Our Real Need – a Savior!

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2.11

A Savior, a Son, a sinner, and a saint. “ … unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour … ” A savior implies that there is someone in need of saving. The truth of the matter is that the whole world is in need of a savior, and God the Father knew He was the only One who could do anything about it. Jesus, His Son, knew He was the only perfect sacrifice. The NEED for a savior is an impossible situation unless there is someone who is willing and able to be that savior and meets the qualifications necessary to BE that savior.

A perfect Savior and a willing Son came to this earth to address a need that the sinner never knew he had. Mankind knew his condition was one of great need, and he knew that he could not meet that need for himself. But he did not know HOW that need could and would be met. Then God said: “ … unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour … ” If I can use modern vernacular, God said, “I’ve got this!” God’s answer to man’s need for a savior was “Christ the Lord.” He was the ONLY One who could meet the need.

Finally, how does a sinner become a saint? He realizes who the Savior is and he willing accepts Christ the Lord to be his savior. Sounds simple doesn’t it? And it is. But the sinner needs to know that he needs a savior and that Jesus is the only Savior and accept the truth that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That is where you and I come into the picture. Let’s close out this year and enter the year of 2020 with a renewed passion to share the message of the Savior, God’s Son, who came to save sinners and make them saints for eternity. Just my thoughts …

Great Gifts!

”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1.7

It is amazing the number of people who wake up each day with a sense of fear about facing the day. This includes many Christ-followers. So, the information that Paul gives us in this verse is invaluable. “ … God hath not given us the spirit of fear … ” What is required of us in order to appropriate the fact that God has not given us this spirit of fear? We must acknowledge that we want God to be in charge of our day. That means whatever is coming will be under His control.

So, if fear is not to be part of the equation, what is it that God supplies? “For God hath … given us the spirit … of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” How do we draw on that power? We acknowledge God’s power in place of our own, knowing that our own power will not be enough to handle what is coming. God’s next gift to us is the spirit of love. What would your day look like if you could face it with a heart filled with love for others, rather than a sense of distrust, or anxiety, or any other negative emotion? I believe a heart filled with love changes a lot of things in our lives.

The final thing Paul mentions is “ … a sound mind.” WHAT is a sound mind? Isn’t that a mind that blocks out the confusion of the world so that one can listen to God when He speaks? Isn’t that a mind that weighs the facts rather than make rash decisions just to get them over with? I think God wants to equip us to handle each day with access to His power, a heart of love, and a mind that listens to Him over the world. Let’s let Him do that for us – TODAY! Just my thoughts …

You’ve Got One! Use It!

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4.10

Spiritual gifts seem to be a topic about most believers know very little. They are often talked about in improper contexts or explained in a way that seems to miss the mark of the New Testament’s purpose for them. I don’t think I know everything there is to know about spiritual gifts, but I do believe we need to give heed to Peter’s words here in this verse.

“As every man hath received the gift … ” When did this occur? It occurs at the moment of salvation. Every believer receives at least one gift at the moment of salvation. What is the purpose of these gifts? Peter tells us in the next phrase: “ … even so minister the same one to another … ” The gifts given to believers are for the edification or building up of the body of Christ. Why are we to do these things? Again, peter illuminates us: “ … as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” The gift or gifts that you and I receive are a result of the grace of God and we are to be good stewards of our gifts.

Peter goes on to explain further in the next verse: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” As Peter explains, there are only two kinds of gifts – speaking gifts and doing gifts. You and I are responsible to discover our gifts, cultivate our gifts, and use our gifts “ …that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ  … ” Just my thoughts …

Wage or Gift? Take the Gift!

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6.23

I’ve been working since I was age 12. I started delivering newspapers then and have been doing some kind of work ever since them. The motivation to work most of the time was the fact that I would receive a wage for the time invested in the job.

