Labeled

Labels

People Give Us labels all the time. At times even we are guilty of that and sometimes is not a bad thing, people label me as “Christian” all the time. Example of some labels are – “Conan the – Barbarian”, “Billy the – Kid”, what about “Oscar the – Grouch”. These are labels given to people because of who they were once known as, so Conan was knows as a Barbarian and Oscar was known as a Grouch. These are labels people gave them, so I ask what labels have people given you? Emo, Ghetto, Skater or what about Lazy, useless or stupid?

What about what the bible says?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The bible declares that the old person that you and I once was is now gone and the old labels are no longer who you are, you are no longer stupid, useless, hypocrite or a loser. behold, the new has come. you are a brand new person, as a christian you are changed and transformed in to the image and likeness of Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:49)

God will give you a new name

You shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. (Isaiah 62:2) You will be renamed out of the mouth of God Himself. We see in scripture when God speaks things happen, the world changes and things become a new. When God said  “Let there be light,” (Genesis 1:3) the world was changed forever, it would never be the same again. When God speaks over your life you too will never be the same again.

Some of you carry the label:

Loser – Now you will be more than a conqueror – Romans 8:37

Ugly – God said you are fearfully and wonderfully made – Psalms 139:14

Failure – Now you can do all things – Philippians 4:13

Unloved – God says he loves you – John 3:16

Unforgiven – God says I forgive you – 1 John 1:9

GOD WILL GIVE YOU A NEW PURPOSE.

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:16-18)

Not only will God change your name but with that he will also give you a new purpose.

Saul was a prosecutor and murderer of Christians but God gave him a new purpose and he became one of the most prolific writers of the new testament. Writing at least thirteen books or letters of the new testament.

Moses was a murderer and shepherd but God gave him a new purpose, God used him to free a nation, lead a people and write the first five books of the old testament also know as the Torah or the Pentateuch.

Luke was a Greek physician and God used him to write two of the biggest books in the new testament. the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts.

You where once a lost unforgiven and unloved but God chose you and forgave you because he loves you and God will give you a new purpose.

GOD WILL GIVE YOU NEW FUTURE.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Some of us where so lost in our sin that our lives would be a destructive mess but God gave us a new future. Some of you reading this right now and your life is a destructive mess and you wondering how God could possibly change your life and I’ll tell you right now from experience it is not easy but I will also tell you from experience that it was the greatest thing that has ever happen to me. I will never look back at who I once was to identify myself but I will look forward at who God has called me to be.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:13-14)

God’s Sovereignty in our Bitterness.

“Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where yougo I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” – Ruth 1:16

Naomi is known as a bitter woman. In actuality the name Naomi means – Beautiful, pleasant and/or delightful. Its not until later on (Ruth 1:20) in the chapter that she changes her name to Mara, which means bitter. In all fairness its easy to see why she believes God has treated her bitterly. Naomi buried her husband and her only two sons before she received any grandchildren. She has lost everything and has nothing left, her whole family has come to an end, she is poor and is in a land where they do not worship YHWH but worship the Moabite god called “Chemosh” amongst many other gods. In a sense it is like a christian moving to a faraway land where there isn’t any churches, pastors or even any other believers. In a difficult time like Naomi was going through losing her whole family. She has come to a point where she even tells her only remaining people she would consider family to leave her (Ruth 1:11) because she has nothing to offer them. But in Gods sovereignty theres always a plan (Isa 46:10).

The reason her and her family left Bethlehem was because of a famine, but now she hears the Lord has blessed his people and given them food back in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:6). While they where on their way back to Judah one of her daughters-in-law goes back to Moab “back to her people and to her gods”(Ruth 1:15) and Naomi urges Ruth to do the same.

The first time Ruth speaks in this book she makes a promise to Naomi to stay with her until death but she does not stop there, she converts when she says may your God be my God (Ruth 1:6). Because of this conversion, a great king and leader is born, King David (Ruth 4:22) and in Gods sovereignty a savior is born through these generations (Mat 1:1-17).

God is both sovereign and good.

Just because God is sovereign does not mean that everything that happens is His will, but what it does mean is that everything that does happen is IN His will. Sin is not Gods will but somehow God uses evil, sin and sinful evil people to bring forth his will. We see it with Joseph (Gen 50:20) and we see this extremely through Christ (Acts 4:27-28). He even uses Naomi’s bitterness and her distorted view of God (Ruth 1:21) to bring forth his plan of redemption and salvation. The all-powerful God gave us a share in His power to choose freely between Him and evil, while the sovereign God allows us to still be in His plan and purpose. It is through that plan that God shows us his love, goodness and kindness. God is so good that he blesses even the unbeliever. He blesses them with money, family and even air to breath (Psalm 145:9).

Through all the evil, even the evil you and I do everyday God shows love, mercy, compassion and grace through the person and work of Jesus Christ. In hearing the gospel our response was one of Ruth “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16) and in our bitterness we need to be reminded and comforted in the fact that the same God that created the circumstances that lead you to your bitterness also has a plan and a purpose for it and will use your experience to advance His kingdom.

-Noel