I'm Saved

In the book of Romans, Paul presents his theological treaty, his ministry manifesto. It’s his spiritual heart for God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, church and Christian life fashioned into words and poured on paper. Every child of God and Christ follower should devote time and energy to reading through and studying the book of Romans. Among the many Holy Spirit inspired themes in Romans, Paul deals with sin. He started setting up the conversation about sin from the beginning. Romans 1 goes like this. Hello saints in Rome, I’m Paul a servant of Christ. I was a persecutor, but now I’m a preacher. I was a critic, but now I’m converted. I was a doubter, but now I’m a disciple. I was against The Way, but now I’m a Chief Apostle for the Way, the truth and the Life. I know it’s hard to believe that I’ve changed. But I kept messing with Jesus and His followers and one day, he knocked me down so He could pick me up. He captured my heart. He got a hold of me. And my life hasn’t been the same since. I’m here to report that I’ve been changed. The Gospel changed me. It is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. God saved me from my sin. By the end of Romans 1, Paul was in a full blown impassioned plea. His desire was to get to Rome to see the saints and share the Gospel. Day after day. I want to go to Rome to see the saints and share the Gospel. Day after day. I want to go to Rome to see the saints and share the Gospel. Listen to his heart. Verse 11. For I long to see you. Why? God put something in me for you. Look at Paul. I long to see you. That I may impart unto you some spiritual gifts, more like spiritual blessings, to the end that you may be established. Look at Paul. I’ve been spending time with God. We were talking about you, your challenges, your faith and your future. Then God shared something with me so I could share it with you. I can’t wait to see you. When I share with you what God shared with me for you, it’s going to stabilize your lives, stabilize your family, stabilize your churches, stabilize your communities and stabilize your country. I know it’s been tough; challenging; discouraging; dreadful. But the God of stability is going to make you stable. He’s going to balance you out. He’s going to secure you. He’s going to uphold you with His powerful hand. He’s going to prop you up where you’ve been leaning over. He’s going to stabilize you. I spent time with God talking about you and God started talking about how He was going to stabilize you.

It turns out that unchecked sin causes spiritual instability. Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of the Lord. Sinned. Come up short. Sinned. Come up short. There’s a connection between sinning and coming up short. When you come up short, you sin. When you sin, it causes you to be unstable. Cain and Abel. Both offered sacrifices to God. Abel’s offering was accepted. Cain’s offering came up short. Cain was angry because he came up short. God said. Hey. Why are you angry? “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”” Genesis 4:7 NIV. Cain murdered his brother. He came up short. He was unstable. He sinned.

Sin makes you unstable. You wobble when you walk. One leg is shorter than the other. You shake when you speak. One side of your mouth speaks lies and the other side speaks truth. You go to pieces under pressure. You strong physically, but weak emotionally. You hurt innocent people. When you come up short, everyone looks like they are against you. So you walk into Wal-mart on a Saturday afternoon and open fire on everyone. Killing 20 plus and injuring 15 plus. When you’re unstable, everyone looks like your enemy. You destroy healthy relationships. You mistreat those closest to you. Friendly fire kills the relationship. You can’t be trusted hold up your end of the relationship. Sin causes spiritual instability. Here’s why. When your spirit is unstable so are you. Tweeting all kinds of craziness. Murder a man who stopped to get a candy bar on his way home from work. Detain people in cages at the border. Wicked witch of the west. Fornicator of the year. Malicious mentality. Envious expressions. Deceitful disposition. Backbiters. Proud. Boastful. Haters of God. Inventors of evil things. Unmerciful. Cheater. Liar. Thief. Unchecked sin will make you do anything because you’re unstable. You keep coming up short and it drives you crazy. Your city is going crazy. Your country is going crazy. But there’s good news. Just like Moses who spent 40 days and nights with God. They were talking about the children of God. God gave Moses the 10 commandments; the Law to stabilize the people. I’ve been spending time with God. He loves you so much He couldn’t stop talking about you. He’s going to stabilize you. He’s going to bless you. He’s going to heal you. He’s going to protect you. He’s going to provide for you. He’s going to uphold you with His powerful hand.

