The Focus Of Our Faith

Romans:

3rd in the Series

The Focus of Our Faith

Romans 1:3-4

. . . regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Romans 1:3-4 NIV)

In a Peanuts, comic strip, there was a conversation between Lucy and Charlie Brown. Lucy said that life is like a deck chair. Some place it so that they can see where they are going, some place it so that they can see where they have been, and some place it so they can see where they are at present. Charlie Brown's reply: "I can't even get mine unfolded."

The truth about life is that even when we get it unfolded, we don't necessarily know where we should go. What is the focus of life? Where are the real answers to life's questions to be found? Where are we heading? No doubt these are questions that all of us have asked ourselves at one time or another. Unfortunately, sometimes it is true that even when we think we know where we are going, often we do not end up there.

It is similar to the story of the man who bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how he would perform, he took him out to track a bear. No sooner then they had gotten into the woods then the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear's path. A few moments later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit that had crossed the path of the deer. Finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse.

People have always looked for answers. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves detoured along this path. Too frequently we find ourselves looking in all the wrong places for the answers, only to find that they are not to be found.

Interesting enough, the Bible clearly reveals that there is a single focus for life. Indeed, all of history centers around this singular focus.

This focus is the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ, born of human descent and revealed as the powerful Son of God through His resurrection, is now exalted as Lord. Jesus Christ is the central focus of the Gospel and of all God's purposes in history. And He should be the central focus of our lives as well.

The problem is that we have lost this focus. Someone once said,

"The MAIN THING is to keep the MAIN THING the MAIN THING."

Our problem is that we do not really understand what is the main thing. Do you understand what is the main thing? To do so is vital.

Not only do non-Christians fail to discover the main thing but Christians fail to keep the main thing the main thing. We talk about how Christ should be central, but we live as if He is not. In fact, many times we do not live in any way that is noticeably different that those around us who do not know the Lord. But if Christ is really central in our lives, our lives should reflect that reality.

But because God has reached out to us, revealed His power to save us, and shown us the focus of His purpose for us through our exalted Lord Jesus Christ, therefore we must respond in faith by looking to Him as the central focus of our lives. Failure to do this results in Christianity without Christ which is not true Christianity at all. It makes our lives powerless and directionless.

Our text captures a picture of Christ that is essential to understanding the heart of true Christianity. What Paul writes here, under the inspiration of the Spirit, will disclose the place Christ must occupy in our lives. Looking at this passage, let's examine three revelations concerning Jesus Christ that underscore His place in history and in life as the main thing.

His Earthly Purpose

. . . regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David (1:3)

The first revelation we see concerning Jesus Christ is the truth about His Earthly Purpose. In other words, Jesus came for a reason. He had an important purpose to fulfill.

When Paul speaks of the Gospel, he defines it as the good news regarding his Son. In other words, the good news centers in God's Son. This is who Jesus is.

When we speak of the man Jesus, we must always understand that we are speaking of the Son of God. This is what the phrase "his Son" means. It is referring to the fact that Jesus is part of the Godhead. He has always been so.