When God Says 'No' - Then What?

Our text for today’s message comes from Luke’s gospel: “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent. ’For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8

 

The context of this passage takes us to the preceding chapter 17 which describes the lengthy and severe persecutions Christians will face in the last days. Both Matthew and Mark – as well as many of the New Testament writers -- speak the same warning. We won’t take time to turn there now, but you can read the 10^th and the 24^th chapters of Matthew, the 13^th chapter of Mark, and the 21^st chapter of Luke on your own to review what Scripture tells us what to expect in those days in particular – and as a faithful follower of Christ in general. As Paul warned Timothy: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

 

The bloody persecutions that have overtaken Christians in the past, and the persecutions that will overtake Christians in the future have caused and WILL cause many to fall away from the faith they’d once professed. And it’s little wonder that the Lord asked a rhetorical but troubling question of us – “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

 

John Calvin interpreted the Lord’s question as a warning that genuine faith will become increasingly scarce as prolonged suffering and injustice cause many Christians to lose confidence in God’s providence, power, and supremacy over nations and circumstances. He said, “There will be almost none to look for him.” Based also on this passage in Luke’s gospel and warnings throughout the New Testament, 19^th century evangelical theologians – Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown – also agreed that the hope of Christ’s return will nearly disappear among Christians because of the lengthy and bloody persecutions.

 

As I meditated on these points, God’s word to Jeremiah during the days just before the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem came to mind: “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you match yourself with horses? And if you thought yourself safe in a peaceable land, what will you do in the swelling of Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5

 

The historical context of this Jeremiah passage is different from the context of today’s message, but the principle remains the same: If we cannot hold faith during times of relative peace when God says ‘No’ to our prayers, what do we think we will do in times of prolonged distress when we face persecutions and God seems so silent to our prayers?

 

That’s why it MATTERS that we grow in our faith toward God NOW, while things are relatively peaceful, and when God says ‘no’, even when we do not understand His delay, and when we don’t understand what He is doing with us and around us – politically, economically, or socially.

 

So, having said all this, let’s focus on today’s primary question – when God says, ‘no’ – what then? How often have you asked the Lord to do something and He didn’t do it? You asked for healing for yourself or someone else? You prayed to save a marriage, or for Him to get that job either for yourself or someone else. Or any of a dozen other prayers important to you – and God didn’t do as you asked?

 

How often have you asked God for something and He flat-out said ‘No’? Like when He told Moses flat-out that he could not enter the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 3). Or when He told the great apostle Paul that He would not heal his distressing ‘thorn’ – whatever that thorn was. (2 Corinthians 12). Or when He would not do what His only begotten Son asked three times in the Garden of Gethsemane for Him to do. (Luke 22)

 

There’s not a Christian who’s ever lived who hasn’t had that sad experience when God says, “No” to some prayers. And that segues into the reason for this message today, because I know from personal experience that Satan will use those times to try to convince us of one of several lies: Either God doesn’t care, or God doesn’t hear you, or you don’t have enough faith to get prayers answered, or that you’re not really a child of God.

 

I remind us of Jesus in the wilderness, very tired and very hungry. It was then, at His lowest emotional point, that Satan lied to him. It was then, at the Lord’s lowest point, when the devil tried to get Him to question His relationship with His Father: “If you are the Son of God”—do this, or, “If you are the Son of God” do that.

 

Remember – Jesus was as human as you and I, and therefore just as susceptible to temptations as we are. The only difference between Jesus and the rest of humanity is that He never succumbed to temptation of any kind. He remained completely sinless – unlike the rest of us.

 

Of course, Satan knew perfectly well who Jesus was. He knew that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (John 1:1-3)

 

Satan knew, “For by [the Father] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through [Christ] and for [Christ].” Colossians 1:16

 

The devil knew all things were created through Christ – including himself and his fallen angels. And don’t overlook this: Satan knows perfectly well who YOU are in Christ, that you are a son or a daughter of God. But as Satan tried to do with the Lord, he tries to do with us, also – to introduce a seed of doubt into our hearts, especially when God says ‘no.’

