READY OR NOT..JESUS COMING

SCRIPTURES EXPLAINING THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE EARTH!

New Testament scriptures only..

Matthew 16:27   For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 23:39    For I tell you, you wil not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'

Matthew 24:27   For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  

Matthew 24:30  "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 

Matthew 24: 36-39  No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.   As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.   For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;  and they knew nothng about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:42  "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."

Mathew 26:64  "Yes it is as you say,"  Jesus replied.  "But I say to all of you:  In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Mark 8:36-38    What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with holy angels.

Mark 13:26-27   At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

Mark 13:35-37   Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back - whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'

Mark 14:61-62    Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Might One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Luke 9:26-27   If anyone I fanyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

Luke 17:28-30    "It was the same in the days of Lot.  People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.  But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.  "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

Luke 18:8    I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Luke 21:25-28  "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.  On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.  Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.   At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, becasue your redemption is drawing near."

John 14:1-4       "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God ; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going."

Acts 1:11  "Men of Galilee," they said. "why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Acts 3:19-21    Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus.   He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

1 Corinthians 1:7    Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

1 Corinthians 4:5    Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes.   He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.  At that time each will receive his praise from God.

1 Corinthians 11:26    For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

1 Corinthians  15:23-24  But each in his own turn:  Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.  Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

Philippians 1:10   so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 3:20    But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Colossians 3:4    When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

1 Thessalonians  1:9   for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us.  They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven,   whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

1 Thessalonians 2:19   For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?  Is it not you?  Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 3:13   May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:4    According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of god, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words.  Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should suprise you like a thief.

1 Thessalonians 5:23   May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:7    and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.  This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

2 Thessalonians  2:1    Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.

2 Thessalonians 2:8    And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destory by the splendor of his coming.

1 Timothy 6:13-16    I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time - God the blessed and only Ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and might forever.  Amen

2 Timothy 4:1-2     In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction.

2 Timothy 4:8    Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Titus 2:12    It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Hebrews 9:28    so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 10:25    Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Hebrews 3:7    For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.

James 5:7-9    Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.  Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.  The Judge is standing at the door!

1 Peter 1:3-5     Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and ito an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvataion that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:13    Therefore, prepare your minds for action;  be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 2:12    Live such good lives among the pagans that though they acuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

1 Peter 4:13     But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

1 Peter 5:4     And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

2 Peter 1:16  We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

2 Peter 3:3    First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, "Where is the 'coming' he promised?

2 Peter 3:8-10     But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is ike a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,  as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to peris, but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.   The heavens will disappear with a roar;  The elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

1 John 2:28    And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

1 John 3:2    Dear friends, now we are like children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.   Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Jude 1:14    Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

Jude 1:21  Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Revelation 1:4    To the seven churches in the province of Asia:  Grace and peace to you from who is, and who was, and who is to come,

Revelation 1:7     Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.  So shall it be! Amen.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelation 3:11    I am coming soon.   Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.  Never again will he leave it. 

Revelation 16:15    "Behold, I come like a thief!  Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."

Revelation 22:12  Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Revelation 22:20-21  He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."  Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people.  Amen.

Katharine of Aragon

Good Queen Katharine

Faith.  That word holds different meanings for different people.  In a religious context it means believing without seeing.  That is what has built and strengthened the foundation of Christianity from that moment when doubt seized St. Thomas.  The belief that there are three persons in one God; and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and died for the sins of humankind.  For Catholic Christians there are perhaps even more challenges for it’s members in understanding faith and practicing it:  the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, the forgiveness of sins through the Rite of Reconciliation and the many examples of true faith from all the saints through the ages – although a dim reflection of the one who had perfect faith:  Mary.

Over 500 years ago a Spanish Princess become Queen – beloved by the people of her adopted English homeland, and dying in the arms of the friend who had accompanied her to their new world when they were girls.  Yet she died abandoned by her husband of nearly 25 years, cast out from the royal life she was born to, separated from her daughter, so poor she had to be provided with food by the people in the village who loved her and , at last, dying in conditions less than hospitable or decent.  Such was the end for Katharine of Aragon, Queen of England – wife of King Henry VIII and the central figure of the English Reformation.

She was abandoned by her husband, by her nephew, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and by the Roman Catholic Church.  And yet, she never waivered in her faith.  Katharine of Aragon lived the model Christian life; one of piety and devotion to her faith.  Why then, has she never been considered a holy person worthy of recognition by the Roman Catholic Church.  If not recognition by including her on the List of English Martyrs or sainthood, then some special recognition acknowledging her faith and sacrifice as a devoted daughter of the Church and true Servant of God?

