Heir

Wesley’s Conversion Hymn

By: Charles Wesley

Where shall my wondering soul begin?
How shall I all to heaven aspire?
A slave redeemed from death and sin,
A brand plucked from the eternal fire,
How shall I equal triumphs raise,
Or sing my great Deliverer’s praise?

O how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which thou to me hast showed?
That I, a child of wrath and hell,
I should be called a child of God,
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blest with the antepast of heaven!

In our study of Galatians, much time has been spent discussing grace and law. Yet, the discussion, if left at its last point, screams for clarity and resolution. So many Christians get lost in the law verses grace argument and stop at this juncture. We hear the salvation prayer uttered from lips, but often times do not see the fruit of that salvation. Galatians 3:29 (NIV) establishes a very important point missed by many Christians. “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Notice how Wesley’s assertion in the second verse establishes with clarity the statement of adoption: “Father, which thou…” and “…I should be called a child of God.” You see, it’s not just the justification established by the cross; it’s the adoption into the family of God that the cross makes a reality. An heir to the promise – the justification leads to the inclusion into the Christian family for those acting on that justification. In his book, Knowing God, J.I. Packer introduces a very thought-provoking assumption – “…adoption…is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification” (page 206). Many Christians will take exception to this statement because it seems to lessen this aspect of God’s love, but Packer goes on to stress that justification is “made basic to everything else.” So, justification is the starting point where many Christians get stuck! The knowledge of being made righteous in Christ’s sacrifice certainly overwhelms our understanding. As Wesley so eloquently penned, “That I, a child of wrath and hell, I should be called a child of God.”

Here, we see the full reality of Christ’s sacrifice. Justification, in reality, is a legal aspect in which we are redeemed. The blessing though finds its fruition as we live our lives in God’s fullness. Packer goes on to state that “to be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.”

I guess Paul understood the importance of adoption.

Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV) “…God sent His son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of the sons.”

Planted

Psalm 1:1-3 (NLT) “(1) Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. (2) But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law. (3) They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.

As I said in the sermon yesterday, the context of the verses centers on the meditation upon God and His precepts and the result of that meditation. With that said, I also made the point that the church is the fertile ground where that happens. An intentional Christian, therefore, is planted and active in a local church!

I want to take this time and elaborate on a couple of my statements:

1. A non-churched, non-participative intentional Christian is an oxymoron.
2. An intentional Christian outside the local church is outside the purpose of God.

Yes, these are bold statements; yes, these are challenging statements; and, yes, these are biblically accurate statements.

In an article titled, Why Should Christians Go to Church, Dr. John Bechtle writes, “The New Testament never divides Christians into the church members and the non-church members. All the way through, it assumes that everybody participates in [his or her] local assembly. It gives no samples of Christians who belong to the "universal church" but have no link with a local church.”

I, wholeheartedly, agree with this statement. Of the many purposes behind Christ’s incarnation, one truth is very apparent in the Bible. Christ is the head of the church, and He equips that church to do His will. If Christ is the head, and we have the five-fold ministry found in Ephesians, how is it that an isolated individual can remain accountable and in the purpose of God?

So a Christian with the means and resources readily available seeks to be planted and active in a church. It is so much more than membership! The intentional Christian develops the Spirit-guided determination, dedication, deliberation and devotion while attending church surrounded by fellow Christians. In other words, intention is given feet through the encouragement and edification of others in God’s family. The family of God is the context because that is the intent of God!

Have you ever wondered why so many Christians struggle with this concept? Perhaps many Christians have an “I” problem! I know one way around that – participate in the activities of the church and develop the relationships required to make a difference for God, not for you. In other words, be a servant who is both accountable and guided.

Luke 10:43-45 (NIV) (43) It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. (44) Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. (45) That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served--and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage."

Traits

Luke 10: 33-35 (NIV) “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”

Here is the key point – No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he only had good intentions.

I know; you think I’m throwing you a curveball (had to add a little baseball lingo since today is opening day). During the past two Sundays, I have identified four characteristics found in intentional Christians: Determination, Dedication, Deliberation and Devotion. I have hammered home the point that these are internal characteristics, not actions. In other words, the character of the Christian best describes who that person is and what he or she believes. However, it is important to identify that the actions of an individual, which are those demonstrated over time, do result from these strongly held and acted upon traits.

With that in mind, can you identify which actions of the Samaritan are the result of which trait? Go ahead and leave your thoughts on the comments page.