I say this all the time – words matter! I use and abuse words as much as the next guy but, on the second hearing of an Easter church invite I cringed. Do not call it the story of Easter. It is the ACCOUNT of Easter. Then the pastor on the radio invited people to attend his friend’s church if they live down south or ‘his’ church if they live local. No. It is not your church or your buddy’s church but it is the Lord’s. How can we be so flippant? I will be on the road on Good Friday but in a church in Idaho on Easter. It is the hardest holiday for me because of the Book of Romans. This is Paul’s salutation, “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets I the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This relates to a film I saw years ago about a couple who discover their daughter is ill so they have another (who they love very much) but with the idea that daughter #2 could be a donor to help keep daughter #1 alive. The movie tells the story well and the outcome is not surprising. That is why Jesus was born for me. He was born because He intercepts the wrath due me for my sins. A holy God does not dwell with sinners but the saved, by belief upon hearing the truth. Rom 10: 9-10 reads, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation”. If we hear this account and reject the message we have rejected the messenger. There is no other way or buffer to protect us from this wrath. If we believe this message then Rom 10:14-15a makes us unstoppable, “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?”