I have written a paper that poses this question and gives proof why I think a movement on her behalf is justified.  As with any “cause” there must be a grassroots movement of like-minded people to promote the cause.  As we all know, the Church, although the gift of Christ to his followers, is, at the same time, a bureaucratic institution with rules and regulations in its various branches.  Therefore, protocol and form must be followed to promote a cause for any individual.

If any of the above strikes a cord, please read the paper.  If you agree with its offerings and wish to place your name on a list that will become the basis for the grassroots movement to promote Katharine of Aragon’s cause, please do so. Before you begin, and if you wish, here is a prayer to Katharine of Aragon that encapsulates the essence of her life as a holy person of faith.

Good Queen Katharine, ever steadfast in your faith to your marriage and to Christ’s Church; bravely enduring unkindness and betrayal, yet never betraying your faith by succumbing to the false promises made by those who abandoned you.  Teach us the way of your faith. Grant us the grace to follow the example of your faith, courage, piety, kindness and compassion. Pray for Us.

The Way, The Truth, & The Life

"Then Moses said to God, 'If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you', and they ask me, 'What is his name?', what shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'. And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'.'" (Exodus 3.13-14).

When Moses stood before the burning bush on Mount Horeb centuries ago he asked for the name of God. He did this because, in Hebrew nomenclature, a name revealed something about a person. For example the Hebrew name for Moses was "Mosheh" which came from "mashah" meaning "drawn out" and it was applied to Moses because Pharaoh's daughter drew him out of the bulrushes in the Nile river. The Hebrews knew of the covenant which God had made with Abraham and which had been renewed in Isaac and Jacob, but apart from the existence of the one true God and his favour upon the nation of Israel, they knew no more. After four centuries in Egypt which had seen them brought into dreadful slavery, the Hebrews assuredly wished to know more about their God. For this reason God answered Moses "I AM" so that the Jews would know who God is. The name used throughout the Old Testament for God is YAHWEH from the Hebrew "ehyeh" meaning "I AM".

Now what does "I AM" indicate? Much, to say the least. There is so much revealed in this expression. It indicates that God is unbounded in any way. He is not in any way confined by time. I AM he declares. He neither was in the past nor will be in the future. I AM, he declares. I AM the God of Abraham, he said to Moses. He transcends time and is unaffected by it.

"I AM", God declares. He is not bound by space. The expression denotes omnipresence. He is not limited by anything. There is a sense of eternal completeness in the expression. There is no hint of any 1imitation of power, knowledge or understanding. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. The completeness of the expression beautifully illustrates this. God is.

In his Dictionary of the Bible, Davis describes the expression as indicating "He who in the absolute sense exists and who manifests his existence and his character." "I" indicates absolute personality, "AM" a perfect and absolute existence. The further content and purpose of the expression is further seen in comparison to two other names given by God. "Elohim" is the description of God in his position as the creator, upholder and moral governor of the universe. "E1 Shadday", God Almighty, is the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of promise in whom one could hope. But "I AM" reveals God as personally interested in the affairs of his people, revealing the manner and character of his nature. As we turn now to Jesus we will consider his statements in this light, as compared to God who declares and speaks of himself: I AM.

The Gospel of John.

1. Jesus declares absolutely, I AM.

In the Gospel of John there are three ways in which Jesus uses the expression "I AM" with regard to himself. In a few cases, Jesus declares himself absolutely by this expression In other instances he elaborates on a particular content of his deity and work through a statement introduced by the expression and he thirdly veils the expression in the present tense of a sentence where the expression in context nevertheless again declares his deity. We deal firstly with his absolute declarations as recorded in the Gospel of John. 

(i). "Jesus says to her, I AM, the one speaking to you." (John 4.26).

This is a direct translation of Jesus' answer to the woman of Samaria who half-questioned Jesus in speaking of the Messiah who was to reveal all things. It is conventionally translated "I who speak to you am he" but we find a direct declaration I AM in the original Greek, the language in which John wrote his Gospel. The words are "ego eimi". The woman had said that the Messiah, who was called Christ, was coming. By this she meant the one who was promised, the Deliverer, the Saviour of the world, the anointed one of God, declared in the prophets to be the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9.6). Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, in essence, "The One who is even now speaking to you, that I AM".

