God’s grace is apparent when we start looking at the evidences that he bestows during the renewal of believers in Jesus.  When people get the gospel call there is 1) a radical repentance and 2) a reliance on Christ through faith.  Radical repentance is radical because is not only a turning of the sin/rebellion of the person’s life but also a turning from what they think they have done well in deeds.  There is a realization that it is the deeds of Jesus on the cross that saves them.  Therefore the person may rest in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  At Mars Hill Church we call this gospel identity.  As we continue to understand this truth we begin to experience joy, freedom and boldness.

A great display of this happened this past Sunday, August 17th, at Mars Hill Olympia when we had an outdoor BBQ.  We enjoyed good food and fellowship.  Also at this time we were able to have our first baptism.  The son of our Community Group coach was baptized and we were able to participate by hearing the confession of the inward conversion of this young man.  It was a precious time.

It reminds me of the verses in Colossians 3:1-7, where we are to put death the earthly nature and set our hearts on things above.  A beautiful description of what baptism represents.  We look forward to the coming days and years of seeing lives transformed for Jesus.  In Romans 8:1-13 we are exhorted by the apostle Paul to mortify the deeds of the body and again set our mind on things of the Spirit.  In both of these passages we see the radical repentance and the reliance on Christ by faith.  This is part of spiritual renewal.

Our hope at the OC and as a whole Mars Hill Church is to see people understand the more sinful we are the more radical God’s glorious grace shines.  As John the Baptist said, “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.”  Therefore the gospel leads spiritual renewal in our lives towards humility yet with confidence in the blood of Jesus.

Praying for the gospel to increase our humility as well as confidence in Jesus,
Pastor Gary