Do You Know What It Cost Jesus To Redeem You?

(NKJV) Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

But now, is a transitional phrase implying that something has changed, something is different, you need to pay close attention to what that something is and how it is different.

The something that is the subject of the but now here is; “the righteousness of God”

Interestingly it is not the righteousness of God that has changed though.  The thing that has changed concerning the righteousness of God is how it is now revealed.  You see at one time there was a particular way in which it was revealed, it was through the Law.

The Law showed us how different God is from man.  It demonstrated His absolute holiness, and it showed us that God is righteous.  The Law revealed the great divide between us and the Father and through it we realized His righteousness was unattainable due to the weakness of our human flesh.  Even the ones most devoted to the Law needed a sacrifice to be made on their behalf on the Day of Atonement.  Even the man God used to give the Law (Moses) had to be covered on the Day of Atonement by means of a sacrifice. 

The sacrifice offered each year on the Day of Atonement and other sacrifices and offerings and special observances throughout the year were the proof that, man in comparison with God as it pertained to righteousness, came up short.  This reality was made possible through the gift of the Moral Law we refer to as the Ten Commandments.  The prophets clearly understood this as is revealed by the Prophet Isaiah.

(NKJV) Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

But here the Scripture clearly says the way in which the righteousness of God is revealed has changed.  Somehow the righteousness of God is being revealed without the Law and it is being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.  What could this mean?

In Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9 we read where Jesus took some witnesses with Him up to a mountain to pray.

(NKJV) Matthew 17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

This is referred to as the Mount of Transfiguration.  On this Mount Jesus was glorified.  This is strangely similar to another man in Scripture went up a mountain with witnesses and while there had a glory experience.

(NKJV) Exodus 24:13 So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.

(NKJV) Exodus 24:15 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.

Why did Moses go up that mountain?  God told him to in order to receive the Covenant of the Law to give to the people.  And when Moses came down he put a veil over his face.  In another place of Scripture we discover something about the ministry Moses received to give to the people and how it was glorious but it is compared to another ministry that has greater glory.

(NKJV) 2Corinthians 3:7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

The issue is about the glory that accompanied the Covenant Moses was given and the Covenant Jesus was given.  There was such a glory on the Covenant that was revealed through Moses that he had to cover his face. 

Like this event where Moses went up the mountain to receive the Covenant and others witnessed the glory from it, Christ is transfigured (meaning His very form changed) His face shone like the sun and His clothes were as white as the light.  Jesus is there regarding the Covenant and how it is to be delivered to the people.  But in the case of Christ there is no fading to His glory.

Keep in mind that the Covenant at Mount Sinai was between God and the people.  It was between the divine and the fallen, the infinite and the finite, the living God and the people dead in their sins and trespasses. 

The Law was dependent upon human effort because man had his end to keep in that Covenant.  Israel declared we will do all that God commands.  But even though they would fail to meet the standard of righteousness revealed, God was using it to reveal His own righteousness nonetheless.  It was the prevailing means of revealing the righteousness of God to man.  But remember our text?

(NKJV) Romans 3:21 “But now the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the Law being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”

What does the mount of transfiguration have to do with this?  To answer that we read further in Matthew.

(NKJV) Matthew 17:3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Moses represents the Law since the Law came through Moses and Elijah represents the Prophets since he was declared to be the one who would precede the coming of the Messiah.

There is a witness of the Law and the Prophets occurring regarding the righteousness of God on this mount and it is signified by a glory that is eternal in nature since this New Covenant would be made by God the 

Father with Himself (Christ the Son).  Fallen man is not made a responsible party in the agreement of this Covenant so God as a man makes it on our behalf.

While Jesus is standing there with the Law and the Prophets (Moses and Elijah) the righteousness of God is revealed in Him and witnessed to by them.  Jesus was and is the very righteousness of God!  But more took place than just the witness by the Law and Prophets, they had something to say to Jesus regarding what would be required of Him.

What did the Law and the Prophets on that Mount speak with Jesus about?

