Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. Psalm 149:3

My wife Cynthia and I enjoy a number of recreational activities; one of which is the focus of this message – dancing,

I can remember taking dance lessons over sixty years ago; that’s right 60 years!  The voice of Mrs. Charlotte Spooner (the teacher) repeated the one, two, three….one, two, three pattern that helped us young folks learn how to navigate the dance floor.  I’m not expecting to win any contest or be invited to dance with the stars, but because of those early lessons and a few refreshers lately, I can still move graciously enough to avoid tripping over myself or spare my wife Cynthia an injury.

There’s another one, two, three pattern for us to consider today and it’s found in the eighth chapter of the Book of Romans. Someone said that if Holy Scripture were a ring and the epistle to the Romans its precious stone, chapter eight would be the sparkling point of the jewel.  Dr. Vernon McGee said that many scholars and interpreters consider this chapter to be the high-water mark in Romans.  After realizing this three-part pattern, I literally danced inside.  Here comes one….

It states in verse one that we have no condemnation in Christ.  In other words, as a faithful believer and follower of Jesus Christ, all the sinful baggage of our past, as far as God is concerned, is history. That doesn’t mean there are no consequences for foolish or bad behaviors, but it does mean that God forgives us and will work with us to get us better in reconciling past failures and help in overcoming future challenges and burdens.  Here comes two….

In verse 28 it says “and we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.”  It doesn’t say all things are good in themselves.  According to God’s word, if we are truly His, then even though something may not look, sound, feel, taste, or smell good, they are working together for our benefit.  Here comes three….

As we depart this chapter in verses 38 & 39 it says that because we are His, we can never be separated from Him for any reason.  Something well beyond the reliability of the gold standard or the predictability of the seasons is this precious promise of His eternal trustworthiness.

To hear the Spiritual beat of the Forgiver (one), the Builder (two), and the Truster (three) brings the pleasing rhythm of everlasting hope. There’s no greater lesson than practical truth from the One who inspired us to celebrate in the first place.  In our spirit, soul, and body we can dance in the presence of THE STAR right now, tomorrow, and forever.  Even more amazingly, in His steps, there’s no tripping, it’s injury free, and a contest God longs for all of us to win!

Please be encouraged to step out and read chapter eight of Romans for yourself.  Then, dance….one, two, three, and have a great week!

Rom 8; Ecc 3:4; Psalm 30:11; 2 Sam 6:14