What I learned from my Pastor ~ Jan. 3

Pastor Jack's typical schedule is to preach a communion or topical message on the first Sunday of the month and through a book of the Bible the remaining weeks. He often rotates between the Old and the New Testaments.

The text for "The Best Inheritance" was Romans 5:18-19. Pastor Jack reminded us that every single person in the human race has Adam as their biological father. Thanks to Adam's investments of transgression and disobedience, my (and your) inheritance is condemnation and a sin nature. But.....we can have a new father, a spiritual one, by receiving Christ. He has reversed the consequences of the inheritance received from Adam. His investments on our behalf are obedience and righteousness leading to the best inheritance of justification and eternal life.

We are all in one of 2 places with 1 of 2 fathers: alive or dead, in Adam or in Christ. If we have received new life, we are to walk in new life. To stress the importance of walking in new life, he closed with these 2 powerful statements.

"We have made conversion a mental act, expressed in a prayer, rather than a life act, expressed in obedience. Jesus did not ask people to just change their thinking and agree with Him, but to change their lives and follow Him. He didn't call us to merely believe in a new way, but to live in a new way. To believe in Christ is to begin the Christian way of life." (Source unknown)

"No man can know Christ truly except he follow Him in daily life." (Hans Denk - 16th century Anabaptist reformer)

Next week: Rev. 4 -- God reigns in heaven.

Thanks again, Rachel, for the inspiration for these posts!