Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category
August 26th, 2010
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)
God empowers us for participation in His redemptive activity.
We cannot operate in God’s kingdom economy without God’s kingdom resources. God’s agenda can only be fulfilled by God’s enabling. Without God’s power, we cannot fulfill God’s mission. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit indwelt the believers and enabled them to speak forth the Gospel. Everyone heard the Good News in their own heart language. This miraculous communication of the Gospel was God’s demonstration that the Gospel is for everyone!
What is your spiritual story? How did you come to know Christ personally? What has your life been like since being filled with the Holy Spirit? What does God’s Word say about how a person can be saved? If you have experienced the Gospel firsthand, then you are now ready to witness to Christ’s saving power. You are now ready to share your faith with others. Read Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10, and 10:13.
God has reconciled you to Himself so that you can join God in reconciling others to Himself. Build bridges to those who don’t know Jesus so that they can have the saving relationship that you enjoy in Christ. There’s no greater task on planet earth!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 6th, 2010
“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” Deut 10:12-13 (NIV)
What does the redeemed life look like in practical day-by-day living? Once a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, how does that new identity translate into daily living? God reveals His expectations for the redeemed life.
Revere supremely. When you experience God’s redemption, your response to that redemption is a life of reverencing God. To revere God is to esteem Him and to give Him the rightful place He deserves in your life.
Live righteously. The redeemed life results in a righteous lifestyle. Godliness replaces worldliness. Selflessness replaces selfishness. Instead of allowing the world to influence your behavior, you influence the culture with the character of Christ in you.
Love completely. God loves you and demonstrated His love for you by allowing Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty of your sin. Love God completely by giving your heart to Him in full surrender. Express your love to Him in private and corporate worship.
Serve passionately. Now that you have been redeemed, serve God by continuing the ministry of Jesus. Serve God by spreading the fragrance of Christ through random acts of kindness. Find a need and meet it.
Obey instantly. Love what God loves and hate what God hates. “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17 NIV). Choose to obey God.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 5th, 2010
“They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thess 1:9-10 (NIV)
Before you were saved, you were running to sin and running from God. Now that you are saved, you run to God and run from sin. In Christ, you experience an authentic transformation whereby your sins are removed, you are reconciled to God, and you receive the imputed righteousness of Christ. Your appetite for sin is replaced with an appetite for righteousness. You hunger and thirst for God. There are no substitutes for a vibrant love relationship with the Lord. Nothing else will ever satisfy. The orientation of your life is centered on serving the living and true God.
The witness of the Thessalonian believers was widespread. Their authentic transformation reverberated throughout Macedonia and Achaia. Their contagious faith had become known everywhere. Turning to God from idols, they embodied the servitude of Christ and served the living and true God. They became an irresistible influence for the Lord.
When you experience the transformation Christ provides, you embrace a life of anticipation. You wait expectantly for the return of Christ from heaven. You live in light of His resurrection and His rescue. There is no one else who can rescue you from the coming wrath. God will judge sin. Those who have rejected God’s plan of salvation will spend eternity separated from God. Rejoice! Your transformation in Christ changes your eternal destiny. Hell is not your destination. The transformation you experienced in Christ assures your ultimate destination in heaven.
Jesus will come for His church prior to the Tribulation. Jesus will come with His church after the Tribulation to establish His millennial reign upon the earth. Live in light of His return!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
September 27th, 2009
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col 1:27 (NIV)
Is He in you? Do you have Christ living in you? God has unveiled the mystery. You can have Christ in you, the hope of glory. You were alienated from God without Christ and without hope. God chose to make Himself known to you so that you could have union with Christ. By His grace, God has made you fit for habitation by the Spirit of Christ.
- “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
- “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.” Romans 8:9-10 (NIV)
In Christ, you are dead to sin, but alive to righteousness. You have been justified through faith. In Christ, you have peace with God. Rejoice in the reality of Christ residing in you. The hope of glory is living in you.
What if your friends and acquaintances had Christ in them? What if those in your workplace or on your campus had Christ in them? Can you imagine the entire population of every continent having Christ in them? Let’s be intentional about helping others have the opportunity to experience Christ in them, the hope of glory.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
September 20th, 2009
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
Enjoying sacred communication with the Creator of the universe is one of your highest privileges. Praying to God for your children is one of your greatest investments in their future. Pray for their salvation. As you pray for your children’s salvation, be sure to join God in His redemptive activity.
Your witness matters to your children. They are watching you. Let them see the evidence of the salvation you have in Christ. Let them observe the fruit of the Spirit exhibited through your life. As you pray for your children’s salvation, seek to live out the life of peace and abundance provided to you in Christ.
God does not want anyone to perish. However, everyone has to respond to God’s offer of salvation by placing his or her faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross. The atoning work of Jesus on the cross is applied to those who turn from their sin and trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Your children have the freedom to choose Christ or to reject Christ. Pray for them to receive the gift of eternal life.
