Gateway Community

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church, said that he determined to know nothing among them except, “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. In other words, Paul, who wrote two – thirds of the New Testament, had his mind full of Jesus and His finished work.

Beloved, God wants your mind full of the cross of Jesus. He wants you cross-conscious, but what does it mean to be cross-conscious? To be cross-conscious is to see Jesus, who loves you so much that He willingly died for you on the cross.

To be cross-conscious is to look to Jesus, who offered His own body to be punished, so that your body can be free from all punishment.

To be cross-conscious is to fix your eyes on Jesus, who has provided for your deliverance and victory at the cross. At the cross, all your enemies were vanquished. Your sins were wiped out at the cross.

When the Israelites tasted bitterness in the waters of Marah, God showed Moses a tree, which he cast into the waters, making them sweet (Exodus 15:23–26). The tree represents the cross, which turned the bitter waters sweet. Today, Calvary’s tree has turned your bitter situations sweet. Because of the
cross, you can expect to see the bitter situations in your life made sweet!

When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness, God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole. The pole represents the cross and bronze speaks of judgment. Those who beheld the serpent on the pole lived because they saw their problem — the deadly serpent — nailed and put to death on the cross. (Numbers 21:6–9)

Today, you too will not die but live when you see all your sins judged at the cross, and with them, all your pains, failures and defeats! At the cross, all that is deadly in your life has been removed!

Sandro

2 Cor 5:17 – 6:1
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

In a matter of days the calendars change from December 2010 to January 2011 and a new year begins, with a fresh new start, after the Christmas break. In Christ Jesus, we get given the opportunity to not just have a new start, and eventually be back in the same place we were in, but a new beginning with old things totally wiped away from our past. In Christ all things become new. ‘For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’ Therefore in Christ we are no longer in the position we were conceived in. In Him, we are now made as righteous as He is. Totally new! Amen.

Happy new life in Christ!
Sandro

John1:12-17
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The Law was given (impersonal), but grace and truth came in the person of Jesus Christ (personal)!

Jesus is God’s grace extended to mankind. When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating the grace and truth of God extended to us in the person of God’s own son. By receiving the gift of God’s grace in the person of Jesus Christ, and believing in His name, we become children of God, born of God, who is holy and righteous. So, as His offspring, we become holy and Righteous by His grace.

Sandro

Rom 3:20-24
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

The Bible clearly states that the works of the law cannot justify anyone, but the law makes us conscious of sin. Many people think that the Holy Spirit convicts the believer of sin, but you won’t find this teaching in the Bible; it’s the law which convicts of sin. The only way to be made right (as if you’ve never sinned, declared righteous) is by FAITH. by BELIEVING in Jesus, in who He is and what He accomplished for you on the cross. Jesus did not destroy the law but He fulfilled it, and only in Him can we fulfil the law. Only by being seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Do you believe?

Rom 4:3
What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Gal 3:13-14
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Sandro

John 16:7-11
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now
stands condemned.

The Holy Spirit convicts the believer of righteousness, not of sin.

The Bible clearly states that we are made righteous by “believing” in Jesus, just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. The believer is now justified by faith.

As believers, we must listen to the voice of the Spirit which convicts us of the fact that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and we are now declared to be righteous by faith.

The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of sin because without believing (faith) you are turning away the only means of forgiveness and salvation. Even when we mess up it’s important to realise that we are justified by Christ’s finished work on the cross and our own failings can never make us unrighteous because, where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.

We need to “awake to righteousness” (1 Cor 15:34 N.K.J), and trust that His grace is sufficient for us, that we are declared “not guilty” by Christ’s finished work on the cross!

Sandro

1 Corinthians 15:21-22
For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Death was introduced by Adam’s fall and everyone dies because of our identity in Adam – in the human race. Now those who are in Christ no longer find their identity with the first Adam but with the last Adam, – Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:45-49
And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

You are not a physical being having a spiritual experience you are a spiritual being having a physical experience.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Your identity is no longer with the first Adam, with the natural, with the fallen human kind. Your new identity is in Christ Jesus, you are seated in Heavenly Places IN Christ Jesus. You are transferred to your new position in Christ which is the position of “Righteousness”!
Sandro

Well hello church! It’s great to be back after 3 weeks leave.

One thing I’ve learned is that, especially if you really love your job (calling), it is vital that you take a break or sabbatical.

There are good reasons why God had to command holidays in the O.T. As humans we are prone to go, go, go and in the end we don’t do anyone a favour. Not yourself, not others, not God.

Taking time out helps you refocus, reconnect and recharge so you have more to give to the work or calling God has paced in your heart. As a church we have a mission, commission and great deal of responsibility, in our local community, surrounding areas and to the uttermost parts of the earth. If we are too tired to follow through with our calling with passion, then time out is essential. Otherwise, we would be giving God less than second best and He only deserves our BEST!

We are not called to “Do” church but to “Be” the church. We are to be active in our Christian calling with the gifts and talents God has placed in each one of us.

If you are part of Gateway Church of Christ you are not part of a religious organisation but part of a living organism, His Body, with a high calling and responsibility.

Are you ready to go to the next stage? If not, take time out, reconnect with God and recharge so we can respond faithfully to the calling of our living God upon our lives, as individuals and as part of His body here in Warrnambool.

It’s good to be back!!
Sandro

Matthew 6:31–33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

As a child of God, know that it is your Father’s pleasure to meet all your needs. Jesus Himself tells us, “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” But God does not want you to seek after things. He wants you to seek first His kingdom. And when you do that, all the things that you need will be added to you!

So, your first priority every day is to seek His kingdom. The word “first” in verse 33 is the Greek word proton, which means, “first in order or importance, holding the highest place in all our affections”. God wants us to seek first His kingdom, and all things will fall gloriously in place.

We are not to seek after things the way Gentiles do. The word “seek” in “the Gentiles’ seek” (verse 32) is the Greek word epizeteo. It means “to seek with all their might, with much sweat or with much stress”. However, the way God wants us to “seek” in “seek first the kingdom of God” is the Greek word zeteo, which means “to hunger, to desire to worship”. It is simply a hungering, a desiring for the kingdom of God, without any labour or toil.

But what is the kingdom of God? Romans 14:17 tells us that it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And the kingdom of God dwells within you because the Holy Spirit indwells you. So the kingdom of God is His righteousness, peace and joy in you. Beloved, if you want to have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit flowing inside you, then seek every day to be conscious of your righteousness in Christ, not your own righteousness, but His righteousness given to you as a gift. Pursue Jesus first. Spend time with Him and listen to His Word. And when you do these things, you are seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, and all the things that you need will be added to you!

Bless you,
Sandro

Romans 1:16 – 17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
“The just shall live by faith.”

THE POWER OF GOD IS FOUND IN THE
GOOD NEWS OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST!

SALVATION here refers to more than just being saved from Hell. The word is ‘soteria’; speaks of salvation of your wholeness, salvation of peace of mind, etc…

Q: What is the power of God which brings wholeness, peace of mind, salvation of your soul and mind?

A: Not prayer, fasting, or singing (although all those things are great), but the Power of God unto salvation is in:

“The Gospel of Christ”!

Sandro

Romans 1:16 – 17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

The true Gospel reveals the Righteousness of God from faith to faith, not the righteousness of man by works. This is not referring to the fact that God is righteous, that is obvious, this is talking about His righteousness in us by faith.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.