Looking to Jesus https://www.graceorange.org Tue, 19 Mar 2024 02:57:13 -0700 http://churchplantmedia.com/ DEFY IDOLATRY AND INTOLERANTLY PROCLAIM CHRIST AS LORD https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/defy-idolatry-and-intolerantly-live-to-proclaim-christ-as-lord https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/defy-idolatry-and-intolerantly-live-to-proclaim-christ-as-lord#comments Sat, 24 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0800 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/defy-idolatry-and-intolerantly-live-to-proclaim-christ-as-lord Christian's must love the Lord not the world. So you do not follow the world over the Lord. So you do not let the world push you into its mold, but you are transformed by the renewing of your mind.

1 John 2:15-17 says "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever."

It’s always a battle between what you can see, and what you cannot. We look not at the things which are seen, but the things that are unseen, because the things that are seen are temporary, but the things unseen are eternal. We know love by this that he gave is only begotten Son for us. The sacrifice for our sins.

But we have eyes and ears and appetites, and we get really caught up in that, and the unseen gets pushed out of the picture. Like when you zoom in and can’t get it unstuck.

You think of Job and you think of David and that they went through a lot. Job, because of the Sovereignty of God, and David, because of his sin, and they both cried out to God, and poured out their hearts, and you might think well why were they saying all of that kind of stuff to God, but they were saying it to him, they were praying. They were expressing themselves to the only holy God. The Lord.

That kind of acknowledgement defies the world. Do not love the world or the things in the world, the world is passing away, and so are its lusts, but he who does the will of God of its forever.

There is one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. People are happy to add Jesus on to an already full agenda, happy to give him a cameo appearance. What people can’t stand is Jesus having preeminent centerstage vocalized rulership over someone’s life because that ruins their fun.

The way that seems right to man truly leads to death. Only in Jesus Christ is there life. If you were a Christian in the first century, you weren’t set on fire by Nero, fed to wild beasts, put in boiling oil, or drenched in hot wax because you made a little confession in the privacy of your own home, or because you thought that Jesus was a good example or helpful to you in life.

It was because you made a grand subversive defiant pronouncement in public and identified with the crucified risen, savior, and Lord Jesus Christ. And you proclaimed and lived the truth quite clearly that Jesus Christ is Lord, not Caesar or Nero, tantamount to if you stood up at the presidential inauguration and said that Jesus Christ is greater than our president. Or at an award show, you actually said that Jesus Christ is coming back, and if you don’t turn to him, you’ll spend eternity in hell. Or going to your local city council meeting and standing up and saying that Jesus is greater than the mayor.

That sounds ridiculous to you doesn’t it? But you do that, and they will cast you out for being audacious enough to make that claim. And how might that audacious, subversive, intolerant, defiant proclamation live out in your life?

How about the next time you are tempted to lie, cheat or steal you say I will not shame my Lord?

How about the next time you are attempted to waste hours not thinking about anything eternal or good, you say, my Lord redeemed the time, and so will I?

How about you decide that the next time your friends get together and they want to bash someone behind their backs you say Jesus is my Lord and I’m not going to gossip.

Or the next time you sin, and need to confess it to someone, you don’t rationalize it or justify yourself, but you say, Jesus is my Lord and I need to make things right.

How about the next time you are tempted, you say Jesus is Lord, not this addiction or pleasure.

If you truly proclaim and live the Lordship of Christ, you will set yourself at odds against every idol. You will be in the crosshairs of society, and sadly, many times, even of the professing church. Jesus Christ alone stands as supreme ruler to Whom we owe absolute allegiance. Or we do not belong to him.

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Christian's must love the Lord not the world. So you do not follow the world over the Lord. So you do not let the world push you into its mold, but you are transformed by the renewing of your mind.

1 John 2:15-17 says "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever."

It’s always a battle between what you can see, and what you cannot. We look not at the things which are seen, but the things that are unseen, because the things that are seen are temporary, but the things unseen are eternal. We know love by this that he gave is only begotten Son for us. The sacrifice for our sins.

But we have eyes and ears and appetites, and we get really caught up in that, and the unseen gets pushed out of the picture. Like when you zoom in and can’t get it unstuck.

You think of Job and you think of David and that they went through a lot. Job, because of the Sovereignty of God, and David, because of his sin, and they both cried out to God, and poured out their hearts, and you might think well why were they saying all of that kind of stuff to God, but they were saying it to him, they were praying. They were expressing themselves to the only holy God. The Lord.

That kind of acknowledgement defies the world. Do not love the world or the things in the world, the world is passing away, and so are its lusts, but he who does the will of God of its forever.

There is one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. People are happy to add Jesus on to an already full agenda, happy to give him a cameo appearance. What people can’t stand is Jesus having preeminent centerstage vocalized rulership over someone’s life because that ruins their fun.

The way that seems right to man truly leads to death. Only in Jesus Christ is there life. If you were a Christian in the first century, you weren’t set on fire by Nero, fed to wild beasts, put in boiling oil, or drenched in hot wax because you made a little confession in the privacy of your own home, or because you thought that Jesus was a good example or helpful to you in life.

It was because you made a grand subversive defiant pronouncement in public and identified with the crucified risen, savior, and Lord Jesus Christ. And you proclaimed and lived the truth quite clearly that Jesus Christ is Lord, not Caesar or Nero, tantamount to if you stood up at the presidential inauguration and said that Jesus Christ is greater than our president. Or at an award show, you actually said that Jesus Christ is coming back, and if you don’t turn to him, you’ll spend eternity in hell. Or going to your local city council meeting and standing up and saying that Jesus is greater than the mayor.

That sounds ridiculous to you doesn’t it? But you do that, and they will cast you out for being audacious enough to make that claim. And how might that audacious, subversive, intolerant, defiant proclamation live out in your life?

How about the next time you are tempted to lie, cheat or steal you say I will not shame my Lord?

How about the next time you are attempted to waste hours not thinking about anything eternal or good, you say, my Lord redeemed the time, and so will I?

How about you decide that the next time your friends get together and they want to bash someone behind their backs you say Jesus is my Lord and I’m not going to gossip.

Or the next time you sin, and need to confess it to someone, you don’t rationalize it or justify yourself, but you say, Jesus is my Lord and I need to make things right.

How about the next time you are tempted, you say Jesus is Lord, not this addiction or pleasure.

If you truly proclaim and live the Lordship of Christ, you will set yourself at odds against every idol. You will be in the crosshairs of society, and sadly, many times, even of the professing church. Jesus Christ alone stands as supreme ruler to Whom we owe absolute allegiance. Or we do not belong to him.

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Be Careful About Wanting to be Pleased https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/be-careful-about-wanting-to-be-pleased https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/be-careful-about-wanting-to-be-pleased#comments Sat, 18 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0800 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/be-careful-about-wanting-to-be-pleased Be Careful About Wanting to be Pleased

Psalm 100:5 says of Yahweh, "His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

He is full of mercy and goodness and generation-blessing, covenant-keeping faithfulness.

Yet, dear Christian, we seem too often to wrongly think that everything and everyone must align to please us, or all is loss and everything is a failure.

"Give me what I want and no one gets hurt."

This is painful idolatry and must be replaced with sincere worship.

Yet, you forget about the goodness and lovingkindness and faithfulness of God.

Do you think that God will not come through for you, meet you in your deepest need and pain? Give you what is good? Serve your very soul heaven’s delights and satisfy?

Tell me, you who have lost what you most cherished, and do not have what your soul desires, you who sit in despondency due to your loss…

Or

Tell me, you who sit with your full cup and overflowing blessings and smirk, or scowl, or say you do not have enough of this, that, or the next thing,

Tell me, who are you living for? Who do you love most? Don’t tell me Jesus because you blame Him, you judge Him, and by your deeds you deny Him.

You who have painfully lost and you who have blindly gained, your problem is the same: prideful idolatry.

Get on your knees and plead for mercy. Do not rest until you have assurance that all is well and will be well because you have Christ. And if you only had Christ He would be more than enough.

Gillian Welch beautifully sang, "We cannot have all things to please us, no matter how we try, til we all come to Jesus, we can only wonder why."

So even now in this moment in time, anticipate future moments where you will need these words. Let the Word of God renew your mind, transform your heart, serve your soul what it needs most: a Christ-exalting view of all things.

So be careful about wanting to be pleased, and instead, seek to please God.

When your mind needs to be renewed go to God and His Word, and be transformed. Believe it, Yahweh's "lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

SDG

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Be Careful About Wanting to be Pleased

Psalm 100:5 says of Yahweh, "His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

He is full of mercy and goodness and generation-blessing, covenant-keeping faithfulness.

Yet, dear Christian, we seem too often to wrongly think that everything and everyone must align to please us, or all is loss and everything is a failure.

"Give me what I want and no one gets hurt."

This is painful idolatry and must be replaced with sincere worship.

Yet, you forget about the goodness and lovingkindness and faithfulness of God.

Do you think that God will not come through for you, meet you in your deepest need and pain? Give you what is good? Serve your very soul heaven’s delights and satisfy?

Tell me, you who have lost what you most cherished, and do not have what your soul desires, you who sit in despondency due to your loss…

Or

Tell me, you who sit with your full cup and overflowing blessings and smirk, or scowl, or say you do not have enough of this, that, or the next thing,

Tell me, who are you living for? Who do you love most? Don’t tell me Jesus because you blame Him, you judge Him, and by your deeds you deny Him.

You who have painfully lost and you who have blindly gained, your problem is the same: prideful idolatry.

Get on your knees and plead for mercy. Do not rest until you have assurance that all is well and will be well because you have Christ. And if you only had Christ He would be more than enough.

