Now that's a crazy Christian!

Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

My wife mentioned to me this morning an interesting thought that was brought up by our pastor in church a few weeks ago: does your dog ever bark, whine, grumble, or howl at you as if you should understand what he or she is attempting to say? The pastor brought this up while mentioning that prior to man’s fall in the Garden, all of God’s creatures were in perfect harmony with one another, even to the point of being able to clearly communicate. Dogs, cats, chickens, and the rest of the animals are not currently aware that sin has corrupted mankind and separated us from the perfect unity that was had in the Garden. That is why they still, to this day, think we’ll understand: because they have not fallen into sin, but have been unwillingly subjected to its consequences!

In Romans 8 verses 20 and 21, the Bible tells us, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” This being the case, have we, the Christian world, ever taken into account that it’s not just our friends, family, and neighbors who need to hear the gospel? Horticulturists have said for years that speaking to your plants or playing music for them can actually help them grow and thrive. How much more good could be done for your garden by preaching the Gospel to your fruits and vegetables?

Sometimes we don’t take the Bible for what it says, but we read into it to draw our own conclusions. Take this particular verse as an example. We interpret it to mean we need to go out and tell the people of the world the Good News, that is, Jesus Christ and His restoration of our souls to righteousness through the cross, but is that the correct interpretation? This verse, incidentally spoken by Jesus, specifically says, “...preach the gospel to every creature.” The word ‘every’ in this case is translated from the Greek word ‘pas’ meaning, “each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything”.

So what was Christ really saying here? I believe that He was making a point to His followers that we are to proclaim His victory over sin and death to everything on the face of the earth, not just people. You may think that sounds crazy and perhaps you would even feel a bit “special” telling your pet or tomato plant that Jesus Christ died to conquer sin and restore the world, but there is power in doing this.

When you speak to your dog, “Did you know that Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross? It’s true, He did. Christ fulfilled all of the requirements of God’s holy law and claimed victory over sin!” Not only may it have a positive impact on your dog’s well being, but it will also increase your personal faith in His finished work. (Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.)

So, let’s be crazy for Christ! It’s time to start letting the trees, the grass, the cats, and the dogs of the world know that sin has been conquered and that Christ is the King. Not only will God’s creation be happy to hear it, but you’ll be blessed for saying it!

Traditions

Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

What glory could God possibly gain by concealing something? For that matter, what glory could possibly be found in searching for something? Well, I look at it this way: we are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). “In His image” doesn’t just pertain to our physical attributes but to our emotions as well. Think about this for a moment: how much joy (as a parent or otherwise) does it bring to you to conceal or wrap a present for a loved one? Think of how you, the wrapper, feel on Christmas morning as the presents you picked, specifically for each person, are opened.

Now, think about the other part of Christmas morning. You are now the one receiving the gifts. They are bundled up in boxes, wrapped with colorful paper, topped with shiny bows, and labeled with your name. Think of the joy that you have opening a gift from a loved one, realizing the time that they spent thinking about what you wanted or needed and the money they invested in acquiring it for you. Then think about the extra time and effort they went through to wrap it up and place it under the tree just for you.

Well, this is what God has done for us, His children, with His greatest gift ever, Jesus Christ. I’m not going to say that Jesus hasn’t been revealed; that’s why we have the New Testament. But what I am saying is that God has concealed Him, Jesus, in the Old Testament for us to search out and discover as we live into our Christian lives.

Think of the glory it brings to God when we open His Word, the Bible, and actively search the texts for His Son. Sure, there are points and lessons in there about finances, marriage, relationships, and parenting, but the most important part of the Bible is discovering Jesus Christ in it! This is what brings glory to God: the recognition and active seeking of His Son. This is what fosters a relationship with Jesus, seeking Him, not just His answers.

From our end, the glory to us is found in the search. Blessings, honor, favor, power, peace, happiness, joy, love, patience, kindness (and the list goes on), are all for when we search for and find the hidden Jesus in the Word. (“and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:6) If we are made kings then our glory is found in the search. When we read the Bible looking for Jesus, the joy that comes when we finally recognize Him is incredible.

