August 3
2 Chron 33:14-34:33 | PS 26:1-12 | Prov 20:19 | Rom 16:10-27
Do you matter? Does your voice deserve to be heard? These are legitimate questions in a world which on one hand seems to scream tolerance and equality while at the same time does everything to silence dissenting opinions. Lies have been poured out so steadily that it is accepted as fact and truth. With the outbreaks came the division of individuals into workers that were deemed essential vs. non-essential. There was no real truth to these designations, but they were made and enforced. We read in Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Every individual is essential as he or she was made in God's image. We read in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God sent His Son for all, not those who were deemed essential. If you speak against any of a number of items on the world's social agenda, you are labeled and marginalized. Even my speaking here can be questioned, as white men have now been silenced under the label of white privilege. While society continually divides, we read in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
In ancient Rome a large percentage of the population were slaves, many born into it. When we come to a portion of Scripture with lists of names, it is easy to gloss over them. We read in Romans 16:22, "I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord." Then we read in 16:23, "Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother." Realize that Tertius and Quartus are simply latin names for "third" and "fourth". These individuals who were slaves were deemed so non-essential as not to be worthy of having real names. This was their station in life, and the prospect of any change was fairly hopeless. But God!! Now in Christ, they became part of a family. They were now brothers. Tertius was even given the task of writing the letter of Romans for Paul.
Does God make mistakes? No! God does not set up any of us for failure. Failure is something we can choose for ourselves. No matter your race (remember the world establishes different races, but God established one: the human race, from our ancestor Adam), your income level, your nation of origin, your age, your profession, etc., none of this has anything to do with your worth. Your gender was established at birth as we read in Genesis 1:27 above. The world will do everything it can to define you and limit you. It will try to place you in a nice little box. But God has made you in His image and for His purpose. We get to become His child and His ambassadors. Our worth is who we are in Christ. As His chosen vessels He made us to influence the world around us. If we are willing to enter into this relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit will indwell us giving us potential that we can't even fully comprehend. The world continues to speak of freedom, but will make you slaves as they continue to label you and limit you. Freedom is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ. If you haven't experienced this or are not sure what this even means, consider going to "The Roman Road to Salvation" on the site "Got Questions" for a quick explanation of what the gospel message means.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: