Christianity made simple
Romans chapter 5:1-11
Introduction-
This morning I want to talk to you about being a Christian.
By definition, it is a follower of Jesus.
This message actual started and took shape as I prepared for the Bible study on Wednesday night. We were finishing up our study on Philippians and as I began thumbing through I began to see a picture of what Paul was describing as a Christian.
If I was to ask you to give a simple definition of being a Christian, what would you say?
Follower of Jesus
Having faith in Jesus
Going to church
Living for Jesus
Changing your life and maybe you would give me a list of do’s and don’ts. If you are a Christian, these are the things that you do. These are things that you do not do anymore.
All of the things I have mentioned are characteristics of being a Christian; it did not define a Christian.
I think we have to go to the text this morning to find what being a Christian really means.
Romans chapter 5:1-11
A Christian is a person reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
While mankind was powerless against sin, Christ died for us.
God demonstrated his love for us by sending His Son Jesus Christ who is the redemption for mankind.
Mankind who because of sin was an enemy of God was reconciled by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.
A Christian is one who accepts what Jesus Christ did for him and follows Him.
Christ died for all, but not all will accept what He has done for them.
Hope (Jesus) v 5 does not disappoint us. Believers hope is not unfounded. It is the blessed assurance of our future based on God’s love and demonstrated to us in the death, burial, resurrection of the Lord.
Paul in his writing here went from faith, to hope, to experiencing the love of God by the power of the Holy Spirit working in his life.
We cannot earn salvation.
We cannot chant enough verses nor do enough good deeds, it is by grace!
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is a gift from God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”
You cannot earn it, it is a gift, but like all good gifts, you should take care of it and put it in a safe place.
Society today has a lot of people saying they are Christians and not living like it.
Accepting what He has done for us and following Him. That is where we lose a lot of people and where their faith is lacking and their walk is almost non-existent.
There has to be a longing for Him- those that love Him want to spend time with Him. Those you love, you want to spend time with, you make time to be with them.
Those you love, you give your best too, there is a difference between loving someone and being an acquaintance with someone.
Apostle Paul loved the Lord!
Apostle Paul was willing to die for the one who died and was resurrected for him.
Paul cared about people enough to do something with that relationship.
“Casting all your anxiety on Him who cares for you.”
You will never trust Christ like that until you get to know him like that. (repeat)
It becomes fortified faith!
Your relationship grows
Your faith grows
Your trust grows
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
America today has become complacent and content in our relationship with God.
I do not think that is what Paul had in mind when he wrote- “I have learned to be content” because he believed that no matter what circumstance he was in that Jesus Christ was going to see him through.
He learned life lessons well
He learned what the Lord had taught him.
He learned to trust Him when he did not understand what was happening.
He learned to stay focused when trials and problems came his way, because he had learned the faithfulness of God
Fortified faith is only achieved when we are in an active relationship with the Lord!
Psalm 63:1-5
O’ God you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirst for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water, I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”
Psalm 42:
“As the deer pants for the streams of water, so my soul pants for you O God. My soul thirst for God, for the living God.”
The deer pants for water because life depends on water- especially deer that are being pursued by hunters. Just like the psalmist was being pursued by his oppressors. He desired to meet with God.
I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart! I will commune with him.
I want you to understand a few things this morning- you do not have to clean yourself up before you come to God. Nowhere in God’s plan of salvation does it say that you must clean up first! We often tell God that when we get a few things straightened out, we will come to him.
Get this! He says to come to him and He will get rid of a few things in your life for you!
Your list of do’s and don’ts don’t impress God! To think that we could arrive at some level of accomplishment that would impress God is unthinkable- He is looking for a broken heart that is ready to submit to Him and let Him work out the details! That is good preaching right there!
Anything that you have done good is because of Christ- anything that you have done that is unpleasing to God can be washed away by the blood of Christ if you will let Him.
Most people do not know God
They know of Him
They have heard of Him
They have tried to make Him more like them instead of letting Christ make us more like Him.
They have tried to be good, but they have failed, and most will give up.
Leave your list of accomplishments at the altar and bring you heart to God.
Trusting Jesus stops us from being shipwrecked
Jesus makes healing possible.
Faith enables us to please God- in yourself you cannot do it.
Jesus makes us more than conquerors
Instead of trying to fix it yourself, why not come like repentant David did;
Psalm 51-
“Create in me a clean heart O’ God, and renew a steadfast Spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.”
What a mature Christian looks like:
It is not about that do and don’t list, it is about taking anything that is not Christ-like and getting rid of it.
Sincerely giving it over to God- pun intended
it is about deciding this morning that lukewarm is not good enough.
That God does not get the left-overs in your life.
That moment that you experience the love of God for your salvation was a starting point not the finish line.
Our future glory is in the finished work of Christ.
The only way to be a child of God is through Jesus Christ.
Closing;
There are 2 Scriptures I want to end with;
Philippians chapter 3:10-
“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering, becoming like him I n his death, and so, somehow, attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Is that your prayer this morning?
I want to know Christ.
I want to share in his resurrection.
I want to imitate His actions.
A mature Christian wants to go deeper in their relationship with the Lord.
A mature Christian realizes that they do not know everything.
They realize that wisdom and strength comes from the Lord and that anything we accomplish is to glorify Christ.
The second Scripture is a Scripture that most just kind of skim over in their Bible reading.
Matthew 7:21-
“Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me that day, Lord, Lord, did I not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you, away from me, you evil doers.”
The difference between the two Scriptures –
One is seeking God with their whole heart
One who pretended and went through the motions.
I assure you by the power of God’s Word that if you are seeking God that God will not let you down and your salvation is secure and safe.
Lukewarm is not good enough
God does not eat left-overs in our life.
You are safe in the Lord’s hands- nothing can pluck you out. You can walk out, you can decide that you do not accept what He offers.
Christianity defined is simple- accept what He has done for you and follow Him!
The hard part is doing it- and that is where so many find it difficult, and why some give up or decide it is not worth it.
Illustration-
Intel learned that its Pentium processing chip had a flaw. The chip would occasionally give wrong answers for division problems using large numbers. Intel believed this was a minor flaw, something they felt would affect the average user once every twenty-seven thousand years. So Intel decided not to make known the flaw and for months continued to promote and sell the flawed computer chip. But by Thanksgiving word of the flaw began circulating among computer users. Intel finally acknowledged the problem, but tried to downplay its significance. They refused to exchange the flawed chip except in special circumstances. Only when IBM decided to stop selling computers with a Pentium chip did Intel back down, and agree to exchange the chip when anyone requested. The Pentium affair was a huge black eye on the image of the company, less because their chip had a flaw, and more because they tried to cover it up.
It is bad when a company deceives people. It is worse when we deceive ourselves.
In closing, really closing,
Do you have a relationship with the Lord?
Is He the center of your life? If the answer is yes- you do not have anything to fear and your salvation is secure in Jesus.
If your relationship is not where it needs to be, if Jesus is not the center of your life, if you are not following Him, you do not have that security.
The good news is you can have it by repenting and asking Him this morning to be Lord of your life.
Jesus is the Lord of second chances, and He is Lord to those that ask Him to be Lord.
Where are you this morning with the Lord?
What do you need to do?
Amen.
