This week I spoke at the Bar None Cowboy Church, a new church in Owings, South Carolina. It was a blessing to share truths from Romans 1:1-7 that were foundational for the early churches in the Roman empire, and that will be foundational for this new church.
The underlying foundation is the the blessed Trinity of God. The gospel of God the Father (1:1)...concerning His Son (1:3)...according to the Spirit of holiness (1:4).
A focus on only one Person of the Trinity distorts the truth of God and one's relationship with God. Mystics seek to only know a generic God. Some focus on Jesus only as a good moral human example to imitate. Some focus only on the Holy Spirit for emotional experiences.
Based on these views, what God can do for someone is more important than who God is to someone. These views deny the centrality of the cross and prevent a true relationship with God.
Following are highlights of biblical truths about God that I shared with the special folks at the Cowboy Church.
THE GOSPEL OF GOD THE FATHER...
The word gospel means "good news." It is not good news of man but is good news of God. The gospel belongs to God, originated with God, is committed to men by God.
God the Father sent His Son to do the work of salvation for us when we were not even looking for it. God's grace is at the heart of the good news.
For God (the Father) so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son
(for us on the cross).
JOHN 3:16
In the fullness of time,
God (the Father) sent forth His Son.
GALATIANS 4:4
Jesus prayed (the night before the cross),
"Father, I have finished the work
which You have given Me to do."
JOHN 17:4b
...CONCERNING THE SON...
Romans 1:2 notes that Jesus was promised through the Holy Scriptures. Below are just a few of the many prophecies of Christ in the inerrant Old Testament Scriptures that were perfectly fulfilled:
Will be born in Bethlehem
Will be preceded by a messenger (John the Baptist)
Will ride into Jerusalem on a donkey
Will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
Will stand silent before His accusers
Will be crucified
The probability that all 6 of these prophecies would be fulfilled is equivalent to a blind-folded person finding (on the first try) a single marked silver dollar mixed in with silver dollars spread across the State of Texas 2 feet deep!
Romans 1:3-4 reveals that Jesus is fully man and fully God. A glorious mystery. A glorious truth.
Unto you a Child is born.
Unto you a Son is given.
ISAIAH 9:6
All religions are man's attempts to reach up to God. Christianity is God reaching down to man in the very Person of Christ who is both man and God!
There is one God
and one Mediator between God and men,
the Man Christ Jesus.
1 TIMOTHY 2:5
Jesus was not sent by the Father to tell us the good news of the gospel. Jesus is the good news of the gospel!
After His death on the cross for us, Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father (Romans 6:4)!
...ACCORDING TO
THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS.
As the Father raised Jesus from the dead, He too raised us with Christ to newness of life (Romans 6:4)!
Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins...and...through the Holy Spirit, we were crucified and buried with Christ (spiritually and literally) in order to be raised a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is an intimate union and communion with Christ.
CLOSING
God the Father loves us (John 3:16), the love of Christ compels us (2 Corin 5:14), and this love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)! This is the love and holiness of God that is supremely displayed on Mount Calvary for you and for me.
So when we truly and sacrificially love someone, it is not with a love we work up. It is the love from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit to overflowing our lives...all because of the cross...all for the glory of God!
Holy Holy Holy Love