We have certain things that we do in our lives as tradition. We wrap birthday presents and Christmas presents and eagerly watch as they are torn open by our children and friends. We take our children out on Easter and hide candy and treats in plastic eggs. We hide those eggs all over the yard and allow our children to find them and enjoy what hidden treasure is tucked inside. We, the parents, get great joy from concealing gifts and hiding Easter eggs. Is it completely insane to think that God (in whose image we are created) also enjoys the thrill of wrapping gifts and the excitement of watching us open them? Could it be that God the Father truly enjoys watching His children “hunt” for their Easter treasure, Jesus?

All aboard!

Proverbs 17:8
A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers.

I’m sure most of you have noticed that I do most of my studying from the New King James Version of the Bible. No, I’m not one of those, “If it ain’t KJV then it ain’t for me!” Bible thumpers; I just like the way the NKJV reads. Even though I like the NKJV, I often find myself searching out other translations of the Bible for deeper meaning. Sometimes, and not for the sake of omitting anything, words have been changed or left out of translations for the ease of reading or modern understanding.

Usually I end up looking in other translations when I get an idea from my reading that isn’t necessarily written on the page. Take this verse as an example. When I read it, I thought of Jesus as the present and myself as the possessor. I personalized the verse based on my knowledge of Jesus Christ.

First, Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation. He’s the chief cornerstone that the church has been built upon (Luke 20:17). Second, He is precious in the eyes of the Father (Matthew 17:5) Third, it was His grace that has saved us, and it is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).

As I meditated on this verse I began to wonder, what did other translations of the Bible say? Here are just a few:

Young’s Literal Translation “A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.”

New Living Translation “A bribe is a lucky charm, whoever gives one will prosper.”

GOD’s Word Translation “A bribe seems like a jewel to the one who gives it, wherever he turns, he prospers.

Feeling compelled to go even further, I decided to check into Strong’s Concordance to find out what the original words meant. The following is how it would read with the original Hebrew words in parentheses.


“A gift (shachad) is as a precious (chen) stone (eben) in the eyes (ayin) of him that hath (ba’al) it: withersoever it turneth (panah) it prospereth (sakal).”

I know this is a bit much, but it’s interesting stuff. The definitions of the Hebrew words are as follows:

shachad-present, bribe, ransom
chen-favor, grace, elegance
eben-precious stones, tablets
ayin-literal eyes, spiritual discernment
ba’al-owner, husband, citizens
panah-to turn and look, look back, forward, left, and right
sakal-to be prudent, wisely understand, or prosper

All that language to lead into this point: the gift of grace ransomed through Jesus Christ is favor to all those who spiritually discern it and possess it as their own. Wherever Christ’s grace leads your life, He will prosper, as will you through Him. I like the versions that state wherever “it” turns “it” will prosper. Being a Christian means being a follower of Christ. We need to allow Him to lead us and direct our paths. We need to trust that wherever He turns, prosperity will follow. If we’re following Him, then, through His grace, we’re going to catch a ride on the caboose of His prosperity train. “All aboard!!!”

Decisions, decisions

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

What do you know about me? What do you know about your wife, husband, kids, or coworkers? What do you know about your pastor, worship leader, or favorite singer?

I’m sure that my wife could come up with a long list of things that she knows about me. She knows my job. She knows my demeanor. She knows how long it takes me to get ready in the morning. She knows I love her. She knows I’m prone to anger. She knows nearly everything about me through years of living (and putting up) with me.

Everything that Maggie knows about me, she has learned through years of experiencing life with me. She knows, “If it ain’t eggs, it ain’t breakfast” because I told her that’s how I feel. She knows that I like to get up at least an hour and a half before I have to leave because I need time to prepare myself for the day. She knows that my patience tank is small, and she compensates for that by extending me grace in our daily walk together. She knows I’m not a good speller. She knows I’m sarcastic. She knows that I’m blunt, but usually mean no harm.

