Making Your Life A Punctuation Mark
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? ! .
? ! .
In English, there are 16 punctuation marks — the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, semicolon, colon, em dash, en dash, hyphen, parentheses, brackets, braces, apostrophe, double quotation marks, single quotation marks, and ellipsis — and they’re not as scary as they sound.
.
The . is called a period. The period actually serves two purposes in grammar.
When it appears at the end of a declarative sentence, it ends the sentence. The period can also indicate that a word is an abbreviation.
As a sentence ender - Jane and Jack went to the market.After an abbreviation - John Jones Jr. was born on Dec. 6, 2008.
?
The ? is called a question mark. Question marks ask direct questions, which are also known as interrogative sentences. They can also express confusion.
Interrogative sentence - When did Jane leave for the market?Expressing confusion - Why do we have so much homework?
!
The ! is called an exclamation point. Exclamation points are punctuation marks that show a sudden outcry in writing.
They also emphasize a point more strongly than a period.
Sudden outcry - "Holy cow!" screamed Jane.To emphasize a point - My mother-in-law's rants make me furious!
,
The , is called a comma. Commas separate ideas or elements within the structure of a sentence. They also appear in numbers, dates, and letter writing after the salutation and closing.
Direct address - Thanks for all your help, John.Separating two complete sentences - We went to the movies, and then we went out to lunch.Separating elements in a list - Suzi wanted the black, green, and blue dress.
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
if you call yourself a Christian, but do not live like it- beware! God is not only Father, but judge. People who call themselves Christians, justified people- they are persons changed by the grace of God and they will walk in good works as evidence of God’s grace. See Eph 2.10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
This judgment will not involve the unsaved- their lives have excluded them from this judgment. But the saved- the Christian, will have their lives evaluated by God as well.
See Romans 14.10-12
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
See 2 Cor 5.10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Christians cannot be condemned- see Romans 8.1
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
See Romans 8.34
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Christians time on earth is temporary - so we should do the best we can while here.
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
knowing that you were ransomed…live that way. Live like you know. The christian life is lived out of the knowledge of the redemption that Christ has accomplished.
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Jesus is the sacraficial lamb. See Exodus 12.46
46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.
sEe John 19.36
36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”
See 1 Cor 5.7
7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
Foreknown is more than it seems- it has to do with purpose.
The redemption plan was the plan from the begining- even before creation occurred.
this redemptionplan has been revealed in Jesus…The salvation that was purposed in Christ has now been made… for your sake!
21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The believers faith in God comes through the work of Jesus. Because he reveals the father and is the sole means of salvation.
What is this judgment that Peter has written about in this passage? it has to do with a believer’s works- not their salvation.
When we become a Christian, God forgives our sins. He declares us righteous in Christ. Seee Colossians 2.13
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
God has already judged our sins on the cross. SEe 1 Peter 2.24
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Because he has already judged our sins on the cross, they cannot be held against us.... see Hebrews 10.10-18
Hebrews 10:10–18 (ESV)
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
When Jesus returns there will be a time of judgment called “the judgment seat of Christ”- see Romans 14.10-12
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
and also see 2 Cor 5.9-10
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
We, as Christians are only travelling through this existence. and life is short. Look at 1 Peter 4.1-6 sometime.
We should live, not in fear of god, but in respect of God. We should live not in fear of judgment, but in loving reverence of a God that would die for us. We should live our lives for Him and not ourselves.
Read again 1 Peter 1.18-21
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The Way We Were
The Way We Were
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
The Way We were- they were slaves who needed freed… ransomed.
In 1st century Roman Empire, there were likely60 million slaves. Many became Christians, and worshipped in local gatherings. A slave could purchase his own freedom if he could collect sufficient funds, or the master could sell him to someone who would pay the price and set him free.
We live as slaves to sin. So much of our world thinks that their lives are full and happy- and they are empty and miserable. A life without Christ is like substitute sweetener or decaf coffee.
The Way Christ Is
The Way Christ Is
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Christ shed his own blood to save us from the Way We Were. A slave could be redeemed with money, but we were redeemed witht he blood of Christ.
Christ, like the passover lamb, gave Himself in our place. it is a substitutionary atonement- an innocent victim giving his life for the guilty.
The doctrine of sacrifice begins in Genesis 3, when God killed animals that He might clothe Adam and Eve. A ram died for Isaac (Gen. 22:13) and the Passover lamb was slain for each Jewish household (Ex. 12). Messiah was presented as an innocent Lamb in Isaiah 53. Isaac asked the question, “Where is the lamb?” (Gen. 22:7) and John the Baptist answered it when he pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In heaven, the redeemed and the angels sing, “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev. 5:11–14)
Christ’s death was an appointment, not an accident- see Acts 2.23
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Christ died for us by purpose, design, and intentionality.
Why would anyone do that? Love.
He loves us.
And we are called, as christians, to live for Him. Why? Love.
Our Life Should Be Christ’s Exclamation Point
Our Life Should Be Christ’s Exclamation Point