How Does It All Come Together? Part Three: Hands and Feet

Background Passage: Romans 4:1-25; 10:1-13; Hebrews 11:1-12:2
Today’s Focal Passage: Hebrews 12:1-2

1 Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne.


In 1983, the world was stunned when Cliff Young, a 61 year old potato farmer, entered Australia’s 875 kilometer (543.7 mile) endurance race from Sydney to Melbourne. They were even more surprised when he won. Not only did Cliff win the race, he changed the way it was run. Previously, runners would run 18 hour days and sleep 6 hour nights for more than 5 days to complete the race. Cliff didn’t know this, so he simply ran all day and all night finishing the race in a record breaking 5 days, 15 hours and 4 minutes, 9 hours shy of the previous race record. Since Cliff’s victory, all subsequent winners have run just like he did, all day and all night.

Racing is an interesting metaphor. A race has a clear starting point and a finishing line. For us, life is that way. For the writer of Hebrews, the spectators weren’t merely men and women who enjoyed a good run, they were those who had gone before us and set the course.

In any race, good runners will tell you not to focus on the other runners or the turns in the track, but to keep your eyes fixed on the finish line and the prize on the other side. For us, the prize is Jesus. He is the both the author and perfecter [read “completion”] of our faith who won the race and enjoyed the prize of his Father’s right hand. Legend says that Cliff Young never kept a prize for any of the races he won, including the 10k awarded to him after winning the Sydney to Melbourne race. Cliff said he never did it for the prizes. It’s as if he had a bigger picture in mind. Keeping our eyes on Jesus not only wins us the race, but it keeps the bigger picture present in our minds of why we run in the first place.

Runners, take your mark. Get set. Go!
(To read more about Cliff Young’s story, visit: http://www.elitefeet.com/the-legend-of-cliff-young-the-61-year-old-farmer-that-won-the-worlds-toughest-race)

How Does It All Come Together? Part Two: Hearts and Mouths

Background Passage: Romans 4:1-25; 10:1-13; Hebrews 11:1-12:2
Today’s Focal Passage: Romans 10:9-13

9 if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 Now the Scripture says, No one who believes on Him will be put to shame, 12 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Anyone can repeat words. Kids do it playing Simon Says or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Actors do it for a living. Christians do it as part of liturgical worship practices. Anyone can say the right things with their lips, but our hearts are a different story. They are a little harder to control. In fact, the words we speak about Christ and life in Him are either evidenced or negated by the attitude of our hearts. It is the heart that influences our behavior, not the head. Salvation is speaking and believing. The kind of belief that provides transformative salvation is the kind of belief only wrought in the heart. Heart-belief changes you from the inside out.

Romans 10:13 says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But calling on Jesus is more than just “repeat after me?” Paul said that not only do we confess Him as Lord, we believe the truth about His resurrection. With the heart one must believes, and the result is righteousness. Righteousness is two things: justification because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and sanctification because of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.

Many people doubt their salvation today because of sin in their lives. But since our sin didn’t keep us from being offered it in the first place, our sin won’t be the reason the offer is rescinded. However, if there is persistent and unrepentant lifestyle of sin in the life of one who claims to be a believer, that person should search his heart as to whether he truly believed in the first place.

Has righteousness become the proof of your heart belief? If there is no evidence of transformation, then perhaps you never fully trusted Christ. Remember, it’s not just the words we utter and the confession of Jesus we make that brings us salvation. It’s heart-belief. And when our hearts believe, we’ll know it and others around us will too.

How Does It All Come Together? Part One: Not Just Faith, but Faith “In”

Background Passage: Romans 4:1-25; 10:1-13; Hebrews 11:1-12:2
Today’s Focal Passage: Romans 4:1-3, 23-25

1 What then can we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 If Abraham was justified by works, then he has something to brag about—but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.

23 Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone, 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Just the other day, I passed a “LOTTO” sign that announced the prize was up to $40 million. I didn’t stop and purchase a lottery ticket but I did spend the next 30 minutes thinking about how I would spend $40 million if I won. I thought about the earthquake in Haiti. I thought about the building fund at my church. I would be lying if I didn’t think about college tuition for two kids (who will one day be in school at the same time) and paying for two weddings (because both of those kids are girls). I thought about a new mini-van. I thought about world hunger and clean water. I also thought about Lottie Moon and international missions; about people groups with no Bible in their language who don’t yet know Christ. My mind bounced in many directions thinking about the difference money can make.

Stop and think for a moment about how many losing lottery tickets there must be for every one winner. Those tickets don’t deliver. A lottery ticket is nothing more than a wasted $1 unless it yields a better return. The only lottery ticket that counts is the one that’s worth something and those are few and far between. We can sincerely hope and believe that our Lotto tickets might one day hold the key to wealth and prosperity, but our faith is only as good as the object on which our faith rests.

