Audio - Paul Teaches Christians to Follow His Example to Go to Heaven

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The Second Sunday in Advent
December 07, 2008
Paul Teaches Christians to Follow His Example to Go to Heaven

TEXT:  NKJ Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name." 10 And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" 11 And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" 12 And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope." 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
Paul is explaining how we should apply the lessons Jesus taught Christians—Paul is in a special position to explain these things—Paul studied under the Pharisee Gamaliel—the greatest teacher of the Old Testament of that day—Paul is a Jew’s Jew—he makes that clear in his letter to the Philippians—if anyone deserved to go to heaven based on being a Jew, Paul said he was that person—but he could not enter based on his heritage or knowledge—he knew he could only have salvation through Christ—just like the least educated, poorest person on earth—even the Gentiles could have heaven if they knew God the Father sent Jesus the Christ to be their Savior—Jesus is the WAY
 
NKJ Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Later in his dissertation, Paul says follow him and the other Christians for an example in this life—so we may obtain eternal life through Jesus, the Christ—Paul understood that after studying the Law—after following the teachings of “the church” of his day—he did not have salvation—he needed faith in Christ—everything else is trash and rubbish—let’s examine what Paul knew from his studies of the Old Testament
 
First, Paul knew God promised to send a Savior—an enemy of Satan—and that enemy would crush Satan
 
NIV Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
 
Paul also knew that when God decided to destroy the evil men in this world and carry only the one righteous man on earth forward—God chose Noah and his family to be saved—and God made a covenant with Noah
 
NKJ Genesis 6:18 "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark -- you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
 
NKJ Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
 
God gave Noah a sign of the covenant—God never wanted men to forget He made a covenant with man through Noah—the only righteous man in the world before the flood
 
NIV Genesis 9:16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." 17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."
 
Paul knew that the covenant of life was extended to Abram who God renamed Abraham—in the Old Testament times names meant something—the name Abram meant exalted father—and God changed that to Abraham which means father of multitudes
 
 
 
 
NKJ Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." 9 And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
 
Paul knew that promise was kept by God—and we know from the genealogy of Christ from Abraham to Jesus that there were 12 kings listed—that promise was kept—just as all promises of God are kept
 
TEXT:  NKJ Romans 15:7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers
 
As an Apostle, Paul knew that Jesus was born as a human—born of a virgin, and born of the Holy Spirit—Jesus lived His life in accordance with the Law—and He thus defeated the Law by keeping all of the Commandments perfectly—Jesus was circumcised as required by the Law—He began His ministry with His baptism—and baptism replaced circumcision as the mark of God’s people—Jesus survived 40 days of temptation in the wilderness with the devil constantly taunting Him and tempting Him with all the pleasures and power and riches of this world—but Jesus is not of this world—Jesus is forever from the throne of heaven to which He returned and awaits His return to take us home
 
 
 
 
NKJ John 8:23 And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." 25 Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 "I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him." 27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
 
Paul understood that Jesus did everything in His life and in His ministry at the direction and instruction of God the Father—God who wants all men to be saved
 
NKJ John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
 
It was Paul who wrote to young Timothy concerning God’s desire that we all be saved
 
NKJ 1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
 
So when Paul speaks to us about following his example, he says that he understands the things of Christ—Paul knew what Jesus did when He died on the cross and rose on the third day—Paul knew Jesus glorified God—was glorified by God—and was the firstborn of the resurrection of life which we will all follow—if we follow the example of Paul—which is to live our lives for Christ—that we inherit the things of Christ—that is God’s will—and Jesus had to die to leave us that inheritance—we close our discussion with these words of the Book of Hebrews
 
NIV Hebrews 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. 16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!