Friday, August 31, 2012
Good Works
"God doesn't need your good works; your neighbor does."
Martin Luther
**********
Good works are not the main thing God desires from His people. Compared
to his holiness, they are like dirty rags to Him.
"All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags."
Isaiah 64:6
All our good deeds will not save us.
The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith that comes from
God and not from ourselves; it is a gift from God, and not by works so that no
one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
At the same time James writes:
" ... faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by
action, is dead."
James 2:17
NIV commentary:
"James is not saying that a person is saved by works and not
by genuine faith. Rather, he is saying, to use Martin Luther's
words, that a man is justified (declared righteous before God)
by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone.
"Genuine faith will produce good deeds, but only faith in Christ
saves."
Our salvation depends on God's mercy.
"It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or
effort, but on God's mercy."
Romans 9:16
Though our salvation doesn't depend on our good works, God still wants
us to do perform good deeds and help other people.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows
in their distress and to keep oneself from being
polluted by the world.'
James 1:27
Ultimately, more than our good works, God wants us to be obedient.
"To obey is better than sacrifice ..."
1 Samuel 15:22b
"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and
authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do
whatever is good ..."
Titus 3:1
We are to love others.
"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to
His commands. As you have heard from the be-
ginning, His command is that you walk in love."
2 John 6
Good works do not save, but they are signs that a person IS saved!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Salvation is of God, from Beginning to End
"The Christian gospel offers salvation freely in Jesus Christ.
It is a work of God from beginning to end. God is the ac-
tive giver. He chooses, He draws, He saves, and He keeps.
It is all His doing. Anything less is not the gospel."
Unknown
The author of this quote is not known, but whoever said it, spoke the
truth. God saves fully and completely, without any help or effort on our part.
Let's find the biblical truth in each phrase.
"The Christian gospel offers salvation freely in Jesus Christ."
"By this gospel you are saved. If you hold firmly
to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you
have believed in vain.
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins accord-
ing to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He
was raised on the third day, according to the Scrip-
tures, and that He appeared to Peter and then to
the Twelve."
1 Corinthians 15:2-6
"It is a work of God from beginning to end."
"And by that will (God's), we have been made holy
through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all (time)."
Hebrews 10:10
"But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son,
born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those un-
der law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."
Galatians 4:4-5
"God is the active giver."
"All that the Father gives me will come to me,
and whoever comes to me I will never drive
away. For I have come down from heaven
not to do my will but to do the will of Him
who sent me. And this is the will of Him
who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that
He has given me, but raise them up at the last
day."
John 6:37-39
"He chooses,"
"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in His sight."
Ephesians 1:4
"He draws,"
(Jesus said), 'No one can come to me unless the Father who
sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at
the last day."
John 6:44
"He saves,"
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ..."
1 Timothy 1:15
"and He keeps."
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade --
KEPT IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, WHO THROUGH FAITH
ARE SHIELDED BY GOD'S POWER UNTIL THE COMING
OF THE SALVATION that is ready to be revealed in the last
time."
1 Peter 1:3-5
"It is all His doing."
"Salvation comes from the Lord."
Jonah 2:9d
"Anything less is not the gospel."
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one
who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a
different gospel -- which is really no gospel at all.
"Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion
and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if
we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other
than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally con-
demned!
"As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody
is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,
let him be eternally condemned!"
Galatians 1:6-9
**********
Salvation is a miracle of God, that comes from hearing the gospel, and repenting
and believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Raised from the Dead
"A Christian cannot have a boring testimony. Being raised from
the dead is not boring." ---Unknown
**********
Some Christians may have a more dramatic story to tell about their conversion
than others, but every Christian has received a miracle from God -- being raised from
spiritual death to new life in Jesus Christ.
Every Christian was dead in sin before God changed his heart of stone into a heart
of flesh, giving him the ability to repent and trust in Christ for salvation.
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of
this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the
spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying
the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires
and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath.
"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in
mercy, MADE US ALIVE WITH CHRIST even when we
were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been
saved."
Ephesians 2:1-5
Because of His love and mercy, God has granted His people the new birth and
an inheritance of eternal life in Christ, that is not subject to decay and is divinely
kept for us.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a liv-
ing hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil,
or fade -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
1 Peter 1:3-5
"And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also
give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives
in you."
