INTRODUCTION:
Jesus CHRIST is the MOST AWAITED “Messiah”, the SAVIOR of HUMANITY, the promised DELIVERER. His SACRIFICIAL DEATH on the CROSS had SAVED HUMANITY from the KINGDOM of DARKNESS. Yet many people DESPISED and REJECTED Him. We were once one of them! We were once a “DEAD FOOL”, why? It is just because we were DECEIVED by the“father of lies” w/c is Satan.
We were “brain-washed” by Satan that caused us to DISOBEY God.SIN is the result of DISOBEDIENCE to God. Satan taught us to REBEL so that we might join him as an ENEMY of God. As a result, our FREEDOM was gone and became a subject under the CAPTIVITY or DOMINION of Satan w/c the Apostle Paul often times stated as "SLAVE of SIN". The demons TORMENTED US DAY and NIGHT. Their was WEEPING and GNASHING of TEETH. Our life was CHAOTIC and MISERABLE, full of SORROW/PAIN/ANGER/FEAR/WORRY/ DISEASES, etc… Our life was USELESS, WASTED, BUSTED and DISGUSTED.The DECISION to live a FREE and VICTORIOUS life is up to you. This decision is to RECEIVE God’s SAVING GRACE through CHRIST Jesus.
The Apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Believers in Rome. In Romans 5:6,8,10, using NLT, “When we WERE utterly HELPLESS, Christ came just the RIGHT TIME and DIED for us SINNERS… God showed His GREAT LOVE for us by sending Christ to DIE for us while we WERE still SINNERS…For since we WERE restored to FRIENDSHIP w/ God by the DEATH of His Son while we WERE His ENEMIES, we will certainly DELIVERED…”
During the CRUCIFIXION of Jesus, He CRIED, “Father, FORGIVE them for they don’t know what they’re doing.” The CRY of the RIGHTEOUS is PLEASING and FAVORABLE to God.
God is not MAD at you! He LOVES you, no matter who you are. You are His TREASURED POSSESSION. God CREATED you in the LIKENESS of His own IMAGE. You are PRECIOUS, SPECIAL and VALUABLE to God. God had CHOSEN you to be HOLY and RIGHTEOUS even BEFORE the FOUNDATIONS of the WORLD. God wants you to EXPERIENCE a QUALITY life, you've never even dreamed of.
THE MESSAGE:
“The ‘C.R.Y.’ of the Righteous!”
Scripture: Romans 10:9-10 (Using NLT, 1st Ed.)
“For if you CONFESS w/ your MOUTH that JESUS is LORD and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be SAVED. For it is by BELIEVING in your HEART that you are made RIGHT w/ God and it is by CONFESSING w/ your MOUTH that you are SAVED.”
C – CONFESSION
R – REPENTANCE = RIGHTEOUSNESS and HOLINESS
Y – YIELD
I remember the story of Abel and Cain in the Book of Genesis chapter 4. Because of PRIDE and JEALOUSY, Cain became a SLAVE of SIN and refused to RESPOND to the WORD of GOD. Abel’s OFFERING made him RIGHTEOUS in the EYES of God. Cain, being a farmer, offered to God some fruit from the product of his farm. Instead of obtaining the product from his brother’s flock for the SACRIFICIAL OFFERING for SIN, w/c is also called ATONEMENT, Cain wanted to keep everything WITHIN HIS CONTROL. He did things that he thought was right in his OWN EYES but it wasn't RIGHT in the EYES of God. He knew God, but the problem was he never took the time to cultivate his relationship w/ our heavenly Father. He never diligently desired to look after GOD’S OWN HEART & never tried to find out what GOD WANTS HIM TO DO. We can all fall into this TRAP of Satan if we do not SPEND TIME to get to know the WILL OF GOD. Every time we fail to listen to the VOICE of God and obey GOD’S WILL, we are opening the door to SIN. If we fail to rule over sin, sin will rule over us.
In effect, Evil has taken root in his HEART and he RESENTED his brother, thinking Abel was the cause to all his problems & frustrations. Cain was easily offended & HATED his younger brother, Abel. Cain forgot to EXAMINE HIMSELF; it was his FAULT after all. God tried to correct Cain, but instead of responding to the WORD OF GOD, Cain was offended. Sometimes, as in Cain’s case, people get angry when they are being REBUKED. Instead of turning back, they keep on going because they are OFFENDED by the CORRECTIVE WORDS. People, like Cain, BLAME others when they are being REBUKED or CORRECTED.
When God asked, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”, He was waiting for Cain to REPENT and CONFESS his SIN He didn't REPENT, he was REBELLIOUS! He was under the CONTROL of Satan. He was RULED by SIN.
Cain ran away from his CALLING. Even then, God still PRESERVED Cain’s life and PROTECTED him, in the hope that the PROPHETIC message of the blood of Abel would ONE DAY AWAKEN HIM. It was a sad story, but there is still HOPE. I call this story as “The Cain Syndrome”.Beware of this syndrome!
