Category: Excluded

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Excluded God's Nature John 3:16

The Greatest Exclusion

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV) As you celebrate the birth of Christ on this Christmas Day, consider the reason He chose to leave the glory of heaven to come to the earth. God loves you so much that He initiated a love relationship with you. Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you (Jer. 1:5). Long before you knew anything about God or His love, God chose to do something for you that no other Christmas gift could ever accomplish. God provided you with the opportunity to leave the broad road leading to destruction so that you could enter through the narrow gate and travel the road that leads to life (Matt. 7:13-14). “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28 (ESV) “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9 (NIV) You don’t have to perish. You don’t have to go to hell. You don’t have to live eternally separated from God. You can come into a personal intimate love with relationship with God through Christ. Enter through the narrow gate by placing your trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Be the recipient of the greatest exclusion. Be excluded from hell by receiving the gift of eternal life. If you already benefited from the greatest exclusion, commit to bring others into that saving reality. If you have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of light, then invest the rest of your life sharing the love of God and shining the light of Jesus. May multitudes experience the greatest exclusion because of the faithful witness of your life. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Excluded God's Nature John 3:16

The Greatest Exclusion

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) As you celebrate the birth of Christ on this Christmas Day, consider the reason He chose to leave the glory of heaven to come to the earth. God loves you so much that He initiated a love relationship with you. Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you (Jer. 1:5). Long before you knew anything about God or His love, God chose to do something for you that no other Christmas gift could ever accomplish. God provided you with the opportunity to leave the broad road leading to destruction so that you could enter through the narrow gate and travel the road that leads to life (Matt 7:13-14). “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28 (NIV) “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9 (NIV) You don’t have to perish. You don’t have to go to hell. You don’t have to live eternally separated from God. You can come into a personal intimate love with relationship with God through Christ. Enter through the narrow gate by placing your trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Be the recipient of the greatest exclusion. Be excluded from hell by receiving the gift of eternal life. If you already benefited from the greatest exclusion, commit to bring others into that saving reality. If you have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of light, then invest the rest of your life sharing the love of God and shining the light of Jesus. May multitudes experience the greatest exclusion because of the faithful witness of your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Excluded

Excluded

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)– remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” Eph 2:11-12 (NIV) You are either a Jew or a Gentile. In the New Testament period, Jews did not associate with Gentiles. In fact, the Jews viewed the Gentiles as unclean. Jesus made a way for the two to become one in the family of God. Paul is reminding the saints at Ephesus of their former condition. He was placing a mirror in front of them and giving them a look into their life before conversion. They had to face the painful reality that they were actually separate from Christ and excluded from citizenship in Israel. Their former status was that of desperation. Being excluded from citizenship meant overt rejection. Exclusion means that one does not measure up. It means that one does not meet the standards for inclusion. Paul is reminding the believers in Ephesus of their former reality. Calculate for a moment what it would mean for you to be excluded from God’s family. Think about the separation anxiety related to not being included in God’s family tree. Do you remember what it felt like to not be in Christ? Do you remember being lost, hopeless, and separated from Christ? Let the panic subside. Now, spend some time thanking God for including you in His redemptive plan. Let our Heavenly Father know how much you appreciate Him for including you in the salvation package. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Excluded

Excluded

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)– remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” Eph 2:11-12 (NIV) You are either a Jew or a Gentile. In the New Testament period, Jews did not associate with Gentiles. In fact, the Jews viewed the Gentiles as unclean. Jesus made a way for the two to become one in the family of God. Paul is reminding the saints at Ephesus of their former condition. He was placing a mirror in front of them and giving them a look into their life before conversion. They had to face the painful reality that they were actually separate from Christ and excluded from citizenship in Israel. Their former status was that of desperation. Being excluded from citizenship meant overt rejection. Exclusion means that one does not measure up. It means that one does not meet the standards for inclusion. Paul is reminding the believers in Ephesus of their former reality. Calculate for a moment what it would mean for you to be excluded from God’s family. Think about the separation anxiety related to not being included in God’s family tree. Do you remember what it felt like to not be in Christ? Do you remember being lost, hopeless, and separated from Christ? Let the panic subside. Now, spend some time thanking God for including you in His redemptive plan. Let our Heavenly Father know how much you appreciate Him for including you in the salvation package. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care