What is Sin?
Sin is defined as falling short of the glory of God – missing the mark of God's standard of holiness. Sin is the common human condition. Even Paul the apostle sinned as he wrestled with his sin nature (see Romans 7:14-20). If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you can relate to Paul’s struggle with sin.

As believers, when we sin, we are convicted of sin. In fact, if we don’t sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit, there is a good chance that we are not saved, we don’t know Jesus (see 1 John 1:10).
If we know sin is missing the mark, what is the mark?

What is the Law?
We have the Ten Commandments, as clear, concise set of regulations for relating to God and to our fellow man. But Jesus took the Law and raised the bar in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:21-28). Jesus stated that sin is born in our hearts; we are all guilty of thinking and saying things about other people that are sinful.
Romans 8:3 states, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.”

The nation of Israel was given the law of Moses. Remember, Paul is writing to a mixed audience. Some Jewish believers grew up with the law of Moses, while Gentile believers knew very little about the feasts and the sacrificial system.
Paul didn’t say that the Law was bad or that it failed; it was weakened because human beings could not do what the Law required. We may follow all the rules and regulations, but our thoughts will still drift into sin, and we break the law.

What is the Gospel?
The law couldn’t save, but God provided a way: He sent His own Son, born of a virgin, who lived a common life as a carpenter. Jesus looked and spoke every bit like a Jewish boy growing up in the first century. Paul wrote this to combat a heresy that taught that Jesus was fully God, but he was never a human; he only appeared to be human. Jesus had to be fully man to be the perfect sin offering for our sins. If he were not a human, the cross would have been meaningless.

But Jesus was perfectly human, and he was the final and perfect sin offering for the sins of mankind. The verse clearly states that Jesus died for sin. But more than dying for sin, God the Father condemned sin in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).
God not only made Jesus to become sin; God made Him bear our sin. He also condemned that sin; Jesus was judged and punished for our sin. It was a transfer of guilt, a sentencing, and an execution by God the Father.

But why did Jesus have to die? Paul explains in verse 4, “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

When laws are broken, there are consequences. The Law of God points out sin, and when we sin, the righteous requirement of sin is death. But the Good News is that Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law. We who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ as our savior will never die; we will live eternally in the presence of Jesus.

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In Romans 7, Paul writes about the Law God gave Moses, which had become a point of tension in the church in Rome. The Judaizers wanted everyone to follow the Law, and the Gentile believers wanted everyone to be led by the Spirit. In Chapter 8, Paul highlights the freedom that believers have in Christ through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 8 can be summarized in three phrases: no condemnation, no obligation, and no separation. We will begin by looking at the first phrase.

No Condemnation
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1.
No condemnation and justification mean the same thing. If you have repented of your sins and asked the Lord Jesus to forgive you, your sins are forgiven. We are justified and made to be in right standing with God because of our faith in what Jesus has done on the cross. He died, shed his blood, and rose again so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (see John 3:16).

But what does condemnation mean?
These verses conclude the argument in chapter 7, where Paul addresses the personal problem we all face in dealing with our own sinful nature. Paul cries out in Romans 7:24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
In the Bible, the word condemnation is synonymous with damnation, judgment, punishment, destruction, and verdict. In its strongest sense, condemnation means “the banishing to hell all those disobedient to the will of God.” Remember, Jesus spoke frequently about hell and the eternal punishment awaiting all who reject him.

The Law of Moses pronounces every person guilty because it shows us what sin is. Before Christ, everyone had to offer animal sacrifices every year, as a reminder that God punishes sin but also offers forgiveness through repentance. However, animal sacrifices were just a temporary method of dealing with man’s sin until Jesus came to deal with sin forever.

Jesus made it clear that without Him no one can enter the kingdom of heaven (see John 14:6). We all know John 3:16, yet two verse later Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18).
Though the Law condemns all mankind, we as believers in Jesus Christ have this glorious promise, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

But does that mean we can go on sinning without consequence? Not at all, in Romans 6, Paul addresses this very question (see Romans 6:1-3). In both these passages, Paul uses the phrase, “In Christ”. When we believe in the name of Jesus for salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit, and we are in Christ. Those who are in Christ are set free from the condemnation of sin.

In Christ
I doubt we grasp the depth and the breadth of those two words. Paul uses this term about 164 times in all his letters. To be in Christ is the heart of Christianity. Baptism is our public profession of faith in Jesus. It is us publicly declaring that when Christ died, our old man died, we are aligning ourselves with his death. It is total surrender to the new life in Christ.

Paul explains that when you become a Christian, you move into a realm of new life in Christ, and you come under new management. How can we still desire and walk in the ways of our past life? (see Galatians 2:20).

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One of the richest chapters in the Bible is Romans chapter 8. Paul wrote the letter we know as “Romans”, to a blended church in Rome, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers. Many of the Jewish believers held on to the Mosaic law and taught that to be a true Christian, you needed to follow the Law in addition to faith in Christ. While the Gentiles came from many different pagan religions and held to faith in Christ alone.

