Right Relationship Series

THE LIFE OF G.R.A.C.E.

“Right Relationship”

Sept. 4, 2005

Intro: Last week we started this series of talks on the Shepherd’s covenant. We dealt last week with the G in the GRACE acronym that stands for Genuine Accountability. Today we are going to look at the R which stands for Right Relationship.

In order to be what God has called us to be, and in order to live the life of grace that he intends we must begin by understanding that life is based on right relationships.

Life is full of relationships. God intended is to be that way. He created us as social creatures and he desires for us to live in community with him and with others.

Our society is crazy about relationships. We are a culture of relationship watchers.

***Power Point slides of celebrity relationships

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn

Charlie Brown and Snoopy

Today we want to look at how we move from the absurd relationship model of our society to the true covenant model designed by God.

I. Right Relationship to God

The first step in right relationship to God is to recognize who God is.

Scripture tells us several things about who God is. We must recognize these traits in him so that we can fully understand his uniqueness and his character.

God is holy.

Holiness means to be set apart, perfect, spiritually pure or evoking adoration and honor.

“Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain,for the Lord our God is holy.”

Psalm 99:9 (NIV)

God is completely set apart from man in his character, his attributes and his purity.

God is creator.

God is the originator of all life. It began in his Spirit and came to being in His voice.

“First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see.”

Genesis 1:1 (The Message)

The fact of all creation is that God is the originator. Everything you see did not originate from nothing. God had the thought, the power and the word to make it happen.

Charles Darwin himself recognized that his theory was flawed.

"The number of intermediate varieties which have formerly existed on earth must be truly enormous. Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain; and this, perhaps, is the most obvious and gravest objection which can be urged against my theory." - Charles Darwin 1902 edition.

“…I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science….It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” Charles Darwin to Asa Gray, cited by Adrian Desmond and James Moore, Darwin, (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1991) pp. 456, 475.

The point to understand is that if God is God, he is also the creator of all things.

“Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; Praise, oh let them praise the name of God; he spoke the word, and there they were!”

Psalm 148:4-5 (The Message)

By recognizing God as creator we acknowledge his authority over our lives.

God is a lover.

God is the ultimate lover of man. He loves unconditionally, unprejudiced, and unfailingly.

“The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees.”

Psalm 25:10 (NLT)

“But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NLT)

God loves us so much that he gave us the path to reach him.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 (NLT)

God provided Jesus to reconcile us with Him. In order to live in right relationship with God, we must acknowledge Jesus Christ as his son who died for our sins.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 (NIV)

Jesus acknowledged that he was the path to God for us.

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NIV)

Jesus is not a way to God, He is the way. When we confess who he is, receive what he has done for us, and acknowledge our need for him, then we have right relationship to God.

“That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)