Keep Watch

In today's culture we are told over and over again that we must be true to ourselves. We must strive to be the “authentic me.” In our study of Mark 14 Sunday morning, we saw that Jesus was true to His nature in doing the Father's will even though He knew what that obedience would entail. Even though He faced great anguish, betrayal, abandonment, ridicule, beatings, and even being spit upon, He never wavered from His one true mission in life – the salvation of the world.

We as Christians, who literally bear the Name of Christ, must have the same focus on His mission – the salvation of the world. In other words, we must Keep Watch and be true to our new “authentic me” as Christians and, in so doing, deny ourselves, take up His cross and follow him. Just to make it totally clear – in order to be true to ourselves as Christians, we must deny ourselves.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 we read,
"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.”

Next week will look at the ultimate price which Jesus had to pay in order to complete His mission of reconciliation.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, January 23, 2022. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions from The Gospel Project - a Bible study curriculum developed by Lifeway Christian Resources. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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