To answer that question we turn to Luke’s account of the Transfiguration in:

(NKJV) Luke 9:30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

This is about what it will cost Jesus to redeem us.  Jesus will establish His New Covenant with blood just as Moses did except, in this New Covenant the blood will be Jesus’ own.  Moses went up the mountain to get the covenant for Israel and it was set in place by the sprinkling of blood, Jesus went up the mountain to get the 

New Covenant and established it with His own blood. The discussion that takes place between Moses, Elijah and Jesus involved a declaration of what will be required to fulfill the righteous demands of the Law and forever satisfy the wrath of God against sin.  It will involve Jesus death on the cross.  He would take our place although He is not deserving of death or punishment seeing He was without sin.

In view of the cross of Christ we give Jesus our sin (Disobedience) and He gives us God’s own righteousness (His obedience.)  It is no ordinary righteousness we have been given in Christ.  It comes at great expense to Jesus and to the Father that this righteousness is even made possible. 

When someone wishes to take some of the credit for righteousness or seeks to establish it on their own as though it is attainable by a great effort on part towards obedience, it diminishes the great length and tremendous price Jesus paid to make our salvation possible.

If the righteousness spoken of could have been purchased at man’s expense, it would not even come close to the majesty and measure of God’s own righteousness.  God’s Holiness as it pertained to the Law of His righteousness could not be satisfied by the weak and beggarly elements of human effort.

How do we know what is involved, how it is received, who is responsible to make it possible, who it is for, and whether or not there are exceptions?

(NKJV) Romans 3:22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

What righteousness is this about?  “Even the righteousness of God.”  

How is it received?  Through faith.”  

Who is responsible to make it possible? “Christ Jesus.”

Who is it for?  To all and on all who believe.”

Is there any exceptions?  “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

God is righteous and He has shared His righteousness with those who believe in Jesus Christ.

So how can we be legally declared righteous before God and never brought before the judge on these charges again?

(NKJV) Romans 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Justified is a legal term.  It is when a judge declares you acquitted of all charges against you. 

It is when He declares, “not guilty.”   We were given a court appointed advocate at no charge to us.

But here is the reality.  We are guilty of violating the Law.  As a result we are counseled to plead guilty in humility before the judge!   So if we are so guilty and we are pleading guilty, how then are we declared not guilty?

Well our advocate takes care of this at His expense.  You see the Advocate we were assigned has favor with the judge because the judge is His Father and our advocate graciously takes our place so we can stand in His favor even though we do not deserve it.  This is what is called mercy (undeserved kindness.)

How did He achieve this?  He paid our death penalty for us.  That is what the word redemption means.  It means to pay the purchase price. 

What was the price?  The price was death through suffering involving the shedding of blood. 

(NKJV) 1Peter 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Our advocate said I will be guilty in their place and I will take their punishment.  “In Christ” we are justified freely by His grace.

Why would He do such a thing?

(NKJV) Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Our salvation came at great cost to Christ.  It is a glorious salvation!  The covenant He has established through His blood is more glorious than any covenant ever made.

Unlike the elder brother in the prodigal son story who never went after the younger brother when he left home and lived recklessly, Jesus our elder brother left the glory of heaven to seek us out and bring us home to the Father.  Our elder brother actually loves us and cares for us!

Unlike the elder brother in that story who was angry over the fact that part of his inheritance was being used to welcome the lost younger son home, Jesus our elder brother gladly makes us joint heirs with Him!

(NLT) Romans 8:16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

What a glorious salvation is ours through faith in Jesus Christ!!  What a glorious reality of life!!  What amazing blessing and benefit belongs to us as a result of His obedience!!

Do you really understand that you are accepted in the Beloved through Christ?  Do you really comprehend the amazing love that is now yours to be realized in Christ?

God’s righteousness has been revealed now through Christ and made available through Christ!

(NKJV) 2Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

What kind of response should this understanding and revelation spark in us?

(NLT) Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The way to love has been opened up before us.  A deposit of righteousness eternally glorious and mighty has been imputed to us in Christ!

We love Him because He first loved us.

The key to genuine spiritual growth is not a greater acquaintance with myself, my contributions, but rather it is realized when I ponder the great gift of God’s Son and through the power and work of the Holy Spirit my heart is awakened to the truth of His love and great sacrifice to redeem us all.

So I close by simply quoting,

(NLT) Romans 8:31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one — for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one — for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’’) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s Way of Provision and Peace

Last Sunday, I spoke from (NKJV) Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

We investigated the development of the New Covenant of Christ and witnessed through Scripture how Moses (The Law) and Elijah (The Prophets) spoke to Jesus on the mount of transfiguration regarding His death which would enforce His New Covenant.  We discovered the righteousness of God without the Law manifested and being witnessed by the Law and the prophets.

