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God as Choreographer

24 Sep
God as Choreographer

We’re currently going through the epistle of 1 Peter. In my last post, I talked about making sure the glory goes to God. Today I’ll continue with that thought.

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:11

In this verse Peter is telling us that when we speak, we should speak as God Himself speaking. He literally tells us that when we serve, our words are originating from the force of which God is the dance-leader.

Peter actually uses the Greek word for choreographer, in speaking about God. Think about it. God is the great universal Choreographer.

I encourage you, then you pray for sick, when they’re healed, they go and evangelize the lost. It’s like one great dance.

We all need to be involved in God’s choreography. Instead, we sit back and wait for others to do the work of the Lord. Think about what the Nutcracker Suite would be like with only three dancers. Then we complain, “God isn’t blessing this church.”

God gives grace and choreographs His will to be accomplished on earth. We do the performance, and God gets the glory in everything through Christ. The Lord receives glory, dominion, power, and strength forever and ever.

If you remember from a previous post, we are the administrators of God’s grace. Allowing God to use us in His choreography is a big part of this.

Paul understood the truth of this teaching.

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you…

Ephesians 3:2 NIV

Do you hear what the apostle is saying here? It’s in the administration of God’s grace that He gives me His grace. But, more importantly, the grace He gives me is actually for you.

I would be doing a grave disservice to God if I failed to pass on that grace. Unfortunately, we do that all the time. We either don’t follow through with what God is doing in us, or we ignore His calling altogether.

Much of the grace God gives to us is for someone else. I heard a great preacher once say, “God always blesses you with someone else in mind!” We need to live with that truth before us.

Always remember that God is the great Choreographer. It’s up to us to be a part of what He’s doing in this generation. Don’t be left out of the blessing; join the dance!!!

Question: How have you experienced God as Choreographer in your life?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 24, 2025 in Ministry, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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Cultivating a Together Mindset

14 May
Cultivating a Together Mindset

We’re continuing through the epistle of 1 Peter. Currently, we’re talking about our relationships in the body of Christ. In my last post, Peter explained the “together mindset.”

It’s an important teaching, but how does this work in practice?

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:9 NIV

Here we’re told not to give back evil or insult for insult. Instead, we’re told to speak well about these people. This is very difficult to accomplish in the middle of a conflict. That’s why we need to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

According to Peter, we can make this easier by learning one simple truth. He says that we know by experience that we’re called to inherit a blessing. In that case, what does it matter if you’re cursed by someone, if you know you’re getting a blessing anyway?

In the next direction Peter shows that he’s a realist…and so is God.

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.”

1 Peter 3:10 NIV

The fact is that we all want to love life and see good times. Unfortunately, there are many who get this idea that God is against good times. But that’s absolutely untrue. God wants the best for us.

This found throughout Scripture.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17 NIV

Peter tells you how to reach this goal without any regret. He literally tells us to put our tongue on pause from off of evil. He also tells us not to let your lips speak trickery. How many times has one wrong word ruined the whole day for you and others?

One thing is very clear from the Word. Jesus said, in Luke 6:45, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” So, if you fill your heart with the Word, you’ll have more good times.

Peter continues with this thought.

“He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.”

1 Peter 3:11 NIV

Peter advises us to turn from, shun trouble. Our problem is that usually we don’t turn from it. We keep watch over it and rehearse it in our hearts. That causes it to grow and take over our lives.

Instead of looking for the problems, we must seek and pursue peace. We can only do all this if we know God’s direction. The only way to know where God is leading us to is to spend time in His presence.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:12 NIV

This is a wonderful promise for those who cultivate this “together mindset.” In my next post, I’ll talk about it in more detail.

Question: How well are you cultivating this together mindset?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 14, 2025 in Fellowship, Relationships

 

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Pass It On

13 Feb
Pass It On

In my last post, we started going through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. Now the Holy Spirit will emphasize us, corporately, as a body of believers.

This next verse is one that I’ve heard many people quote and talk about.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 NIV

What does it mean to be blessed? We use the word a lot, but do we really understand it? More than that, do we understand why God wants to bless us?

We use the word bless very loosely in the body of Christ.

“God blessed me with a parking space close to the store.”

We seem to think that anything good that happens is a blessing. That’s the modern church definition. But when you read the Bible, that thought will hide the truth about what a blessing truly is.

Let’s start by defining it. What exactly does the word bless mean? In the Old Testament it’s the Hebrew word Barak. It means to kneel, which emphasizes the receiving aspect. In the New Testament, the Greek word Eulogeo is used. It means a well-spoken word; and relates to the giving of a blessing.