Hebrews 11:1 explains that faith is “the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” As the passage for today teaches, Abraham’s faith was not in himself. If it was, a man like Abraham may have had something to brag about. Fortunately for Abraham, and for those of us who like him would put our faith in God, he found something worth believing in. When we place our faith in anything but Christ and Christ alone, we’re playing against the odds with another losing ticket. In Christ, we win.

Is Jesus The Only Way? Part 3: One Mediator

Background Passage: John 3:16-18; 14:5-11; 1Timothy 2:3-7
Today’s Focal Passage: 1 Timothy 2:3-6

3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

Irreconcilable Differences

In divorce proceedings, “irreconcilable differences” are defined as “significant differences between a married couple that are so great and beyond resolution as to make the marriage unworkable.” There is really no better definition for our state of sin than that of irreconcilable differences. In common divorce proceedings today, couples will choose mediation over litigation, the goal being more amicable, mutually agreed upon terms of separation and divorce. There being little the couple could agree on in marriage, mediation attempts to help them agree on the terms of dissolution. Mediation in spiritual matters couldn’t be more different. Christ’s role wasn’t to make the terms of our sin amicable to God. His purpose was not to make it possible for us to go our separate ways from God but to reconcile us to God. His mediation is altogether different. It doesn’t end the already broken relationship, but instead mends the separation.

In modern day mediation, a neutral third party tries to help each side reach commonality. Mediation today banks on compromise and the willingness of those at odds to each give an inch. Not so in Christ’s mediation. He is anything but neutral, and there is one party [God] who gives both nothing and everything. God won’t budge a bit on the holiness requirement. But in when it comes to forgiveness, it’s God who did all the work.

Perhaps there is no better metaphor than that of divorce when talking to our unbelieving friends about God today. You’ll find it difficult to find a family that hasn’t been touched to some degree by divorce. Comparing our condition in sin to a couple whose differences can’t seem to be reconciled is a worthwhile illustration. But be sure to explain Christ’s mediation as more akin to couple’s counseling than divorce proceedings. His aim is to reconcile us to God and His life (and sacrificial death) provided all the compromise necessary to mend the relationship.

Is Jesus The Only Way? Part 2: One Way

Background Passage: John 3:16-18; 14:5-11; 1Timothy 2:3-7
Today’s Focal Passage: John 14:6-11

6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 "If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him." 8 "Lord," said Philip, "show us the Father, and that's enough for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.

Exclusive Rights

In John 14, Jesus asked his disciples to trust in Him. He explained that there was room in heaven for them and promised He was going to prepare a place for them. Jesus told them in verse 4 that they knew the way to the place he is going. To which Thomas responds, “Lord, we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?” Jesus’ famous response is the source of one of the greatest arguments surrounding religion today. The claim that there is just one way tends anger in the champions of “tolerance.” How can Christians be so arrogant to propose the exclusivity of their way to the subsequent exclusion of all other world religions, systems and dogmas?

The answer is simple: because Christ said it! What kind of followers would we be if we didn’t take these words from Jesus seriously? Christ offers Himself as a way for all people to know God our Father. The way is belief. Jesus said, “If you know Me, you will also know My Father.” Other world religions contain lists (sometimes lengthy ones) of things adherents must do to achieve eternal life. If anything, those lists are built to exclude. Following Christ then becomes the only way that’s open to anyone, anywhere, regardless of who you are, what you’ve done or even will do. The next time someone remarks to you how exclusive our relationship with Christ is, make sure you point out that it’s the most inclusive relationship around. Tell them that Christ is for everyone and offer them the chance to know Him too.

o Who can you share that news with today?

Is Jesus The Only Way? Part 1: One Son

Background Passage: John 3:16-18; 14:5-11; 1 Timothy 2:3-7
Today’s Focal Passage: John 3:16-18

16 "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

All for One and One for All

“Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno” is the Latin phrase most commonly associated with French writer Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. It’s a motto that might as well be a Scriptural reference. God gave one for all so that all might live for one; as one.

As a youth pastor, I have operated under this principle many a time. “Don’t let the many suffer for the one; let the one suffer for the many.” Not only is it a direct reference to what Christ (the one) did as he suffered for the many it’s also a principle that just works. In large group teaching time when one kid is an overwhelming distraction, why continue to allow the whole group to suffer and miss the message? No one would suggest that. You remove the one so that the many can be blessed. Of course this isn’t a sacrificial substitution as in the case of Christ. The wayward teen is anything but innocent. But discipline here provides a teachable moment that can be explained and used to benefit both the majority and the trouble making minority. The one and only Son of God did indeed suffer for the many, “that the world might be saved through Him.”

