Living Righteously: The Urgency of the Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: The Gospel Demands a Personal Response

The gospel is not just a message to be heard; it is a call to action that demands a personal response. When Felix heard Paul's message, he trembled because it was direct and personal, challenging him to reflect on his life. This personal engagement with the gospel is crucial for true transformation. It requires us to listen with our lives at stake, as the gospel addresses matters of utmost importance. The message of the gospel is not just about hearing but about being moved to change, to reflect, and to respond. [17:11]

Acts 24:24-25 (ESV): "After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, 'Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.'"

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt challenged by a message or a situation. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience about engaging personally with the gospel today?

Day 2: Righteousness Reflects God's Nature

Righteousness is not merely a human construct but a reflection of God's nature. It calls us to live in alignment with God's holiness, as outlined in the Ten Commandments. This divine standard challenges us to examine our lives and align them with God's will. Righteousness is about living a life of integrity and moral uprightness, worshiping God alone, and embodying His pure, holy, and just nature. It is a call to live in a way that reflects God's character and His expectations for humanity. [21:11]

Psalm 11:7 (ESV): "For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face."

Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you struggle to align with God's standard of righteousness. What steps can you take today to bring that area into alignment with His will?

Day 3: Temperance as a Discipline of the Soul

Temperance, or self-control, is the practical application of righteousness. While righteousness is a general principle, temperance is about living out those principles in everyday life. It involves discipline and self-control, contrasting with the impulsive and instinct-driven behavior of animals. Humans are called to govern their instincts with reason, understanding, and a sense of eternal destiny. This distinction highlights the need for intentional living that reflects our higher calling. [26:12]

Titus 2:11-12 (ESV): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."

Reflection: Identify a specific habit or behavior where you need to exercise more self-control. What practical steps can you take today to cultivate temperance in that area?

Day 4: Living with an Eternal Perspective

The concept of judgment to come is a sobering reminder of our accountability to God. It underscores the importance of living with an eternal perspective, recognizing that our actions have consequences beyond this life. Despite the world's disregard for this concept, the Bible emphasizes that a day of judgment is inevitable. This accountability should drive us to live righteously and temperately, with an awareness of our eternal destiny and the impact of our choices. [34:06]

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV): "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision you made. How might considering the eternal consequences of your actions change the way you approach similar decisions in the future?

Day 5: Hope and Reconciliation through Faith in Christ

Despite our failures, the gospel offers hope through faith in Christ. By acknowledging our sins and trusting in Jesus, we can receive forgiveness and eternal life. This message of grace is central to the Christian faith and offers a path to reconciliation with God. It is an urgent message, as rejecting it leads to spiritual and moral decay. Embracing this hope requires a conscious decision to turn away from worldly pleasures and towards the eternal truths offered by Christ. [37:50]

Ephesians 1:7-8 (ESV): "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight."

Reflection: Think of an area in your life where you need to experience God's forgiveness. How can you actively seek reconciliation with God and embrace the hope offered through faith in Christ today?

Sermon Summary

In our time of crisis, we are called to think deeply and apply our minds to the situations confronting us, much like the Apostle Paul did. This requires listening to the gospel in a personal and transformative way. Felix trembled when he heard Paul's message because it was direct and personal, challenging him to reflect on his life. The gospel demands that we listen with our lives at stake, as it addresses matters of utmost importance.

The Christian faith is often misunderstood as a political or social protest movement, but its true message is about righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. Righteousness is a central theme in the Bible, describing God's nature as pure, holy, and just. Humans, made in God's image, were created to live righteously, as outlined in the Ten Commandments. This means worshiping God alone and living a life of integrity and moral uprightness.

Temperance, or self-control, is the practical application of righteousness. While righteousness is a general principle, temperance is about living out those principles in everyday life. It involves discipline and self-control, contrasting with the impulsive and instinct-driven behavior of animals. Humans are called to govern their instincts with reason, understanding, and a sense of eternal destiny.

Judgment to come is a theme often neglected in modern discourse. It reminds us that we are responsible beings, accountable to God for our actions. Despite the world's disregard for this concept, the Bible emphasizes that a day of judgment is inevitable. This accountability should drive us to live righteously and temperately.