You can impact your children’s forever through the avenue of prayer. Commit to pray for your children’s salvation. Commit to pray that they will come to see their need for the Savior. Pray for their heart to be tender toward God and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
September 14th, 2009
“He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 1:8 (NIV)
What do you base your eternal security on? Are you placing your confidence in your own ability to finish strong? The same grace that saved you is the same grace that will keep you strong to the end.
Jesus sacrificed His life to deliver you out of the kingdom of darkness and to place you in the kingdom of light. Your eternal security is not based on your performance, but rather on the grace of Jesus operative in your life. Once you are in Christ, you are secure for eternity. Your eternal security does not give you a license to sin. Don’t presume upon the grace of God.
When you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you received the imputed righteousness of Christ. Your standing before God became that of being blameless. When God sees you, He sees you through the atoning work of Christ applied to your life. God views your life based on the shed blood of Jesus. You are now a saint because of your position in Christ. Jesus will keep you strong to the end. Join Him in that journey of holiness and purity. Participate with Christ by keeping yourself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27).
In Christ, you are entrusted to His care. The caregiver of your soul is the Lord Jesus Christ. You are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). Your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27). Now walk in the security you have in Christ. Live a life pleasing to God and help others come to know the security they can have in Christ.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
September 12th, 2009
“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Cor 1:4 (NIV)
Paul was writing from Ephesus on his third missionary journey a personal letter to the church at Corinth. He acknowledged God’s call on them to be holy along with the other believers who were calling on the name of the Lord. Paul gave evidence to the content of his prayer life for the church at Corinth through the theme of grace.
God’s grace had been clearly given to the church at Corinth. Paul had spent eighteen months there teaching them the Word of God (Acts 18:11). The grace Paul identified in them was the same grace that had rescued Paul from the path of being a persecutor of the church. Paul had a life-changing encounter with God’s grace. Now he is giving thanks to God for the grace they have in Christ Jesus.
When you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you encountered the grace of God firsthand. God gave you what you did not deserve. Because of your sin, you deserved alienation, separation, and eternal damnation. However, God graced you with His abiding peace and lavished you with His unconditional love. If you ever doubt God’s grace, just look into the rearview mirror of your life and recall the portraits of grace God has painted throughout the terrain of your past.
In Christ Jesus, you have been given grace. God has blessed you with a new identity in Christ. You are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). You have been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). You are God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10). God’s grace has been poured out on you abundantly (1 Ti. 1:14).
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
September 11th, 2009
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col 1:13-14 (NIV)
Desperate situations call for desperate measures. The extreme nature of our sin and rebellion demanded the extreme nature of complete atonement for our sin. Jesus was willing to endure the scorn and shame of the cross to pay the penalty of our sin in full. Because of His obedience to death on the cross, we are the recipients of God’s rescue package known as redemption.
Jesus came to our rescue. He lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death, and rose victorious over the grave. As Isaiah prophesied, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5 NIV). Jesus rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of light.
In Jesus, we have redemption. In Jesus, we have the forgiveness of sins. Being rescued from sin and eternal separation from God places us on the path that leads to life. What a joy to live the rescued life!
Now that you have been rescued from darkness, you have a life-changing message to share with others. What Jesus has done for you, He can do for others. What Jesus is doing in you, He can do in others. How will they know unless you are willing to share your rescue experience with them?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
June 15th, 2009
“You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” James 2:20-22 (NIV)
Your good works will not produce salvation.
If only you could work your way to heaven! Then the challenge would be knowing how much work would be required by God for you to deserve entrance into heaven. How would you know if you have done enough to get there? What if you almost made it, but fell short by one good deed? Fortunately, God does not base your salvation on your works.
The Bible does not present a works salvation, but a salvation that works. You cannot work for your salvation, but your salvation will be evidenced by good works. In response to God’s gracious gift of salvation, you will want to express your appreciation to God through deeds of righteousness. Your deeds will not produce righteousness, but your righteousness in Christ will produce righteous deeds. Your “want to” changes as a result of your salvation.
- “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21 (NIV)
- “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John 3:24 (NIV)
Your salvation is a gift from God and is marked by a life of obedience.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
June 12th, 2009
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 (NIV)
Often I have heard people insert their belief that “we are all trying to get to the same place, just taking different paths to get there.” Scripture does not affirm that belief. In fact, there is only one way to get to heaven. Jesus is the only way! Now that is both exclusive and inclusive. Those who reject Jesus as the only way don’t receive the benefit of eternal life in heaven. They are excluded from heaven for failing to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Be informed, since Jesus is the only way to heaven, you can know for certain that you have the gift of eternal life. Everyone who trusts in Jesus alone for salvation is included in the eternal benefits of that decision.
- “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
- “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NIV)
- “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV)
Have you met the way? Have you embraced the truth? Have you experienced the life? Be informed and be transformed by the only One who can make an eternal difference in your life, Jesus.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell