I need to acknowledge the disturbing link that has recently popped up next to the tagline at the top of this website. It says “prescription frr Cialis.” Before that, for maybe a week or so, it said, “Pokémon buy gold Viagra.” Nice. I was first alerted to it early last week. It doesn’t show up on my computer because I’m the administrator, but everybody else sees it. Sneaky. It’s a hack. The links are dead so it’s not hurting anybody. But it’s not what I want at the top of my website. A couple of you have asked if I’ve tapped into a revenue stream. No. But, it’s not a bad idea. If that’s going to be at the top of my blog, I ought to at least be getting paid for it!
We have our very best people working on this, but it’s apparently very complicated. Don’t worry — I’ve been assured it can’t hurt anybody’s computers. It’s just a nuisance. But, yeah, I’m aware of it now.
The jokes I’ve been told about it and some of your one-liners (thank you) are certainly hilarious. Just not publishable.
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I need to also address the Blue Bell recall — I haven’t mentioned it yet on this site. I understand the widespread concern and want to assure you that, yes, I am just as concerned. Some friends and I are in the process right now of going back through Revelation to see if there is some cosmic connection between the end of times and what’s happening out of Brenham. This is heavy stuff and we all need to be paying close attention.
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“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” ~Romans 8:1
We’re considering this week why so many Christians feel like God is disappointed in them. In their honest moments, research indicates that most Christians feel more condemned by God’s judgment of them and less convinced of his great love for them. Of course, we don’t get that idea at all from Scripture. It comes from outside sources.
If you are in Christ, you are not condemned and cannot be condemned. You are saved. You cannot lose your salvation. You can throw it away, yes, but you cannot lose it. We don’t believe in once saved, always saved; but we certainly don’t believe in once saved, barely saved. There is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ.
“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ~Romans 8:31-32
There’s not enough eternity to fathom that point. As the old hymn says, “When I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in.” He did that. God did that for you. How will he not also graciously give you all things? Good question.
“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” ~Romans 5:8-10
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. You were justified by the sin-forgiving, life-bestowing blood of Jesus while you were a sinner. While you were an enemy of God, he saved you. You were not declared righteous for anything you’ve done, so you won’t be declared unrighteous for anything you’ve done. You can’t let God down because you’re not holding God up. This is not related to anything you’ve done or haven’t done. You are saved because of what God has done through Christ Jesus on the cross.
Is God just going to forget about the cross? When it comes to you, is he just going to un-do the cross?
For some reason we get it in our minds that since Christians know better, since we know more, since we’ve been blessed by this saving blood of Christ, we’re going to be held more accountable than others. We’re going to be judged more strictly, more harshly. We know more, so we’re in more danger.
No! Hear the good news, Christian!
Since we’ve been justified, HOW MUCH MORE shall we be saved! Since we’ve been reconciled, HOW MUCH MORE shall we be saved! Why would we assume there is less grace for God’s children? There is more!
More grace. More salvation. No condemnation.
Peace,
Allan
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