 

So, back to our question, “When God Says ‘No’ – Then What?” How do we reconcile His ‘No’ with passages such as: Psalm 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” and Psalm 116:5 “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.” And Lamentations 3:22-23 “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness”?

 

But before we can address the ‘Then What?” we need to remind ourselves and let the Lord firmly convince us of a fundamental truth, that being: The Bible from the first word in Genesis to the last word in Revelation is completely and unimpeachably authoritative, inerrant, infallible, and divinely inspired. Every word.

 

As the psalmist said, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3) And in this case I will define the ‘foundations’ as the word of God because, as the Lord tells us: Matthew 24:3 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

 

If we dilute the reliability, the trustworthiness of God’s word, then how can anyone stand against the onslaughts of life? That means, if we don’t believe the creation story as recorded in that first chapter of Genesis, if we don’t believe that God created Adam from the dust and Eve from one of his ribs, if we don’t believe the record of a worldwide flood, or the miraculous plagues that decimated the Egyptians, if we don’t believe that all the miracles of Christ occurred as recorded – then how can we have confidence that God even hears our most desperate prayers?

 

If the written record of God and His works are suspect, then His promise through Isaiah is meaningless: “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you.” (Isaiah 54:10a). Likewise, His promise through Jeremiah is worthless: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

 

Christian, we MUST be certain of this: His love and mercy and compassion are directed toward us even when He says ‘No’ to some of our prayers. Which then raises a reasonable question: WHY then might God say ‘no’? Well, He gives us several reasons, and in the time we have left, let’s examine only a few.

 

The first reason for His ‘No’ can be stated simply: We just don’t know why He might say ‘no.’ This is not a dodge of the question. It’s simply truth. Listen to Him for a moment through Isaiah: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)

 

And now in the Book of Job: “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” (Job 11:7-9)

 

But it is BECAUSE we have complete confidence in the Bible as God’s inerrant love letter to us that we can ACCEPT this reason for His ‘No.’ We can accept the truth cradled in His love, that His ways and His answers are far above our ability to understand, but we have the blessed assurance that He deeply loves us – even when He says, ‘No.” And the words of the Proverb soothes our spirit, to help us trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding.  (See Proverbs 3:5)

 

Those who believe the trustworthiness of the Bible in the deepest recesses of their heart believe that our God sees the whole picture, whereas we see only a small part of it. Therefore, a prayer request that seems reasonable to us simply might not serve God’s larger purposes – and the one who is striving to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength will bend the knee to God’s purpose and will say – even if it is a struggle to say it: “Not my will but Thine be done.”

 

Of course, this is not to say that everything that happens is good in and of itself. But the humble Christians believes God when He tells us that He works good even through painful circumstances. The words of Paul to the Roman Christians are more than theoretical words on a page as we read: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28

 

Those words are life-sustaining food for our souls – so much so that, with God’s supernatural help, when Christ returns, He WILL find faith in our heart.

 

So, yes. Sometimes we simply do not know why God says, ‘No’ to our prayers. But on the other hand, Scripture tells us there are times when we can – or at least, SHOULD know – why God says ‘no.’ 

 

Let’s be very clear about this next point. Persistent, unrepentant sin blocks our prayer. Listen to the Psalmist: (Psalm 66:18, GNT): “If I had ignored my sins, the Lord would not have listened to me.” Through Isaiah (Isaiah 59:1-2): “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”

 

And while Scripture does not teach that every unanswered prayer is caused by sin, it DOES explicitly identify several ways that sin can hinder our prayers. For example: When we ignore the financial needs of others when we are in a position to assist them: Proverbs 21:13, NKJV “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.”

 

And 1 John 3:17-19: “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth and will assure our heart before Him.”

 

Another manifestation of sin comes in the form of practicing injustice, or supporting those who do so with our votes and finances. What God said to His Chosen People He also says to us:

 

Proverbs 24:11-12 “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?”

