“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you ….” (2 Timothy 1:6) “Remind everyone about these things….” (2 Timothy 2:14).
Sometimes we need to
hear things over and over before they really “sink in”. This can be especially true about Spiritual
things.
“Remind you….” is a phrase that shows up a lot in the
letters of the Apostle Paul.
The most important
spiritual truths need to be emphasized again and again if the hearers are to
truly learn them and benefit from them.
Here are seven
biblical truths hopefully will help us “get it.” (The list is not meant to be exhaustive.
You’ll think of other essential truths that need hammering home again and
again.)
1) Jesus Christ is the
Savior of the world and the only Savior.
That is the theme of
so much Scripture anyway, isn’t it? How could we not keep the
focus on the Lord Jesus–His identity, His life and ministry, His teachings, His
being over the church, and His place in our lives–if we are being true to the
Word?
We need to hear –over
and over again; the theme never wears out–”Why we make so much of Jesus.”
Recently in North Carolina the state legislature voted to make a certain
Baptist preacher their chaplain, then firing him when he refused to take “In
Jesus’ name” out of his prayers. And they call this “political
correctness”. Go figure. (Note: Many a New Testament prayer did not use
the actual words “in Jesus’ name” and we should not feel ours must always,
either. However, if someone asked me to say a prayer but leave out Jesus, then
I’m gone!
Jesus Christ is Lord,
for now and for eternity, and no one else is.
We should always stay
focused on the Lord Jesus with people we are around.
2) The Church is an
essential part of the Lord’s plan, for now and forever.
And we are most definitely
not referring just to our local congregation. As important as that is–this will
come as a surprise to a many–the Kingdom of God is more than our church.
When Jesus saved us,
He knew something we were about to find out: “We cannot live this new life in
isolation. We need the family
of God.” They hold
onto us, we hold onto them. They instruct and nurture us; we turn around and do
the same for others. This need for interaction has been God’s plan from early
on.
“…..I will
build my church,….” the Lord said in Matthew 16:18. It’s His and
He builds it. The Christ-follower who claims to be able to live for
Christ better without the church is insulting His Lord. The church-leader who
would run the Lord’s church “for Him” is asking for big trouble fast.
3) Salvation is all
about the cross.
Salvation is not by
works of righteousness but humility, repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on Calvary.
The threat to turn
salvation into a matter of works will never go away. It’s grounded in man’s way
of thinking, his human (and thus self-centered) reasoning. From what we
read about most other religions of the world teach variations of “do this and
you’re saved” or “do not do this and you are saved.” Only one religion proclaims
that everything necessary has already been done and our task is to repent and
receive it through believing in the Lord Jesus!
One pastor says that when
people tell me they believe their good works will get them to Heaven, I ask,
“Then, what was the point of the cross? If all God had to do was tell us ‘Y’all
be good now, you hear?’ then He sure went to a lot of trouble for nothing by
sending Jesus into this world to die on a cross for our sins.” (They have
no answer since they have never given these things the first thought. If we
need further evidence of man’s sinful heart, there it is.)
Celebrate the grace of
God, always, with our church family. Keep them at the cross.