Maggie knows all of these things about me because she has lovingly and graciously put up with me for nearly 18 years now. All of these things that she knows about me, she has learned either through experiences or through direct verbal teaching.

Likewise, I know Maggie in the same way. We have been together and have been learning from each other, about each other, for a long time. We have become like one person, and that’s a good thing. It’s Biblical! (Mark 10:8, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5) Just like Maggie has learned about me, nearly everything that I know about her I have learned through experiences or her direct teaching. But there is one thing that I have to determine to know about Maggie. It’s the one thing that covers up all of the other stuff that I know about her.

I have to determine on my own to know only Christ and Christ crucified about Maggie. Paul says it when he speaks to the church and it’s true today for our personal lives as well as our day to day lives. We need to be looking at one another through Christ. When I look at, talk to, or hang around with Maggie I have made the determination to see her as perfect through Christ.

We, as Christians, are viewed by God the Father as holy and righteous through Jesus Christ. It is God who first determined not to know anything among us except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That was, and still is, a choice on His part. He has made the determination to overlook, ignore, bypass, whatever you want to say, everything evil and corrupt about us, choosing only to know us based on Jesus Christ and His finished work at the cross.

If the Father looks at us and sees the perfect work of Jesus, how can we look at each other in judgement? Imagine a world full of Christians who, when they encounter a person, only see the finished work of Jesus Christ’s blood cleansing their sins. Imagine the impact that would have on a lost and hurting world.

Pharmacology

Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.

There are a lot of drugs on the market designed to help people deal with depression and anxiety. Some of them include Prozac, Xanax, Klonopin, Cymbalta, Celexa, and Paxil. We’re bombarded with television, radio, and magazine ads telling us not only what is wrong with us, but also what drug we can use to fix it.

Sadly, these drugs have adverse effects on the body. They cause drowsiness, slurred speech, slow heart rates, low blood pressure, nausea, headaches, poor coordination, and weak muscles. They are all central nervous system (brain) depressants, meaning they depress (as in slow) your brain functions. They act on the body in a very similar way to alcohol, because alcohol too is a CNS Depressant.

These drugs induce a false sense of happy feelings in the body. They are parasympathomimetic drugs. They mimic the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the system in the body that sends messages to the brain that everything is fine. It’s the “we’re cool” message center. But the reality is, everything isn’t fine! It’s all false. These happy feelings, this at ease state of mind, it’s a lie. It’s a deception. It’s misleading. It’s destructive! These drugs are the world’s answer to a problem that only God can fix through the healing power of His Son, Jesus.

I’m not going to quote all of the scriptures that pertain to being a drunkard (which in most cases imply wine but can certainly pertain to the use or over-use of prescription medication) but rather, I am choosing to point out a scripture that addresses the problem and points to the solution!

Anxiety causes depression, but a good word can fix it! (Yes, I’m paraphrasing.) Jesus Himself tells us, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25) Then Paul repeats Christ in his letter to the Philippian church: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Christians, we have a severe problem out there in the world. There are people who are being deceived with false healings through drug-induced happiness while living their lives in a drunken stupor. All the while, their bank accounts and futures are being flushed away to the pharmaceutical industry. Mark 5 gives us an account of a woman who had an physical ailment for 12 years who had “...suffered many things from many physicians...” (Mark 5:25-26) But when she heard of Jesus’ coming she went out and touched Him and she was healed.

We need to take this Proverb to heart. John 1:1 tells us that Jesus Christ is the Word. It is imperative that we go out into the world, not bringing a message of condemnation, nor of fix-yourself programs. We don’t need to be vocalizing rules and regulations. We simply need to be bringing a Good Word to people. That Good Word is Jesus. When we deliver Jesus to the lost and hurting, the anxious and depressed, they’ll have no choice but to be glad. Jesus is the ultimate Healer. Why are we allowing people to settle for anything less than the Best?

Carpentry

1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

I know that this verse is speaking of sin that takes place in the body and that we are to remember that the Spirit lives within us, but as I thought over it in my mind, I started to think about the Old Testament Temple and what it looked like.