 

And through Isaiah: (Isaiah 1:15–17) “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”

 

Make no mistake: We should expect that known and unrepented sin will result in a ‘No’ from our holy God who is not impressed by worship that coexists with iniquity. And that is why 1 John 1:9 is so precious to the Christian: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

Another manifestation of sin comes in the form of seeking things with selfish motives: James 4:3 ^“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” – such as asking God to remove every difficulty without considering what He might accomplish through such circumstances. Or asking God to bless a decision we’ve already made without being willing to submit that decision to His will. We should not expect God to treat our requests as though our deliberate rejection of His instruction were inconsequential.

 

Let me try to bring this to a conclusion. What shall you and I do when God says, ‘No’? Shall we turn away in anger, or disappointment? Or shall we live as the faithful men and women through the ages who trusted God and strove to love Him so much that not even the deepest soul-wrenching heartache – no, not even hearing Him say ‘No” to our prayers – nothing shall move us from our faithful relationship with Him and Him alone?  

Will we humbly ask Him if sin has caused a separation between us? Will we ‘examine ourselves’ with the light of the Holy Spirit searching us, to see if there be any wicked way in us?

Our Father in heaven loves us. Don’t give even a moment’s thought to Satan’s lies to the contrary. “The Lord IS righteous in all His ways and kind in ALL His deeds.” The Lord IS gracious and righteous. “Yes, our God is compassionate.” And His “lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is [His] faithfulness.”

God’s overarching and oft stated purpose for all of His children is to conform us each into the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29) who – we must add – who learned obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8)

Mature faith is not confidence that God will do as we ask; Mature faith is confidence in God – even when He does not do as we ask.

Christian – when the Lord returns, may He find faith – mature and maturing faith – in each of our hearts. Amen

 

 

 

A Message for Today's Saints

As you all know, last night was Halloween. What some of you might not know is that Halloween is a contraction of three words: "All Hallows' Evening." The word, ‘hallow’ means sacred or holy. In old English, the word ‘evening’ was often shortened to a poetic “e’en”. And so, we get the modern Hallow’een.

 

Hallo’een always occurs on the evening before All Saints’ Day, a day specifically set aside to honor the saints – the holy people of God – of the past and of today. As we have seen many times before in our study of Scripture, the Bible uses the word, ‘saints’ for ordinary believers in Christ. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:2 and Ephesians 1:1. You can read these texts for yourselves if you wish. Throughout the New Testament, the word ‘saint’ was never reserved exclusively to Christians who’ been formally declared saints by a church body.

 

Halloween was NEVER about ghouls, ghosts and witches. But Satan did what he does best – he corrupted a holy day that had been set aside to remember Christ and the holy men and women who follow Him, and turned it into a devilish circus of ghouls. He did the same with Christmas. Instead of people celebrating the birth of the Savior, the devil has seduced much of humanity to focus on Santa Claus and reindeer. Easter is the same story. Satan corrupted the celebration of Christ’s resurrection into a focus on bunnies and chocolate eggs.

 

And so, on this All Saints Day, let’s focus our attention on the men and women of God in the history of the church AND in our own histories. We do this because we can learn a lot about how to walk with Christ by imitating them.

 

We could spend several college semesters studying the men and women of faith throughout the ages, but for the sake of time, let’s turn only briefly and for example to the so-called ‘Heroes of Faith’ in Hebrews chapter 11. The litany of saintly men and women begins with Abel, moves to Enoch, then to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, then Moses and beyond. But then the writer enumerates the heroes of faith who suffered horribly for their devotion to God. Listen to this text familiar to many of you: “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated – [those] of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.” (Hebrews 11:35-38)

 

These saints of God were all martyred because of their faith – and it is perhaps especially because they were martyred that they can teach us to persevere in our own walk with Christ. Indeed, I was surprised to learn that there have been more Christian martyrs in the 20th and 21st centuries than in the preceding 19 centuries — going back to when Jesus and His apostles waked the earth.

 

Several years ago, I learned a Latin phrase, Memento Mori, and I have mentioned it before. The meaning of the phrase resonates with me. It means, “Remember, you must die.”

 

The origin of the phrase goes back to a custom in ancient Roman society. When a general returned to the city after a great victory on the battlefield, he’d parade through the streets on a golden chariot to the cheers of the crowd. But because such tributes could lead to pride and a false sense of his own importance, a slave –one of the humblest servants – was to remind him of his mortality by whispering to him: “Look behind. Remember that you are a man”.

 

Memento Mori. Everyone in this sanctuary is unhappily acquainted with death. My mom is dead. My father and my adopted father are both dead. My brother-in-law is dead. Nancy’s mom, dad and stepdad are all dead. My cousin is dead. Nancy’s cousin is dead. Another of her cousin’s wife is dead. Many of our friends are dead.

 

And one day I will be dead. Nancy will be dead. You will be dead. The children who survive us will one day be dead. And such is the pattern of life since the Garden of Eden.

 

Solomon understood life’s brevity and the utter worthlessness of awards and possessions. “Vanity of vanities’ he called them. And I don’t doubt that’s why he wrote this sober warning even to us who would read his words 3,000 years later: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

 

So, with all that as our backdrop, let’s return to All Saints Day and think about what not only the ancient heroes of faith can teach us – but think about what the godly men and women in our lives taught us. As Scripture tells us: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

 

Many of us were privileged to have had godly Christian parents, grandparents, pastors, and teachers who influenced us for good and who guided us around the dangerous reefs and sandbars of life. And please

do not overlook this important truth: Just as WE remember those in our pasts who influenced us for good – in the SAME way we have the privilege AND the responsibility to be remembered by others how we influenced them for good.

 

Did you ever wonder how you’ll be remembered by others after you’re gone? Certainly, we’d like them to remember us for our consistent faith in Christ, for what we taught them by our words AND by our lives – that our talk didn’t contradict our walk. So, how will be remembered? This is not an trivial question and the answer to that question depends on how closely we WANT to walk with Christ.

 

So, since all of us here who obey Christ are ‘saints,’ let’s examine for the next few minutes how we can live in such a way that people who remember us will have reason to be drawn to the Christ we serve.

 

To make it easier to remember, I’ve taken the word, ‘Hallow” – meaning ‘sacred’—and will use it as an acronym for the characteristics of saintly living. You might think about writing the letters of ‘HALLOW’ on a sticky-note and placing it on your bathroom mirror to remind you each day how you ought to live.

 

The first characteristic of saintliness starts with H, for humility: How might we flesh out humility? Paul gives us some direction in his letter to the Christians at Rome: (Romans 12:3): “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly . . ..”

 

It’s tempting, isn’t it, to sometimes think of ourselves as somehow superior to others because of such things that are ultimately worthless – things like the careers we had, or what are our talents, or family background, or any of a dozen other reasons people so foolishly boast.

 

Listen! What do we have or have ever had that did not come directly from God’s hand as a gift? What then could possibly be the reason for anyone to harbor a sense of superiority – other than contemptable pride? Christian, if that describes you – Get over yourself. Walk humbly before others and before God who gives us even our next breath.

 

Many of you will recognize this commandment of God from Paul’s pen: (Philippians 2:5-8) “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [asserted],  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and . . . humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

 

Another characteristic of saintly living comes to us with the next letter of ‘hallow’ – A, representing here, Accountability. Never forget we are all accountable to God for everything we say and do. As Scripture tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  (2 Corinthians 5:10) And with an election coming up just days from today, let me remind all of us that we are accountable to God for how we vote.

 

To that topic, how do people – especially Christians -- how do they dare equate the political policies regarding housing or immigration with the murderous practice of abortion supported by so many politicians? Or the demonic policies that permit the mutilation of boys and girls, amputating their genitalia or breasts because they've been seduced into believing they need to be the opposite sex? Or the unfettered evil of political policies that permit Drag Queens into kindergartens to seduce children into thinking homosexuality and lesbianism are normal?

How do moral people in general and Christians in particular vote for politicians who support such horrors and allow themselves to make those horrors equal with policies of immigration and housing? We are accountable to God for what we do and say – and how we vote.

