We profess to believe in God, but our words, thoughts and actions often dishonor God and embarrass us. We are theoretical believers– but functional atheists. Intentional soul care (spirituality) connects us with God in vital fellowship, cultivates spiritual awareness in our daily lives, and conforms us to God’s image in Christ. Theme scripture for entire series: 1 Timothy 4:7, 8 “...Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (ESV)

We are a forgetful people. When it comes to our spiritual lives, it is important that we never forget what God has done for us. In Joshua 4, God instructs the Israelites to construct a pile of stones to mark the day they crossed over the Jordan River, into the land that God had promised them. The stones would be a reminder, for generations to come, of God’s love for his people and faithfulness to keep his promises. We will explore moments in which God reinforced his covenant with his people; culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We will remember God’s faithfulness at Trinity in 2021 and remind ourselves that God goes before us into 2022!

“...Should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus never hesitated to teach the reality of judgment. To perish is to be separated from God, cut off from eternal life with God. God gave Jesus to save us from judgment. Through faith in Christ, God gives us the gift of abundant life now and eternal life forever. Jesus warned Nicodemus (and all who read the gospel) about the eternal danger of rejecting the Light of God in Christ (John 1:4-9).

“...That whoever believes in him...” Jesus taught Nicodemus that God’s love reaches far beyond the Jewish nation. This message was clearly articulated in God’s covenant with Abram (Genesis 12:1-3) and taught by the prophets (Isaiah 2:3) In Nicodemus’ context however, there was a sharp divide between the Jews and Samaritans (addressed in John 4) and especially between the Jews and Gentiles. Jesus proclaimed the truth that God values all humanity. None are disqualified from God’s love. Even as the serpent lifted up in the wilderness saved people from the plague (Numbers 21:4-9), all who believe and trust that Jesus is God’s Son and the Savior will be redeemed from their sins and restored to a relationship with God.

“...That he gave his one and only Son...” God paid the ultimate price because God treasures us as the ultimate prize. As one song says, God “... didn’t want heaven without us...” Jesus taught Nicodemus the necessity and the possibility of being born again (see John 1:12-13). The Pharisees based their system on the assumption we need to earn God’s favor. Jesus taught that life isn’t about what we can give to God, but about what God gives to us. Some people assume God is primarily concerned with getting something from us. God gives new life through the power of the Holy Spirit, not through our own achievements (Romans 8:31-32).

“For God so loved the World...” It’s all about love. Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisee, Nicodemus, lays the foundation for the gospel message. It begins with hope (advent theme): God didn’t give up on the rebellious creation. When we turned away, God did not turn away from us. Love is not God’s second choice. Love is the heart of God’s character. God’s love gives us new life (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Because of a very limited exposure to scripture and stereotypes of “hellfire and damnation” preachers who proclaim, “Turn or burn!” many people have the idea that God is angry, or at least always irritable. Psalm 103 is one of many scriptures that proclaim God is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” The Hebrew word hesed means God’s long-suffering patience and unwavering commitment to care for and bless his people – most often in spite of their resistance and even rebellion. Application: Draw close to God for strength and courage because of God’s unwavering love and promises.

Many Christians today, although we believe in God, live our everyday lives as if God doesn’t exist. We say we believe in God but live our lives as if God wasn’t in the room. We call ourselves Christians, but we live as if God were dead. We aren’t daily running the race that God set before us, instead our lives look like this:
I believe in God, but I compartmentalize my faith into one day of the week
I believe in God, but I conform to the patterns, habits and values of this world
I believe in God, but I don’t give up control, and instead have an illusion of self-sufficiency
We draw inspiration from Hebrews 11 and the “great cloud of witnesses” who ran their race with true surrender and faith in God. Hebrews 12 then is an invitation for anyone courageous enough to admit their hypocrisy, get honest with God, and live a life that truly is running after Christ.

Does God Help Only Those Who Help Themselves? Many believe God only helps “saints,” whom they define as those who impress God with their character and sacrifice. True saints, however, are those who trust in the Lord and “work out their salvation” as God works in them. Yes, there is a tension between human responsibility and divine care. But the expression “God helps those who help themselves” (from ancient Greece) makes God’s provision conditional on our performance.

The great Reformation themes of God’s sovereignty and providence are grounded in God’s good, good character. If God were “great” without being good, God would be a tyrant. If God were “good” without being great, God would be unable to ensure the well-being and redemption of us and all creation. We will explore the soaring descriptions of God in Isaiah 40 and Romans 11 to expand our unwavering confidence in God.