“One for all” certainly describes the heart of God and the life of Jesus. Jesus, the One, did much for us. Belief in the One cancels our debt and affords us eternal blessing. But does “all for one” do as well describing us? Is there an “all for one” unified approach to the Christian life within your family? Your church? Your small group? How about in your personal life? Do you really live out the idea of “all for one” as your response to Christ? Does everything you do, everything you say, everything you are, everything you represent indicate a life lived for Christ alone?

o If God gave His one and only Son for us, can’t we live our one and only lives for Him?

What’s So Different About Jesus? Part 3: Consider Jesus’s Resurrection

Background Passage: John 6:22-71; 9:1-41; 20:1-31
Today’s Focal Passage: John 20:27-29

27 Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don't be an unbeliever, but a believer." 28 Thomas responded to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed."

When my daughters were infants, my wife and I would go in to check on them just one last time, before we went to sleep. I always wanted to see (and hear) them breathing, just to make sure they still were! I remember nights when our youngest would finally be sleeping, after a great deal of effort. Thirty minutes or an hour later, I would creep into her room and watch her sleep. I wanted to make sure she was still breathing. There were nights when I couldn’t tell just by looking, so I would lean down to listen. If that didn’t work, I would touch her to feel her breathe. Sometimes, I accidentally woke her up. My wife would be so frustrated after having spent so much time getting her down in the first place. But there are so many fears and anxieties to being a young parent. Sometimes we just have to be sure.

I can’t imagine all the fears and anxieties in the minds of Christ’s disciples following the crucifixion. They had to be putting two and two together regarding the prophecies He gave them before His death. Matthew 16:21 reads, “From then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”

The disciples had seen Christ raise the dead before, even the days-old dead. Remember Lazarus? But could Jesus raise Himself? Seeing their Lord again, there were certainly still questions. Thomas gets a bad rep for needing proof. But if I’m being completely honest, I would have probably done the same.

Jesus said that people who believed without seeing would be blessed. In saying this, He basically blessed all of us today! He knew that there were be generations of believers who would have to believe in His resurrection without seeing.
o When did you come to know Christ?
o How have you dealt with your own doubts about the resurrection?
o How have you been blessed from believing without necessarily seeing?

What’s So Different About Jesus? Part 2: Consider Jesus’ Miracles

Background Passage: John 6:22-71; 9:1-41; 20:1-31
Today’s Focal Passage: John 9:17, 24-25, 31-33, 35-38

17 Again they asked the blind man, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" "He's a prophet," he said.

24 So a second time they summoned the man who had been blind and told him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner!" 25 He answered, "Whether or not He's a sinner, I don't know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!"

31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him. 32 Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, He wouldn't be able to do anything."

35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, He found him and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 "Who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?" he asked. 37 Jesus answered, "You have seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you." 38 "I believe, Lord!" he said, and he worshiped Him.

“CTU, this is Bauer.”

I watched my first episode of 24 on a flight from JFK to Istanbul in 2007. I had heard of the show and knew of its fan base, but I hadn’t watched. But since I knew I don’t sleep well on airplanes, I bought the entire first season on iTunes. I’ve now seen every season of 24, all chronicles of just one 24-hour period where you can guarantee two things. First, Jack Bauer will be mistrusted, reprimanded, and maybe even arrested in an effort to stop him from doing what he deems necessary to save the world. And second, Jack Bauer will eventually save the world. My beef for those characters who would question Bauer is simply this: Look at his track record. He is never wrong and always gets the job done. His record speaks for itself. How much more true of Christ! His record and those affected are all the proof we need to believe.

This miracle of Jesus was performed on the Sabbath. The question for the Pharisees regarded whether Jesus could be from God if He didn’t observe the Sabbath and that being true, how a sinner could perform such a wonder (9:16). A man was blind. Of that fact, the scoffers that day could be certain. He was given sight. Of that fact, the scoffers that day could also be certain. What additional proof did they need? Of his divinity, they still had questions. Of his ability, there could be no doubt.

The man who was healed had no reservations. He knew that Jesus was from God or else he would not see. He encountered Christ and he worshipped. You and I have encountered the miracles of Christ. Not just those recorded in scripture but those in our own lives and in the lives of others around us. We have seen with certainty prayers answered and revelation given.

