strengthen your faith in His promises so that you will continue to trust in Him alone.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you believe in a God, or do you believe God?
  2. Are you ready and willing to depend on God alone for salvation?

Resources

TableTalk Magazine  January 25, 2016

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