pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: salvation


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A Confessing Faith

Reading: Romans 10:5-9

Romans 10:9 – “Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

As we step into Romans 10 today and tomorrow, Paul begins with Moses and the Law. For Moses and for the Jews, righteousness comes through keeping the Law. Do all these things and you will live. Except no one can keep all of the Law. It is not possible. Therefore, if we cannot keep the Law, then it cannot bring life. The greatest effort to keep the Law still leaves one dead in their sin.

In verses 6 and 7 Paul removes the responsibility for finding or earning eternal life from our hands. In a very roundabout way, Paul reminds us that we don’t need to go to heaven or hell – either figuratively or literally – to find Jesus. No, he writes, “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” Jesus in Spirit is right here with us. We don’t need to go on a search for Jesus. God has already done the work. It’s not about us doing anything. The Spirit of Christ is here, available to us.

Verse 9 confesses faith in the work that has already been done on our behalf. Here we read, “Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Faith in Jesus is the way to salvation. If we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we receive grace, the gift that defeats the power of sin and death. Freed from the power of sin and death, we are able to live as light and love in the world, inviting others to know the source of light and love and grace: Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.

Prayer: Lord God, we first thank you for the gift of salvation received through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We thank you for doing the hard work that defeated the power of sin and death. We thank you for the grace that flows from Christ’s sacrifice, the grace that removes our sin and makes us new again. We ask that you would use us to reveal these things to the world, so that others can come to a confessing faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Amen.


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How Far Will You Go?

Reading: Romans 9:1-5

Romans 9:2 – “I have great sadness and constant pain in my heart.”

The subtitle for this week’s Romans passage is this: “The Tragedy of Israel’s Unbelief.” This subject clearly brings Paul great anguish. In verse 2 we read, “I have great sadness and constant pain in my heart.” I believe that most Christians feel this way about someone. If we thought for a moment, we could each come up with a few names to substitute into that subtitle in the place of the word “Israel.” We can all name family members, good friends, even whole groups of people who are living without Jesus in their heart. For many of those that we name, this causes us great sadness and pain in our hearts.

Paul thinks about all that Israel has going for them: God’s children, the covenants and the Law, the promises, the ancestors. But even with all of this, the Israelites refuse to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as their Savior and Lord. Paul sees the scriptures and the prophets pointing to the arrival and ministry of Jesus. It almost kills Paul that the Jews cannot or will not connect these dots. So much so, in fact, Paul is willing to “be cursed, cut off from Christ.” That is a deep, deep love for seeing others come to Christ.

Returning to that name or names or group of people that came to our heart and mind earlier, I ask: What would you give to see them walking in a relationship with Jesus Christ? What would you be willing to do? Would you, like Paul, be willing to give up your salvation, to live without Christ, to daily live in sin and darkness – to save someone else? If you wouldn’t be willing to go quite this far, how far will you go to see someone else find Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?

Prayer: Lord God, our call and charge is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Empower and equip us, Lord, to carry out this task with our whole heart and soul, with our entire mind and all of our strength. Lead and guide us to be all in for the building of your kingdom here on earth. Amen.


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Lean into God

Reading: Psalm 13:3-6

Psalm 13:6 – “Yes, I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me.”

As we continue in Psalm 13 today, verses 3 and 4 sound much like verses 1 and 2 from yesterday’s reading. The “how long?” questions turn to what might happen if the answer to these questions is “never.” If God doesn’t see David’s plight and if God doesn’t answer David’s pleas and if God doesn’t restore his “sight”... then David will surely “sleep the sleep of death.” And his enemies will rejoice! The unstated question in this scenario is this: Ok, God, what good would come from all of this?!

Our human nature can lead us down this road too. Things aren’t going well at all and there is no hope (no God) in sight… Resignation and/or defeat begins to settle in and these emotions emerge in our prayers. We get here when we are “at the end of our rope” or when we’re as low as we can go. We have tried all that we can think of and we’re still at rock bottom. It is then that we often see God as the only way through or our, as our only way up.