In the verse listed above Paul makes a very deliberate distinction between the wage that sin will pay and the gift that God is willing to give us. I am constantly amazed at the response of people when confronted with their sin and the ultimate consequences that will come because we are sinners without a savior. When Adam sinned, his consequence was death – initially spiritual death and finally physical death. God was truthful about the consequence and the words of Paul are tragically true. The only thing that a life of sin, without the intervention of a savior, can bring is death. Death, in this instance, means eternal separation from God. I have never met anyone who intentionally wanted to go to hell. Once a person understands the truthfulness of this statement – the wages of sin is death – and what the word death here means, I have never had someone tell me, “No, I don’t want that. I want to die and spend eternity in hell.”

The last phrase in this verse delivers life-giving hope: “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Why would God want to give anyone of us sinners a gift? Because He loves us and there is no other reason. His love for us is so complete, so genuine, so life-changing, I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to receive this gift from God. It if found ONLY in the person of Jesus Christ. It was Christ who gave His life and paid the price for sin, only to rise from the death on the third day, victorious over sin, death, hell, and the grave. What a gift this is that God has for us. I, for one, am eternally grateful for God’s generous, loving gift of eternal life. Just my thoughts …

Grace = Gift!

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2.8-9

I fear so few of us really grasp the concept of God’s grace. Paul declares here that “ … by grace are ye saved through faith … ” Grace is something created by God for saving us from our sin. We say that we understand grace, but do we really know what it means to receive something we don’t deserve. We could live our lifetime, doing the best we can, and never do enough to earn anything that God has chosen to give us. But because of grace, we experience God’s unconditional love, His unending patience, His limitless power displayed on our behalf, and so many other things too numerous to mention.

Then Paul shatters any thought we may have of what we can do to approach God. he tells us that this faith is “not of yourselves … ” We did not create it. We do not make it work. And we do not have toe ability to exercise that faith apart from the grace of this gracious God.

This faith is “the gift of God:” In addition to the gift of grace, God also develops within us the faith that will draw us to Him. God loves us so much that He is willing to bridge any barrier, overcome any obstacle, in order to make salvation available to us. THAT is the absolute manifestation of God’s grace.

“Not of works, lest any man should boast.” This destroys any “works based” concept of salvation. There is NOTHING that you or I can do to make us acceptable to God. God did that for us when He was on the cross. In John 19.30 Jesus cried, “It is finished!” and everything that God demanded for salvation was done. Jesus paid it all. These are just my thoughts …

This Is It!

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12.13

Have you ever heard a fellow Christian say something like this: “Man, I wish I knew what God wanted me to do. I would do it.” Here is your answer for them: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter … ” I think Solomon speaks clearly here and since hs is a wise man, his words mean something. That which he is about to say IS the conclusion of the whole matter. He has spent the book of Ecclesiastes sorting through some worthwhile things. He is winding down now and wrapping up his thoughts. So we should pay attention.

“Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” What does it mean to fear God? Is that some kind of statement that calls us to walk in constant fear that we will do something wrong and God will suddenly punish us for it? Not at all. When Solomon talks about fearing God, he is referring to recognizing WHO God is, acknowledging WHO God is, and living our lives each day with the knowledge that God is always there, always watching, and always wants the best for us. This is using the word fear in the sense of how awesome God is.

Then we have this statement: “ … keep his commandments … ” For those of us living in the New Testament era, this does not mean to keep the Ten Commandments. It does mean to do everything that God has told us to do in His Word for daily living. We don’t have any excuse for NOT doing these things. We have His Word before us. We can read it every day. And the Holy Spirit can interpret it for us. These are simple but very comprehensive statements. But remember, Solomon said, “ … this is the whole duty of man.” Just my thoughts …

A Child WAS Born! Merry Christmas!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9.6

It would have been a rich experience to be sitting with Isaiah when he penned these words. “Unto us … ” Was he thinking, “Me?” What are you thinking as you read these words? “Unto me?” Wrapped up in these words is the totality of God’s love for sin-sick mankind – including you and me. The day He was born is not nearly as important as the truth that He was actually born.

Whatever form it Isaiah acknowledged the reality that God had a Son and His Son was coming into this world to do what only God could do – address the question of sin. Sin in whatever form it appears breaks the heart of God. And His Son was the only perfect sacrifice who was qualified to meet the demands of this Holy God.