While in Savannah, we went to grab dinner at LaPirilla. It was 5 of us, so our waitress put two short tables together. We sat down. Immediately I noticed that my table was wobbly. I looked at the other table. It was fine. Not my table. I put my elbows on the edge of the table and it wobbled. The waitress sat the chips and salsa on the table and it shook. She put our drinks on the table and it tilted. She put our food on it and it leaned with it and rocked with it. Our table was unstable. One leg was shorter than the others. Every time you put pressure on it, it wobbled because one leg kept coming up short. It was driving me crazy. Unstable people will drive you crazy. I couldn’t take it anymore. I did like many of you would have done. I looked under the table. Found the short leg. Took a piece of paper. Folded it a hundred times. Stuffed it under the short leg. Conducted an inspection to see if it worked. It did. My unstable table was stable. I enjoyed the rest of the night because my table was stable. The food tasted better because my table was stable. It was stable because the sided that kept coming up short didn’t come up short anymore. The paper closed the gap. It made up the difference. It made my table stable.

Come here. Our lives are like a table. Sin made our lives unstable. One leg shorter than the other. Wobbly. Shaky. Weak. Awkward. We keep trying, but coming up short. We keep dreaming, but coming up short. We keep working, but coming up short. In a new relationship, but coming up short. In a new position, but coming up short. In a new church, but coming up short. It drives you crazy. But I want you to know that I’ve been talking to God. He’s crazy in love with you. Your name kept coming up. He gave me something from His word to share with you that’s going to stabilize your walk. Strengthen your stance. Fortify your faith. Test your testimony.

Here’s what He told me to tell you. Take my word and fold it up. Put it in your heart. Put it in your thoughts. Put it in your spirit. Put in you your life. David folded God’s word and put it in his heart. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11. “The Law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” Psalm 37:31. Since I’m in Psalms, Psalms 1. Blessed is the man who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law both day and night. That person will not come up short. That person is like a tree planted by the streams of water. They don’t come up short. They bear fruit in season. They don’t come up short. Their leaf does not wither. They don’t come up short. Whatever. Whatever. Whatever they do prospers! They don’t come up short. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good and His mercies endure forever. Put this one on the screen. Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”” Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

Put God’s word in your heart. Fold it up. Tuck it in there. Sin is all around you. Don’t let it make you come up short. God’s word in your heart will stabilize you against sin.

I’ve been spending time with God. Praying. Reading. Meditating. We were talking about you. God told me He is going to stabilize everything concerning you. Here’s all He wants. “Declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Stabilized. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV

Sin makes you come up short of the glory of God. Salvation lifts us up to God. Living a saved life lifts your life. His love lifted me. I was sinking deep in sin. Far from he peaceful shores. Very deeply stained within. Sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry. From the waters lifted me. Now safe am I. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me. He saved me and lifted me.

Lift me God. Say it with me. Lift me God. Lift my dreams. Lift my hope. Lift my purpose. Lift my heart. Lift my mind. Lift my friends. Lift my coworkers. Lift my family. Lift unbelievers. Lift the unchurched. Lift the hopeless. Lift the helpless. Lift the broken-hearted. Lift the depressed. Save us Lord. Lift us up, lord.

Toi broke down. Stranded on the side of 285. She called me. I called AAA. I jumped in the car. Went to her. She got my car. I waited for the tow truck. When they arrived. They lowered the bed of the truck. Hooked my broke down car up. Lifted it up. Pulled it up. They took my car to the shop. The mechanic made my car better!

There are times when sin, doubt, disbelief and brokenness will leave us stranded on life’s highway. God will pull up. Save us. Lift us up! Pull us up! Works on us until we get better. God saves us to make us better!

I’ve been talking to God. He loves you so much that He couldn’t stop talking about you. He saved you so He could stabilize you. He’s aiming you so He can satisfy you!

Don’t miss the mark. God has a plan for your life. He wants us to have life and life more abundantly. He wants us to be in good health. He wants us to love Him and love one another. He wants us to serve each other until the world can see Him. He wants us to have joy unspeakable. He wants us to have peace that surpasses all understanding.

Won’t his plan satisfy you? Won’t He stabilize you? Won’t He strengthen you? Won’t He strive with you? Won’t He save you?

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