What is Your Legacy?

From the very rich to the poorest of the poor, no one is able to deny how brief life is and it seems that the older we become, the faster it goes. So, what type of legacy will you leave behind? What will people think about you? Will we be able to make a difference to anyone?

There are many who are concerned about wealth, real estate, stocks, bonds and their overall securities. But, Jesus responded to these thoughts and asked, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” (Matthew 16:26)? Sometimes, when people pass from the world, some families gather around to discuss what belongs to whom while others gather together to sum up the life of the one who is no longer among the physical life.

When considering what we will leave behind, our legacy, there are things that we may want to consider. For example, we may want to leave a good name. Solomon said, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1a). A name that is built upon values, ethics, morals, and the principles of right and wrong are wonderful things to entrust to our family, friends and others. A good name should symbolize honesty, integrity and devotion. Some that I would consider having a good name are the “walking Bibles.” These individuals have been commonly called this because of their dedication to the Word of God memorizing much of the Old and New Testaments.

Of course, the one who has the greatest of all names, the true walking Bible, is Jesus Christ. Beginning in Genesis 3:15, he is prophesied to come to earth and almost 2,000 years a]er his death, his name continues to be heavily discussed. Jesus truly has a good name above all other names because of the actions that were behind his name. Let us all strive to have the legacy of a good name.

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Making Our Calling and Election Sure

In 2 Peter chapter one Peter, by inspiration, wrote unto us “who have obtained like precious faith.” The faith! The faith that saves us from our sins and gives us hope, peace and joy. Faith that is more than simple acknowledgment of a fact but an obedient belief in Christ, His church and the plan delivered unto us once and for all time (Jude 3). He tells us that the divine power of God has “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” And that by this power we have received “exceeding great and precious promises” and have become “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world…” (vs. 1-4)

But then notice that Peter says we are not done. As Paul would say we “have not yet
attained” (Phil. 3:12). No, this is just the beginning of our journey. We must begin to add tour lives daily the Christian Graces (faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love). As Christians we must be fruit bearers (John 15:4-8) and these are the things we should be striving after in order to be neither barren nor unfruitful (vs. 5-9)

Yet notice the nine-pound hammer blow of verse ten. “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” The weight of this verse is felt when we, as was stated earlier in this chapter, come to an understanding of this truth.

He says first that we must “give diligence.” The Greek word here (spouda¿zw) means to be “quick” or “use speed” in endeavoring, laboring or studying. In other words the Christian should waste no time or effort in being the fruitful servant that God expects His disciples to be. We are quick to do many things in this life that we find important. What does it say when we then are not quick to be living for Him?

Secondly, we are to be quick and laborious in making our “calling and election sure.” The Greek word here (be÷baioß) means, “stable, firm, of force, stedfast.” God has called us to peace (1 Cor. 7:15). He has called us to holiness (1 Thess. 4:7). He has called us unto eternal glory (1 Pet. 5:10). In verse three of our text we read that He has called us to “glory and virtue.” In 2 Timothy 1:9 Paul says that God has called us “with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” He has made us His own chosen people and brethren we should be quick and eager to cement that blessed privilege!

Thirdly, this verse teaches that we can indeed fall away. The Calvinistic theology of “once saved, always saved” cannot hold up to the inspired apostolic truth. Peter clearly teaches that if we are quick to establish ourselves in the discipleship of the Lord we are creating within our lives a foundation for success. But if not, we will surely fall!

Lastly, consider one other principle that I believe we can draw forth from this text. It never ceases to amaze me when individuals claim they want to be right with God, His Son and the church, but are not willing to do the things necessary to make their calling and election sure. The heart of each of us should be the heart of Saul in Acts 9:6, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” What do you need to do this day to make your calling and election sure?

Be obedient and be faithful!

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Heaven Bound

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that wasvset before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Notice the Hebrew writer say Christ did all this for the “joy set before Him.”

Six times in the Book of John (five time in chapter six) we read that Jesus “came down from Heaven.” Consider that Jesus, God Himself, left the place that we are trying to go to. He knew the glory set before Him, what He had to do, and where He was going. He also knew what He had to do in order to get there.

You and I can and should learn from Jesus what it takes to be “Heaven Bound.”

First of all Jesus came “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). We too need to be seeking to fulfill all righteousness in our lives. Righteousness as Christ uses it here means: equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification. We need to look to what God says is “right” and not lean upon our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Paul wrote to Titus and said, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” This begins with our humble submission to the Father even as we see Jesus’ submission.

For us this means heeding the Word of God (Romans 10:17), believing (active faith: James 2:20, 26), confessing Jesus with our lips and our lives (Matthew 10:32-33), repenting of all known sin (Acts 17:30), and being buried with Christ in baptism (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38).

Secondly, we should be like Christ in our desire to do the work set before us. Jesus said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). In John 9:4 our Lord said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

Consider the principle laid forth in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.” How might this apply to our Christianity? If a man will not labor as a Christian; should he expect to reap the reward of one who does?

Thirdly, we must be faithful! Revelation 2:10 admonished the church at Smyrna (which included every individual member) to be “faithful unto death.” Hebrews 10:23 admonishes us to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).”

We should be content to serve Him in this life for He is faithful and has promised He will never leave us. If we do these things we can be ready; Heaven Bound!

