Grace Sagola Church

The Justice of God has been accomplished in the gospel such that we are offered, not only forgiveness FROM God, but the ability to forgive LIKE God. However, without the evidence of God's forgiveness, we are remaining under His wrath, storing up future judgement for us on the day of Jesus' return. 

God has given the church a message for the world. Although we are in the world, we must be careful to avoid being like the world and advancing its values. Rather, we are called to be distinctively Christian while we live like Jesus. 

There is no other teaching on earth that fully encapsulates the depths of justice than the gospel. It is only in the completed work of Jesus Christ on behalf of sinners that we find God's commitment to be both "just" and the One who "justifies" sinners. 

Our world has insulated itself from any adherence to objective truth. This has been a slow, deliberate and subtle deception. Christ's followers are called to pursue Justice with a clear proclamation of the truth, especially to a world that has deafened itself to the gospel. 

The Justice of our Lord is always aimed at those most needing it. Throughout the scriptures “the poor” are at the top of the list for those who our Lord advocates justice.

God has abounding patience for us, and He steadfastly watches over his children. We will do well to remember that it is only by His Lordship that we can see every wrong righted and true justice delivered - anything else becomes a counterfeit. 

Our ability to serve the Lord in unity is dependent upon our status before God. As we have been those justified by God's grace, we become those who can advance His work of reconciliation together. 

Our culture has distorted the image of God's church to blind us in dividing between the bubble of God's blessings and the hurt in the world in and around us. The family of God has been tasked with bringing restorative justice to those "least of these" our brothers and sisters, and then to extend this influence of life to the rest of the world through the message of the gospel. 

The kindness of God is core feature of His definition of Justice. When we act, serve, and live like God we will draw from His own dealings with us, for He has again and again showed us what He requires from His followers. 

The Justice of God is good, because it flows from His character. Any expression of Biblical Justice in our world that is displayed by Christians must also extend His character. Our "good" must be motivated from Godly compassion. 

Jesus is the light of the world and the one who brings God and mankind together. If we truly believe what He says and what God has revealed we will reflect God's light to carry on Jesus' illumination into the world.

Jesus' role in our salvation is from start to finish. Unless we embrace that He has done it all, we will be left with an impossible task of maintaining our faith. Praise the Lord - we are saved by His faithfulness! 

Observations: Problem #1 – We don’t see the need Problem #2 – We don’t want the gift Problem #3 – We want Jesus on our own terms Conclusions:  Jesus is God’s gift Given to you That changes your identity Application:  Let the gift of Jesus CHANGE your life

We need a high priest - One who can stand in our place in the presence of God. Because of the incarnation, Jesus not only fulfills the representative aspect of a priest, but He is also able to deal mercifully with us - as one who has been through and experienced the difficulties of earth. 

Where Jesus leads, we are to follow. This is often a challenge for the church, but perhaps most so where we must learn to trust in Jesus that is accompanied by the brokenness of this world, in its pain and suffering.

The necessity of Jesus' body as a sacrifice is a humbling truth. However, there's even more that God has done in the incarnation of Jesus. Not only is he an appropriate sacrifice as living fully human, but Jesus is also the only one who truly does the "will of God" - and by this will, He establishes for us the New Covenant.

"Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it?   Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?"

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

Definition: A verbal expression or thought flowing from the heart against God’s will and against His design for your life

The sin of worry has been cloaked with justifications that all flow from our ability to control our lives and the world around us. While or finger-biting and scheming do indeed produce results, they cannot compare to the freedom found in trusting the Lord with our lives. 

Definition of Pride: Inappropriately valuing yourself in relation to others and to God

Almost universally everyone think that they are a "good" person. When we examine the claims of our own righteousness we will see that this kind of wisdom only exists in our own eyes. 

The sin of lust has been mostly categorized with sexual immorality, but there are many other expressions of lust that go unaddressed. The inward curvature of lust's direction to serve "the self" is evident wherever sins are causing abuse to the desires that God originally made good. 

Because of this broken world we will be wrestling against the forces of evil and against the retained depravity of our flesh. This resistance takes work. It takes effort. The enemy to our discipleship is the permission to be lazy - a spiritual sluggard. 

The central Christian hope is the resurrection of Jesus that affirms our resurrection at the return of our Savior. Until that day, we are given a freedom in the gospel that enables us to face death without fear.