It is then that we too remember the many times that God’s faithful love has lifted us up. It is then that we remember that our salvation is secure. The trials are temporary. It is then that our heart declares as David’s heart declared: “Yes, I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me.” We lean into our God – the God who always loves us, who always provides for us, who always makes a way. Leaning in, we find hope and light. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, it is amazing that you want to be in a relationship with us. We are so fickle, so self-absorbed, so unsteady. But you are just the opposite: unchanging, giving, faithful. Thank you for choosing us, for leading and guiding us. You are an amazing God! Amen.


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Pass Love On

Reading: Psalm 116:1-2 and 12-19

Psalm 116:12 – “What can I give back to the Lord for all the good things he has done for me?”

Psalm 116 begins with a declaration of thanksgiving for God’s mercy. This gift of God is something freely given. It is something we cannot earn or buy. God’s mercy is rooted deeply in God’s love. To receive mercy and the grace and forgiveness that follows simply by asking God for it, this is truly worthy of our praise and thanksgiving!

Jumping to verse 12, we see the natural response to this gift of mercy. This is not something required by God. Instead, it is our natural response to God’s love. The psalmist asks, “What can I give back to the Lord for all the good things he has done for me?” He or she has been moved to respond out of a place of deep gratitude in his or her heart. This response reminds me of the words found in the chorus of the song “Pass It On.” We’re reminded that once we have experienced God’s love ourselves, we want to “spread his love to everyone, we want to pass it on.”

The psalmist lifts up the “cup of salvation” and calls on God’s name. These acts of worship are a means of sharing God’s love with others. The author also commits to keeping the promises he or she made to God. At a minimum, this would be to keep the two great commands to love God and neighbor. Years later Jesus also lifted up these commands as essential to living faithfully in this world. When love becomes the core of who we are and it leads and guides all that we say, do, and think, then our very lives reveal the love of God to the world. Living and loving faithfully, we pass on God’s love to all people.

Prayer: Lord God, your love and mercies never end. They are poured out over our lives again and again. Our hearts are warmed as we receive these abundant gifts. Set us afire, Lord. Make your love blaze in our hearts so that all we encounter can feel and experience your love moving in and through us and out into the world, out into their lives. Amen.


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Made Alive by the Spirit

Reading: 1st Peter 3:18-22

1st Peter 3:18c – “Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit.”

As we turn to the second part of our Epistle reading for this week, Peter focuses first on Christ’s suffering. At the start of verse 18 we are reminded that the “righteous one” suffered on behalf of the unrighteous – all who sin. This includes you and me. In the next part of this verse, we see the “why.” Christ suffered so that we could be in God’s presence. Without the atonement that Jesus paid with his body and blood, we would forever be tarnished by our sin. In such a state we could not be in God’s holy and perfect presence. Having paid the price for our salvation, Jesus made a way for us to be made new again and again, washed clean by his blood, standing for moments holy and perfect in God’s presence.

Jesus was also a first fruit in another way. At the end of verse 18 we read, “Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit.” Christ’s human body died but his spirit was made alive by God’s Spirit. Jesus then ascended into heaven and took his rightful place at God’s right hand. Through the Spirit, Jesus continued and continues to be present. Long ago, Jesus was present to the “spirits in prison” (in hell) – offering forgiveness even there. Today Jesus is present to all who call on him as Lord and Savior. Once we die a type of human death, surrendering self to Jesus, dying to the things of this world, we too are made alive by the Spirit. Made alive in and through Christ, we take our rightful place living as disciples of Jesus Christ. In this role we live out our salvation here on earth, sharing our faith with others, both in word and in deed. As we share our faith, we share our Jesus, the one with the power to save and redeem, to open the way to abundant life now and into forever. Doing so, we help others to be “made alive by the Spirit.” May it be so!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gift of Jesus, he who died our death so that we could be alive in you. There is no better place to be – filled by your presence now so that one day we can dwell eternally in your presence. Equip and empower us to fully live into our call as disciples, sharing the good news, opening eyes and hearts to your love, salvation, and redemption. Amen.


