Tag: Jesus

Who are We in Christ? – Part 3

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Evangelism4 Comments

Jesus on the Cross

Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians while in Ephesus after he heard of some issues plaguing the church. The issues Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians are the same issues we deal with today, which is why this is such a good book for the modern day church to study.

However, before Paul dives into the issues, he reminds the Corinthians, and subsequently us, of who we are in Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 1:2 Paul writes:

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.” (1 Cor. 1:2)

Based on 1 Corinthians 1:2, the second thing we learn is that:

(3) Those who are in Christ are Saints

In the middle of verse 2, Paul says that we are:

“called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (1 Cor. 1:2c)

Paul doesn’t beat around the bush. He flat out says that we are all called to be Saints.

What does it mean to be saint?

The Catholic Church doesn’t have the market cornered on saints. A Saint is someone who is set apart to live for God. Since all Christians are set apart to live for God, all Christians are saints.

Saints because sin no longer holds us back

We are all saints — we all can live for God — because sin no longer holds us back.

When I was in college, I had a passion for rock climbing. We had a nice climbing wall in our Rec Center at the University of Georgia, and we lived within a few hours drive of the best climbing in the Southeast. Needless to say I climbed all the time.

I remember one day I was climbing on a route in Tennessee at Foster Falls. A route that was a too advanced for me, but one I attempted anyways. While working the route, I hurt my shoulder. Not real bad, but I hurt it. Instead of resting my shoulder for a week or so, I decided to climb the next day. When I did, the small shoulder injury I had turned into a major shoulder injury. One that kept me from climbing for a long time.

Just as my shoulder injury once held me back from climbing, our sin once held us back from living for God. No matter how hard we tried, before we turned our lives over to Jesus, we couldn’t live a life that pleased God. It was impossible because our sin held us back.

Set free to live for God

When we became Christians, however, Jesus sets us free from sin, so that now we are able to live for God. That is exactly what God expects from us. He expects us to live for Him, to desire to and strive to become more and more like Christ each and everyday. Which is possible because we are saints who have been freed from the grip of sin.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you think of yourself as a saint?
  2. Do you believe you can live a holy life?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Who Are We In Christ?

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The Reformer’s Cry

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, QuotesLeave a comment

Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda, secundum verbum Dei – The church reformed and always being reformed according to God’s Word.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you realize God’s Word and Spirit are always reforming His church by renewing, transforming, and changing us?

Resources

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Who are We in Christ? – Part 2

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, EvangelismLeave a comment

Jesus on the Cross

Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians while in Ephesus after he heard of some issues plaguing the church. The issues Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians are the same issues we deal with today, which is why this is such a good book for the modern day church to study.

However, before Paul dives into the issues, he reminds the Corinthians, and subsequently us, of who we are in Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 1:2 Paul writes:

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.” (1 Cor. 1:2)

Based on 1 Corinthians 1:2, the second thing we learn is that:

(2) Those who are in Christ are free from God’s punishment.

If we are going to be God’s people, who are on His mission, something has to have happened so that we are free from God’s punishment because in our natural state we are sinners, who deserve God’s wrath, not His grace and mercy.

What is a Sinner?

I am sure you have heard that word — sinner — all your life if you have been in the church and probably if you haven’t been in the church.

What it simple means to be a sinner is that you have rebelled against God. As our Creator, God has the right to tell us how He wants us to live. We, however, don’t want God to tell us how we are to live. Instead, we want to call the shots, we want to direct our own lives. When we place ourselves in the drivers seat, we are living in rebellion to God. In other words, we are living as a sinner.

Bad News/Good News

The bad news is everyone is born and lives as a sinner, which means we all deserve God’s punishment. The good news, however, is that those who are Christians are free from God’s punishment.

How is that? How are we freed from God’s punishment?

In verse 2, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are

“…sanctified in Christ Jesus.” (1 Cor. 1:2b)

And then in verse 3, we learn Christians have received God’s

“Grace…and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 1:3)

Finally, in verse 8, Paul says Christians will be:

“guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 1:8)

These verses come together to tell us Jesus frees us from God’s punishment.

How exactly does Jesus free us from God’s punishment? 

You can think of it like this: On March 11th 2014, Glenn Ford was released from Angola State Prison. He had spent the last 30 years on death row, awaiting his day of execution. His day, however, never came. Instead he was set free because the courts realized he was an innocent man, who hadn’t committed the crime of which he was convicted. So instead of facing the death chamber, he walked off death row a free man never having to fear being put to death by the State again.

Christians, like Mr. Ford, have also been set free from death row and no longer live under the threat and fear of God’s punishment. However, unlike Mr. Ford our freedom wasn’t gained because God received new evidence of our innocence. We are and have always been guilty of rebellion against God and deserve His punishment. So we weren’t set free because our innocence was proven. Instead we are set free because Jesus took our seat on death row and died in our place.

What a wonderful thing that is — because of Jesus’ sacrifice we now experience freedom from God’s punishment and we have peace with God.