Romans 8:11
"The resurrection of our bodies, is guaranteed to believers by
the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit -- whose presence
is evidenced by a Spirit-controlled life, which in turn pro-
vides assurance that our resurrection is certain even now."
NIV commentary on "give life to your mortal bodies"
**********
Only those who have been raised from the dead spiritually (born again),
will "see the kingdom of God."
"Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again."
John 3:3
"You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must
be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes
from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born
of the Spirit."
John 3:7-8
**********
The new birth and salvation are miracles, that come from the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit.
Everyone who has been born again has a wonderful story to tell. Being
raised from the dead is DEFINITELY not boring!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Known By God
Knowing who God is, is important, but only those "known by God" truly
know Him. When the Bible says that God "knows" someone, it means that
He has a close, personal, intimate relationship with that person.
Of course, God "knows" every person who ever lived, because He created
them, but He doesn't have that close, intimate, loving relationship with every-
one -- only with His people.
People can know many facts about Jesus but still not know Him as the
unique Son of God, or as the only Savior of the world.
In fact, Scripture tells us that even the ungodly "know" God, but they do not
honor Him as God or give Him thanks for all the ways He blesses them.
There is overwhelming evidence for the power and divinity of God that is
seen by all people, but most do not respect and love Him for who He really is,
and instead their hearts are darkened and they follow their own ways.
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by
their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can
be known about God is plain to them, because God has
shown it to them.
"For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power
and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever
since the creation of the world, in the things that have
been made. So they are without excuse.
"For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as
God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in
their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
Romans 1:18-21
John MacArthur comments on Romans 1:18-21:
"Paul presents God's case against the irreligious, immoral pagan
(the Gentiles), the religious, outwardly moral person (the Jews), and concludes
by showing that all men alike deserve God's judgment.
"God's wrath is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capricious-
ly at people whom God does not like. It is the settled, determined response of a
righteous God against sin.
"Although the evidence from conscience, creation, and God's word
is irrefutable, men choose to resist and oppose God's truth by holding fast to their
sin."
KNOWN BY GOD
" ... knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ... if anyone
loves God, he is known by God."
1 Corinthians 8:1b-3
Love is the proof of knowing God.
"We love because He first loved us."
1 John 4:19
Only those who do the will of God truly know Him and are truly known by Him.
True faith will produce the fruit of good works.
(Jesus said), "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one
who does the will of my Father who is in hea-
ven. On that day may will say to me, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and
cast out demons in your name, and do many
mighty works in your name?'
"And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew
you; depart from me you evildoers." Matthew 7:21-23
John MacArthur comments:
"We can know God only because he first knew us, just as we choose
Him only because He chose us first (John 6:44; 15:16), and we love
Him only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)."
"But now that you have come to know God,
or rather to be known by God, how can you
turn back again to the weak and worthless
elementary principles of the world, whose
slaves you want to be once more?"
Galatians 4:9
**********
J.I. Packer, in his book Knowing God, wrote:
"What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the
fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it -- the fact that he
knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16).
"I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on
His sustained intiative in knowing me. I know Him because He first knew me,
and continues to know me.
"He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment
when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment, there-
fore when His care falters.
"This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort -- the
sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates (weakens) -- in knowing that
God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my
good.
"There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly
realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that
no discovery now can disillusion Him about me, in the way I am so often disi-
llusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me."
**********
"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we
shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall
know fully, even as I am fully known."
1 Corinthians 13:12
NIV commentary:
"The imagery is of a polished metal (probably bronze) mirror in
which one could receive only an imperfect reflection, in contrast to seeing the
Lord directly and clearly in heaven. The Christian will know the Lord to the
fullest extent possible for a finite being, similar to the way the Lord knows the
Christian fully and infinitely.
"This will not be true until the Lord returns."
Thursday, August 23, 2012
God is Our Refuge
Refuge - "Shelter or protection from danger or distress. A place that
provides protection."
**********
God is called a refuge for believers throughout the psalms.
God provided many safe places for David as he fled his enemies,
but God Himself is the ultimate refuge for His people.
"Keep me safe, O God, for in you I
take refuge."
Psalm 16:1
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and
my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom
I take refuge."
