Romans 5:9-11
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Growing up in Church. I remember living in Wausau, WI, going to Wausau Bible Church listening to Pastor Al Abrahamson. I had to be in the 7th grade or less because we moved the summer between 7th and 8th grade which I remember being fortunate because we were responsible for making an insect collection pinned to a poster board that summer at Horace Mann Middle School. We would come home from Church and my dad would always ask me what I learned from the message. (I never asked our kids that for that reason - but Karen always did because she didn't grow up in church. If she had, she would have known how much we church kids hate that question -ha) I would always say I didn't understand it and he would always give me a hard time about not paying attention. One Sunday I decided to take notes and I could see my dad being excited. What he didn't realize until I read him my notes afterward is that I was writing down all the big words I didn't understand to defend my non-listening position. The pastor must have been preaching from Romans because I remember reconciliation, propitiation, atonement, redemption, justification, and every "ation" word except vacation. After that my dad didn't give me a hard time but somehow that note made it to the preacher and he read it from the pulpit and everyone had a good laugh.
Christianity can be a cultural experience. When you grow up in church, especially in the south, it brings back good memories of family, pot-lucks, Sunday afternoon football and in general everything good in life. No wonder people can say, "my faith is very important to me". I just don't hear Paul saying that quote. "My priorities are like this, Faith, family, and tent - making." Paul would say, "Are you kidding asking me my priorities? I was once God's enemy - we all are. And then for no explainable reason He sent His son to die for me so I could be brought back into a relationship with the God I spent my life opposed to. And then His son came back to life and became my friend, ushered me into the presence of His Father who then chose to adopt me into His family making Jesus my brother essentially and now I get to live forever with Him, the King of the whole Universe!! So my priorities... What a silly question, it's Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."
You see, Paul says he boasts in nothing except Jesus, yet we say, "I don't want to offend anyone, I don't want to alienate anyone, I let my life do the talking, yada yada." I just want to know how you can stay silent when you truly grasp all that God has done for you. The only way is if you have made Jesus part of your life, rather than your life.
Lord, deliver me from that old time religion today into a dynamic, essential love relationship with You. Let me boast only in You today. Amen
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