Since last we visited, there has been some rain. Some folks got larger amounts than others, but it is all appreciated. I’m writing this morning from Lake George. I came yesterday after the worship service at Rose. We put up a new rain gauge awhile back, and I was interested to see how much it had rained here. Big disappointment! The wind had blown it down, so no record of any rain.
I occasionally read through some of the posts on the popular Facebook “buy, sell, trade” groups. Often, I am amused by what people put on those pages. In a recent discussion over dog registration papers, someone commented, “Papers are very important, they are proof of pure blood.”
Pedigrees are important to dog people, horse breeders and cattlemen. The Jews of Jesus’ time were concerned with pedigrees, too. It was very important to them that they could prove they were descendants of Abraham. They believed this would be their ticket to heaven.
The apostle Paul at one time placed much stock in his Jewish pedigree, along with his education, and position as a dedicated follower of the Hebrew God. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, while he was seeking to imprison Christians, his views changed. These are his words from Philippians 3:4b-9.
“If anyone thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ…I consider them rubbish…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that is which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
A lot of people today are placing great stock in their “religious pedigree”, whether it is their denominational connection, family tradition, church membership, the level of their giving, or serving in the community. These are all fruitless endeavors if we are depending on them to gain favor with God.
Here is the bottom line: Our relationship with God is not based on our bloodline, it is based solely on the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Period.
What have you done with Jesus. do you claim him as your only Savior? Is your concept of salvation based on His blood or on your “bloodline”?
Simply His,
Pastor Jerry
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