Friday, July 19, 2013

Unity in Diversity, Part 13 of 33

TEXT: "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and If we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living" (Romans 14:7-9).

IDEA: All that Christians do must be done in the light of the fact that they both live and die “to the Lord” and not to themselves.

PURPOSE: What essential difference does it make in your ethical behavior that you are a Christian?

Some non-Christians live lives as good as Christians. They don’t break the rules; they are good neighbors; they are ethical. They sometimes put Christians to shame by their ethical conduct. They are very “Christian.”

How do we respond to that common challenge?

Men and women who put their trust in Christ have a new center.

Paul was speaking of Christians when he wrote, “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:7-8).

In that sense, non-Christians cannot possibly live the Christian life because their lives are not centered in Jesus Christ.

Paul was speaking of Christians when he wrote, “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

“Christian” is not the same as “gentleman” or “lady.”

Originally, “gentleman” or “lady” was a title received from the king or queen. A gentleman was someone who was entitled to bear arms. “Lady” was a title of rank for the wife of a Lord or a knight. Gentlemen and ladies were expected to behave with a dignity that reflected their position. Later, the behavior took the place of the title. A gentleman or a lady was merely someone who had manners. The same has become true of the word “Christian.”

What is a POSITION in the New Testament has often been confused with certain kinds of BEHAVIOR

Christians are people who have been recentered at the core of their lives.

Christians die to the Lord. Do you remember what you trusted in before you trusted in Christ? That you were a good person? That you were better than others? When Christians stand before God, they will do so with a total focus on Him.

We will not compare ourselves with others; we face death with no other confidence but that our trust and dependence is on the Lord, that He has declared us righteous.

Christians live to the Lord. In the same way as we die focused on the Lord, we live centered on Him. In all the practice of life, we are to ask, “Does this please my Lord?” It is not a prime concern that I please other people or that they please me.

Christians, therefore, do not live to themselves. “To live to oneself” in both Greek and Latin meant “living selfishly,” caring only for one’s own interest, advantage, or comfort.

The difference between Christians and non-Christians is not simply at the circumference but at the center.