“Become Yourself Through the Cross”
Pastor David Moore
Old Testament reading: Proverbs 3:1-12
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
New Testament reading: Romans 8:1-17
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Today’s theme: Christ has not you an emotion of fear, but an inheritance. The spirit does not bring us fear. We are not a slave to fear. Before we came to Christ we did live in fear. In Christ we are free from fear. ~D. Moore
Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Gospel is neither legalistic nor liberal. ~D. Moore
The Spirit of God comes and wants the law of God in our hearts. The spirit motivates us towards morality, obedience, and right behaviors without fear. ~D. Moore
The Spirit of God is to come in and get you to live as a child of God from a position of gratitude, because we have been adopted into a new family.
John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
As a Christian we have access to freedom and inheritance. Christ has given us this freedom to live our lives in faith, not fear. ~D. Moore
Fear ends where faith begins.
Galatians 4:5 (NLT) God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children.
The joy of the glorified soul will be so great that it will spill out into a glorified body, and then will spill out into a glorified nature. ~St. Augustine
Remember your inheritance so that the best times of your life are beautiful and the worst fears in your life are survivable. ~D. Moore
The question is: Are you living as a child of God? If not, what needs to change [perspective, attitude, hope, dreams, etc.]? This day ask the Creator of the Universe to identify in your life what needs to change. Then allow Him into your life to slowly make the changes.
God bless.