QUOTES FOR REFLECTION

“Before cancer, God was something I tried to fit into my life as much as possible. After cancer, I feel like a connection to God…is kind of the whole point of this exercise on this planet.”

~James Van Der Beek (1977-2026), the late “Dawson’s Creek” star

“From beginning to end, the Holy Scriptures testify that the predicament of fallen humanity is so serious, so grave, so irremediable…, that nothing short of divine intervention can rectify it.”

~Fleming Rutledge in her book, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ

“Death is the heir of the least sin…. Little sins often slide into the soul, and breed, and work secretly and undiscernibly in the soul, till they come to be so strong as to trample upon the soul, and to cut the throat of the soul. There is oftentimes greatest danger to our bodies in the least diseases that hang upon us, because we are apt to make light of them, and to neglect the timely use of means for removing of them, till they are grown so strong that they prove mortal to us.”

~Thomas Brooks (1608-1680), English non-conformist preacher and author

“Sin is not a mistake. A mistake is taking the wrong exit on the highway. A sin is treason against a Holy God…. Sin lurks in our hearts and grabs us by the throat to do its bidding.”

~Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, English professor and author

“Unbelief doesn’t see God as the ultimate good. So it can’t see sin as the ultimate evil.”

~Jackie Hill Perry, writer and hip-hop artist

“The hardest people to reach with the love of God are not the bad people. They know they are bad. They have no defense. The hardest ones to win for God are the self-righteous people.”

~Rev. Charles L. Allen (1913-2005), American Methodist clergyman

“For the sake of suffering humanity [Christ] came down from heaven to earth, clothed himself in that humanity in the Virgin’s womb, and was born a man. Having then a body capable of suffering, he took the pain of fallen man upon himself; he triumphed over the diseases of soul and body that were its cause, and by his Spirit, which was incapable of dying, he dealt man’s destroyer, death, a fatal blow.”

~Melito of Sardis in his “Apology to Marcus Aurelius” (c. 169-170)

SERMON PASSAGE

Romans 4:16-5:5 (NASB95)

Romans 4

16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

18 In hope against hope [Abraham] believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it was also credited to [Abraham] as righteousness. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

Romans 5

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.