Paul wrote to a church that struggled with unity, giving them a theologically rich letter on which to establish the growing church. We need this letter as much today. Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi, where he stressed the unity that believers have in Christ.

Encouragement in Christ
Philippians 2:1 begins, “If there is any encouragement – In Christ…” Being in Christ is our position as Christians, our standing before God. Being In Christ is one of the primary ways Paul describes what it means to be a Christian. This is our vertical resource; we experience encouragement because of communion with God through the Holy Spirit. This is the first and primary position for unity in the Church.

Comfort in Love
“…if there is any comfort from love…” When you become a follower of Jesus, your attitude changes towards other people. The first Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 is love. Love is the natural byproduct of a life controlled by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for love used here is a love that is governed by a willful decision to seek the highest good of the other individual.

Participation in the Spirit
“…any participation in the Spirit…” This is fellowship that is more than simply sharing a meal together, this is unity because we are united by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we become followers of Jesus we are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:13).

Affection and Sympathy
“…any affection and sympathy”. Because of the tenderness, mercy and compassion that we have received from Christ, we display this to one another. To not have concern for others, is a very clear indication that a person is not in a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

Joy through Unity
In Philippians 2:2 we see that the first result of unity is joy. Paul was overjoyed by their response because he knew that as the Philippian church grew in unity, they would become more effective as a church, being used by God to proclaim the good news of Jesus. Paul was joyful because he knew that they would be like-minded. This unity is not temporal, based on feelings and situations, rather, we remain in unity, because the message of the Gospel is what binds us together. We have a common message, we have the same Holy Spirit, thus we have unity.

This does not mean that we never have disagreements. It is quite normal to expect differences of opinion on certain methods of church activity, but we never compromise on the essentials of our faith and the truth of the Word of God. When we have differences of opinion, the governing principle must be love, the preferential love that always seeks the highest good of others.

In Full Accord
“…being in full accord and of one mind”. To be in full accord and of one mind means that the church knows their purpose and mission. At Grace Point we have the Four Pillars that we come back to; Worship, Word, Mission and Compassion, this is what we exist to do. The mission of the church always superseded our personal preferences, that is Holy Spirit unity.

Avoid Selfish Ambition
Paul gets to the heart of the matter in verse 3, addressing issues that destroy unity. The first sin he attacks is selfish ambition, “

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From Broken Hearts to Burning Hearts
Do you remember a time when you were on fire for God, but somewhere along life’s road, you had a disappointment? A leader let you down, someone took advantage of you, your child walked away from the faith, your sickness and pain didn’t go away. Whatever the pain, it caused your heart to break, and you grew cold towards the things of the Lord.

The good news is that the risen Lord Jesus still heals broken hearts and sets them on fire today. Jesus did this for two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24.

An Unexpected Encounter
The disciples of Jesus witnessed the incredible entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as people waived palm branches and shouted his praises. They had seen Jesus perform incredible miracles. But then, everything changed. Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, and sentenced to be crucified.

Within days, elation turned to heartbreak and rejoicing to fear as Jesus was crucified and laid in a tomb. The disciples had been certain that Jesus was the promised Messiah who would overthrow the Roman rule over Israel, but now their hopes were dashed. As heartbreak turned to fear, some of the disciples fled Jerusalem, fearing persecution from the religious leaders. Two of them were walking on the road to Emmaus when Jesus began walking alongside them.

Jesus’s identity was hidden from them, but he began asking them what they were talking about (see Luke 24:16). One of the two, Cleopas responded incredulously, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18). Jesus claimed he did not know. They responded by giving him an overview of all that had happened in the last several days (see Luke 24:19-24). It was as if the words came flooding out of their mouths as their emotions spilled over in recounting the events.

An Unexpected Unraveling
They mentioned four key points in their account:

1: “Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people” (v. 19). The people thought Jesus was a mighty prophet because he taught the Scriptures with an authority that they had never seen before. He also performed many mighty miracles.

2: “He was handed over by the religious leaders and was crucified” (v. 20). In fact, it had been three days, and like Jesus, their hopes were dead.

3: “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (v. 21). This statement reveals their heartache. They had hoped for a king to reign in Israel; they had placed their hope in Jesus to be a new and greater King David. Little did they know that Jesus had done something far greater; he had defeated sin and death. He had established an eternal Kingdom.

4: Finally in verse 22 and 23, they recall that some women gave testimony of the empty tomb and their encounter with angels. But Peter and John had effectively checked the tomb, and Jesus was not there. They dismissed the testimony of the women as implausible.

Everything the disciples said to Jesus reflected their misconceptions about who he was, even their misunderstandings of the things that he had taught them. Jesus told them that he would suffer and die at the hands of the religious leader; furthermore, Jesus told them he would rise again (see Matthew 17:22-23). But they only heard what they wanted to hear.

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Sunday March 29, 2026

Luke 19:36-48

Pastor Athol Barnes

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We all know that the Bible teaches that God is good.
But what about the times when that statement is tested, and we struggle to believe that God is good?