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Rescue and Salvation

Reading: Psalm 66:8-17

Psalm 66:10 and 12 – “But you, God, have tested us – you’ve refined us like silver… we’ve been through fire and water. But you brought us out to freedom!”

When was there a time that God delivered you? Was it through the ending of something – a job, a relationship, a life? Was it through a time of testing, when life was difficult? Was it through an illness or an addiction? Looking back on the experience(s), offer God a few words of praise and thanksgiving.

As we spend time in Psalm 66 today and tomorrow, the psalmist rejoices in God’s rescue. In verses 10 and 12 we read, “But you, God, have tested us – you’ve refined us like silver… we’ve been through fire and water. But you brought us out to freedom!” After 400 years as slaves in Egypt, God rescued the Israelites. These were hard years – oppressed, no freedoms, hard labor. But God brought them out, parted the sea, led them through the water. Then came the time in the wilderness. It was like a testing by fire, refining and refining the people until they were ready to enter the Promised Land. Looking back on God’s work, the psalmist offers praises and burnt offerings.

At the end of today’s reading, the psalmist invites his or her audience to “come close and listen.” There is a story to tell and a God to praise. Returning to your time(s) of deliverance, what story do you have to tell? And who can you or who do you need to invite to come close to hear your story of God’s rescue and salvation?

Prayer: Lord God, the trials, the hardships, the sufferings – they are not easy in the moment. But you are always at work, always leading and guiding us through – even when we cannot see it in the present moment. Lord, help us to share these experiences – not the pain but the rescue, not the valley but the presence. In the sharing, may others come to know your love and salvation. Amen.


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Faithful, Loyal Love

Reading: Psalm 36:5-11

Psalm 36:6 – “Your righteousness is like the strongest mountains; your justice is like the deepest sea.”

Photo credit: Freestocks

As I read the first few verses of today’s passage, I could hear the words of Third Day’s “Your Love Oh Lord” in my mind. Hearing these words reminds me that the Psalms are really songs. They are expressions of an array of emotions: joy and defeat, praise and lament. Expressing one’s emotions opens the doors of communication with God. Today’s reading is an expression of praise for God’s faithful and loyal love.

The psalmist rejoices that God’s faithful love is everywhere. David then celebrates the character of God’s righteousness and justice. They are “like the strongest mountain… like the deepest sea.” There is an unshakable and unending quality to God’s love, justice, and righteousness. This is why they flow like a river into our lives and world. David then proclaims that God’s love is “priceless.” Humankind finds “refuge” in God, and in God we find “the spring of life.” Walking in God’s light and love, we know the way to abundant life here and now. Oh how great is the Father’s love for you and for me!

In verse 11 David asks God to “extend your righteousness” to those whose heart is right with God. When we know God’s faithful love in our hearts, we experience it in our lives. This love dwells in us and flows out of us, into the world. In this way, we are living extensions of God’s loyal love. As we live each day, may we bear God’s faithful and loyal love into the world around us, bringing light and joy, justice and refuge, life and hope. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, may our love be like your love, reaching to the furthest corners of our lives, working down into the deepest darkness of this world. May your justice break forth, being poured out for all people everywhere. In and through your love, may all come to experience the joy of your salvation. Amen.


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You Are My God!

Reading: Psalm 118:1-2 and 19-29

Psalm 118:28 – “You are my God – I will give thanks to you! You are my God – I will lift you up high!”

We turn to Psalm 118 today. It is a psalm about a person who comes to the temple to gives thanks to God for deliverance – even in the face of current distress and trouble. At times we pray this way, thanking God for past deliverance, hoping it comes again during our current trial. The psalm begins and ends with a declaration of praise for God’s goodness and faithful love. Like the psalmist, we too give thanks for these blessings from God.

Turning to verses 19 and 20, we hear a request to enter the temple, to come into God’s presence. For the psalmist, the presence deepens in verse 27, where he or she is invited to come to the altar. Thanks is given in verse 21 for the author’s presence in the temple. Verses 22-27 are thought to be the choir’s response to the psalmist. These verses celebrate God’s rescue and salvation. Verses 22-29 are often connected to Jesus in the New Testament: the cornerstone rejected, the blessedness of the one who comes in the name of God, the one who is present to us.