What do you have to do this day to prepare: to get ready for eternity? God loved you so much that he took on an earthly robe and lived, suffered and died that we could have a home in Heaven with Him. He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3). Are you and I preparing to go inhabit that home?

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Why Children Quit the Church

Paul said to Timothy, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:20, 21, KJV.  When we consider those who have erred or have “gone astray from the faith”, I dare you to look to the right of your pew and look to the left. Look at the children and the teens around you.  Now, imagine that 2/3rds of them just disappeared. What has happened?  What happens to youth who regularly attend church services and activities, which speak to others about their faith, who are involved in the youth group and who are part of Christian schools?  We would like to think that this involvement would ensure that they are faithful into adulthood.  But, we may be mistaken.

Consider that 61% of adults, who were once involved in such things are spiritually disengaged.  More and more are we finding abandoned church buildings or congregations with hardly any youth.  And, while we live in the greatest Christian minded nation on earth, still the church, in some areas, seem to be headed toward the morgue.  Why is it that children find services boring, legalistic, hypocritical and find God as one who would not condemn one to hell?  Some youth state they just “need a break from church.”  Others make excuses that they don’t feel very good or that they want to be someplace else.  But, these are superficial answers.  Why is it that 95% of youth in the church attend regularly during elementary and middle school, but, by the time they go to college, that number drops from 95% to around 11%?  What has changed?

Now, parents may pay big bucks to send their children to Christian college, hoping to protect their faith.  Yet, many of those youth are already disengaged in the pew.  But, why?  Could it be that we need to consider Deut. 6:6-7:“these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Programs may be entertaining, youth groups are wonderful, church activities are great and Christians schools can play an important part in the lives of Children.  But, none of these come close as the time when families sit down together and study from the Scriptures.  Christians are to place God’s words in our hearts.  They are to be preeminent in our lives.  God’s words are to be cherished in the heart and we are to be wholeheartedly committed to them. Thus, the Christian is to diligently teach these words to his children.  This is an absolute necessity. Yet, education of the Scriptures is not just teaching facts and principles, like passing on information.  Teaching is experiencing the truth personally and living out the truth before children.  It is living the commandments of God before their eyes and making truth a part of every aspect of our lives. This is why Moses said that the believer was to constantly talk about the words of God at home, when walking along the road, when lying down and when getting up.  The whole thrust is that he was to live by God’s words, experience them, obey them and set the example before children.

Perhaps, if we spend much more time in the Bible with our children and grandchildren, we can lower the 2/3rd’s of youth that are lost and disengaged from Christianity.

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The Transformation in Conversion

The Bible refers to the process of salvation also as a process of conversion. As a matter of fact, Jesus refers to the process of becoming His disciple in the same way. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus stated, “Verily I say unto you, ‘Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’” He alluded to the fact that forgiveness of sins was a condition He based upon the conversion of heart (cf. Matt. 13:15; Mark 4:12; John 12:40; Acts 28:27). In Acts 3:19, Peter preaches to the gathered crowd in Jerusalem, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” James closes his epistle, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (Jas. 5:19-20). Let us notice this transformation process with regards to what humanity needs to do in response to the gracious offer of salvation that Jesus has made possible through His offering on Calvary.

Faith changes our focus. By the very nature of faith, it shows that our focus is not on ourselves, but our focus is God. It pronounces our trust in God (cf. Rom. 4:3). It demonstrates our belief in Jesus (John 8:24). Thus, it signifies that we place our focus completely on God. Hebrews 11 (the Hall of Faith) provides this evidence concerning every faithful man and woman that the Hebrew writer lists. One by one, we see their focus. Abel focused his sacrifice to being righteous with God. In a world where many were focusing their walk in other ways, Enoch focused on walking with God. Noah focused his obedience to God. Abraham focused his travels on fulfilling the will of God. The same is true with us. The focus of our faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 10:10-17).

Repentance changes our mind. From our introduction, the very definition of the term “convert” indicates a process of turning, and repentance involves a turning of our mind. The apostle Paul wrote, “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor. 7:9-10, ESV). We may see one of the classic examples of repentance in the prodigal son when “he came to himself” and said, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:17-19). Thus, repentance changes our mind from living as we want to living as God desires because we develop a conviction based upon godly sorrow.

Confession changes our allegiance. “…with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). What is it that we confess? In this case, we confess what we believe in our heart (Rom. 10:9)! That is, we confess that we have switched allegiances! Confession is that courageous confirmation that we desire to follow Jesus Christ. When Philip prompted the Ethiopian eunuch concerning his allegiance regarding his faith, the eunuch announced, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). Far too many Christian martyrs have died for verbally demonstrating such allegiance.

Baptism changes our state. As Paul reveals in Romans 6, when we are submerged into the watery grave of baptism, we are demonstrating that we have crucified our old man of sin (cf. Gal. 2:20), but as we come up from the water, we experience a spiritual rebirth (cf. John 3:3-5; Tit. 3:5). We are in a new state—we begin to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). It is because the blood of Jesus washes our sins away in the process of baptism that we understand the change of state before and after baptism (Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5).

Therefore, through our response of faith, repentance, confession and baptism, we change our focus, our mind and our allegiance, and thus, God changes our state from one unsaved to one whom God saves or from non-Christian to Christian. Here is the transformation in conversion!

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