Things That Are Not

 1 Cor 1:26-29

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

At the end of Paul’s list, he talks about people who are totally overlooked and who don’t figure into anyone’s thinking. You can’t get any lower than “not”! Maybe that is exactly how you feel. Let’s say you arrive at church and everybody else seems to have their friend or group of associates. You feel isolated and afraid in entering the group. Maybe you think, “Nobody really wants to talk to me. It is so embarrassing just standing here.” When you find yourself in such a mood you are so vulnerable to Satan who will add to your predicament by telling you that you are not worth thinking about and beyond hope. “Why do you bother even to come to church? No one even notices whether you are here or not.”

In1 Samuel 16:1-13, David’s breathtaking discovery was that though his father ignored him, God had greater plans. Picture Samuel, the great national leader, inviting Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice. What a privilege! If I thought that the President of the United States was going to visit my house I would want all my family there, but David was left out, as though he did not exist.

Maybe that is you. Maybe your parents were always indifferent to you. Maybe you have carried rejection for a long time and feel that nobody really cares.

Perhaps Jesse, as he paraded his seven sons, regarded seven as the perfect number. David was number eight. He was left out, unwanted, looking after a few sheep. Maybe you have been made to feel unwanted. I have had to minister to plenty of people who have been told by their parents not only were they unwanted but they were unplanned and that the arrival of them ruined their lives. That experience of hatred and rejection at an early age caused them to feel that they are of no consequence and have nothing to offer.

As Samuel went down the line from one son to the next, he knew that none of them was God’s choice. Confused, he asked if there was another and, to everyone’s surprise, he chose the one who “was not”. The one who Samuel would have not even known existed was God’s choice. God has chosen the things that are not.

Years later, David longed to build a house for God. The prophet Nathan encouraged him to go for it, but quickly received divine correction. Instead, God informs David of His own plans and purposes: 2 Sam 7:8-16 -  Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: 9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, 11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. 12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

David sat in wonder, overwhelmed at the grace that had pursued him all the days of his life. God had taken his breath away and all he could ask was, 2 Sam 7:19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?

You may wonder what you have done to deserve God’s love. How is it that God has shown you such kindness? This is the very stuff of grace, that He amazes you contradicts every expectation, seeks you out, finds you and lavishes His love upon you. You have done nothing and can do nothing to earn His grace! The secret of His grace to you lies deep in the mystery of His foreknowledge. Simply receive it, celebrate it, delight yourself in it and live as one whom God is pleased to favor from his own overflowing resources of kindness.

God’s Choice

The Story of David’s call demonstrates God’s grace more wonderfully than any other Old Testament figure. The Prophet Samuel, the most significant man of God in his generation, came to Jesse’s, David’s father, home to meet with his sons and select Saul’s replacement as Israel’s next king, but David was not even invited to the party.

David’s call serves to underline the unexpectedness of God’s choice and how the most unlikely can be objects of His grace.

1 Cor 1:26-29

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

God’s choices often surprise us. His grace defies our logical analysis or even guesswork. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.” The world is impressed by the wise, but Paul says we aren’t wise by the world’s standards.

If God choose the foolish, we don’t have to write ourselves off so quickly. Many Christians deplore their lack of brainpower. Because they are not very smart they regard themselves as disqualified. Paul says just the opposite. He tells us that the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God who has declared war on it.      1 Corinthians 1:19 – “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” The clever are inclined to dismiss the gospel as foolishness. They find it hard to submit their intellectual perspectives to the authority of God’s word, and see a cross-centered message as something that is relevant. But those who humble themselves and embrace the gospel discover that the cross is the wisdom of God. Grace cuts through the normal categories and teaches us that those who are naturally bright do not have a head start in the Christian life. The foolish are preferred. What should be our response? If you are on of the few naturally bright people who were chosen, be deeply grateful and make sure not to lean on your own intellect. Submit you perspectives to God. Beware the dangers of forcing your opinions on others or dismissing the apparently ignorant who have little education. Remember that God hides things from the wise and prudent and reveals them to babes (Matthew 11:25). So make sure you approach God like a little child who acknowledges its need for help.

If, on the other hand, you are one who has always despised you own insights and intellectual skills, celebrate this wonderful upside-down kingdom. You don’t have so much to unlearn. Come in simple faith to Jesus. Let Him be your teacher, let the Holy Spirit be your guide, learn truth from God that is not measured by intellectual skills but is rooted in attitude and obedience. Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Knowledge in it fullness is a relationship dependent on revelation and inseparable from character.

As Christians we often portray how impressed we are by the apparently strong when we long for prominent people to be saved. We anticipate the amazing influence that a famous pop star, sports idol of fascination media personality could have if he or she became a Christian. Sadly, Christian leaders have often been hasty in giving visibility to a recently converted celebrity, forgetting that they may be significant in the world’s eyes but they have yet to be rooted in God. God is not impressed with human magnetism is in the same way that we are and does not necessarily feel obliged to endorse it.