We learned that our salvation came at great cost to Jesus and as a result it is most reasonable that we offer our bodies as living sacrifices due to the lavish love, mercy and acceptance made available through Christ. 

So, with the priceless blood of Christ in view and the call to be a living sacrifice, today I want to consider something Jesus stated that is very profound and worthy of our consideration and acceptance.

(NKJV) Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

In this statement Jesus has promised something.   “All these things shall be added to you.”

What are the “all these things” He is referring to?

(NKJV) Matthew 6:31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Jesus has declared how well God cares for the fields and clothes them, how well God cares for the birds and feeds them, thus demonstrating His ability to care for His own.  He is demonstrating that God is able. 

In this same declaration in Luke 12 Jesus compares the lilies of the field to the glory of King Solomon.  A Jewish King who was believed to have been the wisest, wealthiest, best dressed man in Jewish history up to that point.  Jesus says not even Solomon was a well adorned as the fields of lilies.

This comparison Jesus uses demonstrates that man’s best effort to cover himself cannot compare with the clothing that God can supply as is evidenced in nature itself.  What is the promise Jesus made?

He has promised to feed and clothe us.  It is a very profound promise.  But how is it released?

"But seek first the kingdom of God”

I want to take a look at this word “seek” for a moment because some may read this as saying we are to make something happen by some work we do.  But is that the correct way to see the word seek here?

The word seek in the Greek is:  ζητεω zeteo dzay-teh’-o   1) to seek in order to find    1a) to seek a thing    1b) to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into   1c) to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after    2) to seek i.e. require, demand    2a) to crave, demand something from someone

It actually fits right into what I have desired to see as a result of preaching the gospel concerning God’s righteousness.  My desire in saturating you in the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it will stir meditation, consideration, thoughtful reflection and a yearning for what is offered freely through Jesus.  By this occurring eyes are opened in the power of the Holy Ghost and lives are transformed.  The gospel works in us to generate a genuine faith that produces hearts for the kingdom and a people who are diligent to be about His purposes and matured in the faith.

But we began by considering the instruction to seek after something.  So let’s examine more closely what it is specifically that we are to seek.  There are two specific things mentioned. 

First mentioned is the Kingdom of God.  Too often the phrase “the kingdom of God” is ambiguous to us because the concept is so foreign in our modern culture.  So we need to define it.

The word Kingdom here, is the Greek word -  βασιλεια basileia bas-il-i’-ah

1)      royal power, kingship, dominion, rule  

1a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom  

1b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah  

1c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom 

2) a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king 

3) used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah

In essence Jesus is saying we should greatly desire, meditate on, and crave to be under, the rule and authority of Jesus Christ.  We should greatly desire to see Him as the object of all authority to us and we should walk in the royal power and dignity conferred on us in His Kingdom as we seek to become more and more yielded to His rule and reign in our hearts.  Jesus has a right to occupy a place of preeminence in our lives. 

What is preeminence?  It is superiority and authority. 

This is why on the mount of transfiguration when Peter asked to build three monuments one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for Jesus to commemorate the moment, the Father spoke from Heaven in a loud voice and said concerning Jesus, “this is my beloved Son, hear Him!”

If Moses could have spoke up he would have said, Acts 3:22  Moses said, ’The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’

Jesus stated, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto Me, go therefore”

Jesus is more than just a Savior, He is both King and Lord over those who confess to be His, and as such, He has established His Kingdom which is the Kingdom of God in the hearts of those who actually put their faith in Him.  The proof of being a part of His kingdom is our submission to His rule and reign in our lives.

So when Jesus says seek first the Kingdom of God it is a very profound statement.

This leads us to ask: who are we living for in this life?

Do we live to please ourselves and achieve our best life now, or do we live to manifest His rule and reign in our lives?

Are we offering our bodies as living sacrifices as a reasonable act of worship to Him?

If not, perhaps we should ask if we have truly met the majestic and wonderful Savior described in Scripture.

When we come to Jesus something is supernaturally altered in our hearts and our affections are turned towards Him, the Bible teaches us that, “we love Him because He first loved us.” 