The gospel offers hope through faith in Christ. Despite our shortcomings, God has provided a way of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. By acknowledging our sins and believing in Christ, we can be reconciled to God and receive eternal blessings. This message is urgent, as rejecting it leads to spiritual and moral decay, as exemplified by Felix and Drusilla, who chose worldly pleasures over eternal truths.

Key Takeaways

1. control and discipline, guiding us to live beyond mere instinctual desires. This distinction highlights the need for intentional living that reflects our higher calling. [26:12]
4. The Reality of Judgment: The concept of judgment to come is a sobering reminder of our accountability to God. It underscores the importance of living with an eternal perspective, recognizing that our actions have consequences beyond this life.

5. Hope through Faith in Christ: Despite our failures, the gospel offers hope through faith in Christ. By acknowledging our sins and trusting in Jesus, we can receive forgiveness and eternal life. This message of grace is central to the Christian faith and offers a path to reconciliation with God.

** [26:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:17] - The Call to Think Deeply
[17:11] - Personal Engagement with the Gospel
[18:47] - The True Message of Christianity
[21:11] - Understanding Righteousness
[22:23] - Man's Original Righteousness
[23:08] - The Blueprint of Righteous Living
[25:11] - The Meaning of Temperance
[26:12] - Practical Application of Righteousness
[29:13] - The Difference Between Righteousness and Temperance
[34:06] - Judgment to Come
[37:50] - Faith in Christ: Our Only Hope
[40:09] - Felix's Response to the Gospel
[42:08] - The Rejection of the Gospel
[46:09] - Resisting the Holy Spirit

Sermon Clips

Felix trembled when he heard Paul's message because it was direct and personal, challenging him to reflect on his life. The gospel demands that we listen with our lives at stake, as it addresses matters of utmost importance. [00:17:11]

Righteousness is a central theme in the Bible, describing God's nature as pure, holy, and just. Humans, made in God's image, were created to live righteously, as outlined in the Ten Commandments. This means worshiping God alone and living a life of integrity and moral uprightness. [00:21:11]

Temperance, or self-control, is the practical application of righteousness. While righteousness is a general principle, temperance is about living out those principles in everyday life. It involves discipline and self-control, contrasting with the impulsive and instinct-driven behavior of animals. [00:26:12]

Judgment to come is a theme often neglected in modern discourse. It reminds us that we are responsible beings, accountable to God for our actions. Despite the world's disregard for this concept, the Bible emphasizes that a day of judgment is inevitable. [00:34:06]

The gospel offers hope through faith in Christ. Despite our shortcomings, God has provided a way of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. By acknowledging our sins and believing in Christ, we can be reconciled to God and receive eternal blessings. [00:37:50]

The message of the church is not a protest. There are so many people today who seem to think that the business of the Christian church is to be always protesting against various issues. Christianity is not a political or social protest movement. [00:20:00]

Righteousness is a great statement in general principle about God and man and how men should live. Temperance is the practical application of that, and even though we are so subtle that we can agree with general principles and then fail to apply them in practice. [00:26:20]

Man is not meant to be controlled and governed by his instincts and desires and impulses as the animal is. Man is meant to govern them by his Reason, by his understanding, by his spirit, and by his eternal Destiny. [00:33:20]

The whole tragedy of the world is that men are no longer doing that. Men and women are living like animals, obeying their instincts. If they feel like a thing, why not do it? They don't stop to consider consequences to themselves nor anybody else. [00:33:40]

The Lord Jesus Christ talked about judgment to come. Everybody in the Bible talks about it. It's a compliment to man in a sense. Man is not an animal, and when he dies, it isn't the end. The body dies, the soul goes on. [00:35:20]

The faith in Christ is our only hope, my friends, for we are all under condemnation. Every one of us has got this possibility of escape. There's a way of Salvation, the faith in Christ. [00:37:50]

You simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you're saved. Justification by faith only, the faith in Christ. I can hear Paul pleading with them to abandon this evil way of life, to confess their sin to God, and acknowledge it. [00:38:50]

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