One thing that we have to realize is that the blessing is always spoken. The actual word, bless, means to endue with power for success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

Psalm 118:26 NIV

If you have the name of the Lord, then you’re already blessed. It’s an event that has taken place when you made Christ the Lord of your life.

The verse from Ephesians tells us we have every spiritual blessing IN CHRIST. We have been given access to His name. We are blessed because we come in the name of the Lord.

However, the verse in Psalms takes it to another level. Mature believers don’t just seek to be blessed, but to be a blessing. It’s a choice that has to be made. It’s by faith that we choose to be a blessing to others.

That’s a tall order – to be a blessing to someone. How can I do that? In Scripture we’re told to do everything in the Name of Jesus. It’s in His powerful name that we have what we need to bless others.

The good news is that I don’t have to seek out God’s blessing. According to these verses, He has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heaven in Christ.

We know Scripture tells us that we can do all things through Christ. We have to remember this. We’ll never get that done on our own. We are blessed in order that we might be a blessing to others.

I want to get back to a point I made earlier. Now that we know what a blessing is, we can understand it better. A good parking space is not a blessing – it’s actually the result of the blessing that’s upon our lives.

The important thing to ask is; what am I doing with this blessing. It’s not all about me. I truly believe that God always blesses us with someone else in mind.

We must be sensitive enough to see the needs around us. That means we should be spending time in the Lord’s presence so we can follow His lead. God wants to bless those around us. And He wants to use us to do it.

To walk in this kind of blessed lifestyle, I need to know who I am in Christ. I must understand who I am and what I’ve been given access to in Christ Jesus. Only then can I pass on those gifts to others.

This is the basis for blessing those around me. I can only bless others if I know that I am truly blessed. It takes blessed people to bless people.

Question: How has the blessing of God been evident in your life lately?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2023 in Faith, God's Provision, Ministry, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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Entering the Kingdom

10 Oct
Entering the Kingdom

We’re continuing through the Gospel of Luke. In chapter 18, we come to an event in the life of Christ that’s largely overlooked. However, I think that it’s important to understand its significance to us.

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Luke 18:15-17 NIV

In this passage, three groups of people were coming to Jesus. There were parents, infants, and children. These parents simply wanted the Lord to declare a blessing over their children. However, the disciples weren’t too happy about this.

Jesus tells them clearly that this isn’t an annoyance. Receiving the children was a wonderful thing to the Lord. We can learn a lot from this encounter.

First of all, the Greek word for baby in this passage is very important. Its primary meaning is an unborn child or fetus. That tells me that, in the womb, a child is capable of receiving a blessing. Of course, we know that’s true because when Mary visited Elizabeth, John the Baptist leapt for joy in her womb (Luke 1:44).

Jesus had no problem holding the infants and blessing them. He used this opportunity to teach the disciples some important truths associated with life in the spirit.

Jesus went a step further. He started calling the other children who were standing nearby. “Hey kids! Come over here so I can bless you!” I’m sure the disciples felt a little embarrassed because of this.

Here’s where it starts to get interesting. The Lord begins to use this situation as a teaching moment for the disciples.

He tells the disciples not to stop them from coming. This is because these infants and children are the sort of people that make up the kingdom of God.

I’ve heard a lot of sermons preached about this, but in my mind, they fall short of what the Lord was saying. He’s talking about receiving the kingdom. You can’t receive something unless it’s given.

So, to understand how to receive, we need to see how the kingdom is offered. Jesus was clear about this throughout His ministry.

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

John 3:3 NIV

If you think about it in the natural, it should become pretty obvious. What’s the easiest way to become part of a kingdom? The simple answer is that you’re born into it.

What’s the easiest way to become a United States citizen? It’s to be born in the United States. That may sound too simple, but the greatest truths usually are.

Jesus makes it clear to the disciples, the only way in, is to be born into the kingdom of God. You have to be willing to start from infancy – spiritually speaking.

Our problem is that many of us were already indoctrinated in the world system before salvation. We think that we know how things work. Unfortunately, the kingdom of God works on a whole different level.

We must start from a position of infancy. We must leave everything behind that we thought we knew.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NIV

Life in the kingdom of God requires a whole new mindset. That’s why the first order of business is to renew our minds by the Word of God. Only then can we truly begin to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom.

Question: Where are you along your spiritual journey with Christ?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2022 in Revival, Sonship, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Spiritually Selfish

01 Jun
Spiritually Selfish

We’re continuing our walk through the Gospel of Luke. For the last few posts, I’ve been talking about the Lord’s Prayer.