Jesus rules the kingdom of God, this rule is established in men and women who by faith have been reconciled to God the Father through Him, and are now being led by the Spirit.  They represent Christ in the earth. 

This evidence of the work and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives guiding them and sanctifying them is the seal of their inheritance in Christ, and it’s the proof of the work of grace that identifies those that are His.  This is what we are to crave to know, to live, to own!

But there was a second thing Jesus said we were to seek.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”

This is where some people can easily get tripped up.  This is where many have launched themselves back under a self imposed best effort to attain righteousness and whether they are willing to admit or not, have miserably failed.  Scripture declares that in our flesh there dwells no good thing. 

The righteousness Jesus speaks of is not, “man produced” righteousness.  It is God’s own righteousness.

Romans 3 reveals how man has failed to attain to such a high standard of righteousness.  Last Sunday we heard how that even the most righteous men we know in history apart from Jesus Christ had to have sacrifices offered for their sin due to their unrighteousness.

God has declared that His righteousness can only be achieved through what Jesus has made possible as a result of His perfect obedience and sacrificial death on the cross for us.  There is nothing to add to it.

Therefore, if someone rejects the solution provided in Christ alone they are refusing to be submitted to the rule of God’s kingdom and they are rejecting the offer of His own righteousness through Christ by faith. 

God, under the installment of the New Covenant, has established the manner by which men are to be justified, sanctified, and glorified.  He has determined how men are to be brought under the rule of Christ and declared accepted by God having their right standing with Him maintained through faith in Christ. 

This offer from God can be rejected by sincere, zealous, but ignorant men who seek to establish righteousness through their own efforts and according to what they declare is the way.  This is very clear in the Bible. 

(NKJV) Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Notice, they did not submit to the righteousness of God because they sought to establish their own righteousness. 

How were they doing this?  They did it by observing the Law in order to achieve righteousness.

What does it say Christ is the end of?  He is the end of the Law for righteousness.

Who does this apply to?  It applies to those who believe.

This serves as an instruction for anyone whether Jew or Gentile who would seek to establish righteousness through placing their trust in the Law for receiving righteousness, or maintaining it.  The principle conveyed here in this body of truth still applies today. 

I can just imagine Paul remembering how his own zeal for God and for the Law led him to persecute the church even putting to death those who had embraced the New Covenant of Christ because in his zeal he was thinking they were against God.  Paul boasted in his devotion to the Law and his deep discipline as a Hebrew before he met Christ.  But after he met Christ all this perception changed, his eyes were opened to the truth of Christ and the reality of grace.  After coming to Christ he made his boast in the cross of Christ and attributed his righteous living to a living by faith in the Son of God who gave Himself for him.  This bold message of grace caused problems for Paul, and led to Jews seeking his death due to claims that he was breaking the Law and profaning their synagogues.

Although Paul preached grace made possible through Christ he lived the reality of the kingdom he was not devoid of self control and discipline.  He lived by the Spirit and thus manifested obedience to Christ in how he lived. 

This is what James was getting at when he stated works without faith is dead and so also faith without works is dead.  James was not trying to get people focused on works for works sake.  He is trying to demonstrate that genuine faith produces good fruit.  No fruit no faith, but in James’ argument is the idea that a self imposed fruit can just as much be without faith as the man with no fruit.   He is not promoting self imposed works and a greater effort, he is promoting a true faith.  Faith will always have an object or a source to it.  In this case it applies to the righteousness of God that we are told to seek after first.

So how do we seek after and attain God’s own righteousness?

(NLT) Galatians 3:15 Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. 16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,’’ as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child’’ — and that, of course, means Christ. 17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise. 19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.  20 Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. 21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

This righteousness of God spoken about by Jesus can only be realized through faith in Christ.  Jesus is the child spoken of regarding the promise given to Abraham even before there was a Law in existence.  The ongoing realization of the promise of life and our experience of it continues to be by faith in Jesus. 

Why?  It is how God established it to be and if I truly want to be under the rule of His kingdom I must do so according to the way He has declared I should.  Genuine faith is how the very life of Christ is received by us.

The way of the Holy Spirit indwelling us is opened to us by this means of faith.  The letter to the Galatians is really about how the work of the Spirit is released in the lives of believers so they can bare the fruit of the Spirit against which there is no Law.