It must be noted that this is the first occasion in the Gospel that this declaration is made. It is a beautful climax to the narrative which thusfar builds up to it. he Gospel introduces Jesus Christ immediately as the "Word of God", the "Light", the "only Son from the Father". John the Baptist described him as "One whom you do not know" (1.26) and the "Lamb of God" (1.29,36). He declares him to be the Son of God (1.34). Then Andrew describes him is the "Messiah" (1.41), Philip as "Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote" (1.45). Then Nathanel describes him as the "Son of God, the King of Israel" (1.49) and so the glorious descriptions increase. Jesus, however, nowhere describes himself as anything but the "Son of man" (1.51, 3.13,14) until this great declaration where he himself finally declares just who he is and in so doing exceeds all the titles given in claiming deity. "Jesus says to her, I AM". The woman knew the Messiah was coming, he who would be the greatest man who would ever live. Jesus answers her "I AM". Need she ask further? 
(ii). "I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins " (John 8.24).

This is again a literal translation of the Greek to bring out the full import of what Christ said. Again we find the declaration, EGO EIMI, meaning, I AM. Again we find Jesus Christ absolutely claiming deity and declaring it in the course of a discussion with the Jews about his relationship to their God whom he called his Father. The whole discourse with them wondrously contains the very manifestation of the deity of Christ as linked to the Father as opposed to the fleshly, devil-linked nature of fallen man. He began the discourse "I AM the light of the world" (8.12). This use of the divine name to begin his discourse is an example of the second way in which Jesus declares himself as mentioned above, that is, in reference to a particular quality of his nature or work. We will return to this verse.

Jesus concludes the discussion with the very words he began with: "Before Abraham was, I AM" (8.58). He began with a declaration of deity and so concludes his discussion. In between we have the statement which we are now examining and a further declaration in verse 28. How beautifully the use four times of the divine name clearly distinguishes the nature of the Son of man as one in the Godhead with his Father in contradistinction to the nature of his hearers whose very wills were directed to the nature of their father, the devil. Let us now consider this particular declaration. "You will die in your sins unless you believe that I AM", Jesus declares. In this very declaration of deity he tells them what it is they need to believe. He is not saying that they must believe that he is the Messiah, or that he is the saviour or a prophet; in no way is mental assent to these characteristics sufficient. It must go further than that. "Unless you believe that I AM", Jesus declares. He is saying in essence just this: God made man in his own image. All men have sinned and so have brought condemnation upon themselves, including you, my hearers. I have life in myself, it is I alone who can restore that lost relationship, it is I alone who can restore that life. Unless you therefore receive the life I have by believing on me, in me, through me, indeed partaking of myself as a branch does of its vine, you will remain in your fallen state and will die in it. Everything you hope to receive from God is vested in me. It is I alone who can bring you to the one whom you call your God for as He is, so I am. This is in fact what Jesus is saying.

John 3.36 also illustrates further what Jesus is saying: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him." The contradistinction between Jesus and his hearers was very real, eternally so, but he came for the express purpose of removing it and gaining access to God for men. Hence his warning to them: "You will die in your sins unless you believe that I AM". His warning holds good for all men in all ages
(iv). "Before Abraham was, I AM". (John 8.58).

A closer translation of the above would be "Before Abraham ever came into existence, I AM". This brings a distinction between the eternal existence of Jesus Christ and the creation of the man Abraham. The Greek word is "genesthai", meaning "to become". The translation I have used, however, succintly brings out the depth of his statement. "Abraham was" - he was bound by time. At one time he never existed Then he came into existence and was bound by time in turn. Jesus says in effect, I am not bound by time. what does he say? Before Abraham was, I have been? No, he does not. The statement is quite out tune of with English grammar but we are dealing with Divine grammar! After the aorist infinitive clause "Before Abraham was", properly the perfect clause and tense should follow but does not. Jesus says BEFORE Abraham, I AM. He uses the present tense because he is eternal and always exists in the present as God does! He does not merely claim to have existed before Abraham, he claims to be eternally existent.

Not only does he claim to be eternally existent, he leaves his hearers in no doubt as to who he was claiming to be. They immediately took up stones to stone him for they considered that this was blasphemy. By doing this they showed that they had not failed to grasp the import of Jesus' claim. Have you grasped it?

