© None Rev. Janeen Tronc once we pledge our faith to Jesus Christ, we develop into brand new people on the interior. The Holy Spirit offers us new life and we don't seem to be the identical person anymore. We are not reformed, rehabilitated or re-informed — we're re-created, new creations living in essential union with Christ. (Colossians 2)
As believers we don't only flip over a new leaf; we begin a new life below a new grasp.
As believers, we are Christ's ambassadors sent to tell the area that they can be united with him in peace. We don't take the responsibility flippantly. How well are you pleasurable your commission as Christ's ambassador? Acts 17 says, "of one blood, God created humanity." here's what unites us.
© None None when we have faith in Christ, we make an attractive trade — our sin for his righteousness. God poured all our sin on Christ at his crucifixion, and he poured all of Christ's righteousness into us at our conversion.
these days we analyze Paul's passing the torch to the next era. He informed Timothy, "do not be ashamed to testify about Jesus."
It says in 2 Timothy 1, "What you heard from me, hold as a pattern of sound instructing with religion and love in Jesus Christ." We see this sample keep repeating itself in the e-book of Acts!
Jesus died on the pass, rose from the lifeless, after which, it says in Acts 1:3, Jesus came back and walked for forty days among the believers before he went as much as heaven — so there can be no doubt that Jesus was in reality back alive! Then in Matthew 28, Jesus mentioned go and preach the gospel.
In Acts Peter told them, "This man Jesus, become surpassed over to you by using God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the assist of depraved men, put him to loss of life through nailing him to the cross. however God raised him from the useless, liberating him from the soreness of demise, because it was inconceivable for death to hold its dangle on him. therefore let all Israel be guaranteed of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, each Lord and Messiah."
What's their response? When the people heard this, they have been cut to the coronary heart and noted to Peter and the different apostles, "Brothers, what we could do?" Peter responded, "Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the identify of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. and you will acquire the present of the Holy Spirit. With many other phrases he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "shop yourselves from this corrupt era." folks that permitted his message have been baptized, and about three thousand were delivered to their quantity that day."
Acts says, "You disowned him and you killed the writer of life. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead. We're seeing a sample. All denominations deserve to stand on this certainty!!
"Jesus — who you crucified, died, was buried, and God raised him from the dead.
"After they prayed, the area where they were meeting was shaken. and they have been crammed with the Holy Spirit and spoke the observe of God boldly. so that they persisted to train resurrection of the useless!
Peter observed in Acts, "We ought to obey God in preference to human beings. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead — whom you killed through hanging him on a cross. They've acquired their marching orders and that they're on a mission.
Paul says, "hang onto the pattern Timothy.
in the end of chapter 5 we see the disciples on no account stopped preaching and teaching.
In chapters 6 and seven, Steven is preaching and telling the crowd, "They even killed our Messiah." Then Stephen is stoned whereas Saul accepted of it.
In Chapter 8, we see Saul, who then turns into Paul, is still persecuting believers, so they scattered into diverse areas. Yet the Gospel is preached and many are baptize — are you seeing a pattern?
next Phillip is instructed to move to the barren region desolate tract to meet a Eunuch searching scriptures. Phillip explains to him the good news of Jesus. The Eunuch bought Jesus and then asks, "What's stopping me from being baptized. (i really like this as a result of he doesn't say, "Now what do I need to do" — however what's stopping me from the subsequent step — of being baptized!)
So, after eight chapters, starting with Acts 1:3 where Jesus indicates himself for 40 days after rising from the dead, the final chapter ends with Acts 28:23, the place Paul continues to be preaching the gospel but many don't trust. Paul makes this closing remark: "The Holy Spirit spoke the actuality to your ancestors when he pointed out through Isaiah the prophet: "Go to this people and say, 'You will be ever listening to but never realizing; you will be ever seeing but under no circumstances perceiving. For this individuals's coronary heart has turn into calloused; they rarely hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. otherwise they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, keep in mind with their hearts and turn, and that i would heal them. for this reason I need you to grasp that God's salvation has been despatched to the Gentiles, and they'll hear!'"
The gospel has been preached time and again once again for two,021 years.
Yet the massive picture is neglected by means of so many. Let's all come collectively in figuring out this — God becomes flesh, he dies, and is resurrected and lives in heaven — he eliminates our sin and saves us from dying.
Paul is announcing, "this is no longer whatever man made up, however it's a revelation from Jesus Christ you have got heard. In verse 14, Paul become blinded and he couldn't see the reality. He concept he changed into following God by way of eliminating new Christians.
John 14 says, "i'm the way." Paul had committed his existence to being a murderous thug making an attempt to find and kill Christians. Then Jesus, on the highway to Damascus opens Paul's eyes to the certainty — and now he's preaching the gospel message. subsequent he went to Timothy and observed, "Don't get off of this to the left or right." And now in 2021 we're off of it.
Jesus referred to Saul, Saul why do you persecute me? who's Jesus? who're you Lord? each human will ask themselves who is Jesus. Saul who grew to be Paul, couldn't see as he changed into blinded for three days. When the Lord calls you — say yes. In 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote, "Get back to the gospel." we will have confidence our God — His message by no means alterations and he's faithful. Amen.
Rev. Janeen Tronc pastors at Cornell UMC and United Church of Odell
this text at the start appeared on Pontiac daily chief: Pastoral point of view: Being united in Jesus Christ
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