Gillian Welch beautifully sang, "We cannot have all things to please us, no matter how we try, til we all come to Jesus, we can only wonder why."

So even now in this moment in time, anticipate future moments where you will need these words. Let the Word of God renew your mind, transform your heart, serve your soul what it needs most: a Christ-exalting view of all things.

So be careful about wanting to be pleased, and instead, seek to please God.

When your mind needs to be renewed go to God and His Word, and be transformed. Believe it, Yahweh's "lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

SDG

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Marriage and Family Basics https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/marriage-and-family-basics https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/marriage-and-family-basics#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2023 18:00:00 -0700 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/marriage-and-family-basics

Marriage and Family Basics

Jesus must come to have first place in everything, including family life (Col 1:18).

Marriage between a man and a woman is a gift from God. God created marriage (Gen 1, Adam and Eve).

Children are a gift from God and a welcome addition to a family (Psalm 127:3).

Our first ministry is to our family and we should not neglect them as we minister to others.

Parents are meant to be the primary and most influential teachers and disciplers of their children (Deut 6:6-9; Eph 6:1-3).

In the context of family life and parenting, the church’s role is a partnering one, supporting the home and its teaching.

Experienced members of the Body of Christ must come alongside families to teach and mentor them (Titus 2).

Where there is no Christ-centered influence in the home, the church takes the primary role by default.

A biblical, Christian community is inclusive of age groups (intergenerational - Heb 11; Josh 24:15; Matt 5-7), relational (1 Thess 2:7-8) and interwoven (not isolated, but integrated).

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Marriage and Family Basics

Jesus must come to have first place in everything, including family life (Col 1:18).

Marriage between a man and a woman is a gift from God. God created marriage (Gen 1, Adam and Eve).

Children are a gift from God and a welcome addition to a family (Psalm 127:3).

Our first ministry is to our family and we should not neglect them as we minister to others.

Parents are meant to be the primary and most influential teachers and disciplers of their children (Deut 6:6-9; Eph 6:1-3).

In the context of family life and parenting, the church’s role is a partnering one, supporting the home and its teaching.

Experienced members of the Body of Christ must come alongside families to teach and mentor them (Titus 2).

Where there is no Christ-centered influence in the home, the church takes the primary role by default.

A biblical, Christian community is inclusive of age groups (intergenerational - Heb 11; Josh 24:15; Matt 5-7), relational (1 Thess 2:7-8) and interwoven (not isolated, but integrated).

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WHY CHRISTIANS CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THE LOST AND WANDERING https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/why-christians-care-so-much-about-the-lost-and-wandering https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/why-christians-care-so-much-about-the-lost-and-wandering#comments Sat, 02 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0700 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/why-christians-care-so-much-about-the-lost-and-wandering Why do Christians care so much about the lost and wandering? Because when Jesus changes your heart, your motives and affections and desires change.

Everyone is a sinner in need of a savior. And for all those that admit that fact and turn to Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, there is new life. If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Jesus our substitute shed His blood to pay the penalty our sins deserved, so that the undeserving could be shown mercy and grace.

Then, everything changes for you. You belong now to the church of the once blind, all those whose eyes have been opened to truth. You hold out the Word of life to the world; a beacon of hope for the hopeless. You humbly live the truth you say you believe, imperfectly following a perfect Savior, so that when you meet people like yourself — whose lives have been wrecked by sin, you show them how they can be restored.

To be a Christian is to have been brought to life by Jesus. You are awake now, alive to God, the wokeness that counts. Jesus saved your soul, changed your life, secured you forever. Therefore, you welcome difficult people, befriend the friendless, love the unloved, help the hopeless, and keep going after the lost; because there is a God to be glorified that will one day sum all things up and bring us into the realm we were remade for.

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Why do Christians care so much about the lost and wandering? Because when Jesus changes your heart, your motives and affections and desires change.

Everyone is a sinner in need of a savior. And for all those that admit that fact and turn to Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, there is new life. If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Jesus our substitute shed His blood to pay the penalty our sins deserved, so that the undeserving could be shown mercy and grace.

Then, everything changes for you. You belong now to the church of the once blind, all those whose eyes have been opened to truth. You hold out the Word of life to the world; a beacon of hope for the hopeless. You humbly live the truth you say you believe, imperfectly following a perfect Savior, so that when you meet people like yourself — whose lives have been wrecked by sin, you show them how they can be restored.

To be a Christian is to have been brought to life by Jesus. You are awake now, alive to God, the wokeness that counts. Jesus saved your soul, changed your life, secured you forever. Therefore, you welcome difficult people, befriend the friendless, love the unloved, help the hopeless, and keep going after the lost; because there is a God to be glorified that will one day sum all things up and bring us into the realm we were remade for.

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Rejoicing in Regeneration and Hope https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/rejoicing-in-regeneration-and-hope https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/rejoicing-in-regeneration-and-hope#comments Mon, 21 Aug 2023 21:00:00 -0700 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/rejoicing-in-regeneration-and-hope Rejoicing in Regeneration and Hope

Apart from God making the dead to live, we have no hope. A person cannot glorify God unless and until God gives new life, aka regeneration. It's solely due to God's free sovereign choice, aka election. Romans 9 tells us so.

It is not due to human willpower or choice. You hear the Gospel telling you of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for sin, calling you to turn from your sins and follow Jesus. If you respond in faith and repentance, it results in conversion.

You experience immediate justification, ongoing sanctification, and ultimately promised and assured glorification. You are brought into the family of God, and find you have a newfound hunger for His Word, and the fellowship of His people, and you desire the salvation of the nations.

It is all because of God’s sovereign choice and initiative. None of it can be attributed to humans. We were dead and God made us alive. We responded by faith because God granted us faith to believe.

Sometimes we wrongly focus on what we did so we think we must have determined it (John 15:16). Such is not the case. God determines the eternal destiny of every person. Every person must deal with the truth of the gospel. Everyone will be held accountable for their own sins.

If someone refuses or rejects Christ, they will bear the penalty. Yet, all glory in salvation goes to God alone. All who have new life in Christ because of the resurrection of Christ will praise the glory of God's grace forever.

Our grateful praise while in exile on earth is imperfect. Our eternal praise will be perfect in our heavenly home. This is why I am rejoicing in regeneration right now. And why I have recited Psalm 100 almost every day since 1982.

Because God saved my soul. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. Jesus the sovereign Savior was promised in the garden, the gospel was preached to Abraham, it was restated in the wilderness, it was repeated by the Prophets, it was sung of in the Psalms, it was anticipated in exile, it was seen in the first century, it was proclaimed to the nations at Pentecost, and it marches on today unhindered.

The Bible tells me so. God says. So I rejoice in regeneration and rest today with my soul anchored by this living hope.

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Rejoicing in Regeneration and Hope

Apart from God making the dead to live, we have no hope. A person cannot glorify God unless and until God gives new life, aka regeneration. It's solely due to God's free sovereign choice, aka election. Romans 9 tells us so.

It is not due to human willpower or choice. You hear the Gospel telling you of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for sin, calling you to turn from your sins and follow Jesus. If you respond in faith and repentance, it results in conversion.

You experience immediate justification, ongoing sanctification, and ultimately promised and assured glorification. You are brought into the family of God, and find you have a newfound hunger for His Word, and the fellowship of His people, and you desire the salvation of the nations.

It is all because of God’s sovereign choice and initiative. None of it can be attributed to humans. We were dead and God made us alive. We responded by faith because God granted us faith to believe.

Sometimes we wrongly focus on what we did so we think we must have determined it (John 15:16). Such is not the case. God determines the eternal destiny of every person. Every person must deal with the truth of the gospel. Everyone will be held accountable for their own sins.

If someone refuses or rejects Christ, they will bear the penalty. Yet, all glory in salvation goes to God alone. All who have new life in Christ because of the resurrection of Christ will praise the glory of God's grace forever.

Our grateful praise while in exile on earth is imperfect. Our eternal praise will be perfect in our heavenly home. This is why I am rejoicing in regeneration right now. And why I have recited Psalm 100 almost every day since 1982.

Because God saved my soul. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. Jesus the sovereign Savior was promised in the garden, the gospel was preached to Abraham, it was restated in the wilderness, it was repeated by the Prophets, it was sung of in the Psalms, it was anticipated in exile, it was seen in the first century, it was proclaimed to the nations at Pentecost, and it marches on today unhindered.

The Bible tells me so. God says. So I rejoice in regeneration and rest today with my soul anchored by this living hope.

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How to Know if You are Really a Christian https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/how-to-know-if-you-are-really-a-christian https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/how-to-know-if-you-are-really-a-christian#comments Fri, 18 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0700 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/how-to-know-if-you-are-really-a-christian People wonder all the time if they are really a believer. Sometimes other people see a person who says they are Christian and wonder if that is a true profession of faith. This can be for any number of reasons. But there is one specific way found in 2 Timothy 2:19 where are you can know if a person is truly a Christian.

From the Bible, we know a Christian is one who follows Jesus, who believes in the Lord Jesus, and is saved, who trusts the finished work of Christ, and not their own works, someone who is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Salvation is all based on Christ substituting himself in our place at the cross, bearing our sin, paying our penalty, and rising from the dead, killing sin and death, and defeating the devil. (Romans 3:21-26; 1 Timothy 1:15-16; Hebrews 9:11-14).

The number one way you know if you are a Christian? If your relationship with God is more important to you than your sin. If you don’t want to sin And when you do sin, you confess it and forsake it. You walk in repentance.

You can’t claim to be a Christian if this isn’t true about you. It’s not enough just to say, Jesus is my Lord. It’s not enough just to say I believe in Jesus. James put it pretty clearly… essentially saying, just saying you are a Christian, but not having the life to back it up, is empty. It’s false. God showed us how to figure out who’s true or false.

2 Tim. 2:19. Read it. “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.””

This is right in line with Jesus saying you will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). He’s the only one who truly knows who belongs to Him so the only way you can know is if someone claims to be a Christian and their life actually backs it up. They are not actively sinning without a thought to righteousness, they admit it when they sin.

And they are wrecked over their sin. And they depart from iniquity. They get away from it.They get rid of it out of their life. Your active obedience shows active resistance to sin.

There you have it. Salvation is all by grace, and if you are saved by grace, you will keep departing from any sin that plagues you. You will keep confessing your sins and going to God for forgiveness. You will walk in the victory that Jesus purchased at the cross. That doesn't mean that you will be sinless, it means you follow the sinless One, Jesus.

As Hebrews 12:1-3 says, you lay aside any sin that entangles, and run with endurance the race set before you, and you will keep looking to (yielding to, trusting in, believing in, relying on) Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.

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People wonder all the time if they are really a believer. Sometimes other people see a person who says they are Christian and wonder if that is a true profession of faith. This can be for any number of reasons. But there is one specific way found in 2 Timothy 2:19 where are you can know if a person is truly a Christian.

From the Bible, we know a Christian is one who follows Jesus, who believes in the Lord Jesus, and is saved, who trusts the finished work of Christ, and not their own works, someone who is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Salvation is all based on Christ substituting himself in our place at the cross, bearing our sin, paying our penalty, and rising from the dead, killing sin and death, and defeating the devil. (Romans 3:21-26; 1 Timothy 1:15-16; Hebrews 9:11-14).

The number one way you know if you are a Christian? If your relationship with God is more important to you than your sin. If you don’t want to sin And when you do sin, you confess it and forsake it. You walk in repentance.

You can’t claim to be a Christian if this isn’t true about you. It’s not enough just to say, Jesus is my Lord. It’s not enough just to say I believe in Jesus. James put it pretty clearly… essentially saying, just saying you are a Christian, but not having the life to back it up, is empty. It’s false. God showed us how to figure out who’s true or false.

2 Tim. 2:19. Read it. “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.””

This is right in line with Jesus saying you will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). He’s the only one who truly knows who belongs to Him so the only way you can know is if someone claims to be a Christian and their life actually backs it up. They are not actively sinning without a thought to righteousness, they admit it when they sin.

And they are wrecked over their sin. And they depart from iniquity. They get away from it.They get rid of it out of their life. Your active obedience shows active resistance to sin.

There you have it. Salvation is all by grace, and if you are saved by grace, you will keep departing from any sin that plagues you. You will keep confessing your sins and going to God for forgiveness. You will walk in the victory that Jesus purchased at the cross. That doesn't mean that you will be sinless, it means you follow the sinless One, Jesus.

As Hebrews 12:1-3 says, you lay aside any sin that entangles, and run with endurance the race set before you, and you will keep looking to (yielding to, trusting in, believing in, relying on) Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.

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Why Baptism and Church Membership Go Together https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/why-baptism-and-church-membership-go-together https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/why-baptism-and-church-membership-go-together#comments Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0700 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/why-baptism-and-church-membership-go-together On the day of Pentecost, when the church was birthed, the apostle Peter stood up boldly and authoritatively and preached the Word and pointed people to Christ as Lord God and Savior. The Spirit of God pierced the hearts of the people, convicting them of their sin, and they cried out wanting to know how they should respond. The best response to the Word of God rightly handled is to ask what you should do!

They were told to repent, which implies belief, and then be baptized because of the forgiveness of their sins. That day about 3000 people believed and were baptized and were added to the church. The adding in of new believers is the first instance of church membership. Jesus had already said in Matthew 28:18–20 his followers were to go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded. The teaching is done after people come to faith in Christ, and are baptized in obedience to Jesus. And that teaching is to be done in the fellowship of a local church.

In 1 Corinthians 12 it speaks a lot about members of the body, the Greek word is melos, which means body parts. The same word is also used a lot in Ephesians, and the metaphor of members of an actual body makes a lot of sense. And when that word is used, it's always in context of a local church assembly.

In the New Testament, believer’s baptism by immersion in water was the church accepting and confirming a person’s testimony, and accepting them into fellowship with a local assembly. They become a part of a local body of believers.

There’s no formal process outlined, it just happened because it was commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). It was a natural outflow of Christ saving a person. You believe, you are baptized in obedience to Jesus, and you come into the church under the care of a united group of elders. As noted in our Grace Church of Orange membership paper (https://www.csmedia1.com/graceorange.org/gco-position-paper-on-church-membership-1.pdf) there are ample reasons, some implicit, some explicit, which illustrate the same truths.

That said, it is preferable if you get baptized soon after coming to faith in Christ/conversion, and join the church upon your testimony of faith. These two obedient acts should preferably not be separated by time, but done somewhat concurrently, in order to get a person on a path of spiritual growth right away after coming to faith in Christ.

