Christ Alone #207

Galatians 2:17-19, 21                                                                                              Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan. What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. (The Message) 

The Apostle Paul was being accused of being soft on sin. He quickly admitted he was someone who still sinned and then added his readers did as well. No one is perfect, except Jesus, and He is the one who justifies; makes us right with God. Paul had attempted to keep the Jewish laws and rules with the end in sight of being perfected. It didn’t work. He not only was not perfected under the law, but he was also not free. 


He proposed that his attempts at perfection; pleasing his peers and keeping rules had actually taken away the relationship he had with God. It was a relationship of freedom. His accusers would tell him that Christ was not enough; he needed to add law, works, and rules. His response was that Christ was enough and that to think that Christ wasn’t enough to bring him into a right relationship with God meant Christ died needlessly.

You likewise cannot be right with God by laws, rules and works. It is only by Christ and through grace that you have true freedom. His grace is sufficient. 

_______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

Sandy and I have been home from San Diego several days now and have almost recovered from vacation. You know it takes two weeks to recover

from a one week vacation. I hope you are enjoying your summer and some time away from your work. 

I bought a pool fence. Now I have to install it. It is one of those five feet tall, seventy feet long mesh fences. It is going to take some work. I think Sandy will do a good job installing it. LOL

Johnny is big enough now that he gets around so fast we need a fence for his safety. With the new baby only six months away we will need a

pool fence for many years. Johnny is taking swimming lessons. Screams all the way through the lesson. The instructor is teaching him to float on his back and swim to the side of the pool. Mandy has yet not been able to watch.

Sunday was a wonderful day. I was able to preach (and again make it through three services) at First Baptist Church. I looked up as the third service was about to begin and I saw two familiar faces. Tommy Crenshaw and Jack Odle were in Phoenix for an agriculture meeting. Tommy and his wife Connie were

in our church in Nebraska and in Wisconsin. Jack and his wife Willa were in our church in Wisconsin. I have known Tommy almost 40 years and Jack for 30 years. 

They made me feel 'real' old. We spent the rest of Sunday with them. What a joy to share memories of our years together. God is using both of these college

professors in great ways on their respective campuses: Tommy at the University of Wisconsin and Jack at the University of North Carolina. I am so proud of both 

of these men. 

I will be preaching all three services at FBC again this week. (July 22) I have a week off and then will preach on Sunday evening August 5th at 6PM; and begin a new series on the Book of Philippians. I will be preaching  in Globe, AZ at the United Church of 

Christ on August 12th. Then I will be back at First Baptist for August 19 and

26th for the three morning services. On September 2nd and 9th I will be preaching at FBC in the Intersect (contemporary) service at 9:30AM. Kinda makes me tired about it, but also rejoicing with the opportunity to share God's word. Please pray for not only the preaching but for the preparation.

Sandy is preparing for the Tuesday morning Women's Bible Studies at FBC. She is hard at work studying and organizing her studies. I do hope many of you who live in the Phoenix area will come hear her. I know she would love to have you join her. Pray for her preparation. 

It seems as if on a very regular basis I receive an email or a call from someone to ask for prayer for a friend or relative with cancer, or some other serious need.

Most of those contacts are to ask to add their names to The Encourager mailing list. My heart goes out to so many who are struggling with disease and difficult circumstances. Recently added to that list of prayer concerns is the drought, especially in the midwest. Many of you who receive The Encourager are from farm country in the midwest.  I know for many of you the drought is of great concern. We are praying for rain.We in Arizona have a continual drought. Our annual rainfall is around seven inches. Hardly enough for farm country that is not irrigated. We irrigate here or nothing grows, except for a few cacti. Our prayers are with you.

Thanks for your prayers. You are a vital part of the ministry that Sandy and I are a part of here and wherever God leads.

God Bless.  ~ DGW