The gift of being in God’s presence is a gift that we enjoy and celebrate too. This presence is strongest and most assured when we open our hearts and lives to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit guides us to walk in God’s will and way. It brings us to the altar of forgiveness when we fail. It keeps us on the narrow way when the world calls us to the wide way that leads to death. Following the path of God, with this presence within, we find life abundant now and are assured of it in the life to come. Because of these blessings, we can join the psalmist as we too declare, “You are my God – I will give thanks to you! You are my God – I will lift you up high!”

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the open door into your presence. In our times of distress, you are there with us, bringing peace, assurance, guidance. In the times of worship and praise, you are there within us, drawing us closer, refining and teaching us, filling us with joy and love, lifting us high. Thank you for being our God. Amen.


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Some Kind of Love

Reading: Romans 5:6-11

Romans 5:8 – “God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

Turning to the second half of our Romans 5 passage for this week, we are first reminded that “Christ died for ungodly people.” Paul is talking about himself, about me, about you. He reinforces what this means by musing about someone maybe dying for a good person. But for an ungodly one? Certainly not. Yet, “God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” That is some kind of love.

God’s love reached out and continues to reach out to us all of the time. When we’re at our best, God loves us. When we’re at our worst, God loves us. When we’re weak and when we’re strong, God loves us. This love – this steady, unwavering love – is a love that shed the only son’s blood for our sake. Through Jesus’ blood we can be reconciled and saved. Our sins are already covered, our life in eternity already ransomed. Because of God’s actions, we simply are recipients of grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, joy, and salvation. This is some kind of love.

God is the one who initiated, sustains, and continues to offer reconciliation through Jesus Christ. Even when we were and while we are “enemies,” God sought and seeks to reconcile us, restoring our relationship with the Lord our God. We fall short, we sin, we separate. God lifts us up, forgives us, and restores us. This gracious, abundant, generous love – it is some kind of love.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for loving us no matter what. We tend to be far more selective in how, when, and with whom we love. Break this human tendency and create in us a heart like your heart. Through the power of your love at work in our lives, O God, lead us to love all people with your kind of love – gracious, abundant, generous, steady, unwavering. Amen.


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New Life – Now and Then

Reading: John 3:4-17

John 3:5 – “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter the kingdom of God.”

As we continue today in the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, we go deeper. Nicodemus scoffs at being born again: “it’s impossible.” What if Nicodemus understands Jesus’ spiritual reference, but doesn’t think he can actually give up his status and power to follow Jesus? He’s worked so hard to get to his place on top of society. And he’s old – how can he change? How can this devout keeper of the Law become child-like in his faith, guided about here and there by the Holy Spirit, like a child being led by a loving parent?

Jesus offers him this assurance: “Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter the kingdom of God.” Born of water might just be our human birth – “flesh is flesh.” To be born of the Spirit is to be born anew from above. Later the church would link baptism to these words of Jesus. Baptism was symbolic of dying to the old self as one was immersed in the waters, washed clean. Emerging from the waters, the new self received the Holy Spirit into their new, in-Christ heart. While today many of us are baptized as infants, in reality we all come to the point where we must decide to die to self and to the world in order to follow Jesus. For some, this surrender comes as a teen or young adult. For others, like Nicodemus, it comes later in life.

Connecting to Nicodemus’ Jewish roots, Jesus tells him that the Messiah will one day be raised up like Moses raised the golden snake – both in order to save people from death. Connecting to the new life then and now that Jesus offers to all who believe in him, he tells Nicodemus, “God didn’t send his son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” In that moment, Jesus is inviting Nicodemus to accept the salvation that Jesus offers. The offer is always open to us all. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, it can be scary to put our hand in your hand, trusting you to lead and guide as the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. Where you lead, like the wind, we do not know. But we do know that it is away from a love of this world, into a love for you and for neighbor that calls us to surrender our life again and again. As we walk this new life, our hearts become full of love and peace, grace and mercy, joy and forgiveness – full to overflowing. Thank you, God. Amen.