ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TU‘APULELULU SEPITEMA 4, 2025

NO GREATER VICTORY

‘IKAI HA IKUNA TE NE LAKASI

ROMANS 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

LOMA 8:1

BEA ko ia ‘oku ‘ikai ai ha fakamala’ia kiate kinautolu ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi Jisu, ‘akinautolu ‘oku ‘ikai ke muimui ki he kakano, ka ki he Laumalie. (UESI)

Ko e taha ‘o e ngaahi ma’u hala fekau’aki mo e Lotu Faka-Kalisitiane, ko e pehee ‘oku sivi kitautolu ‘e he ‘Otuaa ‘o hange ha papa laukai: ko e tafa’aki ‘e taha ‘oku ha ai ‘etau ngaahi angahala mo e fehalaaki, pea ko e tafa’aki ‘e tahaa ‘oku tanaki ai e ngaahi ngaue lelei mo ‘etau ngaahi ikuna. Koloa pe ke lahi ange ‘a e fai lelei ‘i he taimi fakama’opo’opo ‘o e kai, pea ‘e fiemalie pe ki ai ‘a e ‘Otua.. ‘ikai ko ia?

Ka ko hono mo’oni, kapau te tau tanaki ‘etau angahala ke fakafehoanaki ki he’etau talangofua, te tau ulungia ma’u pe. ‘Oku ‘ikai ko ha fe’auhi eni ia te tau lava’i. Hange eni kapau ‘e fepaki ha timi sipoti palofesinale mo ha timi kauleka, ‘e ta laiki kinautolu. Ka, ‘oku kei pehee pe ‘e he tokolahi te nau lava pe ‘o feinga ke tuli kai - hange ko e lau ‘a e matu’a, “vakai pe ‘oku kelekelea ‘a e tu’aa kae fai hake pe tuki mei lalo.” Feinga pe ko aa ke ko e fakalahi ‘ene ngaue lelei na’a ma’u ai ha ola fakafiemalie. Ko e fa’ahinga fakakaukau pehe ni, ‘oku to mama’o ‘aupito ia mei he koosipeli pea to e to mama’o ‘aupito mei he kelesi.

‘Oku ‘ikai ‘aupito te tau pehee ‘e fe’unga ‘etau lau kai, ke tokoni ki he’etau fakafeangai ki he ‘Otua. ‘Ikai ‘aupito, ka ko e ngaue pe ‘a Kalaisi. ‘I he lea ‘a Paula ki he kau ‘Efeso, ko ho’omou fakamo’ui, na‘e ‘ikai meiate kimoutolu ia, ka ko e foaki mei he ‘Otua (‘Efeso 2:8). Ko e me’a’ofa ‘o e lau kai haohaoa ‘a Kalaisi ‘oku lau mai ia kiate kitautolu. ‘Oku ‘ikai ha toe fika, ka ko ‘Ene fika haohaoa pe taha ‘e tali.

‘I he taimi te ke kamata mahino’i ai ‘a e koosipeli, ‘oku ngali fu’u faingofua pea toe faingata’a ke tui ‘oku mo’oni. Ko hai ha taha ‘e taau mo ha kelesi faufaua? Ka ko e poini ia. Ko hotau fakamo’ui ko e me’a’ofa ‘ata’ataa pe, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau teitei taau mo ia. ‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau tuha mo ia, pea ‘e ‘ikai pe ke tau tuha mo ia ‘i he kaha’u. Ka ‘oku foaki mai pe ‘e he ‘Otua ‘ene meesi, ‘o tatau ai pe, pe ko e ha ha me’a. ‘Oku Ne tu’utu’uni ke tau ikuna - ‘ikai ha fakamala’ia! Koe’uhi pe ko Sisu Kalaisi, ‘io, ko IA tokotaha pe!

Ko ho’o hoko ko e Kalisitiane, ‘oku ‘ikai te ke hao ai mei he lau kai (siofi ho’o ngaue). Ko e tohi ‘a Paula ki he siasi Kaletia, ko ‘ene ekinaki kinautolu ke ‘oua te nau holomui mei he kelesi. ‘Oku tau fehangahangai ma’u pe mo e tau ke tau manatu’i, ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi pe, pea ‘iate Ia tokotaha pe, ‘o ‘ikai ko ‘etau ngaue (to’onga mo’ui), ‘oku tau ma’u ai ‘a e tu’unga “‘ikai ha fakamala’ia.” Kuo mole ‘a e fiefia na’a ke ma’u ‘i ho fakamo’ui? Mahalo koe’uhi he ‘oku lahi ange ho taimi siofi pe ‘e koe ho’o ngaue kae si’isi’i ho’o siofi ‘a Sisu. ‘I he mo’ui faka-kalisitiane, ‘oku ‘ikai totonu ke te ongo’i tukuhausia pea pea ‘i he taimi tatau, ‘oku ‘ikai ha potu ‘o e mo’ui ‘afungi ai; he ‘oku ‘ikai ‘aupito ke tefito ia ‘ia koe; ko e mo’ui faka-kalisitiane, ‘oku fakalave ma’u pe ia pea ‘oku fekau’aki pe ia mo IA (Sisu Kalaisi).

‘Ia Kalaisi Sisu, ‘oku foaki ‘e he ‘Otua ma’au ‘a e ikuna! ‘Oku ‘ikai ha me’a’ofa te ne fakatataua; ‘oku ‘ikai ha ikuna te ne kakunga; ‘oku ‘ikai ha fiefia te ne lakasi!

LAU TOHITAPU ‘I HE TA’U ‘E TAHA: SAAME 143-145; 2 KOLINITO 13

One of the perennial misconceptions about Christianity is that God views each of us as a sort of living scoreboard: one side lights up with our sins and failures, the other tallies our good deeds and victories, and so long as the good wins out in the final score, the results will be good enough for God - right?

But the fact of the matter is that if we tally up our sins and compare them to our obedience, we're always losing. It's not even a competition, really. Like when a pro team faces off against a junior varsity squad, it'll be a blowout. Still, too many of us fool ourselves into thinking we have time for a comeback - we can fix ourselves up just enough before the final whistle blows or work hard enough to come out victorious. Such thinking isn't even on the same playing field as the gospel. And it misses grace entirely.

It is never our own score that helps our standing before God. No, it has to be Christ's. In the words of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, your salvation "is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). The gift is Christ's perfect tally in our place. Nothing less than His perfect righteousness will do.

When you really begin to understand the gospel, it sounds too good to be true. What person deserves such extravagant grace? But that is precisely the point. Our salvation is completely a gift, and it is utterly undeserved. We don't deserve it now, nor could we ever. But God grants mercy to us regardless. He declares us victorious - no condemnation! - because of Jesus Christ, and only because of Him.

Being a Christian does not immunize you against taking a scoreboard approach to life. Paul's entire letter to the Galatian church was to urge them not to give up on grace. We face a constant battle to remember that it is in Christ, and only ever in Christ and never in our performance, that we enjoy "no condemnation." Have you lost the joy of your salvation? It is likely because you are looking too much at yourself and too little at Jesus. In the Christian life, there is no need for despair and no room for pride because it  is never about you; it is always about Him.

In Christ Jesus, God gives you the win. There's no greater gift, no greater victory, and no greater joy.