The reason why this is so important, why baptism and church membership should be more of a unified process, is because the elders of a local assembly are charged by God to keep watch over the souls of the believers in that assembly. All for their growth and for vibrant Christian witness.

The New Testament knows no example of someone just getting baptized by a church and not uniting with that church in worship and witness. The only possible example would be the unique example of Philip, and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. But if we’re understanding the story correctly, the Spirit of God had that happen, and then snatched Philip away, and sent the eunuch on his way, presumably to go home and start a church where he lived. A baptized believer going back to Africa. First time it ever happened.

So let's pattern our baptisms and church membership as closely to the scriptural pattern as we can. Let's link baptism and church membership more closely. Let's see them as part of a unified process to glorify God, build up believers, and reach the world.

]]>
On the day of Pentecost, when the church was birthed, the apostle Peter stood up boldly and authoritatively and preached the Word and pointed people to Christ as Lord God and Savior. The Spirit of God pierced the hearts of the people, convicting them of their sin, and they cried out wanting to know how they should respond. The best response to the Word of God rightly handled is to ask what you should do!

They were told to repent, which implies belief, and then be baptized because of the forgiveness of their sins. That day about 3000 people believed and were baptized and were added to the church. The adding in of new believers is the first instance of church membership. Jesus had already said in Matthew 28:18–20 his followers were to go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded. The teaching is done after people come to faith in Christ, and are baptized in obedience to Jesus. And that teaching is to be done in the fellowship of a local church.

In 1 Corinthians 12 it speaks a lot about members of the body, the Greek word is melos, which means body parts. The same word is also used a lot in Ephesians, and the metaphor of members of an actual body makes a lot of sense. And when that word is used, it's always in context of a local church assembly.

In the New Testament, believer’s baptism by immersion in water was the church accepting and confirming a person’s testimony, and accepting them into fellowship with a local assembly. They become a part of a local body of believers.

There’s no formal process outlined, it just happened because it was commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). It was a natural outflow of Christ saving a person. You believe, you are baptized in obedience to Jesus, and you come into the church under the care of a united group of elders. As noted in our Grace Church of Orange membership paper (https://www.csmedia1.com/graceorange.org/gco-position-paper-on-church-membership-1.pdf) there are ample reasons, some implicit, some explicit, which illustrate the same truths.

That said, it is preferable if you get baptized soon after coming to faith in Christ/conversion, and join the church upon your testimony of faith. These two obedient acts should preferably not be separated by time, but done somewhat concurrently, in order to get a person on a path of spiritual growth right away after coming to faith in Christ.

The reason why this is so important, why baptism and church membership should be more of a unified process, is because the elders of a local assembly are charged by God to keep watch over the souls of the believers in that assembly. All for their growth and for vibrant Christian witness.

The New Testament knows no example of someone just getting baptized by a church and not uniting with that church in worship and witness. The only possible example would be the unique example of Philip, and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. But if we’re understanding the story correctly, the Spirit of God had that happen, and then snatched Philip away, and sent the eunuch on his way, presumably to go home and start a church where he lived. A baptized believer going back to Africa. First time it ever happened.

So let's pattern our baptisms and church membership as closely to the scriptural pattern as we can. Let's link baptism and church membership more closely. Let's see them as part of a unified process to glorify God, build up believers, and reach the world.

]]>
As we live a Christ-honoring life… https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/as-we-live-a-christ-honoring-life-- https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/as-we-live-a-christ-honoring-life--#comments Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:00:00 -0700 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/as-we-live-a-christ-honoring-life-- As we live a Christ-honoring life…

Pure gospel living looks different than posing for pictures
It stands in stark contrast to life lived under lights
A sovereign God changes our motives
The authoritative Word renews our minds

The Gospel changes you such that you do not cry for attention
You don’t need to be seen or build your brand
You don’t need to post up every syllable and calorie
You humbly live life with those God gave you to walk with

Earthly ambition gets in the way of humility
Deafening desire for accolades drowns out the Word
Persistent pleasure seeking kills fellowship
We are left dragging malnourished souls around

We must look to Jesus, remembering His sacrifice
We must fix our eyes on Him, resting in His glory
We must trust the One sent for our freedom
We must worship our leader and Savior, who came

Not crying for attention, pouring out precious blood
Not needing to be seen, simply sin forgiving
Not seeking the crowd’s applause, freely substituting
Not bowing to the world, sovereignly ruling over all.