Now, Abel’s BLOOD was spilled on the ground. His BLOOD CRIES for every one of us!“LIVE A HOLY LIFE!” The BLOOD of Jesus FULFILLED the CRY of the blood of Abel. Because of SIN, our HEARTS became HARD as STONE and even refused to REPENT. Now, Jesus is knocking at the DOOR of every man’s HEART. Jesus is telling us to YIELD our HEART towards God and LIVE A HOLY LIFE.
The requirement to RIGHTEOUSNESS and HOLINESS are as follows:
I. CONFESSION: “CONFESS that JESUS CHRIST is LORD.”
In Romans 10:9, “For if you CONFESS w/ your MOUTH that JESUS is LORD and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be SAVED.”
Remember, “If we fail to rule over sin, sin will rule over us.” The Name of Jesus is the AUTHORITY we have to RULE over SIN and put Satan UNDER OUR FEET. This is the POWER of His RESURRECTION. God PUT Jesus in the HIGHEST POSITION over all CREATION in Heaven and on Earth. Our DELIVERANCE from the DOMINION of Satan is based upon BELIEVING by FAITH in CHRIST Jesus as our LORD and SAVIOR.
In Romans 10:10, “… You are made RIGHT w/ God and it is
by CONFESSING w/ your MOUTH that you are SAVED.”
BELIEVE and DECLARE it by FAITH (CONFESS w/ your MOUTH) that you are SAVED!
By FAITH, we are made RIGHT and w/o FAULT in the “EYES of God.”
II. REPENTANCE:
“REPENTANCE is when you BELIEVE that your SINS were REDEEMED by the BLOOD of Jesus.”
In Romans 10:10, “For it is by BELIEVING in your HEART that you are made RIGHT w/ God.”
The SACRIFICIAL BLOOD of Jesus is the POWER of God to SHUT the mouth of the ACCUSER, w/c is Satan. BELIEVING by FAITH in the POWER of the BLOOD of Jesus, you are MADE RIGHT, JUSTIFIED and SANCTIFIED to be BLAMELESS, FREE from GUILT and w/o FAULT in the "EYES of God". You can PLEASE GOD by BELIEVING in the BLOOD of JESUS. It is by FAITH ALONE!
We are having COMMUNION in remembrance of Jesus CHRIST’S suffering for the PUNISHMENT of our SINS. Our COMMUNION (Fellowship, Sharing of Testimony/Blessing) is a PUBLIC declaration of our REPENTANCE from our SINS. This is the TESTIMONY that we RECEIVED the FRUIT of our SALVATION. Thus, having a FRUITFUL SERVICE for our LORD Jesus CHRIST for ALL ETERNITY.
III. YIELD:
A. YIELD towards God
We are TRANSFORMED unto CHRIST-LIKENESS, the FRUITS of the HOLY SPIRIT will yield in us. Since we are SAVED from the CAPTIVITY of Satan, the Devil, we will no longer live in DARKNESS and we will be FREE from the POWER of SIN. We will live a VICTORIOUS life and have the ABILITY to do ALL THINGS through CHRIST.
B. YIELD GOOD FRUIT
The KNOWLEDGE of the TRUTH TRANSFORMS us and will teach us to OBEY and to FULFILL ALL the REQUIREMENTS of God’s LAW, it is summed as, “LOVE your neighbor as yourself.” In addition, LOVE results to GOOD WORKS, GENEROSITY and SERVING OTHERS. LOVE for others, even our ENEMIES, is the evidence of our FAITH. For FAITH without WORKS is DEAD, thus, our SALVATION turns out to be USELESS.
Conclusion:
We are SAVED from the PUNISHMENT of our SINS because of God’s UNCONDITIONAL LOVE for us! We are JUSTIFIED and MADE HOLY in the SIGHT of God through FAITH in Jesus CHRIST’S DEATH on the CROSS, the SHEDDING of His BLOOD and His RESURRECTION. Our GUILT for our SINS are TAKEN AWAY.
“It is FINISHED”, Jesus CHRIST “PAID in FULL”, and so we give GLORY to God the Father of our LORD Jesus CHRIST, forever and ever! Jesus CHRIST has defeated DEATH (it is the last enemy to be DESTROYED) by His RESURRECTION. We, who BELIEVE that He was RAISED from the DEAD, shall have ETERNAL LIFE.
Now that we have ETERNAL LIFE, we ought not to FEAR, WORRY and DOUBT for TODAY or TOMORROW, and no more REGRET about our WASTED money, time or effort in the PAST. “God is at WORK for our OWN BENEFIT.”
The ministry of the HOLY SPIRIT is ACTIVE for us who BELIEVE in the GOOD NEWS of Jesus CHRIST (He DIED and ROSE from the GRAVE, “He is Alive!”). The Holy Spirit will TEACH ALL things, as HELPER and COMFORTER, for us who acknowledge His POWER, declaring, “Jesus CHRIST is Lord!”
Now that we belong to CHRIST, we have the RIGHT to become CHILDREN of God and HEIRS, “the Seed”, according to His PROMISES. Since we have been SAVED from this CHAOTIC world (DEAD, USELESS, WASTED and HARSH LIFE that we INHERITED from Adam), we will begin to EXPERIENCE an ABUNDANT QUALITY of LIFE, if we BELIEVE.
