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Simplicity in Christ
February 05, 2017
God never meant for righteousness to be complicated. He merely asks that we love Him, listen to Him, and follow His simple instructions. If we love Him with all that we have and are, and will love our neighbors to the same degree that we love ourselves, the rest will fall into place. It's not rocket science! The gospel of Christ is for the common man to grasp. - Bernie Parsons
Simplicity in Christ --
or,
It’s Not Rocket Science!
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 02-05-2017
Presented to Load church of Christ on 02-12-2017
The older I get, the less material is in my sermons. When I was sixteen
years old, first preaching the gospel, I tried to compile a list of do’s
and don’ts. I thought that God wanted us to live by a list of rules.
Godliness would come by following those strict rules.
In Christ, God removed the ordinances that He had placed upon the
Israelites.
Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain
one new man, so making peace;"
As I matured spiritually, my understanding changed, based upon deeper
study. I was struck by the Apostle Paul’s statement in the following
scripture.
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only
use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one
another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself."
Colossians 2:13 "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you
all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which
was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his
cross;"
As keep quoting, Jesus pointed out two great commandments that set the
stage for all of the rest.
Matthew 22:36 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
That keeps the foundation simple and easy to understand.
The early message that Jesus preached was also simple and similar to
that of John the baptizer.
Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Like John, He also commanded that His followers be baptized in water.
Mark 16:14-16 “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as
they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of
heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was
risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
He explained to Nicodemus that this was a rebirth.
John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born
again."
1 Peter 1:22 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love
one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
It is a chance to start over with God, our heavenly
Father.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
Once born again, we have a new life – a life in Christ – ahead of us.
Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace
may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live
any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of
the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness
of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin."
In this new life, we walk after the spirit, and not the flesh.
Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his."
Walking in the spirit takes us back to the two great commandments: serve
God with everything that we have and are, and to love our neighbors in
the same way that we love ourselves.
Matthew 7:12 "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should
do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only
use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one
another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself."
Men and women will corrupt the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus, but
do not be seduced.
2 Corinthians 11:3 "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not
preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received,
or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with
him."
Always remember the goal!
Philippians 3:20 "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to
subdue all things unto himself."
It’s not rocket science! Nor does it take a modern prophet to figure out
what God wants us to do.
