Morning Message Text: Romans 8: 6-11
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Morning Message:
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely”. Does any of that sound familiar to you? The first four verses of Psalm 139. Have you read it this past week? Let’s think about these verses and talk about them for a moment. First, let’s recognize that this is a Psalm of King David, a man after God’s own heart. He is acknowledging that God knows everything about him. God is active in his life, and he has an intimate relationship with the Lord. This relationship didn’t just happen overnight. It developed over time; years and years of walking with the Lord. This is the same kind of relationship that we can have with Jesus today. God knows everything about every person that has ever lived, but there is a difference when it comes to those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Once you come to Christ God is intimately involved in every part of your life: the smallest of details, your rising and sitting, your thoughts, your words, all of your ways. What a blessing this is, to know that no matter what you do, where you go, or what circumstances that you might find yourself in, God is not only with you, he is actively moving in your life to bring about what is best for you. Now think about how this knowledge can bless you every day.
Today I want to talk about the immutability of God’s grace. What does it mean for something to be immutable? It is really simple, but it means everything to us as Christians. It means unchangeable. God’s grace is always available and ours if we will accept it. We sometimes struggle with this. We think of God in human terms and so we go through our Christian existence trying to somehow live up to and deserve God’s grace. In the recesses of our minds, we think that God will remove his grace, or that it will somehow be changed based on our actions. God’s grace is immutable, unchanging. The Bible is full of proof that what God has ordained is unchangeable. John chapter 11 verses 1-45, quickly, who can tell me what this text is about? The story of Lazarus. This is a wonderful example of God’s unchangeable grace. Lazarus is sick and he dies. Jesus gets word of his illness but it takes him days to get there and he arrives too late to save him. Martha says to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Lazarus has already been in the tomb for four days. By human terms it was clearly too late, but God’s grace was still active and not even death could change what God had ordained.
In Ezekiel chapter 37 verses 1-14 we find this prophet in the middle of the valley of dry bones. I am not going to go over this entire scripture, but there are certain things that we need to see in this prophetic scripture today. I always try to encourage you to read these wonderful scriptures for yourselves. They will bless you. The people of Israel have been in captivity for a very long time. They no longer believe that God can save them and take them back to their homeland. In their hearts and minds they are just dried up bones, long dead and forgotten by God. So God says to Ezekiel speak to these dried up bones and I will bring them back to life. What is God’s point in all of this? Listen church to what God is about to impart to you. My promises are sure! My grace is sufficient! My word should never be doubted! I told you that you will live again in your own land. If I can give life to these dry bones I can give you new and abundant life. God’s promises are sufficient and his grace unchangeable.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. When we think according to our sinful flesh we cannot fully appreciate the grace of God. When we allow the things of the flesh to guide our thoughts, we see things only from a human perspective. We see death as the end, and we fear it, as we should, but when we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit that dwells in all believers, than we can see and grasp the unchangeable grace of our loving God. The immutability of God’s grace means nothing to you if you have refused to receive it, and even if you have received Jesus as Lord, you are missing the joy and peace that is available to you if you choose to live by the flesh. Listen just for a moment to what God is trying to say to all of us today. His grace is amazing and unchangeable. God wants us to have fullness of life in the Spirit and the peace of mind that only comes when we rely on him. God never changes. The world wants us to believe that nothing can stay the same; that everything is in a constant state of flux, but that’s a lie. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His word never changes, his salvation is always available and sure, and his grace never changes, it is always extended to you.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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