Psalm 18:1a
"God is our refuge and strength, an
ever present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1
"Have mercy on me, O God, have
mercy on me, for in you my soul
takes refuge."
Psalm 57:1
David encouraged believers to trust in God who would protect them.
"Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to Him,
for God is our refuge."
Psalm 62:8
"But the LORD has become my fortress,
and my God the rock in whom I take
refuge."
Psalm 94:22
God's word is flawless and pure, and His ways are perfect.
"As for God, His way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield for all who take
refuge in Him."
Psalm 18:30
"Every word of God is flawless;
He is a shield to those who take
refuge in Him."
Proverbs 30:5
**********
God provides His people today with a refuge -- the safest place found
anywhere -- in His hands.
(Jesus said), "My sheep listen to my voice;
I know them, and they follow me. I give
them eternal life, and they shall never per-
ish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them
out of my Father's hand."
John 10:27-29
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Joy of Holiness
Highlights from the final chapter of The Pursuit of Holiness, by
Jerry Bridges.
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of
eating and drinking, but of righteousness,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:17
**********
God intends the Christian life to be a life of joy -- not drudgery.
The idea that holiness is associated with a dour disposition is a car-
icature of the worst sort. In fact, just the opposite is true. Only those
who walk in holiness experience true joy.
Jesus said,
"If you obey my commands, you will remain in
my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's com-
mands and remain in His love. I have told you
this so that my joy may be in you and that your
joy may be complete."
John 15:10-11
In this statement Jesus links obedience and joy in a cause and effect manner;
that is, joy results from obedience. Only those who are obedient -- who are pur-
suing holiness as a way of life -- will know the joy that comes from God.
Holiness produces fellowship with God.
David said,
"You will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
Psalm 16:11
True joy comes only from God, and He shares this joy with those who walk in
fellowship with Him. A life of disobedience cannot be a life of joy.
David lost his sense of God's joy because he lost fellowship with God when he
committed the awful sins of murder and adultery. Later he prayed,
" ... restore to me the joy of your salvation."
Psalm 51:12
The daily experience of Christ's love is linked to our obedience to Him. It is not
that His love is conditioned on our obedience. That would be legalism. But our ex-
perience of His love is dependent upon our obedience.
**********
In addition to the joy of fellowship with the Holy God, a holy life also produces
the joy of anticipated reward. Jesus was motivated to endure by anticipating the joy
of His reward. No amount of hardship and struggle could deprive Him of that an-
ticipation.
In the parable of the talents, the Lord said to the two servants who used their tal-
ents, "Well done thou good and faithful servant ... Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
Matthew 25:21,23
One of the "talents" God has given to every Christian is the possibility of walking
in holiness, being free from the dominion of sin. We, too, can look forward to enter-
ing into the joy of the Lord as we walk in holiness to the end of our days.
**********
Joy not only results from a holy life, but there is also a sense in which joy helps
produce a holy life. Nehemiah said to the dispirited exiles who returned to Jerusalem,
"The joy of the Lord is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10
The Christian living in disobedience also lives devoid of joy and hope. But when
he begins to understand that Christ has delivered him from the reign of sin, when he
begins to see that he is united to Him who has all power and authority, and that it is
possible to walk in obedience, he begins to have hope.
And as he hopes in Christ, he begins to have joy. In the strength of this joy he be-
gins to overcome the sins that so easily entangle him. He then finds that the joy of a
holy walk is infinitely more satisfying than the fleeting pleasures of sin.
But to experience this joy, we must make some choices. We must choose to for-
sake sin, not only because it is defeating to us, but because it grieves the heart of
God. We must choose to count on the fact that we are dead to sin, freed from its
reign and dominion, and we can now actually say no to sin. We must choose to ac-
cept our responsibility to discipline our lives for obedience.
God has provided all we need for our pursuit of holiness. He has delivered us
from the reign of sin and given us His indwelling Holy Spirit. He has revealed His
will for holy living in His Word, and He works in us to will and to act according
to His good purpose.
**********
If we are to attain any measure of holiness we must have a similar attitude. God
has said, "Be holy, because I am holy" Leviticus 11:44.
Surely He has not commanded us to be holy without providing the means to be
holy. The privilege of being holy is yours, and the decision and responsibility to be
holy is yours. If you make that decision, you will experience the fullness of joy
which Christ has promised to those who walk in obedience to Him.
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