Knowing Jesus

"I desired ... the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).
"[Jesus] will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thessalonians 1:7).
"Now that you know God, or rather are known by God" (Gal. 4:9).
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Cor. 13:5, ESV).

(Note: If anyone says he knows God and doesn't obey Him, he is a liar, according to Jesus).


More important than understanding who Jesus is theologically speaking, is to know Him personally as salvation, and the utmost value is in finding Him. The result: Do you love Jesus? The ultimate question: Who is He to you? In summation, let's realize that to know Him is to love Him!

It is one thing to be content to just be theologically sound concerning Jesus, and quite another to know Him intimately and personally in a living relationship that grows, and doesn't stagnate or static. You can be saved knowing remarkably little doctrine; God is looking at the heart and faith of the individual in Him and not in himself--we are God-confident, not self-confident, relying on our acumen or cognition or intellectual prowess.

Extremely naive and simple-minded people can be saved, and those of great education can miss it entirely--miss the boat! Christianity is not about a creed, but about knowing a person--how we are getting along--relationships are of utmost value. Job 22:21 says, "Acquaint now yourself with Him and be at peace." We must be willing to agree with God and see things His way, and not be stubborn and insisting on our way.

Faith is very simple: Even a child can have it, but it is not simplistic--it is childlike (you must approach God in this way), but it is not childish (God wants us to grow up and become mature). Subsequent to learning enough doctrine to become a renowned theologian we may lack people skills and not know our Lord hardly at all. For example, John Bunyan didn't know very much compared to the likes of John Calvin, but he knew his Lord. It is so much more important to apply what we know and realize that we will not be judged by what we know, but what we sow.

We are called to be lights in the world and that means we are ambassadors who represent our Lord in an evil world. The world sees the gospel according to you--what your lifestyle and story testify of. A man of simple faith who just knows Jesus is God and his Savior may utter simple prayers and have a constant dialogue with their Lord, while the scholar doesn't apply what he knows and just likes to be right or smarter than others.

Jesus said that eternal life is to "know Him" in John 17:3 and Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 9:24 that if we are to "boast" we should do so about knowing the Lord! J. I. Packer alleges that we can know a great deal "about God" and not much "of God." He concludes that a little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal about Him--touche! This only happens through a living faith and a vital relationship in a daily walk. A word to the wise: God is pleased with faith more than feelings or emotions, and tests our faith. We must learn to cultivate intimacy and get to know our Lord, basically through knowing others who know Him, the Scriptures, and ongoing prayer.

You can even know a lot "about" Christ, and not know Him as a living God, Savior, and Lord. We are to "grow in the grace and knowledge" of Him according to 2 Peter 3:18, and as we do good works we do also "grow in our knowledge" of Him according to Colossians 1:10. Doctrine can be "interesting" but some people are so assured of their relationship and know it must be put in its place--application is what it's about and the Bible was not written to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives. Jesus came to save us, not educate or teach us, though He did that too. In the final analysis, it is not that we know Him, but He knows us (Gal. 4:9) that is significant.

What Jesus is really looking for is someone after His own heart who wholeheartedly follows Him and is yielded to His will (2 Chron. 16:9). Theologians have their place, but this is not for everyone and we shouldn't expect everyone to have the same "interest" in the so-called deeper truths of the Word. It is a good idea to keep our faith as simple as possible and not to have such a heavy yoke to bear, expecting everyone to be at our mental capacity--remember, the "common people heard Him gladly."

Immature believers balk at learning doctrine and we must remember that "solid food is for the mature" who have learned to distinguish good and evil (cf. Hebrews 5:14). We must know where our listeners are and not go over their heads, meeting their needs where appropriate, as Jesus told Peter to feed the lambs. Sometimes it is tempting to "wow" the congregants with our scholarship, but this is ill-advised and we need to not depend on impressive words, but to rely on the power of the Spirit.

The more you know, the more responsible you are. God expects us to be initiators, comforters, instigators, teachers, peacemakers, mediators, good Samaritans, friends, counselors, advocates, cheerleaders, role models, prophets, priests, intercessors, encouragers, brothers, etc., (you get the idea--little Christs making use of their spiritual gift--that is what Christian means literally). You learn to take on the role and challenge of being Jesus to someone who needs you like John Wesley who vowed to be Jesus to everyone: "Do the most good, to all the people you can, all the time you can, every way you can, in as many places as you can, as long as you can, et cetera." He also said, "Earn all you can, save all you can, and give away all you can." What standards to live by!

The pastor has a role to fulfill to preach as if the oracles of God on His behalf and God speaking through him as His messenger; his voice and message may arouse some sleeping soul out of his dogmatic slumber, and save some who hear the Word through him. Paul said that they received him as Jesus Himself and we should be glad when people see Jesus in us (according to the verse "Christ in you, the hope of glory," in Col. 1:27).

But Paul couldn't wait to see "Christ formed" in them. The only Jesus some people will see is the one you show them and the one in you--what kind of example are you? We are not Jesus and cannot become Jesus, but we are His emissaries and icons who bear His image and represent Him and His authority. We cannot bail out theologically or ignore sound doctrine, and people don't care how much you know until they find out how much you care (to use a common cliche). Soli Deo Gloria!

Following Christ

Just "as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him [as Lord!]" (cf. Col. 2:6). We are to walk in fellowship and in the truth, as "the truth is in Jesus" (cf. Eph. 4:11). The whole concept of our ethics in Christ is to follow Christ in discipleship, taking up our cross we bear, deny ourselves, and follow on to know Him as Lord and Savior. We are to follow the example of pious believers and teachers and consider the outcome of their faith. The faith is not so much imitation as inhabitation! We turn over a relinquished life at salvation, live an exchanged life, and enjoy a substituted life while we surrender constantly to His will, and walk in fellowship. The Christian life is not knowing a creed, but a person.