In Exodus 26, God gives very specific instructions to Moses about how the tabernacle is to be built. He tells Moses exactly what His house will look like. God makes every detail of His house known. From the fine linen curtains to the red-dyed ram skin covering, not a point is missed. God is very specific in the wood used, and mandates that it will be covered with gold. All of these things are to be built, manufactured, and assembled so that the Ark of the Testimony can be placed in the center of the tabernacle.

It’s interesting that God specified acacia wood to be used as the building material for the walls of the Tabernacle. Acacia is commonly called the “thorn-tree” because of the thorns on its branches. Acacia trees have a straight trunk, but twisted branches. They are the classic trees seen in most African safari pictures.Why would God choose such a distinct tree to have His tabernacle built from?

Well, because under the New Covenant of Christ’s blood, we are the temple of God. We try desperately to grow straight, but our decisions, born out of our sin nature, lead us into a twisted tangle by the time we mature. Our sin is like a thorn growing out from our side, that over time has poked and stabbed not only at people, but at the heart of God.

What a blessing to know that through the blood of Jesus we have been covered with perfection! We have been made to stand upright by His sacrifice. We have been covered with His atoning blood and are seen as pure by our Father in heaven. Now we shine with His glory, with His righteousness, with His love, and we reflect that out to the rest of the world. In the Old Testament the Ark sat at the center of the Tabernacle so that the walls around it all reflected its beauty and splendor. Now the Ark (that is, Jesus) resides within each one of us so that we can reflect His glory to the world as we walk through our days.

When Christ was crucified He took our twisted, thorn-covered branches upon His head. He wore as His crown the part of us that was sin-ridden and hurtful. He left only the straight trunk, good for working and building. He’s shaved off the bark, planed down the curves, sanded out the rough edges and made us into perfect straight, strong boards. He covered us with His righteousness; He filled us with His righteousness and He made us His home. He is, after all, a carpenter by birth!

Three simple words...

Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

My wife pointed out an interesting Facebook status earlier yesterday. It read, “What’s something that your mom said to you that you vowed never to say to your children, but have?” There were a lot of interesting, and amusing, posts on there, but the comment really got me thinking, “What has my mom said that I vowed never to say?” And then it hit me!

All through my life growing up, no matter where we lived, how much money we didn’t have, or what kind of car we drove, my mom always told me these three words; “Jesus loves you.” If I was feeling down, “Jesus loves you.” If things weren’t going my way, “Jesus loves you.” When I was ready for bed, “Jesus loves you.” When people were teasing me, “Jesus loves you.” A lot of the time I thought she sounded like a broken record or a retarded parrot.

I didn’t believe that Jesus loved me. Heck, I didn’t even believe there was a Jesus. Yeah, I went to church and sang on Sunday morning, but I didn’t believe in Jesus. I was young and had to go because my parents made me. But when I turned 18, I made up my mind. There would be no more Jesus or church for me. He wasn’t real and that was that. I told myself that I would never tell my kid “Jesus loves you” because I believed there was no Jesus!

As the years passed and I did some stupid things, one thing remained constant: my mom continued to tell me “Jesus loves you.” Even as an adult on my own, when struggles would come my way, Mom’s answer was “Jesus loves you.” It got to the point that when I heard those three words it was as if someone were running fingernails down a chalkboard while hitting me in the head with a mallet!

Today, May 8, 2011, something dawned on me. All those times she was saying “Jesus loves you”, faith was coming. It was coming by hearing the simple word of God. Really, isn’t that the Gospel in a nutshell? Jesus loves you. He loves me, you, them, that guy, those gals, him, her, that old grouchy man, that mean old cat lady; Jesus loves us! Isn’t that what the Word of God says? Doesn’t the Bible make it abundantly clear in passage after sweet passage that “Jesus loves you”?