At one point, I talked about our daily bread, and I related it to receiving God’s Word on a daily basis. As we continue in this chapter, Christ now gives a parable concerning bread. I want to continue that discussion.

We’re going to do that by looking at a parable which few ever teach about. We need to see how the bread of the Word applies to our daily lives.

Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’

Luke 11:5-6 NIV

This parable brings to light an incredible truth. Listen carefully to what the man is asking for. He’s seeking bread. But the important fact is the reason he wants it.

Is he hungry? Does he have no money to buy bread? Absolutely not! These are not the reasons he needs bread so desperately.

According to the man, a friend of his was on a journey and has come near to him. He opened his home to the friend, but has no bread to place before the friend.

According to Scripture, every human is on a journey. We’re all traveling from total spiritual darkness to maturity in Christ. We’re all at different places along this path.

What this man was saying is, “My friend’s path brought him into my sphere of influence. I need to help him become what God wants him to be.”

The man was not seeking the bread of the Word for himself. He was seeking a Word that would meet the need of someone else. This is something the church needs to hear. It seems that much of the time we’re self-absorbed.

Many times we find that we’re seeking things for ourselves. We seem to think it’s all about my healing, my prosperity, and my blessing. What we really need to do is to follow the example of Christ. Most of what He sought the Father for was bread that He could give to others.

Notice the humility. My friend has come to me and I have nothing of my own that could meet his needs. This is an admittance of our total dependency on God.

I’m trusting God to meet someone else’s need. But I want Him to send the supply through me. This requires us to admit our inability apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

I believe this is what James was talking about in his book.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 NIV

James gives us this exhortation in the context of healing. We need to admit the areas for which we need prayer. But then, we also need to be in prayer for one another.

In the context of the above parable, James is saying that we should be constantly seeking bread for others. Praying for other people is a way of asking God the Father to supply us with the Word needed to bring healing into someone else’s life.

If all I ever pray about is my own needs, then I’m being very spiritually selfish. God wants us to be more than just a Christian organization. He wants us to be an organism – the body of Christ. In that way every part can be a help to all the other parts.

When you spend time in the presence of the Lord, remember to think of others. Listen for a Word that could be a help to them as well as yourself.

Question: How have you helped others along their road to maturity in Christ?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 1, 2022 in Faith, Healing, Ministry, Prayer, The Church

 

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Calling – What and Where

06 May
Calling – What and Where

In my last post, we saw the Lord sending out 72 of His disciples. They were to prepare the arrangements in all of the towns He would be visiting. They were also tasked with preaching and healing the sick.

This group was basically given the same instructions that the 12 apostles were given when they were sent out. However, Luke gives us a little more detail with this group.

I find some very interesting things that Jesus says.

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.”

Luke 10:5-6 NIV

The first thing I see is about speaking a blessing. There are some who make a big deal out of what they speak. They think that by simply saying something, they will cause it to come into existence.

Jesus makes it clear that this is not the case. You can speak a blessing over someone. But, if they haven’t positioned themselves to receive that blessing, it will have no effect.

That’s also why I’m not worried if people say evil things about me. If I’m under the blessing of God, then nothing you say can change that.

Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Luke 10:7 NIV

We need to apply what Jesus is saying here, especially in regard to our calling. Many believers misunderstand what calling is all about.

In many instances we know what we’re called to do. What we fail to see is that our calling also includes WHERE we’re called to perform it. We’re not just called to a work, we’re also called to a place.

I’m sorry, but now I’m going to have to start meddling!

I believe that every Christian is called to be a part of a particular local church. In most cases, that’s where a majority of your work for Christ will take place.

Along with that, as a pastor, I can tell you that there are no perfect churches. You will never find the church that you think is doing things exactly right in your eyes.

However, this is the place that the Lord has ordained you to receive your spiritual food and drink. That’s why it’s so important that you find the place that God has called you to be.

We live in a very fussy generation. We find the restaurant, the school, and the gym that do things the way we like. Then we think that the church should be the same way.

I had a missionary friend that brought one of his local workers with him from Africa. It was this young man’s first time coming to the USA. He said that he forgot to pack a toothbrush. So, I brought him to a local drug store.

He said he would run in and buy one while we waited for him in the car. After a long while, we thought something might be wrong so we went to look for him. He was standing in the aisle, staring at a twelve foot wall of toothbrushes. He was overwhelmed by the choices we have in America!

It’s not up to me to decide where I want to connect to the body of Christ, based upon what makes me comfortable. I need to find where the Lord has called me to attend and join in the work. Then, I don’t just leave to find another if something happens that I don’t like.