His name shall be called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” Is there any way that you or I can quantify this word wonderful? Knowing that God is wonderful and having any concept of how wonderful He is are two different concepts. Counsellor – have you ever come to God with a problem He did not understand or did not know how to handle? The answer is an obvious no! He is the Wonderful Counselor. He is without doubt The mighty God. He does not see problems because He is the solution to our problems. That is quite a Christmas present.

The everlasting Father – some reading this have a father who is still alive. Others have already lost their father to death. BUT we have this Everlasting Father. He is not going away – ever. But this Christ is also The Prince of Peace. Does this world need peace? Do the hearts of men need peace? The answer to both questions is yes and Jesus is the Prince of Peace! Merry Christmas! Just my thoughts …

He Loves Me How Much?

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4.9-10

Over the years of ministry I have heard so many people say, “How do I know God loves me?” The answer is found in these verses. Don’t just read these words, but rather absorb them into your heart. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world … ” If one says, “I don’t believe Jesus ever came”, they are denying a fact of history. That must be a conscious choice. Jesus did come into this world and He came to show this sin-sick world that God loves us. The name Emmanuel means “God with us.” This is how John says it: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1.14) In the opening verses of John 1, John had identified Jesus as the Word – the personification of God in human flesh.

When the Word came in the flesh, God was saying in the clearest way possible not just “I love you,,” but “This is how I love you and how much I love you.” And then He said, “Watch what I allow men to do to Him to prove My love for you.” Let your mind move to the cross and hear the sound of each spike being driven in. Watch as the crown of thorns is jammed on His head. Observe the roman soldier as he jabs the spear into the side of Christ. And remember these words: “he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Just my thoughts …

What a Wonderful Gift!

“And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1.21

She = Mary. Mary has been a part of this picture since Genesis 3.15: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy see and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Her seed is the seed of the woman, Mary. There has never been another conception or birth like this one. And that’s the way it should be. The angel said to Mary, “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon the, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be call the Son of God.” (Luke 1.34-35) The only blood in this baby’s veins was God’s blood – He was the Father. Think about it! Human blood was tainted by sin. The blood shed on the cross needed to be without the taint of sin.

We read in Matthew 1.23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, ad shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” God chose to enter this world as a baby – a form that made Him vulnerable but acceptable. God chose to be with us so He could save us. Can you imagine the thoughts running through Joseph’s mind as the angel reveals these truths to him? His head must have been spinning, but he believed what he was told and he acted on what he was told. I’m so glad God had all this planned from eternity past to enable you and me to have a Savior. What a wonderful gift at Christmas! Just my thoughts …

What a God! What a Gift! What a Sacrifice!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3.16

Before I had graduated from Bible College, I was called to serve in a church in Arlington, TX. I was the music director (we call them worship leaders today [lol]). Shortly after arriving there, one of the teachers of the 2-year-old children came to me and said, “Bro. Burton, I would like for you to visit my class this Sunday and hear something from my 2 yr. olds.” I said, “I will be there.” When I walked in, she said, “Children, let’s show Bro. Burton what we have learned recently.” And they began reciting John 3.16 – perfectly. Not only was she proud of them, but I was so thankful that they learned this powerful truth at such an early age.

How do we measure the dimensions of the word “so” here in this verse? The love of God for this world was not greater than His love for His Son, but He loved His Son so much and knew that NOTHING else but His perfect sacrifice could satisfy the righteous demands of the law to completely pay for the sins of the world. Such great NEED and such great DEMAND could only come together in the place we call the “place of the skull.” What the Roman government thought they were doing was putting to death someone who kept the multitudes stirred up. But what they were really doing was carrying out God’s plan to give “his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God planned it. The Roman government thought they orchestrated it. God the Son willingly carried it out, and God the Holy Spirit became a reality to believers as a result of it. Oh my dear friend, God GAVE. Have you RECEIVED? Just my thoughts …