I Must Have Done Something Good

In the musical The Sound of Music, in a moment of joy Julie Andrews states, “I must have done something good.” She can’t imagine why things have turned out so well for her. Maybe something she did in her youth or childhood is the secret of her being worthy.

Most people think this way. There is in all of an inner sense of the need for fair play that seems to demand that you get what you deserve. Grace stands in stark contrast and says, “I will not only release you completely from what you deserve but also give you, in its place, overwhelming mercy, kindness, covenant loyalty, favor and everlasting blessings beyond your wildest dreams.”

God’s grace defies our understanding. Why does He favor us? Why does He commit Himself to everlasting love? Notice what Deuteronomy 7:7-8 says “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers…..” So the Lord set His love on you because He loved you!!!!! Deuteronomy 7:6 says “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.” We are His special treasure, He delights in us! He has given His heart to us in special love. He prizes us and watches over us jealously. We are His particular pride and joy. It is hard for us to comprehend the intensity of God’s love for those He commits Himself to. One of God’s mysteries, not so much to be analyzed as to be enjoyed and celebrated, is that the Lord loves you because He loves you!

Abraham’s life was turned upside down and he became the father of all who believe, not because he was the most impressive man around, but because God chose to favor him. Not that God’s favor meant that his life would be a bed of roses. Abraham’s life was hardly and easy ride. From beginning to end he was tested and tried, but was wonderfully favored and called God’s friend. Called by grace, he was also sustained by grace to the end!!! You are God’s friend, not because you done anything at anytime to deserve His friendship, but just because He chose you. Called by grace, you will be sustained by grace to the end!!!!!

The question is, “Why do Christians get involved in dead works?” We can become involved in dead works when we don’t have a clear conscience and are insecure in the grace of God. Remember a “dead work” is anything done without faith. If you are not sure of your acceptance and your freedom from condemnation you will be tempted to increase your performances to justify yourself before God and men. You do things so that you can feel better. You have not allowed the blood of Christ to do a thorough job on your conscience so that you know that it is cleansed in God’s sight. As a result, you keep laboring to shake off feelings of failure and condemnation.

You need a clear understanding of Paul’s breathtaking statement in Romans 4:4-5, “Now to the one who works his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but who believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.” Once you are utterly secure in that truth you can enjoy your freedom. You don’t have to justify yourself. You don’t have to impress others. You don’t even have to impress God. In putting all you trust in Jesus and His cross you are saying that you have found THE one who has already impressed God on your behalf!!!!!!

We lack the pragmatic ruthlessness that Jesus demonstrated when He encountered the fruitless fig tree. His instructions were clear: “Cut it down!” When the disciples defended the tree, Jesus conceded that it could be tended for one more year, but if it then remained fruitless it should be axed. It was just taking up space.

How often do we allow things with no fruit to just take up space in out lives because they have always been there? What about something so common to us all as church attendance? Mere church attendance that is not mixed with faith can soon become a dead work. What do we expect to happen when we meet? Why are we gathering? Has it become a duty that we perform?

Another kind of dead work to be avoided is one done out of arrogance. Think about Joshua’s experience at Jericho and what followed. The battle of Jericho was a famous act of faith. Thoroughly dependent upon God, Joshua followed instructions, marched his army around the city and gave a victory shout. Down came the walls and the city was taken – an amazing victory! What happened next?

Joshua asked about the next city. The report came back that Ai was a small place. A whole army wasn’t needed. If they could defeat Jericho, Ai would be no problem. A small army was sent, but instead of recording another great victory they were easily defeated and dismissed, with their tails between their legs by Ai. Joshua’s army moved from a work of faith to a work of arrogance in one easy step and learned a sad and painful lesson. God was not with them. It was a dead work.

Guard your heart from the dead work of arrogance. What is a dead work? Simply anything done without faith!

Grace not only frees you from sin, guilt and disqualification, it also frees you from merely going through the motions and doing your religious duty. What do I mean? Perhaps its best expressed in Hebrews 9:14 which tells us that the blood of Christ “cleanses your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” You have no need to get involved in what the Bible calls “dead works” (religious rituals). Most Christians would tend to think that they are already free from “dead religion”. They associate such rituals with more formal church life of the “bells and smells’ variety. As born-again Christians they think that they have turned their backs on dead works.

Maybe we should be more self-critical. What is a dead work? Inevitably, it is something, which has no life in it, for instance something done without faith. Church life can easily become a matter of routine, demanding little or no faith. Sadly, routine can gradually rule the program. We can find ourselves involved in activities, services and programs that may have long since lost their purpose. No one actually remembers why we do them, but we still do them.

