God is making us… Righteous
Romans 8:10-13

† I.H.S. †

May the Grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus be evident in your life that you may know God will fulfill His promises to you.

The Lenten Journey

Time for another Pastor Parker Poignant Parable – that comes from experience this week!

Our Lenten Journey in the Kingdom of God is like the 405 freeway. You know that there is major construction you will encounter, though you don’t know where it will be today! It will be a mess, but you will eventually get to your destination!

Some things in our lives need to be demolished. Some things need to be widened (though they seem too wide already). Things generally need to be rebuilt, and things need to be smoothed out and repaved. The hardest part is that we have to deal with someone else making all the decisions that affect our journey!

But eventually, we will get to our destination.

Each week of Lent, we will see what God has promised to do and is doing in our lives…

Some of it will be unexpected, some may seem like it is going too slow, or the detour doesn’t make sense…

And on occasion – there will be some major demolition needed…

But getting us to the final destination – and getting the work done, is the promise. 

The promise is on the cover of the bulletin. It is a promise that Paul taught the church in Ephesus about when he wrote,

“And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the day of Christ Jesus.” Amen? AMEN!

As we realize God is in charge of the work and in charge of getting us to our destination, perfect and mature… and on time – His time; we find His peace

The Problem with Journeys

If you ask anyone living between Long Beach and Irvine, the 405 has been a mess, is a mess, and will be a mess until Jesus returns.

Sort of like life. I’ve had to drive it 4-5 times in the last two weeks, and probably a dozen since December – and you never know where the construction will happen or what ramps will be closed or open.

It’s a mess – as is life.

Sometimes we think everything will be perfect, and then something is screwed-up. Sin enters the picture and demolishes a bridge or closes the on-ramp we thought we would use. Or someone sins, accidentally, of course, and everything in life slows down to a crawl.

You know – something like the sins happening between the Ukraine and Russia….. and the related sins – like the spreading of gossip and fear.

And sooner or later, we will get frustrated by the work, the need for it, frustrated by delays, and our reactions! Like how we react when someone cuts us off on the freeway while traffic is going 20 mph.

Our lack of understanding – which leads to frustration – leads us into sin…

God’s work – done… and yet not done.

 This is where we need to remember God is at work! And the job is going to get done in His time!

After all, God is far more in control than CalTrans!

We just need to trust in Him – to believe in our heart that He’s doing what He promised to do…. Hear again from Romans,

¹⁰  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. ¹¹  As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” ¹²  Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. ¹³  For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

God has a destination for every single one of us in mind. That destination is His side, with Him forever. He is in charge of the journey, including the detours and the slowdowns. Remember his promise that all things work for good for those who love God..?  That includes all the stops, detours, and frustrations of the journey. For God uses them to teach us to trust in Him, depend on Him, to believe in our heart that He is making us right with the Father.

That is what the cross is all about – the point in this journey where God made us righteous.

This is a done deal!

We are made right with God – we are being drawn to His side…

Believing, trusting, depending on Him means we let Him be in charge of the journey – even if it reminds us of the 405 freeway or the 5 into LA.

That’s why Paul reminds us that “Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. ¹³  For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13 (NLT2)

Saying that God gives generously to us is simply saying that if He does not spare Jesus but offers Him on the cross. He did not spare His body but allowed His blood to be spilled; how much more will He make certain what He started at the cross comes to completion.

He has made you righteous – He has made you right with Him. And though you don’t know how long the journey will be, we are confident in His finishing the work – on the day we arrive and see Him face to face.

And until then – no matter how bad the 405 is, no matter how high the price of gas, no matter how many closures – we can live in His peace and in the presence of the Holy Spirit – until we get home… AMEN!