]]>
As we live a Christ-honoring life…

Pure gospel living looks different than posing for pictures
It stands in stark contrast to life lived under lights
A sovereign God changes our motives
The authoritative Word renews our minds

The Gospel changes you such that you do not cry for attention
You don’t need to be seen or build your brand
You don’t need to post up every syllable and calorie
You humbly live life with those God gave you to walk with

Earthly ambition gets in the way of humility
Deafening desire for accolades drowns out the Word
Persistent pleasure seeking kills fellowship
We are left dragging malnourished souls around

We must look to Jesus, remembering His sacrifice
We must fix our eyes on Him, resting in His glory
We must trust the One sent for our freedom
We must worship our leader and Savior, who came

Not crying for attention, pouring out precious blood
Not needing to be seen, simply sin forgiving
Not seeking the crowd’s applause, freely substituting
Not bowing to the world, sovereignly ruling over all.

]]>
God’s Magnificent Grace https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/god-s-magni https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/god-s-magni#comments Sat, 20 May 2023 15:00:00 -0700 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/god-s-magni Applicational thoughts on Ephesians 2:5-7. 

As I am alive, raised, and seated with Christ by God’s grace…
5 ongoing outcomes I observe about God’s grace towards me:

1. It rightly reminds me of God’s initiating and sustaining work. 

2. It mercifully directs my heart to rejoice in good and reject evil.

3. It powerfully prompts me to live, speak, and serve from the outflow. 

4. It honestly shows me there is more to this life than my happiness.

5. It appropriately focuses me on God’s eternal pleasures. 

]]>
Applicational thoughts on Ephesians 2:5-7. 

As I am alive, raised, and seated with Christ by God’s grace…
5 ongoing outcomes I observe about God’s grace towards me:

1. It rightly reminds me of God’s initiating and sustaining work. 

2. It mercifully directs my heart to rejoice in good and reject evil.

3. It powerfully prompts me to live, speak, and serve from the outflow. 

4. It honestly shows me there is more to this life than my happiness.

5. It appropriately focuses me on God’s eternal pleasures. 

]]>
Hope of Forgiveness is Real https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/hope-of-forgiveness-is-real https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/hope-of-forgiveness-is-real#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0800 https://www.graceorange.org/looking-to-jesus/post/hope-of-forgiveness-is-real Has life put a lot of mileage on you? Are you weighed down by the toll it has taken? Are you weary? Are you troubled? Do you feel hopeless? Do you feel trapped in things you are doing or things done to you or things you have done? Do you feel condemned by your sins? Do you feel condemned by other people? Do you feel the sharp criticisms of your critics? Do you feel the pain of rejection and loss? Do you feel the agonizing loneliness of being human and misunderstood? Or, do you feel proud and self-justified? Do you think you are right and everyone else is wrong? Do you feel angry at the world and anyone who gets close enough to you to matter? Are you unsure where to turn?

Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn away from all the sin and pain and judgment and condemnation and run to the One who took all the sin, pain, judgment, and condemnation at the cross, paying the penalty for all your sin. There is new life and forgiveness in Jesus because He purchased His people from the slave market of sin so that they would no longer be slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness.

Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day.
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know – this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:22-24).

The truth is, apart from Christ we are lost in sin and burdened with shame. Yet God took our sin and shame and nailed it to the cross. In Christ there is new life. This is not a repackaged, reimagined, redefined Christianity. This is biblical Christianity from the beginning of time. Anyone who has ever been saved from the wrath of God justly aimed at their sin has been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone.

All the answers are in God‘s perfect Word. It tells you what you should do. “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for (because of) the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Jesus said to those who had believed in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John‬ ‭8‬:‭34‬-‭36).

God doesn’t bait and switch us or sugarcoat it, He tells us straight up what the truth is.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭26‬)

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭11‬)

You don’t need cheap substitutes. You don’t need New Age sub-Christian ideas written with the liberal slant of progressivism that ignores the real issue which is the heart. You don’t need feel-good relativism. You don’t need deceptively fuzzy re-definitions of confession and repentance and salvation. You need to know what it really is. In confession you admit your sins and your need of Christ. In repentance you think differently about God and your sin, such that you you now hate what you once loved (your sin), and you love the one you once hated (Jesus Christ). Therefore, you repent, you change your mind, you acknowledge that your sin is bad, damningly reprehensible and that Jesus is good, delightfully righteous. You hate your past sins and you love God.

You need Him who is the Way and the Truth and the Life. You need to acknowledge there is no other way to be right with God than through Jesus (John 14:6). You realize you need to follow Him worshipfully and obediently with His people with all their flaws, knowing that all who come freely to Christ are freely forgiven by a God greater than all of their sin. And the reason why is because Jesus substituted Himself in our place and took the punishment our sins deserved. He satisfied the holy wrath of the one true only sovereign God, and offers new life to everyone who will come to Him.

Hope of forgiveness is real. God doesn’t wink at your sin. He sent Jesus to the cross for your sin. He doesn’t just let it go and say it was no big deal. He pays the complete cost and carries it all so that you receive forgiveness freely at God’s expense. The cost was immeasurable. For you to be freely forgiven infinite cost was paid. Precious blood was spilled.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭5‬)

The cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ gives freedom and victory. He gives blessed hope of eternal life and the resurrection. You believe that one day Jesus is coming again and will gather all His people to Himself, and from that moment on we will always be with the Lord. Until that time, He is with every true believer. He is with His Church, His family, adopted, forgiven, redeemed, kept forever secure in His great love, immeasurable mercy, and glorious grace.

“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬-‭21‬)

Has life put a lot of mileage on you? Are you weighed down by the toll it has taken? Are you weary? Are you troubled? Do you feel hopeless? There is hope of forgiveness in Jesus.

This is why you need to commit your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and wake up each day resolving to serve Him with every ounce of your being. You need to serve Him with the strength that He supplies. You need to do so with your household, in fellowship with a local church where there is a plurality of elders keeping watch over your soul, and a group of people that want to worshipfully and obediently follow Christ together, making disciples and baptizing believers, remembering the Lord‘s death and resurrection at the Lord’s table. You need to celebrate your salvation and give the gospel to everyone, and sacrificially serve Jesus, and above all, seek God’s glory over all.

]]>
Has life put a lot of mileage on you? Are you weighed down by the toll it has taken? Are you weary? Are you troubled? Do you feel hopeless? Do you feel trapped in things you are doing or things done to you or things you have done? Do you feel condemned by your sins? Do you feel condemned by other people? Do you feel the sharp criticisms of your critics? Do you feel the pain of rejection and loss? Do you feel the agonizing loneliness of being human and misunderstood? Or, do you feel proud and self-justified? Do you think you are right and everyone else is wrong? Do you feel angry at the world and anyone who gets close enough to you to matter? Are you unsure where to turn?

Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn away from all the sin and pain and judgment and condemnation and run to the One who took all the sin, pain, judgment, and condemnation at the cross, paying the penalty for all your sin. There is new life and forgiveness in Jesus because He purchased His people from the slave market of sin so that they would no longer be slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness.

Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day.
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know – this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:22-24).

The truth is, apart from Christ we are lost in sin and burdened with shame. Yet God took our sin and shame and nailed it to the cross. In Christ there is new life. This is not a repackaged, reimagined, redefined Christianity. This is biblical Christianity from the beginning of time. Anyone who has ever been saved from the wrath of God justly aimed at their sin has been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone.

All the answers are in God‘s perfect Word. It tells you what you should do. “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for (because of) the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Jesus said to those who had believed in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John‬ ‭8‬:‭34‬-‭36).

God doesn’t bait and switch us or sugarcoat it, He tells us straight up what the truth is.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭26‬)

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭11‬)

You don’t need cheap substitutes. You don’t need New Age sub-Christian ideas written with the liberal slant of progressivism that ignores the real issue which is the heart. You don’t need feel-good relativism. You don’t need deceptively fuzzy re-definitions of confession and repentance and salvation. You need to know what it really is. In confession you admit your sins and your need of Christ. In repentance you think differently about God and your sin, such that you you now hate what you once loved (your sin), and you love the one you once hated (Jesus Christ). Therefore, you repent, you change your mind, you acknowledge that your sin is bad, damningly reprehensible and that Jesus is good, delightfully righteous. You hate your past sins and you love God.

You need Him who is the Way and the Truth and the Life. You need to acknowledge there is no other way to be right with God than through Jesus (John 14:6). You realize you need to follow Him worshipfully and obediently with His people with all their flaws, knowing that all who come freely to Christ are freely forgiven by a God greater than all of their sin. And the reason why is because Jesus substituted Himself in our place and took the punishment our sins deserved. He satisfied the holy wrath of the one true only sovereign God, and offers new life to everyone who will come to Him.

Hope of forgiveness is real. God doesn’t wink at your sin. He sent Jesus to the cross for your sin. He doesn’t just let it go and say it was no big deal. He pays the complete cost and carries it all so that you receive forgiveness freely at God’s expense. The cost was immeasurable. For you to be freely forgiven infinite cost was paid. Precious blood was spilled.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭5‬)

The cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ gives freedom and victory. He gives blessed hope of eternal life and the resurrection. You believe that one day Jesus is coming again and will gather all His people to Himself, and from that moment on we will always be with the Lord. Until that time, He is with every true believer. He is with His Church, His family, adopted, forgiven, redeemed, kept forever secure in His great love, immeasurable mercy, and glorious grace.

“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬-‭21‬)

Has life put a lot of mileage on you? Are you weighed down by the toll it has taken? Are you weary? Are you troubled? Do you feel hopeless? There is hope of forgiveness in Jesus.

This is why you need to commit your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and wake up each day resolving to serve Him with every ounce of your being. You need to serve Him with the strength that He supplies. You need to do so with your household, in fellowship with a local church where there is a plurality of elders keeping watch over your soul, and a group of people that want to worshipfully and obediently follow Christ together, making disciples and baptizing believers, remembering the Lord‘s death and resurrection at the Lord’s table. You need to celebrate your salvation and give the gospel to everyone, and sacrificially serve Jesus, and above all, seek God’s glory over all.

]]>