 

The next letter on our acronym to describe saintly living is ‘L’ – representing Loyalty’ to God which expresses itself through obedience to His Word – even when obedience costs us something. We tell the truth when a lie would benefit us. We refuse to participate in whatever dishonors God. We forgive others when resentment seems justified. We do the right things even when nobody is watching.

 

Loyalty expresses itself in a trust in God when we do not like or understand what’s happening to us. Loyalty continues to pray when answers seem delayed and loyalty is evidenced not only by how we praise God in the sunshine, but also by our praise even in the valleys of the shadow of death.

 

The next letter in our acronym, the second L in HALLOW, stands here for Listening to God which results in DOING what He tells us. What the saint of God will NOT do is what those in Jeremiah’s day did. Listen to this text: “Thus says the Lord, stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ Jeremiah 6:16-17

 

If we wish to leave a saintly legacy to our families, our friends, and our acquaintances we will live in humility, we will live lives knowingly accountable to God, we’ll be loyal to Him, even if it costs us dearly; And we will listen to His voice.

 

Which brings us to the ‘O’ in our HALLOW acronym, which stands for ‘Obedience.’ Admittedly, obedience overlaps with everything I’ve already said – humility, being accountable, Loyalty, and so forth. Saints in the past and saints today strive to obey God in ALL He commands. The Greek word in the New Testament for ‘strive’ is the same root word for ‘agonize’ in English – and that should resonate with us because sometimes we find ourselves agonizing to obey God when obedience might cost us families, friendships, jobs, wealth, or health, or anything else that is dear to us.

 

The Lord Jesus did not mince words when He solemnly warned: (Matthew 10:37-38) “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

 

Finally, the last letter of our acronym, W, represents ‘Witness’ – as in the Great Commission of Matthew 28: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

 

And as Peter wrote: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

 

I’ve heard it said – and you might have also: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”

 

That might sound pious, but it is completely without Biblical support. I do not mean to imply that living a godly life is unnecessary if we are to witness for Christ to our families, friends, and so forth. We’ve just spent the last 20 minutes or so looking at how saints of God ought to live in such a way that our reputation as godly men and women testify of our salvation.

 

But to imply that preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is done PRIMARILY through godly living is to deny the words of Christ and the apostles. Jesus wasn’t crucified because He lived an exemplary life. He was crucified because He spoke truth to those who loved lies. The apostles were not martyred because they loved their neighbors. They were murdered because they spoke truth without wavering to a culture that hated Christ and Truth.

 

St Paul didn’t tell Timothy to witness for Christ first and foremost by living a godly life. No, this is what he commanded the young man: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus . . . preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:1,2)

 

Saints here in this chapel - please hear this: You and I, and all who love and serve Jesus – saints do not keep silent while those in our sphere of influence are racing with the culture around us toward a literal hell and eternal like of fire. Love compels the saint to speak truth to a culture that loves lies.

 

All Saints Day commemorates the saints throughout Church history to this very moment. If we wish to leave a legacy of faithfulness to others after we are gone, we will daily practice humility, accountability, loyalty to God, listening to His voice and obediently doing as He says.

 

Then we will have the right to witness to others for Christ because our talk matches our walk – and we repent when we stumble from time to time.

 

What God Calls You - Part Two

Last week we looked at four things God calls you: He calls you by your name; He calls you forgiven; He calls you beautiful; and He calls you His precious son or daughter. 

Today we will look at a few more names He calls us, but before we move into this message, I need to reiterate something I’ve said time and again as your pastor: It is only because of our relationship with Him through obedient faith in Christ that what He calls us can apply to us. Those designations of forgiven, of being His child, and so forth apply only to the true Christian who has been – and continues to be – cleansed of their sins by faith in Christ’s sacrificial blood spilled on Calvary’s cross.

 

So, let’s now look at what else God calls you:

 

God calls you and me “Saints.” The Greek word translated in many of our bibles as saints (or ‘holy ones’ in some versions) is the word, hagios. It means, sacred, morally blameless, ceremonially consecrated. And even a cursory reading of the New Testament epistles demonstrates the truth that God calls ALL Christians, ‘Saints.”

