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ROMANS 6:23

11/25/2014

One of the first verses of the Bible I recall memorizing as a child was Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This verse is part of the trilogy of passages that make up what is called the Romans Road to Salvation (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 10:9).

Romans 6:23 is an interesting study in contrasts. Consider the following dissimilarities –

wages – gift
sin – God
death – eternal life

The idea in the verse is that of a person going to work and doing a job. At the end of the day they receive their wages – a day’s pay for a day’s work. They are given what they have earned and therefore rightly deserve.

Sin pays wages too, and the pay is death – moral, spiritual, and eternal. The person who faces eternity separated from God cannot complain of unfair treatment. They are only receiving what they have earned and rightly deserve.

If a person really wants what they deserve – eternal death – God will give that to them as their just wages. On the other hand, if a person really wants what they do not deserve – eternal life – God will give that to them as a free gift made possible through Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 tells us that nobody goes to hell inadvertently. Hell is earned. This verse also tells us that nobody goes to heaven accidentally. Eternal life is not earned but it is given to all who ask – compliments of God’s amazing grace.

Pastor Todd Weston

RUNAWAY

11/17/2014

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Whoever gives out awards for profound observations should give one to the person who said, “Wherever you go, there you are.” Application: Don’t be a runaway because our problems have a way of following us. In an attempt to escape unpleasant circumstances some conclude that the answer is a change of location, maybe a different job, or some new relationships. So they leave the old for the new only to find out….you guessed it! “Wherever you go, there you are.” Same song, second verse!

Nehemiah was a man with more troubles than he could shake a stick at. Commissioned with the monumental project of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah had complacency to deal with among his Jewish brothers, and outright opposition from the enemies of Israel. So great was the hostility of these adversaries that Nehemiah’s life was in jeopardy. That’s when someone suggested that Nehemiah make a run for it. Escape. Walk away from the problems. Life will be better somewhere else.

Nehemiah’s answer recorded in Nehemiah 6:11 was classic, “Should a man like me run away?” What a great response! As a man of God I believe Nehemiah was offended at the very suggestion that he would cut and run. He knew the story of Jonah which serves as a timeless reminder that running away never solves anything. In Jonah’s case, it only made things worse.

So Nehemiah stayed the course. He faced up to his problems with faith and the determination to see it through. And just four verses later Nehemiah was able to give this victorious report, “The wall was finished.” (v15). And in v16 he added, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence. They realized we had done this work with the help of our God.”

That life happens to everybody is obvious. That Satan doubles down on those committed to serving God may not be obvious to everyone, but it is true. Just remember that the answer is never to run away from the fight. The answer is to hold steady. Stay faithful right where you are. Don’t grow weary doing well. In God’s time and in His way it will pay off if you don’t run away.

Pastor Todd Weston

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lo debar

11/10/2014

It was a forgotten town full of forgotten people. In Lo Debar you would find the lost, the outcasts, the down-and-outers. They all eventually found their way to this dismal settlement, the name of which means “not having” or “without pasture.” The very name suggests a miserable place in which no one would want to live. It was a last resort destination.

It was to this wretched place that a man was sent by order of King David. His mission was to locate the last known member of the house Saul, the former king of Israel. The relative in question was Mephibosheth, the youngest son of Jonathan. They found this grandson of a king living (of all places) in Lo Debar! How he ended up there is a sad story.

The Bible tells of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan in battle against the Philistines. Fearing for the safety of the child, a nurse picked up the young Mephibosheth hoping to flee the palace. In her haste she dropped the child, crippling him for life. With his father and grandfather dead, Mephibosheth lost position and privilege overnight. His inheritance vanished. And now he was an impoverished, forgotten, crippled nobody living in Lo Debar.

This sad story has a happy ending for King David remember the covenant promise he had made with Jonathan. Mephibosheth didn’t deserve anything from the king. Neither do we deserve anything from God. But David was gracious and showed kindness for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:7). Bringing him out of Lo Debar and back to the palace in Jerusalem, David restored to Mephibosheth his inheritance and gave him a place of honor at the king’s table for the rest of his life.

What David did for Mephibosheth is just a mere shadow of what God has done for us. Like Mephibosheth, we took a fall that left us spiritually crippled. But God didn’t forget us in that fallen condition. Motivated by love, He sought us and found us living in our own personal Lo Debar. Remembering the covenant of grace established by Christ’s death on the cross, God redeemed and restored us. He has blessed us beyond anything we could ever deserve. But then, if we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace.

This beautiful account recorded in 2 Samuel 9 is an allegory of grace (Gal. 4:24). It’s the story of David and Mephibosheth. But in this ancient narrative you will find a deeper meaning; a more personal application. For this Old Testament chronicle is actually the story of God and you – no longer a poor citizen of Lo Debar; by grace a child of the King!

Pastor Todd Weston

LABORERS TOGETHER

11/3/2014

We had another great RLA outreach to the Rosemary neighborhood this past Sunday evening. During the event I was reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthian Church, “We are laborers together with God” (1 Cor. 3:9). That verse is actually a threefold statement.

Paul said, “We are laborers.” Ministry doesn’t just happen. It requires effort. The Rosemary Outreach involves transporting and setting up a sound system, staging, lighting, tables and chairs. It involves canvassing a neighborhood, coordinating activities, and cooking countless hot dogs☺! It includes singing, dancing, preaching, and praying. The ministry is spelled W-O-R-K. But as Paul told the Thessalonian Church, it’s a “Labor of love” (1 Thess. 1:3).

Secondly, “We are laborers together.” Rather than a group of isolated parts functioning independently of one another, we are a team of individual people working together in unity of purpose. As I watched some 60 – 70 team members from RLA working together last night, I thought of the little song I learned as a child in Sunday School, “When we all pull together how happy we’ll be.” That’s how God wants us to do ministry – together.

Thirdly, “We are laborers together with God.” The privilege of serving together is one thing. But to understand that we are working in partnership with God is a greater honor still! The work of the ministry is God’s work, and yet He gives us the opportunity to be involved. It’s like Paul told the Corinthians earlier in c3, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” While Paul and Apollos were busy going about the tasks of planting and watering, God was there all along producing the results.

Whether it is the Rosemary Outreach, or the Estero Christmas Celebration, or week-to-week ministry at RLA, I encourage you to engage and get involved. As the saying goes – one team; one dream. “We are laborers together with God”

Pastor Todd Weston

RLA Pastor's blog

ROMANS 6:23

RUNAWAY

lo debar

LABORERS TOGETHER

Pastor Todd

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