You Can Experience Freedom and Peace 

The way you can enjoy freedom and peace with God is simply by believing you are a sinner who needs a Savior, and Jesus is your Savior. He is the One who died for you to take the punishment you deserve.

When you believe that, when you confess that, and when you repent of your sins to follow Jesus, you will experience the same freedom and peace that all other Christians experience.

So if you haven’t repented of your sins and professed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do so today. Don’t wait any longer. Experience God’s freedom and peace today. Quit living under the fear of punishment. Quit living under the uncertainty of not knowing if you have done enough to please God. Turn to Him today and experience freedom and peace.

Question for Reflection

  1. Have you turned to Jesus?
  2. Do you long for freedom and peace?
  3. Are you uncertain about your eternal future?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Who Are We In Christ?

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Article: Glenn Ford’s First Days of Freedom after 30 years on Death Row

On Christian Liberty

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, QuotesLeave a comment

The end or purpose of Christian liberty is not to smoke or drink; liberty is given for the pursuit of holiness. Those who wave the banner of Christian liberty so that they might do whatever they might want to do have not understood the doctrine at all.

To Learn Holiness

Christian liberty is given so that we might learn to be holy.

“That he would grant not us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life” (Lk. 1:74-75)

To be a Slave to Righteousness

Paul teaches in Romans 6:18-23 that freedom from sin necessarily entails slavery to righteousness (v. 18). If we are not serving God as slaves, bearing fruit to holiness (v. 22), then this means we do not comprehend the point of Christian liberty.

There are really only two alternatives – if we are not growing in grace and true personal holiness then anything we do is an act of slavery – not liberty. Rather we are slaves to sin, and it does not matter if as “slaves to sin” we smoke a cigar or not, or drink beer or not. In other words, we must never think that a class of “behaviors” opens to anyone apart from personal holiness. There is no middle territory between the two.

Christian liberty is nothing other than slavery to God.

To Do All We Do Before the Lord in Holiness

[Which is why] [t]he point is not to drink or smoke or dance according to our own whims, in the light of our own wisdom, but to do whatever we do before the Lord, with the increase of joy and holiness obvious to all.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you abuse what many refer to as Christian liberty, or do you see it as an opportunity to be a slave to God and a way to grow in holiness?

Resources

Douglas Wilson, Future Men, 77; 80

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Who are We in Christ? – Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, EvangelismLeave a comment

Jesus on the Cross

Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians while in Ephesus after he heard of some issues plaguing the church. The issues Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians are the same issues we deal with today, which is why this is such a good book for the modern day church to study.

However, before Paul dives into the issues, he reminds the Corinthians, and subsequently us, of who we are in Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 1:2 Paul writes:

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.” (1 Cor. 1:2)

Based on 1 Corinthians 1:2, the first thing we learn is that:

(1) Those who are in Christ form a church that is set apart and set on mission by God

Notice Paul calls the Corinthians “the church of God”. They are called the church of God to distinguish them from any other gathering, which is an important idea because the church is unique. We are formed and led by God. As well as we are a people sanctified by Jesus. He makes us holy and sets us apart as God’s people.

In Jesus, sinners are made righteous. They are made Holy. They are set apart as God’s people to accomplish His mission — To make disciples.

I think we often forget how much of a privilege it is to be on God’s mission. We are sinners, who have rebelled against God. However, despite who we are, God sees fit to call us to Himself, makes us holy, and then employee us in His mission.

Thinking about God not only saving us but using us — sinners who at one time rebelled against Him and set themselves up as His enemies — is simply amazing to me. It is amazing that God would care enough to rescue His enemies. It amazes me further that He doesn’t set us on the shelf afterwards, but He actually empowers and allows us to participate in His mission.

So the next time you have an opportunity to have a gospel conversation with someone, don’t shy away. Instead praise God for saving and using you to accomplish His mission — To make disciples.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do recognize the immense privilege it is to be used by God?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Who Are We In Christ?

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On Church Discipline

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral, QuotesLeave a comment

Church discipline is not just “clearing the membership roll” as if the point were primarily accuracy in bookkeeping. Neither is church discipline designed to be a punishment, as if the church were saying,

“We don’t want your kind around here.”

Yes, the church speaks of this stage of discipline as the delivering of one to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:5), but the very next phrase in the same verse reveals that such is done precisely for the purpose that “his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”

Thus, the goal in church discipline is that the one being put out of fellowship will hear the warning in the church’s action as Jesus’s own voice, saying to him,“I am handing you over to Satan,”and in response turn back in repentance and faith. If that happens, Scripture tells us, we will have “gained [a] brother” (Matthew 18:15).

The church disciplines in the hope that the one being disciplined will hear Jesus’s warning voice and return — as Jesus says of his flock, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you realize church discipline is for the benefit of our brother and the church?

Resources

Russell Moore, Acting the Miracle Together: Corporate Dynamics in Christian Sanctification

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