 

For example: Colossians 1:1-2 – “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

 

And 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 - “Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours . . . . (1 Corinthians 1:1-2).

 

Does God call us saints because we are so blameless and saintly in ourselves, or because of the wonderful things we do? Hardly. The Corinthian Christians had their share of divisions, immoralities, jealousies and so forth. That’s one reason Paul wrote them that letter – to exhort them to repent and change their ways.

No, God doesn’t call us saints because we are worthy in and of ourselves of that title. He calls us saints because of what He has done (past tense)—what He has done in us when we placed our trust in Christ.

 

What is it He did in us? Well, for one thing, He made us a NEW creation in Christ. He tells us through Paul’s pen: (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

 

The apostle continues a few verses later: He (the Father) made [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

 

Let’s pause another moment and emphasize the point. God does not declare us saints, holy ones, because of what WE do; our rituals, receiving the sacraments, or our good works. Listen to the Scripture again: (Titus 3:4-7) “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

 

Can you see? It’s all about what God did for us. It has absolutely nothing to do with what we did to be reconciled to Him that He would call us saints, Holy ones.

 

Let me repeat that for emphasis. God calls ALL who are in Christ Jesus, saints. And we must stop permitting our thoughts to tell us otherwise. In other words, don’t believe everything you think. Instead, train yourself to think and live according to God’s word.

 

No wonder Paul wrote to the church at Philippi: (Philippians 3:13-14) “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Christian!  Press on toward that goal of the upward call of God on your life to which He called you in Christ Jesus – and that call is to live as a saint, separated from the ways of godless cultures and apostate church teachings that grow more insistent and insidious with each passing year, diluting the commandments of a holy God; Twisting God’s word to assuage their conscience so they can live as they choose. That’s what fools do. Instead, decide today and every day to turn your life over and over to God and His commandments.

He calls us saints because of what He has done in us through Christ. And so, what else does God call all who belong to Him through obedient faith? He calls us strong, even in our weakness.

Listen to the Lord’s words to the Christians at Philadelphia. (Revelation 3:8)  “I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

 

How do people, especially those in the church, how do they deny His name? Listen to Paul’s letter to Titus: “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. (Titus 1:16).

 

Hear that again: “I have put before you and open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept my word, and have not denied My name.”

 

Listen, Christian. God knows your limitations. Remember what Jesus said about the woman who broke her Alabaster jar full of precious ointment? When she broke the jar and poured the ointment over the Lord’s head, His disciples complained about what she had done. But what did the Lord say to them? 

 

Mark 14:6, 8, 9 “Why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. . . . She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

 

“She has done what she could.” The point of that is this: The Lord never, ever asks us to do what we cannot do. Period.

 

God knows your limitations. He knows about your failing strength and health. He knows about your finances, your family situations, your difficulty even getting to the doctor or supermarket without someone taking you there. He knows all about you and how your life has slowed down from the vigor and strength you used to have. But let what He tells us in Scripture encourage you. The great apostle wrote:

 

(Philippians, 4:12-13) “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 

“She has done what she could.”

 

He calls us strong in our weakness because His strength is made perfect in our weakness. His strength is made abundantly manifest when we CANNOT do what only He can do. You might remember Paul’s boast about his ‘thorn in the flesh’ – whatever that thorn might have been:  “Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

 

You perhaps cannot do for the Lord what you used to do, but do now what you still can do for the Lord.

 

Christian, what does our God call you to do? He calls you to be saintly.. Separated from our godless culture. And to be strong in your weakness and frailty.

 

What else does God call you? He calls you “beloved.”

 

In the New Testament, “beloved” refers to someone who is dearly loved and cherished. When God calls someone beloved, the word expresses a relationship of love and preciousness.

At least two passages of Scripture illuminate the meaning of that word. The first appears in Matthew 3, the context of which is the Lord’s baptism in the Jordan. Here is how Matthew reports it: (Matthew 3:16-17) “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

 

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” It is important to note that the Father spoke that of His Son before Jesus began His public ministry of preaching, healing, and, ultimately, going to the cross. In other words, the Father’s love for His beloved Son was not based on anything Jesus had yet done. And likewise, Scripture is very clear about this: The Father’s love for you, His beloved, is not based on anything you’ve done for Him. You are His beloved, His precious child, because you love Jesus.