Through the seed of Abraham God had given a great promise of life. Through his seed came Joseph who saved the other tribe leaders from death through famine, but he was not the Promised One. Moses delivered the whole nation out of bondage and slavery but it was not him either. Joshua led the Israelites victoriously into Canaan and they possessed the land but they were all now dead, as were the people of the time of Joseph and Moses. Despite their great works, none of these was the Saviour. How would he ever be distinguished or recognised?

"Before Abraham was, I AM". Here I am, Jesus declares, yet another of the seed of Abraham, except that I was before him, I exist eternally, and it was I in fact who gave him the promise. I AM. The Jews were told in the very clearest terms that their Deliverer was with them. How could they know him? "I AM", Jesus declares. All other men come from the dust. This man is from God. Could the Deliverer, the Life-Giver ever be greater than this One in their very midst? "We are descendants of Abraham" the Jews said (v.33) but they had to admit that Abraham was dead (v.53). They considered that they were secure because they were physically descended from him, but he was dead. It was one of his descendants who would bring them life, this was the promise of God. It was to this descendant that they should come and seek kinship. He was standing there with them, and they knew him not. Of all the opportunities men have ever missed in all ages, this was assuredly the greatest.

Over against Abraham's short span of life inseparably linked to passing time, Jesus declares his timeless present. Not only has he existed all through time, his existence in fact transcends time! In this statement "Before Abraham was, I AM", we obtain a beautiful illustration of the substance and essence of God's word to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM". 

jesus son of god

BELIVE ME..I'M THE WAY..THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.

NO ONE WILL GO TO THE FATHER EXCEPT TROUGH ME...

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

The Lectionary Texts

The lectionary texts for the day were as follows—I’ve quoted the verses that were most important for the sermon. The congregation read the psalm as a responsive reading.

Genesis 6:9-22

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
—Genesis 6:22, NIV

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
     an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
     and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
     and the mountains quake with their surging
—Psalm 46:1-3, NIV

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31

     For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
     This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
—Romans 1:17, 3:22-24, NIV

Matthew 7:21-29

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
—Matthew 7:21-23, NIV

The Sermon Notes

I preached the scriptures in this order: Romans, Genesis, Matthew, Psalm, and then I went back to Matthew for the conclusion.

Romans

To understand what Paul is saying to the Romans, we have to keep in mind that Paul identifies himself as a Jew and a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5). Paul’s argumentation is that obeying the Law of Moses does not save anyone. This is an astute observation, because there is no promise of eternal salvation in the Law; all of the benefits and penalties in the Law are this-worldly—it is actually an abuse of the Law to try to be saved by it. The purpose of the Law of Moses is not to save the Jews, but to make the Jews holy, as witnesses to the gentiles of the One True God.

Paul does not argue that we are saved by thinking pious thoughts, which is evident because he quotes, “The righteous shall live by faith,” not “the righteous shall think by faith.” Paul’s faith has hands and feet, for he says in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works [of obedience to the Law of Moses], so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Without God’s grace, our faith would avail us nothing. We cannot force God to save us. Some people maintain that you can be saved by saying the words, “Jesus is Lord.” All the demons in the New Testament acknowledged Jesus as the Holy One of Israel, but Jesus did not pronounce any of them Christian demons. Some people maintain that we can be saved by saying, “Lord Jesus come into my heart,” but that formula is not scriptural. Scripture tells us instead that we must confess, repent, and be baptized. There are no magical incantations, no magic words, no pious thoughts that can compel God to save us. Ultimately, we can only be saved because God is predisposed to save us, and that is what we call God’s grace.

Paul says that God is gracious, so that if we trust Him, He saves us, and this motivates us to live a life of good works, which is what God designed us for. We can generalize this to say that works do not cause salvation, but faith causes works of obedience.

If you trust someone, you take his advice. If you say you trust someone, but you never take his advice, you don’t really trust him, you are just humoring him. So do we have faith in Jesus Christ, or are we just humoring Him? If we trust Him, we will obey His commandments; if our entire spiritual life consists of sitting in an armchair and thinking religious thoughts while we read the Bible, we are humoring Him. Surely God is neither mocked nor fooled into thinking that in humoring Him, we are trusting Him.

Genesis

Later in Romans, Paul gives an example of living by faith that falls outside this Sunday’s lection: Abraham. Paul’s description of Abraham’s faith consists of an account about how Abraham obeyed God by relocating to a distant land with a wife who appeared to be barren. Today, however, the lectionary gives us the story about Noah as an illustration of living by faith. Noah trusted God and therefore took His advice, and as a result, Noah and the others with him were saved from the flood. If he had said, “Yes, I believe God, but I don’t have to actually build a boat to be saved, because that would be salvation by works,” he and the others would have drowned.

