We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

(Romans 6:6-11 ESV)

Examine the word translated as “consider” (ESV), “count yourselves” (NIV) or “reckon” (KJV) in Romans 6:11: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” An important idea, Paul uses it 19 times throughout Romans and a proper understanding of it is necessary for a proper understanding of the book.

Translated from Greek, consider means to “impute (or put into) to one’s account.” In this case, “consider” doesn’t simply mean to think about or even meditate on. Rather, it states that we are to take account and own two things: (1)we are dead to sin (2)we are alive to God in Jesus Christ We aren’t just to think of these concepts in an academic sense; we must recognize that their reality is the only thing that matters.

A true grasp and embrace of our death to sin (through Jesus’s work on the cross) and resurrection through Jesus is a profound game changer for the Christian. No longer bound by the constraints of guilt and shame, we are free to live for that which will truly satisfy.

Many times, our relationship with God is a corrective one, apologizing, confessing and trying to fix what we’ve messed up. Confession is absolutely necessary, but we must do more than just avert our eyes or move our gaze from sin. For transformation to happen, we must not just look away from bad stuff, but actually gaze into the glorious face of Jesus.

In The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis famously said: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.”

As Christians, we often realize that we aren’t supposed to continue to play with the “mud pies” of this life, but our simple avoidance of the muddy field doesn’t automatically mean we enjoy the pleasures of the seaside. If you know Jesus, you are dead to sin. You are alive to God. Nothing else matters. Go today and take your eyes off that which doesn’t matter and gaze into His glorious face.

Aaron Catlin

As we continue reading through our L3 together this Advent season, I am continually reminded of the significance of Christ's arrival here on the earth and in the flesh. His coming signaled hope and a coming peace for humanity, but not without cost. It would require the defeat of sin and death. It would require Christ sacrificially giving His life up for us. It would require a war like none other.

A song that was released a few years ago made me more aware of this concept, and I was really encouraged by it. It speaks of Christ's arrival as a declaration of war against sin, death, and darkness. Christ's coming changed everything. He has won the victory over sin and death. He conquered the grave. That is what He came here to do. He is Lord and King.

Below are the lyrics and a video of Dustin singing this song. 

"This Is War"
Words and Music by Dustin Kensrue

This is war like you ain’t seen.
This winter’s long, it’s cold and mean.
With hangdog hearts we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.

This is war and born tonight,
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born king;
Who demons fear, of whom angels sing.

Hallelujah, a Child is born
He is the rescue we've waited for
The throne of David He will restore
The reign of mercy forevermore

This is war on sin and death;
The dark will take it’s final breath.
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans;
The mystery of God as man.

May the true significance of Advent stay at the forefront of our minds as we celebrate it with our friends and family this weekend. We have peace and hope because Jesus Christ declared war on sin and death, and became sin for us, so that we could be reconciled to God. Jesus is our peace.

May God bless you with the awareness of His presence during this Advent.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

In nearly every one of Paul’s letters to the churches (Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica), there are some recurring themes. The most significant of these themes is that of justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ. In the last two letters we have read together in our L3 journal, Galatians and Ephesians, we see this theme very clearly.

In Galatians 2:16, Paul writes, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (ESV). To be “justified” is a legal term meaning “to be declared righteousness,” and basically communicates the idea of “right-standing” with God (Leon Morris, The Atonement, p. 187). Paul goes on in chapter 3 to discuss Abraham (this passage is very similar to Romans 3:21 - 5:11), and how God made a covenant promise to him through faith, without any law. "The law," Paul writes, “came 430 years afterward,” and “does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.” Basically, if the promise was given without any law, then the law that came 430 years later does not change the promise. The original promise still stands. The law was given to teach people what true righteousness looks like and what was God's standard for righteousness.

Paul is saying here that a right-standing and relationship with God cannot come by working for it. It always came by believing and trusting Him. Before Christ, true Judaism was looking forward in faith and trust in God’s ultimate provision of salvation through the Savior (the people that Jesus was most harsh with in the Gospels were the ones who were trying to establish a their right-standing and relationship with God based on their own merit, like the Pharisees).

Today, we are on the other side of that ultimate provision in Jesus Christ, and the message is clear: we cannot save ourselves, nor can we have right-standing with God based on our own work. We need Jesus Christ’s perfect life, death, and resurrection in order to have a relationship with God. This is what Paul is saying here: no one has right-standing with God because of their own good works. It is only by God’s grace that we are made right with God. We are all incapable of fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law, and we have all come up short when measured by its standards, so we are hopeless on our own (see also Rom. 3:23). Trusting in Jesus’ work on our behalf is the only way for us to be justified.

In Ephesians 2, Paul says it this way (my paraphrase), “You were dead in your sin. You did not keep the law, even if you tried. You disobeyed God. Despite all of this, God, because He is rich in mercy and loves us so much, that He made us alive together with Christ. It is only by His grace that you are alive. It is not because of anything you have done. You can’t take any credit for this. It is only by His undeserved gift of salvation through Jesus Christ that you have life.”

We do not deserve God’s forgiveness, His love, or His grace and mercy. Rather, we deserve His wrath for our sin. That is where our lives were heading without Christ, because we could not fulfill the law, despite our best efforts. He is our only hope. He is our salvation. He is the one who declares us righteous through His death in our place, for our sins, on the cross. He is the one who gives us right-standing and a relationship with God. The way to have this new life? TRUST HIM- not yourself or anything you have done. Trust what He has done for you. Trust that it is enough. Believe that there is nothing you can do to make it a better deal for God. You cannot make yourself look any better in the sight of God. Jesus has already done all the work and been perfect in your place. His promise is the only way for you to be justified. His grace is our only hope. Let us never forget that our salvation is not of our own doing in any way. We didn’t save ourselves, and we don’t keep ourselves saved. It is only by the grace of God that we are saved and have the promise of eternal life with Him. This thought runs through all of Paul’s letters in some way, and is the crux of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship & Arts Pastor

Luke 22:42 – “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Few statements in Scripture are more selfless. Jesus, facing the cross, a death of great shame, distress and agony, was staring down a moment where He would become sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) and take sin’s full penalty and the Father’s divine wrath upon himself. The mental strain of carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders got to him as he wrestled with God through prayer. Yet, he did not back down. He did not hide. He laid down his desire, his will, his comfort to obey his Father.

That is the heart of humility. Christ is the God-Man. He is fully human, fully divine and uniquely qualified to be the atoning sacrifice for sin because he had no sin. Death was not something that he deserved. He laid down what he deserved for the will of his father and a world condemned by sin.

On account of the grace of Christ’s humility, we have the opportunity to have life through belief in him, his death and resurrection. How then should we respond?

With humility.

There are times where we have to give up things we may feel like we deserve (comfort, possessions, time) to accomplish the will of God in and through our lives. This is exemplified very clearly in presenting the Gospel. There are many reasons we can list as to why we don’t share our faith with our neighbors, family and friends, but usually at its heart is some level of pride. What will they think? What will they say? How will they respond?

Humility tells us not to worry about ourselves, but to be more concerned with others. Christ was more concerned with others when he chose to obey his father. We can demonstrate the same type of humility when we overcome our fears (by wrestling in prayer with God) and share His story with those around us.

And what great timing it is. Easter week. Sunday’s coming. What a great chance to share your faith and invite that person to church.

Be strong and courageous. Humility comes before honor.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor