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And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you
received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not
as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God,
which also performs its work in you who believe.
-1 Thessalonians 2:13
We received an e-mail the other day from a man named Ed, a man whose
words seemed to reflect the anguish of so many Christians today:
“I’m so frustrated with my
Christian life! I’ve tried and tried and nothing seems to work
for me. I just can’t seem to get it together and start living
the way I’m supposed to live. I know that I am a big
disappointment to God and especially to other Christians. I know
everyone else has it all together. I, on the other hand, am
overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, turmoil, feelings of
condemnation and guilt. I am so tired of all this! Can you give
me something practical, something I can use right away to effect
a change in the way I live and in the way I see life. Isn’t
there some method that others have found will remedy this
struggle? Isn’t there a book I could read, a tape I could
listen to, or maybe a video I could watch that will lay out for
me the 5 keys to successful godly living? Please give me
something that works!”
Maybe you know someone like Ed.
Maybe you have done battle with these sort of thoughts yourself.
What’s the key, what’s the answer, what’s the method,
what’s the 10-step program that will finally allow me to
experience the peace, joy, and contentment I’ve always thought I
could have in Christ? And when will I have the willingness and the
capacity to extend love to others? The answer to these questions
is not complex, nor hidden, nor above the ability of anyone to do
it. The answer is…believe the gospel! That’s right. Believe
the gospel! This simple truth will revolutionize your life as a
child of God if you will humbly accept it. Nothing has made more
of a difference to me and I have tried every “method” under
the sun!
I am telling you with all that is
in me that joy, peace, and contentment in life come exclusively
from resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. As powerful as
the gospel was to you when you received it for salvation, it is
equally as powerful as you make your way through life continuing
to revel in it. There is a power that is inherent to the gospel
message itself. The apostle Paul said that while the word of
the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, to us who are
being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Do you see
that the word of the cross…IS the power of God? And not
only that but it, the gospel itself, performs its work in you who
believe (1 Thes. 2:12)! Wow! The gospel works. The gospel
performs. It works in those who believe. It works to minister to
your heart the very love, joy, and peace of God. And what it works
in you, it will inevitably work out of you…to
others!
There is something that happens
in you when you hear again and again the word of the cross, the
testimony of Jesus Christ and His finished work, something that no
method or formula or 10-step program to holy living can hold a
candle to. There is an inward strengthening and confidence that
grows within you as you not only receive the word of God but, more
importantly, you trust that what it proclaims is really true. Take
note, however, that this power of God comes not from just hearing
the gospel but uniting what we hear with faith. All-out, sold-out,
uncompromising, jump-in-with-both-feet, get-off-the-fence,
F-A-I-T-H! In what? In Christ and in what the bible declares He
has already done to forgive you, reconcile you, justify you,
sanctify you, glorify you, right you, and resurrect you to the
newness of life!
There
is no secret formula to acting like who you are in Christ. The
bottom-line is this…our hope, not only for salvation but for
daily living, is in Jesus Christ. He IS the gospel. And when He,
our risen Savior, is preached, all that is “practical”
to our new life in Him is there for the taking and available to do
its work. And in whom will it work? It works in those who believe.
Do you want to see changes in your thinking, changes in your
attitude, changes in how you act and in how you treat others? Do
you want something “practical”? Then believe the gospel. Now
you’ve got something that will work! |
