The letter to the Romans
remains clearly in our sights as
we consider our sermon study
for this week. Last Sabbath we
concluded our study with
Romans 1:17 as we read the
wonderful statement by the
apostle Paul that he was“not
ashamed of the Gospel because
it is the power of God that brings salvation”.
We were reminded that this Gospel represents
the best ‘good news’ ever.
Because Jesus was crucified and triumphed over
sin and death, this ‘good news’ is our assurance
that He has the power and authority to save all who
believe in Him. This salvation that Jesus offers is
both our present hope and our future anticipation
when Jesus comes to take His people home.
While sin leads to death and the need to be saved,
salvation is the divine act of delivering believers
from the curse, and power, of sin and then restoring
them to fellowship with God. Experiencing this
fellowship with God is realizing the type of
relationship between the Creator and His creation
that was intended in God’s initial Creation Plan.
God is loving, God is kind and God is fair, yet many
people continue to live their lives as if there is no
need to be involved with this God who had made a
‘plan of salvation’ even before He created us. God
has given to us, as humans, the gift to actually be
able to choose to be in relationship with Him, or to
walk our own path under the influence of the ‘great
deceiver’.
Unfortunately, this deceiver continues to inspire
mankind with his temptations that seem exciting
and represent temporary pleasure. He also works
to confuse mankind with his lies & misrepresentations
of God’s original plan. He is the one that is
the embodiment of all that is sinful as he continues
to live in his cosmic rebellion of God.
There is coming a day when the choices that
people have made, as well as the consequences of
those choices, will come ‘front and center’ as God
leads out in an evaluation to determine which ‘side’
has our allegiance. While every sinful action
represents a symptom of the disease of heartrebellion,
the Creator God provides a
reconciliation of the human to the Divine
for all who choose to surrender to Him.
It is my prayer that each of us will carefully
consider the two choices available to us,
and then that we will choose wisely.
Warmly,
Pastor Phil, Interim Pastor
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