So what of it? People we need to get on board and start acting like annoying broken records and retarded parrots. We need to start saying the simple truth to one another. That Truth is that Jesus loves you! I have no greater desire today than to tell the entire world the very three words I swore never to say to my own child, “JESUS LOVES YOU!” I am consumed with Jesus and the desire to find Him in everything.

So, while this blog is all about Jesus and shall remain that way, today I’m putting in some props to my mom. Not just because it’s Mother’s Day, but because I want her to know “Jesus loves you, too.”

Elpis

Romans 15:4
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

I think the Bible is under-understood by people. Oh sure, it’s a great history of Israel and is full of stories of God’s miracles as He rescued His people from oppression time and time again. Oh yes, it’s full of tales of valiant men who defeated foes with little more than slings and stones; pitchers and trumpets. Oh, it’s full of lessons about morality, finances, marriage, and parenting. But it’s so much more.

I love the Bible, but not just because it’s full of these stories and not just because it’s full of practical life lessons. I don’t love the Bible because it dictates to me how to live my life, or how to be a good person. No, I love the Bible because it’s full of Jesus. Everyday I open it up I gather a deeper understanding of who my (“claimin’ it”) Savior is and how He feels about me. The same opportunities are there for everyone who opens its pages.

I’m not implying that life lessons from the Bible aren’t useful; what I am suggesting is that we are to be learning much more from our Bibles than how to manage money, improve our marriage, or raise our kids. Here Paul tells us that the Bible was written for our learning that we might have hope. Hope isn’t some blind desire for happiness, as the world would have us think (“I hope I win the lottery!” “I hope I don’t fail this test!”). It is a root to nourish our faith. The word ‘hope’ in the Greek text is ‘elpis’ (pronounced el-peez’), meaning a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.

This ‘hope’ only comes “...through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures...”. It’s only through the Word of God that we have can have hope. So what is the “patience and comfort of the Scriptures”? It’s Jesus Christ. When Christ is drawn out of the Scriptures we have hope. When practical lessons are drawn out of the scriptures we have a to-do list. When Jesus is drawn out of the scriptures we have an it’s-done list. Healing, forgiveness, blessings, honor, righteousness, and peace were all imparted to us through the grace of God by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Jesus is patient, that though we continue to sin (even as devout believers), He still loves us. There’s comfort in knowing that, through His blood, God no longer sees our sins, but only Christ’s righteousness covering us. So let’s start teaching Jesus from all the scriptures. Let’s find Him in Deuteronomy. Let’s seek Him out in 2 Chronicles. He’s not just in the Gospels; He’s all over the Bible! It’s not the fix-it lessons that bring us hope. It’s the Jesus lessons and the understanding of who He is that give us a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.

Revelation

Proverbs 4:20-22
“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.”

Today’s world is full of things that influence our attitudes, our feelings, and our health. I’m pretty sure we’re all aware of the recent phenomenon of the laughing baby on youtube. You know, the one with the baby laughing uncontrollably while dad rips up paper. It’s pretty much impossible to watch that video without smiling. But just as there are positive influences such as this baby laughing, there are also negative influences that change our feelings and our health.

Reports of tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, murders, kidnappings, rapes, and corruption bombard our eyes, ears, and minds on a daily basis. We have CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, RUSH-Radio, and countless others infiltrating our homes and our cars with reports of death, destruction, and mayhem across the world. But what are we to do? Certainly we can’t just pack up and live in a cave somewhere. Certainly we can’t just ignore reality. We have to do something, but what?

That’s where the Bible comes in! (It’s okay to say “AMEN” or “Praise Jesus” at this point!)

First of all, the Bible is God’s love letter to us, the world. As I’ve said before, it’s His photo album of grace and love and is wrapped up and completely consumed with Jesus Christ. It was Spirit inspired as the Good News for the world. The Bible, if you will, is our laughing baby. (I know that doesn’t do it justice, but just go with it for now.)

This excerpt from Proverbs 4 is loaded with good news, truth, and help to get us through those tough times, because it screams Jesus. Let’s look at it.