Noah built the ark, because as we are taught in the doctrine of the Incarnation, our bodies are as much a part of us as our spirits are. No one says, “Why did you punch that stomach? I was using it.” Instead we say, “Why did you punch me in the stomach?” Our intuitive speech is more insightful than our cogitations. Instinctively we know that our identity is not complete without our bodies, and that means that our faith is not complete without our obedience. Noah shows us that there are two parts to faith: we should have faith with our minds by believing, and faith with our bodies by obeying.

Matthew

Jesus teaches us that in the end, what counts is not religious professions (“Lord, Lord”) and not public religious observances (prophesying, casting out demons, doing great works in His name—perhaps we can add church attendance), but what we have become. On television, you see a person who acts like a doctor, but when you get sick, you see a person who is a doctor. Occasionally we see a commercial on television in which an actor, dressed in a white lab coat, says, “I am not a doctor, but I play one on television.” What kind of spot are we in when we say by our comportment, “I am not a Christian, but I play one in church”?

Jesus makes it clear that if I say, “Jesus is Lord,” and I preach a sermon every week, and show up for all church activities, I am acting the role of a Christian. That’s not enough. I have to actually be a Christian.

Psalm

One good place to for us to start becoming Christians is to obey Jesus’ commandment not to be afraid. If we truly trust Jesus, we take His advice; if He tells us not to be afraid, how can we fear anything? The worst anyone can do to me is kill me, but if I trust that Jesus has a remedy for that, why should I be afraid? Of course I would be apprehensive, because I’ve never died before, but I should not be terrified. As the psalmist says, “Therefore I shall not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake”—and even if the government puts us on ultraviolet alert. Jesus said not to be afraid, therefore I will not be afraid. Whether I am afraid or not, the same things will happen to me anyway; my fear changes nothing. If I am not afraid then at least I will have a clear head in the crisis. So Jesus’ commandment is very wise. I will strive not to be afraid. If someone tries to scare me, they are trying to manipulate me, and if I succumb, I disobey my Lord. Therefore I will not be afraid. This is how I can start going beyond acting like a Christian to actually being a Christian.

Matthew Again

There are people who talk like Christians, they say, “The Lord willing, I will wash the dishes,” and “Praise the Lord! Gravity works downwards!” People like that can really get on your nerves, can’t they? And there are other people who play the role of a Christian, because they attend all the activities of their church and serve on various boards and committees. Many of them impress us as phonies, don’t they? That is why Jesus told us that we have to go beyond talking the talk and walking the walk to actually being a Christian deep inside.

So talk the talk and walk the walk, but beneath it all, be a Christian, in your body as well as your spirit. You cannot truly be a Christian when you act out of self-interest, whether that self-interest is to enter into heaven, to escape from hell, or to join an elite and favored group. You are truly a Christian when you have fallen in love with Jesus, and your innermost urge, your deepest desire, and your greatest joy is to please Him, and it surges out of your spirit and through your body to all the world around you. Let your mind think the thoughts that Jesus thinks and let your ears hear the cries of the needy as He would hear them—but don’t neglect to let your feet carry you wherever He leads you and to let your arms embrace the ones whom He loves. It doesn’t take much effort to love the lovely does it? Even worldly people can do that, so do as Jesus commands and love the unlovely—the lonely, the outcast, the unpopular, and the sinful. Love them with that perfect love of God that lifts sinners into sainthood and saints into glory. If we truly believe that we have a rich inheritance coming to us, we can afford to be generous without limits to all who are in need—whether they need food and clothing or someone to accept and respect them. We don’t need to worry if they are worthy, and we don’t need to worry if there will be enough left over for us. If you believe you have an infinite inheritance, you cannot possibly give too much of it away.

Let us live by faith—that is, by trusting Jesus—so that on that last day, when the house lights of the universe are turned up, and everything is out in the open to see, we are revealed—not as people who thought pious thoughts, or played the role of a Christian on television—but as people who have been transformed from the innermost parts of our souls to the outermost tips of our fingers by our faith and by our obedience into the very likeness and glory of Christ.

Have you asked Jesus into your heart? Congratulations, that is the beginning of your salvation, not its perfection. Ask Him into your hands and feet as well.

If you would be righteous—if you would be saved—live by faith