Jesus Christ the Only Way to Find Real Purpose
The optimist says, the cup is half full.
The pessimist says, the cup is half empty.
The child of God says; My cup runneth over (Anonymous).
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over (Psalms 23:1-5).
Christianity is realistic because it says that if there is no truth, there is also no hope; and there can be no truth if there is no adequate base (Francis A. Schaeffer).
Meaning, purpose, and happiness come when I:
A. Look to God’s word, follow Him and seek to glorify Him alone
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; Luke 14:27).
B. Decide to focus on eternal things (Colossians 3:2).
C. Look for things in my life that need to be changed
(Psalms 119:11).
D. Ask others what my character flaws are in order to mature (Proverbs 15:22).
E. Be amazed about Jesus (Galatians 2:20)!
F. Trust Jesus—believe in Him for all things (John 14:1;
Ephesians 3:20).
G. Pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
H. Look to the gospel (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
I. Remember happiness is not Hell (Matthew 25; Revelation 20-22).
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20).
Law and Gospel: Distinct But Not Separate
The predominant functions of the moral law and God’s commandments:
I. Restrain Evil. II. Reveal Sin/our Depravity. III. Assist in our sanctification.
One must not confuse and commingle law and gospel: God’s commands distinct from God’s promises. The law is not just the Old Testament inasmuch as the Old Testament contains the gospel and the gospel is not just the New Testament for the New Testament contains law. The law accuses. The law commands and demands. It’s what God expects out of His creatures in our thoughts, words, and works. For it is not the ten recommendations, it is the Ten Commandments. It is rigorous. The law doesn’t say just do the best you can. God does not grade on a curve. The final requires perfection or one does not enter Heaven. It demands one hundred percent, every moment, in thought, word, and deed. The good news is Christ has expiated the transgressions against the law for His sheep by grace through faith. The greatest good news is that Christ has made satisfaction for the sins, the mistakes, and the commandment breaking of His people.
The gospel has attained and acquired for all Christians, without any works or merit on our part, the forgiveness of sins and the imputed righteousness of Christ that avails before God and provides eternal life. The law is written on our hearts and the gospel comes from outside us from God’s grace (Galatians 3:10-12). Scripture reveals that the law is everything that demands perfect obedience to God and pronounces God’s curses on all transgressors (Romans 3:19). The law of God renders the whole world guilty before God’s holiness and reveals the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20-23).
How can one avoid Hell? Jesus taught that it is very simple, “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Do that every day, perfectly and live. Recall what Jesus said, “It is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven than a camel to go through an eye of a needle.” In that particular instance the disciples were very perplexed. They said, “Lord who then can be saved?” Jesus responded by revealing to them, “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Heaven is infinitely beyond the reach of sinful men. Men need God to do the impossible. And God has accomplished this through Christ and His vicarious death and resurrection. It is all solely by grace. Deny Christ and it is impossible for an imperfect man to be accepted into a perfect Heaven. One must have their imperfections and sins removed by the Cross of God’s Son.
The gospel offers acceptance from God, peace with Him, and salvation freely given to the sinner by grace through faith (Romans 1:16-17, 10:15; Acts 20:24; Ephesians 1:13, 6:15). The law is distinct from the gospel but not separate; there is a unity within the diversity. Distinct but not separate.
The inward area is the first place of loss of true Christian life, of true spirituality, and the outward sinful act is the result (Francis Schaeffer).
Both the law and gospel are in the whole of Scripture. The two pertain to men and women and must be taught side by side with distinction within the oneness of Scripture. Christians are to uphold the law with zeal and with truth through the grace and the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:7-14). Some contemporary Christians believe the law is not to be upheld. They argue that we do not need to do the commandments in today’s dispensation. These are antinomians. Anti means: against. The definition of noumos: Law. Hence an antinomian is against the law. If there is no moral law, there can be no hell and no punishment for lawbreakers. If the law is gone, you get rid of the absolute standards of right and wrong. You also get rid of hell, and you get rid of the need of the Savior too. If we are not lawbreakers we do not need to be saved.
The Life of a Christian
To live a life of obedience before God’s face you must:
1. Admit that the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41).
2. Pray for power and wisdom to overcome temptation and sin.
3. Avoid instruments, places, people, and circles that tempt you and where you previously fell.
4. Keep your focus on Jesus and His victory
(1 Corinthians 15:56; Hebrews 12:1-2).
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