The Moment You Think...

You have a comeback story of some kind. Maybe it was a moment you stood up to the bully on the playground. It might have been a business venture that turned around because of a decision you made. Maybe you repaired a relationship because of the words you chose to say. We’ve all had moments when we had a come back. But the most incredible come back of all time would be Jesus being killed then rising from the dead.

When Jesus died, the disciples thought it was all over. They were there when he was arrested, beaten, crucified then place in a tomb. There was no question, he was dead and gone. Can you imagine what when through their minds on Friday night and all day Saturday? They thought they had wasted 3 years. They were confused, heartbroken, lost. God had forsaken them.

That may be the way you feel in your story. You are working through the failed marriage, the loss of a career, a horrible doctor’s report or a moment where you are living with depression and darkness. But like the disciples, while you may be living in a valley moment that feels like Friday and Saturday, know that Sunday’s coming.

Then there’s the moment you start to believe things are actually different than you first thought. When you’re talking about dying then rising 3 days later, well that’s a tough story to hear. Some of us believe in Easter but more of a family holiday or a church ritual, not necessarily that Jesus rose from the dead. But the disciples realized it was true! They bet their very lives on it.

Did you know the apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1 that the very power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you as a believer. Think about that for a moment. The incredible true story of Jesus rising from death is your story as well. Just like Jesus, you can rise from your difficult story because you believe.

Then finally there’s the moment your celebration begins because you know it’s all true. Jesus appeared from between 1-500 people after his resurrection. The disciples are told to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to indwell in them and that’s exactly what happens. We know they were different acting people because of the power of Jesus. In Acts 1, we see a scared, fearful, chaotic group of followers. By Acts 2 after the Holy Spirit comes, the disciples are bold, preaching publicly, and convicting others by their lives.

So no matter where you are in your story, know you can rise through the power of Jesus. In Him, you can have life and life to the full. You can lay your burden down and celebrate in the arms of a risen Savior. But it’s your choice. Choose life and life in Jesus. Blessings on the journey.

Would the Real Gospel Step Forward Please?

My wife and I have an adopted son. Well, not in the legal sense. We came to know Riley in Junior High when he became friends with our youngest son. Riley was at our house often eating with us, for sleepovers. He was in our youth group so we saw him at least twice a week. He lived with us for several weeks after his house burned down. We attended his military graduations. He is part of the Hall family. He has all the rights and privileges a Hall has in our home.

Paul is trying to tell us the same thing when it comes to being a part of God’s family. We have been adopted but nothing we have done gets us in the family. It’s everything Jesus has done for us. See, the Gospel is the good news that Jesus came to earth, died for our sins and rose from the dead. Our belief in that story and faith in Jesus Christ makes us part of the family and makes us right before God.

In the letter to the Galatian churches, Paul is wanting to counter an argument that was leaning toward a “works-based” faith. Paul says there is a fake gospel circulating and the real Gospel is something totally different. So in Galatians 4, Paul teases out the difference between the fake gospel and the real Gospel.

Paul says the fake gospel is all about activity. The real Gospel is about adoption. The fake gospel says that God is only okay with you when you get your act together. The fake gospel is all about do, do, do while the real Gospel is all about what God has done, done, done. See, God did everything needed sending his perfect son, living a perfect life, dying a death we should have, fighting a battle we would have lost in order that we could be adopted and live with him forever. That’s the great, glorious Gospel.

The fake gospel ends at salvation while the real Gospel begins with salvation and continues through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Too many stories end with the salvific moment of accepting Jesus. People tend to believe that’s the end of the journey but truly, it’s only the beginning. When you say “yes” to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is poured into you, he transforms you and allows you to live into the fullness of the Gospel story. Until you understand that concept, you’ll live an empty and unfulfilled life. Then real Gospel is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us throughout our entire life and through him, we can do all things.

The fake gospel constantly works for acceptance while the real Gospel confidently works from inheritance. Paul reminds us that we are no longer slaves but children of God, heirs to the Kingdom. Because you believe in Jesus Christ, you get to live from a declared inheritance. Some 2000 years ago, you got a new name: child of God. You got a new family, a felt security, a new purpose. You received forgiveness, healing and freedom.

The real Gospel is all about adoption and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit allows us to live into our inheritance. Blessings on the journey.