The Bible is full of accounts of real people going through extremely challenging times. The book of Job is a classic example of faithfulness in times of suffering.

David also had many challenging times. In 1 Samuel 21, David was fleeing from King Saul; he fled his homeland and sought refuge with the Philistines. After a time, he was recognized and brought before the King Achish – the king of Gath, referred to as Abimelech in Psalm 34. David, fearing for his life, acted like a madman, and as a result the Philistine king let him go thinking he was demon possessed.

The Lord sustained and protected David in one of the worst situations of his life at a time when David could have despaired, even doubted, the goodness of God. It was in this context that David wrote this Psalm 34. David had the promise of God that he would be king; had God forgotten him?

Taste and See
David had a unique way of singing himself through the trials, singing the promises of God. In Psalm 34:8 David declares, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

Taste is an important figure of speech in the Bible. Everywhere it’s used figuratively, taste suggests full participation in or experience of the thing enjoyed. Here, the invitation to “taste and see that the Lord is good” is a call to rely fully on Him and to experience the benefits of a personal relationship with God. It is tasting the things of the Lord through faith. When you are going through the trials, – taste and see by faith that the Lord is good.

Only Good Things
In verse 10 we read, “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Again, David is singing himself into faith – declaring the promises of God. But what does this mean?

The verse does not say, “you will lack nothing”; it says, “you will lack no good thing.” That is a significant distinction. Not every good thing brings us comfort. For example, cough mixture doesn’t always taste good, but it is good for us if we have a bad cold. Discipline and hard work don’t feel comfortable, but they are good. The discipline of the Lord in our lives is not comfortable—often it is painful, but we cannot deny that it is good for us.

Faith Over Feelings
Looking further to verse 18 we read, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” In our current age, we are so driven by feelings, people base decisions on feelings alone in many cases. But the Bible says that faith needs to override feelings in our lives (see Hebrews 11:6). We should be ever mindful to live according to the promises of the Word of God. Do you live life based on feelings or based on the promises of God’s Word?

You Will Have Trouble
It would appear that the modern Prosperity Gospel peddlers have not read Psalm 34:19 which reads, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Based on their false teaching, when you become a follower of Jesus, everything goes smoothly; you are never sick, your mortgage is paid off, and you get a promotion at work! But these are lies, the Bible says that many are the afflictions – troubles, of the righteous. Jesus warned us of the same in John 16:33, with a glorious promise included, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

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Sunday March 15, 2026

Pastor Tim Duitsman

Philippians 2:5-8

Sitting in the dust

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The church structure at Grace Point includes Elders, Pastors, Deacons, and ministry team leaders. While we may have different roles and responsibilities—some more visible than others—we are all called to be ministers of the Gospel. We are all part of the royal priesthood (see 1 Peter 3:9).

The church is called to be the Body of Christ, his ambassadors and light in this troubled world. The apostle Paul was well aware of his responsibility as a messenger of the Gospel as we read in Ephesians 3:7-9,“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.”

Paul knew that the message he had was a gift, and it was his privilege to declare “the unsearchable riches of Christ”. Paul was overcome with gratitude for his responsibility to share the most powerful story ever told. Do we realize the privilege we have to share the Gospel?

Through the Church
When reading the Bible, we can be guilty of glossing over a verse and not waiting for a while to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through it. Verse 10 can be one of those verses that we quickly skip over, “So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
God’s intent all along has been for the church to play a cosmic role in His eternal plan. We live in the church age—we are part of that eternal plan.

There are three keys in this verse:
The Audience:
“Rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”
Theologians agree that this refers to all spiritual beings outside of our visible realm: angels, demons, both good and bad heavenly beings. Though unseen to us, there are billions of created beings that are either carrying out the plans of God or are serving Satan.

The angels look on and marvel at the grace and wisdom of God. 1 Peter 1:12 declares that the angels long to look into these amazing things.
Demons look at the church and know that their own rule on the earth is coming to an end once and for all.

The Message:
The proclamation is the manifold wisdom of God. Wisdom is more than knowledge; it is the ability to rightly use knowledge. God knows all things and He is all wise; wisdom is found in God. God is teaching the universe by taking people from all the ethnic groups of the world and bringing them together into one body, the Church, the Body of Christ.

Only God could take people so vastly different and bring them together in unity and love in the Church universal. The Church is preaching a cosmic sermon to the universe.

Kent Hughes writes, “The inescapable conclusion is that the angels watch us because we are part of the mystery!... We have a far bigger and more observant audience than any of us realize!”

We frequently teach and discuss the purpose of the church including missions, evangelism, worship, compassion, and discipleship. But there seems to be an even bigger purpose: God is pointing to the church and schooling the angels, demons, principalities, and powers in the heavenlies about His wisdom.

Doesn’t that fill you with wonder and awe? We, as broken and weak vessels, stumbling from different walks of life, come together under the banner of God’s grace. And as we do, we testify of the wisdom of God to the heavenly beings. Never underestimate the glory of God in the church!

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