Yes, I have to find what the Lord wants me to do in my ministry. But, along with that, I need to know where He’s called me to do it. Then, I stay at my assignment until the Holy Spirit tells me it’s time to change.

I believe that we need to take on this attitude of longevity. It will go a long way to give us a greater sense of fulfillment in our Christian walk.

Questions: What are you called to do? Where are you called to do this?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2022 in Anointing, Ministry, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Cutting Corners

03 Jan
Cutting Corners

We’re now back to our study of the Gospel of Luke. Before New Year’s Eve we had begun looking at the temptation of Christ.

In my last post on this subject, I showed that Christ refused to be tempted to claim a promise. This is the opposite of what many believers do today. We’re trusting God to provide things we don’t even need just because we found a convenient Scripture to “stand on.”

Paul talked about this in his letter to Timothy. Paul warned Timothy about people…

…who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:5b-6

I believe that there’s something inherently wrong with a message that continually focuses on my happiness, my comfort, and my pleasure. It’s true that God loves us and wants the best for us. I also believe that there is a scriptural prosperity that God desires for His people.

But I also believe that many have taken this too far. As a result, God’s people are spending too much time, prayer, energy and “faith” running after the things of the world that they think will satisfy them. At the same time, they ignore the work of the Kingdom of God. As a result, they never lay hold of what will ultimately fulfill the desires of their souls.

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Luke 4:5-7

The devil continued his assault using the promises of God. This time he used a promise specifically aimed at Christ, the Messiah. He was making a deal with Jesus in which the Lord could obtain the Messiah’s blessing without having to go to the cross.

Jesus was going to become ruler of all creation. The only issue was, according to the Father’s plan, the Lord had to endure all the pain and suffering of the cross. He could now get all of this handed to Him without the struggle.

The only problem was, Jesus would have to bow before Satan. Of course, He didn’t have to mean it. It was tempting because it was a little act with a big reward.

I’m glad to say that as far as the Lord was concerned, this was totally unacceptable to Him.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'”

Luke 4:8

Jesus saw right through the devil’s smokescreen, and rejected the offer without even giving it a second thought. How dumb can we be? So often we fall when the enemy tempts us to do foolish, unscriptural, and even ungodly things…all for spiritual reasons, of course. We sometimes make crazy decisions all under the guise of “God wants me blessed, happy, and wealthy”

I’ve heard things like, “God told me that this is the woman He created for me.” My question is; what about the woman you’re married to right now? What about “God hates divorce”?

We need to see how very differently Jesus lived than we do. He didn’t feel the need to spend His life rehearsing the promises. Neither did the Lord try, in His power, to fulfill the requirements so that He could obtain the blessings in His own strength.

The simple fact is, Satan could only give Jesus the authority and splendor of these earthly kingdoms. The Lord was worthy of so much greater power. Look at what Christ said after the resurrection.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”

Matthew 28:18-19

He could have never said this if He took a short-cut around the cross. As God’s people, we need to stop looking for the easy way to serve God. Find the Father’s plan for your life and obey it with all of your heart.

Question: How have you experienced people doing foolish things for “spiritual” reasons?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on January 3, 2022 in Faith, God's Provision, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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Being a Blessing

10 Sep
Being a Blessing

As we go through this last section of Romans, there are some tough exhortations. But remember, this part of Romans assumes that you’ve applied chapters 8-10. This gives you the ability for what’s ahead.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Romans 12:14

The teaching here goes against our very human nature. This is impossible to do apart from the strength of the Holy Spirit.

This is more than just ignoring those who persecute you or putting up with them. The word, bless, means to speak well of them. To do that, requires us to see through God’s eyes. We need to see what they could become in Christ.

In this verse, Paul even repeats himself with emphasis. He tells us to bless them and don’t curse them – literally, don’t speak doom over them.

To accomplish this requires quality time with the Holy Spirit.

Another thing we must learn, according to Paul, is identification.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Romans 12:15

We must learn to be happy in the midst of happiness and mournful in the midst of mourning. So often we miss this characteristic of Christ.

Jesus sent out 72 of His followers to do what He was doing. They got amazing results.

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

Luke 10:17

They returned full of joy. What was Jesus’ reaction?

He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

Luke 10:18-21

The phrase, full of joy, literally means to jump and dance around with joy. I can picture the Lord giving them all high-fives as they arrived.

Then again, when Lazarus died…

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

John 11:33-36

The fact is that Jesus didn’t need to weep. The Lord knew that He was going to call Lazarus back to life. But, He identified with those who were in mourning.