In one of those all-too-familiar urgent 24 moments, Jack’s loyalty and ability came into question again in Season 7. He simply responds, “With all due respect, Madam President, ask around.” Jack Bauer is no more than a fictional character on TV and certainly not a Christ-figure. But as the storyline goes, his reputation precedes him. So does the reputation of Christ. He can be more than trusted. When you have moments of doubt, ask around. The bible if full of examples and our churches are full of testimonies of the power of Christ and His miracles.

o Where in your life is the proof of Christ’s power?
o In what ways have you seen Him work miracles?
o Can others look at your life and gain the proof they need?

What’s So Different About Jesus? Part 1: Consider Jesus’ Teachings

Background Passage: John 6:22-71; 9:1-41; 20:1-31
Today’s Focal Passage: John 6:66-69

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. 68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Confucius Say

Obedience to Christ could be summed up in the statement, “I do and I understand.”

Many people want that statement to be different. We’d rather it read, “I understand and I do.” We’d like for the teachings of Christ to be easier to comprehend and simpler to employ. In today’s passage from John, Christ has just finished informing those assembled at the synagogue in Capernaum that they were to eat his flesh and drink his blood, share in His life in order to receive eternal life. Perhaps it isn’t until we have shared in Christ’s life, His suffering, His love that we won’t fully understand his teaching. Maybe it’s not until we reach the eternal afterlife He promised that we’ll comprehend the ways of our Lord. For many, that’s too much to ask; too long to wait. No matter how fine the print, we’d like all the information up front. The real issue lies with the fact that Christ’s teachings weren’t meant to just be pondered and studied. They were intended to be followed and with doing comes understanding.

Paul, in his instruction to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:6), told the young minister that he would be “nourished by the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” Our faith in Christ and His teaching is only as certain as our willingness to follow. Perhaps understanding Christ and enjoying the life-nurturing benefits of His teaching comes in obedience. When we say to Jesus, “You alone have the words of eternal life” but then spend our time looking for life elsewhere, we’re left empty and confused. But when we acknowledge Christ with our lips and our lives, wisdom and understanding are ours for the taking.
o What parts of Scripture do you find to be particularly difficult?
o How can you experience greater understanding of who Jesus is and who He has called you to be?
o How can your life be a better example to unbelievers of what it’s like to live by faith and understand God because you do what His word says?

Can I Fix What’s Broken? Part 3: Righteousness Realized

Background Passage: Isaiah 5:8-6:7; Romans 3:9-26
Today’s Focal Passage: Romans 3:21-26
21 But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed —attested by the Law and the Prophets 22 —that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 He presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

Brokedown Palace

In the 1999 film Brokedown Palace two young women, Alice and Darlene, find themselves imprisoned in Thailand after being tricked and arrested for smuggling drugs.
The film’s conclusion involves both girls being sentenced to 48 years until Alice begs the court the let her friend Darlene go. Alice promises to serve both sentences. The court agrees and the movie ends with Alice left to serve the rest of her life in a foreign prison while Darlene goes free. It’s an incredibly moving scene where one friend makes atonement for another.

In Brokedown Palace, Alice was not completely innocent. She was the reason Darlene found herself in such circumstances to begin with. The story of atonement in this film is really Alice taking responsibility for the friend she hurt. While Alice was hardly a good girl, both girls were innocent of the smuggling crime. Alice stepped up to pay the price in order to free her friend.

As believers, the story is different. Jesus was not a guilty friend who comes to our rescue because of His own conscience. He is the sinless Savior who offers His life as ransom for ours. He is the propitiation, the atonement, for our sins; the reason we go free. God did this so we could be made righteous and so we could declare Him who saved us righteous.

Righteousness is what we desperately need but can’t create on our own. Christ instead offers us His. He accepted punishment and death so that we might live. Is there anything so moving?

o What does it mean for you to trade prison clothes for a life that’s free?
o What does it mean for you to take on the righteousness of Jesus?
o How can you both live as righteous and declare Him righteous today?

Can I Fix What’s Broken? Part 2: Holiness Recognized

Background Passage: Isaiah 5:8-6:7; Romans 3:9-26
Today’s Focal Passage: Isaiah 6:1-5

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. 4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said: Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and] because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.

How Big is God?

According to 1 Kings 6:2, Solomon’s Temple was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide. That is 2700 square feet…not that big when you consider the size of most houses in suburban America. However, 1 Kings 6:2 also tells us that the Temple was 45 feet high. When you think about your own 9 to 12 foot ceilings, 45 feet becomes the grandeur we imagine when reading about the temple of the Lord. Isaiah said that the Lord’s robe filled the temple. If just his garment filled a room 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high, how big must the God who wears that robe be!

