The two best words ! (Part 2)

This past Wednesday in the post "The Two Best Words" ,we began what would appear to have been an impossible search. The quest was to look through the entire Bible and find two words that were the absolute best, which two words would they be?

I mean if you were to look in your Bible, and choose two words from the 66 books that make up the bible, if you could look in the 1,189 chapters that make up your Bible, if you could choose from the 31,173 verses…If you could somehow spread out all 773,692 words that are in your Bible on the floor, smooth them all out to get an idea as to what you had and choose two that would sum up the collection, which two words would you choose?

Two words that would sum up every story told in the Old Testament, and at the same time give reason to every miracle in the New Testament. Those two words would also sum up the attributes of God, and give reason for the Bible; they would also sum up everything from creation to salvation, and also cover the future of the believer.

Not just that, but wait, there’s more, they would also be two words that if you could ever fully wrap your mind around them, they would change your walk with God, and the way you talk with God, and the way that you treat God, and the way that you would serve God…

The two best words… Which would you choose?

I showed you my choice. They would be the first two words found in Romans 5:8

"BUT GOD..."

We looked at the phrase, "I was unloved, But God loved me!"

I want to continue with this three part reason why these are my favorite two words.

2. I was lost, but God saved me.

I do not pretend to understand why God loved you and I so much that he would give his son for us…

I can certainly identify with the apostle Paul when he exclaimed in Galatians 2:20 that "He loved me and gave himself for me!" 

It was not about him dying for the world, that price would seem to be worth it.

It was not about him dying for everyone in America, that price would seem to be worth it.

It wasn’t about him dying for everybody in the state of Alabama, because I can find the answer behind the equal sign, but when I think about Jesus and what he did for me. That is incredible!!!

I was the lost sheep! You were the one that prompted the shepherd to leave the fold and go looking.

There are two types of people in the world today. There are repaired people and there are broken people. If you are repaired by Christ than it tells me that there was a time when you were broken. If you are reading this and you are broken then that tells me that you can be repaired!

We can all echo what the apostle Paul said:

 

"O wretched Man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" ~Romans 7:24

 

We find in Romans 5:12

 

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" ~Romans 5:12

 

By our very nature we were sinners, and by our very nature we rejected a Holy God.

 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." ~Romans 5:19

While you and I were rejecting God and while we were entrenched in sin, God was commending his love to us.

 

“Oh the love that drew salvations plan, oh the grace that brought it down to man…”

 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:8

The word "Commendeth" is powerful. It is the word Soon-Is-Tah-O

SOON-IS-TAH-O = To recommend, or to approve of

You and I can stand at this moment, fully forgiven for Christ’s sake.

 I was searving as a Youth Pastor in Illinois when a friend of mine recommended I read a book called "Fly-boys" by James Bradley. It was the stories of eight airmen who were shot down in World War two in the pacific theater of operations. There is a statement at the end of that book that I have never forgotten.

“If you ever wonder if Americans love their freedom, ask any mamma who hung that gold star in the window. Their sons buried  on the fields of Iwo Jima,Hawaii, and the Philipines. They are buried in New Mexico, Arlington, and Normandy.Some are buried in unmarked, even forgotten graves… Do American love freedom? Never doubt the love, look at the price that was paid for it!"

 

Whenever I wonder if God knew what he was getting when he saved me, when ever I wonder if he wanted to save me, all I have to do is look...

“On that hill far away, where stood an old rugged cross, the very emblem of suffering and shame”

"Did I want to save you Dan? Look at the price that I paid because I love you and you never have need to ever doubt my love”

I do not fully understand why he would pay that kind of price for us… But aren’t you grateful for it.

 

These two words are the best words because they tell me, that:

 

I was Unloved, But God loved me…And because God loved me:

I was lost, but God saved me… And because God saved me:

 

  

3. I was unusable, but God can Use me

I know me, and this thought always shakes me up inside…"God can use me."

God can use you!

God wants to use you, and God wants to use me.

When I read of all the people in the Bible that would have ended up doing something for themselves, but God wanted to use them.

 The great commission was given to everyone of us, and it was given because God wants you and I, through Him, to perform it.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" ~Ephesians 2:10

 

God can use anybody, who is willing to be used.

 

You are His vessel, even if you are a Crackpot!

If you were to look in your Bible, and choose two words from the 66 books that make up the bible, if you could look in the 1,189 chapters that make up your Bible, if you could choose from the 31,173 verses…If you could somehow spread out all 773,692 words that are in your Bible on the floor, and choose two that would sum up the collection, which two words would you choose?

Two words that would sum up every story told in the Old Testament, and at the same time give reason to every miracle in the New Testament. Those two words would also sum up the attributes of God, and give reason for the Bible; they would also sum up everything from creation to salvation, and also cover the future of the believer.

Not just that, but wait, there’s more, they would also be two words that if you could ever fully wrap your mind around them, they would change your walk with God, and the way you talk with God, and the way that you treat God, and the way that you would serve God…

The two best words… Which would you choose?

 "But God..." ~Romans 5:8

These two words would be my choice!

They tell me that:

I was Unloved, But God loved me…And because God loved me:

I was lost, but God saved me… And because God saved me:

I was unusable, but God can use me!

(Now that we have spread out all the words all over the floor and made a colossal mess, I need to go run an errand and you are crazy if you think I am going to help you pick all these up!)

Climbing with you,
~Dan