When we identify with others, it shows them that we care about what they’re going through – either good or bad. Many times that will open their hearts to allow us to speak the truth of the Word into their lives.

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23

We need to follow Paul’s example.

Question: How have you been a blessing to someone else recently?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 10, 2021 in Ministry, Relationships, Spiritual Walk

 

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A Promise to the Nations

30 Dec
A Promise to the Nations

In my last post we saw that Abraham is our father in the faith.  His blessing is passed down to us because of the work of Christ on the cross.  We receive this promise by the same faith that brings our righteousness.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham.  He is the father of us all.  As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”  He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Romans 4:16-17

This is a beautiful portion of Scripture.  Because of his faith, God sees Abraham as the father of all those who walked this path after him.  If I walk in that same faith towards the Lord, I become a part of Abraham’s family.

God said that He would make Abraham the father of many nations.  I believe that God was not only talking about his life in the physical.

As it was, three different Middle Eastern nations came from his line.  They were the Israelites, Ishmaelites, and the Edomites.  In my way of thinking, if God promises many nations, than it would mean more than just three.

On the contrary, there are many nations that have become his children.  He is now the father of the faithful Americans, Italians, Jamaicans, Koreans, Navahos, Russians, and any other national group you can think of.

I personally praise God for this.  I wasn’t born into the physical family of Abraham.  But, by trusting Christ to save me, I have been adopted into his lineage with all the promises and blessings that accompany it.

The last line of this passage gives two descriptions of the God we serve.  The first is that this is the God who gives life to the dead.  This literally means that He can take a corpse and make it alive.

You may think that everything around you is dead.  Your dreams, desires, and hopes may have slowly died off because of circumstances beyond your control.  But the God we serve is well able to bring them to life again.

This verse also says that the Lord is the God who calls things that are not as though they were.  This is a calling out of creative power.

Unfortunately, many times we get it backwards.  It does not say that He calls things that are as though they were not.  That’s denial.  Scripture never tells us to deny that our problems exist.

It’s absolutely proper for me to admit that I’m sick.  In the same breath I can also declare that Christ is my Healer.

We don’t deny what’s happening.  If I was never sick, how could Jesus Christ get the glory for my healing?

Because of faith, we’re the children of Abraham.  We inherit the same blessing that was given to him.  We need to start living up to it and walking in it.

It’s this promise and blessing that will cause the world to look at us differently.  They’ll want what we have.  Then, they’ll be attracted to Jesus Christ by our testimony.

Question: How would walking in this blessing change the way others view us?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 30, 2020 in Faith, Healing, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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Which Came First?

18 Dec
Which Came First?

As we continue to look at the book of Romans, Paul asks another important question about the righteousness God imparts to us by faith.  He has already pointed out how blessed we are to receive it.

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?  We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:9

The apostle asks us who, exactly, is blessed by this righteousness.  He’s been using Abraham as an example for us.  But, what was it about Abraham that put him in a position to receive this righteousness?

Was it because he followed all the religious rules that he’d been given?

Under what circumstances was it credited?  Was it after he was circumcised, or before?  It was not after, but before!

Romans 4:10

Paul answers the question for us.  God credited Abraham with righteousness before he ever started following any religious observances.  All he needed to do was believe that God’s Word was truth.

That’s good news.  There’s no indication that Abraham had to continually try harder and harder until he was finally good enough to please God.  He was declared righteous in his uncircumcised condition.

If that’s the case, then why are there so many religious things that people do?  Is there a place for them?  Or are all religious observances to be done away with?

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.  So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.  And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Romans 4:11-12

Here Paul explains the place of religious observances.  They come after faith has been given and righteousness is received.

According to Paul, circumcision – the religious act is a sign.  This means that the outward observance is an indication of the change that took place on the inside.

What we do on the outside, is a seal of the righteousness received by faith.  A seal is the official stamp that confirms the genuineness of the item in question.

If I really believe that God’s Word is truth, then it will show up in my actions.  I don’t live right to obtain God’s blessing.  I live right because I’ve already received it.

There are many so called “religious” things that Christians do.  What we need to realize is that we don’t do them to get God to accept us.  These observances only serve to support the fact that we are accepted already by faith in Jesus Christ.

Don’t get it backwards.  That only brings frustration, guilt, and condemnation.  Come to the Lord in faith, trusting Him for His righteousness.

Then allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen you to walk in obedience to God’s Word.  That will be the outward sign of the inner transformation that’s taken place within you.

Question: How do you yield to the Holy Spirit’s life-changing work?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 18, 2020 in Faith, Legalism, Spiritual Walk

 

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