As we encounter the God of this universe and the Lord of our very lives, the only proper response is utter awe. He is so big and so holy; so worthy of worship and adoration and “awe” the attention we can give Him. Our first response to the recognition of a holy God is worship. Our second is all together related but also very different. It is very simply to see ourselves in light of who He is. When we think about who we are against the holiness of God, the only fitting response is that of Isaiah in verse 5. “Woe is me!”

Today, I invite you to do something a little different. Grab a sheet of paper sometime today and a pen or marker. Sketch your interpretation of Isaiah 6:1-4. Beside your representation of God and His winged creatures, write words to describe the holiness of God. Close your artistic endeavor by praying a prayer of adoration to God for being the Holy creator that He is. Close your prayer by thanking God for loving you even though you are who you are. Recognize your imperfection in light of His perfection and thank Him for loving you anyway!

Can I Fix What’s Broken? Part 1: Evil Rationalized

Background Passage: Isaiah 5:8-6:7; Romans 3:9-26
Today’s Focal Passage: Isaiah 5:20-23

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight. 22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are fearless at mixing beer, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.

2 + 2 = 5

George Orwell’s classic Nineteen Eighty-Four used the phrase “two plus two equals five” to make us wonder whether absolute truth can actually exist or if lies themselves are truth simply because the majority of people believe them.

1984 is long past. My favorite TV shows were Kids Incorporated and The Cosby Show. I got to see Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in theaters. Hard to believe that much time has passed. I spent the fall of 1984 in 1st grade learning that 2+2=4. I am quite certain that if I ever put the number five down for that math problem, I would have gotten it wrong. To the equation 2+2, there is one right answer!

The evil one has an agenda. He uses popular culture and promotes a false sense of tolerance to make us lower our guard and question whether the worldly way can be as wrong as biblical wisdom would have us believe. His techniques are nothing short of propaganda. He would have us live in a world and be a people who call evil behavior good, or at least acceptable. He would have us so accustomed to darkness that light bothers our senses. He would have us think ourselves wise and clever in our own opinion. He would have us be heroes at self-indulgence and more concerned with ourselves than injustice in the world.

To the tactics of the evil one and those of us who buy the lie, the prophet Isaiah says, “Woe!” That is the cry of God’s kingdom when God’s people begin to waiver between right and wrong, truth and lies.

We live in a world where all kinds of evil can be rationalized. The problem is that trusting God and His truth is the only rational thing worth believing. Everything else is a lie and lies are harmful. Woe to us when we exchange the truth of God for the lies of the world; godly living for ungodly beliefs.

o What are the evil actions and attitudes that you have rationalized in your own life?
o What are the lies the evil one is using to capture your attention and the attentions of your children?
o Make a list of those today and develop action plans for helping your family trust in God’s truth. It may not be the popular answer, but it’s the right one. 2+2 is indeed 4 even if you’re the only one out there who believes it.

Is Sin Really a Big Deal? Part 3: Everyone Sins

Background Passage: Genesis 3:1-24
Today’s Focal Passage: Romans 5:12-14

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to one's account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam's transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One.

Punnett Squares

Only one thing stuck out to enough to be retained in all my years of high school and collegiate level biology: the Punnett Square. I remember being so fascinated with trying to determine traits like eye and hair color based on dominant and recessive gene theories.

Eye Color b b
B Bb Bb
b bb bb

Looks like a mom with blue eyes and a heterozygous dad with brown eyes have a 50/50 chance of having kids with either blue or brown eyes. It all depends on the presence of the dominant brown-eyed gene.

Punnett squares became even more important to me when my wife was pregnant. I knew that I was a carrier for the cystic fibrosis gene, so naturally we had her tested. For me, the disease ran in my family. Turns out she was also a carrier, for the same gene mutation. The coincidence was mindboggling. That meant we had a 25% chance of having a child that displayed cystic fibrosis and a 50% chance of having a child that was simply a gene carrier. Both of our daughters are carriers but neither display the disease.

Sin entered the world through one man and was passed on to all men. Sin is the dominant gene and it is always present. We all inherited sin from Adam and there isn’t one life in any of our family trees who didn’t display sin and pass a sinful nature on to their kids and their kids’ kids.

Fortunately for us, Romans 5 also contains verses 18 and 19:

So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. 19 For just as through one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Our sin nature is a very real condition we all live with. Our sin’s forgiveness is a very real option we can’t live without. Sin entered the world through man. Salvation entered the world through Christ and that salvation starts with acknowledging the fact that we are indeed sinners and in need of forgiveness.

o Who in your life needs to know what the Bible teaches about sin and forgiveness?

o Today, pray that God will author conversations with those friends and family members who need to hear the truth about sin’s consequences and also Christ’s gift of eternal life and freedom from sin.