“My son...”. What a way for God to address us (‘son’ meaning you, the reader)! I know that these are the wise sayings of Solomon, but really, they are the inspired Word of God. So really it’s God talking, and He addresses us as ‘son’. What a blessing it is to be called son by the Creator of everything.

Next, an instruction from our Creator: “...give attention to my words...” This simply means don’t dwell on all that worldly stuff. Don’t give your attention to (don’t concentrate your mind on) the negative, but give your mind to one single thought, God’s Word.

Next, the reason behind why He wants us to give attention to His words: they bring life to all who find them! But that’s not all His words bring. They bring health as well. Did you know that when you focus and dwell on the negative your body gets sick? Depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and cutting are just a few examples of what happens to a person who focuses on the negative. But life and health FOR ALL is what can be found for those who choose to dwell and give attention to God’s words.

And this brings us to Jesus Christ who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE.” Jesus Christ, who stated, “I have come that you might have LIFE and have it more abundantly.” Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God. (John 1:1) Jesus Christ, who brought healing and health to everyone He touched. (Luke 6:19)

So today I’m telling you, “My friends, give attention to Jesus Christ. Incline your ears to His teachings. Do not take your eyes off of Him and His finished work at the cross. Open your heart, embrace Him and His sacrifice. Jesus is life to all who find Him and He is health to all who have Him.”

10-4: Okay

Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

The end of the law? But Jesus said that He didn’t come to abolish the law; how can He be the end of the law? Allowing scripture to interpret scripture is the best way to understand what the Bible means. It’s all too easy to take a verse out of context, quote only half of it, and thus make it say what you want it to say, not what God intended it to say.

As stated above, Christ Himself said that He didn’t come to abolish the law (Matthew 5:17), but rather to fulfill it. He then stated, in the very next verse, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18) Contextually, Jesus was speaking to a people still bound by the Law of Moses, that is, the Levitical rules and regulations given to the Jewish people as commandments from God.

That being so, what He said that day fully applied to the people of that time because He had yet to fulfill all of the law and its requirements. But Jesus continued with His mission and ministry here on earth. He fulfilled and lived into all that God had planned for Him and He went to the cross at Calvary. He bore the scourging of Roman soldiers. He wore the crown of thorns on His brow. He carried our sins, on His shoulders, up to His place of execution. He bore the sins of the world from beginning to end in His body and then He cried out, “IT IS FINISHED!” (John 19:30)

At those words the veil in the temple was torn, the earth quaked, buildings collapsed, dead bodies rose from their graves, and the law was fulfilled. He put an end to the workings of men and our feeble attempts to make ourselves righteous before a truly Righteous God. He imparted to us His Righteousness and took our unrighteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

At that very moment He, Jesus Christ, became the end of the law, period. No longer can the law be used against us in judgment because God’s justice was satisfied with Jesus’ sacrifice. No longer can the law be manipulated by man to condemn the actions of still sinful believers. We were graced out of the “do good get good/do bad get bad” design of the Law of Moses and welcomed into the age of grace and forgiveness offered by Christ. When Christ died on the cross He gave righteousness to everyone who believes in Him.

This is not to say that we are to stop obeying the laws, but that our ability or inability to uphold them will not be used in judgment against us. If God is no longer judging us based on our abilities, but rather on the perfection of His Son, Jesus Christ, then it stands to reason that we should no longer be judging ourselves or each other based on our individual abilities or inabilities to fulfill the requirements of the law. In church, at home, and at work we should be constantly preaching, teaching, and focusing all eyes on Jesus Christ and His finished work. We don’t need to tell people a long list of to-do’s that will set their lives right; we just need to give them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His authoritative statement of “It’s done!” Just like we don’t have to do the work to get His salvation, we also don’t have to do the work to change people’s lives. We are the bearers of the best news ever: Jesus Christ is the risen Savior of the world. He died for you and for me and there is freedom in His sacrifice. The work to be done in correcting behavior in individuals should be left up to Holy Spirit. Our work is simply to proclaim Jesus. 10-4?