 

Listen to Jude say it: (Jude 1:1) “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ.”

 

Jesus is dearly loved and cherished by the Father, and YOU – Christian – YOU are also dearly loved and cherished by the Father. And His love for you is not in the abstract. It is what you ARE in truth and in fact.

 

I don’t think we can say it often enough: You are precious to Him in Christ, and NOT because of your works or personal ‘likeableness.’

 

Let me say another few words about this adjective, ‘Beloved’ by God. For that, we turn to John 17:23 wherein Jesus prays to the Father: “That the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

 

This has got to be one of the most incredible truths in the entire Bible which speaks of God’s love for His children adopted into His family through faith in Christ. Listen again to Jesus speak to the Father: “You have loved THEM, even as You have loved Me.”

 

In other words, Jesus tells us the Father loves YOU – (name them one by one) – the Father loves YOU in the SAME WAY He loves Jesus.

 

Tell me that is not extraordinary, and I will tell you that you’re not thinking that truth through. No wonder Paul writes with complete confidence:  “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:15–16

 

Abba – the Aramaic word expresses an intimate familial trust-relationship of a child with his ‘daddy.’ It’s the same word Jesus used in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36

 

And notice, please, Jesus’ intimacy with the Father did not eliminate suffering, BUT it sustained Him – and it will sustain us – in suffering. And on that note, it is important to also remember, when we fail, we do not become less loved, nor does our Father expect us to punish ourselves with guilt. Instead, He expects our confidence in His love to drive us to confess our sin, through which we will always receive His forgiveness and opportunity to continue walking with Him.

 

This is KEY; And it’s a key Satan doesn’t want you to know about or to use. The dialogue between the resurrected Christ and Peter is germane to this point. Peter had so terribly failed the Lord with his thrice-denial and was riddled with guilt, as many a Christian has been riddled with guilt over their own sins.

 

But the conversation between Jesus and Peter is not only instructive to us but ought also to be of great encouragement. Peter had denied the Lord three times, and the resurrected Lord asked Peter three times if he loved Him.

 

You know the story; Three times Peter answered in the affirmative. But with each exchange, I want us to notice what the Lord told the fisherman: “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15); “Feed my sheep” (John 21:16); “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17).

 

This is a crucial point for ALL penitent sinners regardless of the magnitude of their sins. Jesus did not merely reassure Peter that he was forgiven. He entrusted Peter with responsibility of caring for the people who belonged to Christ. In other words, Jesus told him to stop with the guilt. They were now reconciled. It was now time for Peter to get back to working for the kingdom.

 

Listen, please. Jesus says the same thing to ALL His beloved children – me, included. Stop with the guilt. Our penitence has reconciled us. So, let’s get up and get back to work for His kingdom.

 

And yet one more point: Scripture never promises that the Christian will always feel God’s love. A cursory reading of the psalms ought to make that clear. There will always be seasons of spiritual dryness, grief, unanswered questions, and painful discipline. But the Christian’s assurance rests on what God has revealed and accomplished in Christ, not on the emotions of a particular day. Paul reminds us “we walk by faith,” – faith in the One who is utterly trustworthy.

 

God calls you and me many wonderful things. He calls us by our name. He calls us beautiful. He calls us His own precious son or daughter. He calls us forgiven. He calls us saints. He calls us strong in our weakness. And He calls us His beloved son or daughter, loving us in the same way as He loves His Son Jesus.

 

The SAME way.

 

So, I close this message with this purposely redundant word: God loves you. When we say those words too quickly, we might miss the wonder and glory and warmth and beauty and hope bound up in that phrase. God is deeply, passionately, intimately in love with you.

 

When you return to your apartments now, or this evening, I urge you to spend some quiet time reflecting about His love and about His relationship with you because of your trust and faith in His Son Jesus.

 

And please, for His sake and for yours – continue your work for His kingdom.