(NLT) Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who by faith come to Christ are filled with the Spirit, and as a result of this life change they no longer live for themselves but rather bare the fruit of the Spirit.  They will, by their actions and way of life, prove that the Law has been written on their hearts.  They will in essence be keeping the Law.

How can we be assured of this?

(NLT) Galatians 5:14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.’’ 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Tim Keller in his Book the Prodigal God makes this astute observation: 

“(Faith in the gospel restructures our motivations, our self-understanding, our identity, and our view of the world.  Behavioral compliance with rules without heart change will be superficial and fleeting.  The gospel is therefore not just the ABC’s of the Christian life, but the A to Z of the Christian life.   Our problems arise largely because we don’t continually return to the gospel to work it in and live it out.  That is why Martin Luther wrote, “The truth of the gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine……Most necessary is it to know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.”  Tim Keller goes on to say, “Wait,” I have heard people object.  “You mean that in order to grow in Christ, you keep telling yourself how graciously loved and accepted you are?  That doesn’t seem to be the best way to make progress.  Maybe the motivation of religion was negative, but at least it was effective!  You knew you had to obey God because if you didn’t, He wouldn’t answer your prayers or take you to heaven.  But if you remove this fear and talk so much about free grace and unmerited acceptance—what incentive will have to live a good life?  It seems this gospel way of living won’t produce people who are as faithful and diligent to obey God’s will without question.”  But if when you have lost all fear of punishment you also have lost incentive to live an obedient life, then what was your motivation in the first place?  It could have only been fear.  What other incentive is there?  Awed, grateful, love.)”

Most objections to the gospel of grace being the primary body of truth used to equip the saints is rooted in a fear that people will disobey God because of the freedom it declares.  But freedom simply reveals the truth.  If knowing about freedom in Christ yields the fruit of disobedience in a person it isn’t that the gospel is evil, or that the message needs to change.  It simply reveals that the person rebelling has a messed up heart and has not clearly seen the truth as they ought.  There are multitudes of people who have discovered this gospel of grace, been set free in their hearts through faith, and who live in obedience to the kingdom of Christ!

If the church is to recapture the apostolic sending mandate by which it is meant to salt the earth she must return to the call of genuine disciple making in the gospel.  We must recapture the truth that our lives are not our own because we now belong to Christ and thus we are to be about His kingdom business in this earth. 

The equipping ministries listed in Ephesians 4 are given to the church in order to equip her to do the work of the ministry. 

What ministry?  The ministry of reconciliation made possible through Christ! 

We are called as a local church to pastor this city by being a light for the gospel of Jesus Christ in it.  We are called to make disciples for Jesus Christ right here in Knoxville TN.

Based on the promise Jesus made regarding our seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness we can rest assured that the time and the resources needed to do this are available to us.

We just need to rise up in faith and embrace His promise to care for our needs as we are seeking His kingdom and His righteousness first, according to the way He has prescribed it should be done.

God’s own righteousness in us is settled in Jesus, we are reconciled to God through faith in Christ, we remain reconciled to God through faith in Christ, we are perfected in our faith by the work of the promised Holy Spirit, and we are made fruitful as we continue to walk in faith receiving the work of the Spirit in our life.

This tells me that we can make disciples for Jesus Christ because His ministry of reconciliation has now become ours as we walk in submission to Him in His kingdom and live out the reality of His righteousness in us.

Do not be fooled into seeking your own kingdom and your own righteousness.  If you do you must become your own source for all these things and last I checked you do not possess all authority in heaven and on earth.

Live out what you have been given in Christ by faith, and you will discover you are living as He would in this earth.  You too can be about the Father’s business.

Have you been worried about the way things are going in our economy?

Are you killing yourself to make ends meet?

Have been convinced you do not have the time to be doing what you have been called to do as His disciple?

Are you consumed with many troubles as a result of being your own source of provision for all these things?

God’s resources never run out, his kingdom is not experiencing a deficit, he has not been overspending, His power is unlimited, and His love for us knows no end. 

He has promised all the resources of heaven to meet our needs when we seek His kingdom first and His righteousness.

The call of the gospel is to get this right God’s way! 

(NKJV) Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

It is time to stop seeing things from a natural perspective and start seeing through the eyes of the Spirit.

Seek the kingdom and His righteousness! 

Let the King of glory come in!