A young woman once asked her mother why, when cooking the Sunday lunch, she always cut the ends of the roast off and place them on top of the roast. Her mother replied that she had no idea and supposed that it was in order that the juices might flow. She told her that Grandma had always done it. Maybe she should ask Grandma. When the young woman asked her grandmother, she replied, “I used to do it when our oven was so small that it was the only way I could get the meat in.”

It’s a Gift

If you are not thoroughly persuaded that God has given you a gift of righteousness that makes you thoroughly acceptable to God, you will constantly be battling with a general sense of disqualification and guilt. You will fear that you are not sanctified enough to be acceptable to God and this is where you will make a huge mistake. It is crucial that you distinguish between sanctification and justification. Every Christian knows the battle with feelings of condemnation but it is of huge importance that you us the right weapons in the fight. If you try to resist feelings of unworthiness on the basis of your sanctification, you will never overcome the accusing finger of condemnation. God has provided you with a complete and adequate answer, which is not sanctification but justification.

God has justified you freely! He has given you complete acceptance in His sight, not because of your changed life, but because of His good pleasure in giving you the very righteousness of Christ. A breathtaking exchange has take place. God has reconciled you through the death of His Son.                       2 Corinthians 5:21 – “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The perfect, spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ has been accredited to your account. The righteousness of Christ is not an abstract concept. Jesus walked the earth and never sinned. He never asked His Father to forgive Him. He never regretted a foolish word or sinful act. He never had to say “sorry” to God or man. Daily, He lived a life of perfect choices, righteous acts and compassionate goodness. A thoroughly righteous life was lived on planet earth by a thoroughly righteous man and His righteousness has been completely credited to your account!!!! He took your sin and gave you His righteousness!!!!!!

How can you stand before a holy God and be thoroughly acceptable? Through the death and resurrection of Christ, God has found a way to justify freely those who believe. He gives you His perfect spotless righteousness as a gift. Jesus Christ is your righteousness and He is the same yesterday, today and forever. You are no longer in Adam but in Christ, and Christ obedience to His Father’s will makes you righteous in God’s sight.

We have the victory in life not only through the abundance of grace but also through the free gift of righteousness – Romans 5:17 - 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Righteousness is a fundamental issue. Being able to enjoy God’s grace flows from the certainty that you are accepted before Him as righteous. You will always be vulnerable to Satan’s pointed finger of accusation if you don’t understand and wholeheartedly embrace the gift of righteousness that God has freely given you.

In Zachariah chapter 3, Joshua the High Priest was standing before God and tragically, though he was the High Priest, he was clothed in filthy garments, which thoroughly disqualified him from fulfilling his priestly role of worship. Satan was on hand to point out his failure and bring it to God’s attention, something we are all constantly aware of in our own experience. You can imagine Joshua wondering what his excuses might be or how he could plead his cause, but before he could say anything, God speaks, rebuking Satan and providing fresh clothing and a new mitre for his appointed priest to stand head up in His presence. Satan’s accusing mouth is closed!!!!

God has done the same for us! Because of what Jesus has done we can stand before a holy God unashamed for the gift of righteousness through Jesus has made us clean!!!!!

Congratulations Rhanelle Atkins

Homecoming Queen

of

Centreville High School 2011!!!

Your beauty shines from the inside out.  Continue shining the light of God's love through your life. 

We are proud of you! 

Paul’s perspective of the Israelite people was that they were like children that needed to be overseen. Galatians 3:23 “Before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.” The law was a temporary measure, keeping guard over the child people of God.

However,when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, under the law, so that He might redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons – Galatians 4:4-5. In the ancient world, adoption took place not only in the context of children who had no family and being adopted into a family, but also when children within the family came of age so that they might legally “receive the full rights of sons.” Until that event took place a child might indeed be the heir of the whole household, but until he was “adopted” or received the full rights, legally, of sonship he might appear like any other child in the household.

Let me explain, imagine a guest seeing children playing together in the courtyard of a large Roman household. All the children including brothers and sisters, slave children and others, look similar as they play together, but one is the heir of the whole household. While the children play together he looks like any other child. Indeed he lives like any other child under the authority of one of the slaves whose task is to be the child-minder. The child-minder was a slave charged with the supervision of a child. He was responsible for this dress, food, speech, and manners, and would accompany him to school. He was a disciplinarian and was allowed to administer corporal punishment, so that he was often depicted in ancient drawings as wielding a rod.

The child has no authority while he is still a child, but when the day of adoption comes he is elevated, singled out and given full rights of sonship. Paul argues that in the coming of Christ, who Himself fulfilled the law, a new day has dawned whereby you have obtained your full rights as an heir. Since you are now an heir, how could you ever return to subject yourself to the child-minder? Have you fully understood what God has done by His grace through Jesus Christ? He has adopted you into the family and made you and heir!!!!!!! The law is no longer you child-minder, YOU ARE A SON with all the rights of the family!!!!!!!