Campbell Street Church

If there is one topic bound to cause discussion among Christians then it is predestination ... and this passage in Romans is where it is most clearly stated.

Sometimes ... as a Christian ... you can wonder if it is worth it. you can see people who are enjoying life ... who have "everything" ... so you wonder if faith in Jesus is worth it.

The change in lives of the Thessalonian Christians was noticable to everyone ... their lives were transformed by their faith in Jesus.

So who is enjoying the "blessed" life? What does blessing look like? David defines the blessed life for us in this Psalm.

Salvation by grace means we have complete confidence about our future. And no matter what we might have to face in this life, it doesn’t compare to what God has in store for us.

Paul addresses the issue that was enormously significant in the early church: What is the place of Old Testament law in the life of the followers of Jesus. He says that those who were once bound by OT law have been set free to live in the "new way of the Spirit".

Many people thought that the Gospel (salvation by God’s grace) sounded a bit too easy. Their question is: “If we are saved only by God’s grace, then does it matter how we live?”

The heart of the Gospel is that we are saved by faith through God’s grace. Paul has gone to great lengths to establish that everyone is sinful ... 2 1/2 chapters of bad news. But now the good news ... the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith.

In this lengthy section of Romans Paul has one point to make: Everyone is sinful. Those who can trace their ancestry back to Abraham need forgiveness through Jesus as much as any Gentile.

The message about Jesus has totally transformed the life of Paul. He has been turned around from being an enemy of the church to its most outspoken advocate. Paul wants to make clear why the Gospel shapes his life.

Israel's rocky relationship with God is nothing new. They continue to ignore their history and make the same mistakes their fathers did. But God is patient and His love faithfulness will not let this pattern continue forever.

Israel have taken their future into their own hands and run to other nations for their safety. They have rejected the covenant, and forgotten who their Father is.

Israel no longer know God. They do not relate to him through obedience. It will take extreme circumstances for Israel to see their rejection and repent for what they have done.

Hosea must love unconditionally in the face of deep betrayal and unfaithfulness to get a glimpse of what it's like to be in God's shoes in His relationship with Israel.

You can get a glimpse of what God is like by just looking around. But to really know God, we need God to reveal himself to us ... to speak to us.

The book of Revelation ties the whole story of the Bible together. God's people are gathered together with God in the place he has created for them ... a garden of Eden-like place.

The death of Jesus ... far from being a tragic accident ,,, was at the centre of God's plan.

Israel's failure in the pages of the Old Testament was largely due tot eh failure of their kings. God plan is still to have His people living in His place and under His blessing and rule. And his plan is to have a faithful King to lead his people.

With the kingdom now divided due to Solomon's failure, God's patience runs out with Israel and Judah. His punishment is that the people are removed from the land.

The people of Israel have become a great nation and are now living the land God gave them under the blessing and rule of God's king. Solomon's reign as king starts well ... but finishes with the demise and division of the Kingdom.