We don't need to get educated or enlightened but transformed by the Word's power to change lives. We shall know the truth that shall set us free, by growing in Christ and believing God, not just believing in God. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto righteousness! Lots of believers think some saints have a surplus of the Spirit or a monopoly on His grace, but all Christians are anointed and have the fullness of the Spirit. It's not how much of the Spirit we have, but how much of us the Spirit has. No one has cornered the market on the gifts of the Spirit and doesn't need the body to complete the ministry and mission of the church.

Two believers can walk arm-in-arm without seeing eye-to-eye on every issue! It is important to look for commonalities, instead of division and areas of dispute. No one can follow Christ solo or as a spiritual Lone Ranger or lone wolf! All Christians are under authority through the body of Christ and no one has the right to throw his weight around or lord it over the flock. The body is in it together and must learn to interact and grow as a body corporately, as well as individually.

Do good deeds in the Spirit (we are a people "zealous of good deeds" per Titus 1:16), and not because you're a do-gooder or trying to gain the approbation of God by good behavior. The whole summation and goal of discipleship is to follow Christ--to know Him and make Him known in a relationship of love. The Christian walk is a matter of faith, but anyone can say he has faith, but faith isn't something you have as much as you see in action: Paul would say I'll show you my works by faith, and James would say I'll show you faith by works. Paul said to the Galatians that the only thing that counts is "faith expressing itself through love" (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV).

The only test of faith is obedience per Heb. 3:18-19! Oswald Chambers said that the value of spiritual life isn't measured by ecstasies, but by obedience; Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." They are correlated and go hand in hand, not to be divorced. Faith without works is a guise and not the real thing, but a dead faith that cannot save; the Reformers taught the formula: "We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."

We must validate our faith by a Christian testimony and life of good works (we are saved unto good works, not because of them). We are not saved by works, but not without them either--our faith is manifest only in obedience, for Christ said that, if you love Him, you will obey Him (cf. John 14:21).

Soli Deo Gloria!

What's The Big Deal With The Cost of Discipleship?

Most con men oversell or stress the pros or upside, avoiding the negatives, the cons, or downside of a new venture if they're interested in the numbers game. Jesus wasn't interested in quantity, but quality and His apostles proved Him right by turning the world topsy-turvy.   Jesus was different and didn't want those interested in a "working arrangement" in His kingdom--He wanted servants.  What would you venture to bet in order to gain the whole world?  Your soul?  Well, you are if you don't know Jesus.  I hope it's not your soul because many do see only in the mundane, here and now, and not in light of eternity. It may seem like we have to give up everything to become a Christian, but God is only testing the motives and priorities of our hearts.  But the ante is up and eternity is the bet: where we end up spending it.

Discipleship, according to Jesus is no light matter and He discouraged halfhearted disciples or followers, who didn't count the cost--one could literally lose it all, even one's life; however, Jim Elliot wrote that he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Our portion is in the Lord, not in this life.  The world has their reward in this life with all the devil has to offer and the comforts of this world. So what's the big deal then and why should we follow Christ?  We have our souls to lose and eternity to gain while we have eternal reward and blessing in heaven, not suffering and punishment in hell. In some parts of the world, conversion may cost one his family or his life, so we should be thankful for the freedom of religion in our nation.

But Paul did say that all those who desire to live godly in Christ will be persecuted--try going against the grain and the popular world's ideas, or the current culture.  Christianity is indeed counter-cultural and we must be willing to stand up for right and vehemently oppose evil, flying our Christian colors and declaring openly where we stand and not on the sidelines but daring to be for Christ even if the world opposes us.  There is no neutral territory with the believer; he's either for or against Christ, being in the world but not of it.

But prosperity theology is heresy because we don't want our "best life now," but to reap our reward in heaven when Christ crowns us, but no cross equals no crown. We shall be compensated for all the suffering we've had in Christ as we fulfill His sufferings for the sake of the Name.  But too many still think that wealth is a sign of God's sure blessing (sometimes God does give wealth, but it's not guaranteed).  If our riches increase, though, we ought not to put our faith in them!  It 's the poor that are blessed with rich faith because they have learned to rely on the Lord.    The best opportunity to find out that the only thing you need is God, is to have only God and lose everything else: then one realizes the necessity and the sufficiency of Christ. 

The reward we look forward to in the Celestial City is to know Jesus, seeing the beatific vision and the membership in God's family.  We will find out that some who are last will be first and status in this life doesn't amount to anything in the next.  It's faithfulness that we are called to, not success.  Religion is what makes us strive for human achievement, not God's blessing. God doesn't want our accomplishments but our obedience and most of all He wants us--our hearts.  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Salvation Isn't Jesus Plus ...! ...

We cannot add anything to God's grace in our salvation:  it's not Jesus plus keeping the Law, or Jesus plus doing good works, or Jesus plus tithing, or Jesus plus going to church, or Jesus plus being a success.  Jesus isn't just necessary but also sufficient!  There is never anything we can add to God's grace, improve upon it, earn it, pay it back,  deserve it, or lose it once we have it.  We must come to the realization that Jesus is enough for us and seek our treasures in heaven.  When we realize that, we've laid possession of Jesus in our hearts, not just our minds.  We don't want Him as an idea, but as a Person.

John warned us not to love the world, for if we do we lose a taste or desire for heavenly things. I's simple math that the more room we have in our hearts for the things of the world, the less room for Jesus and the spiritual delights of knowing Him.   We ought to store up our treasures in heaven and be able to possess our possessions or manage our blessings or wealth. This means they cannot control us or become idols that can rob us of God's blessing.  For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.

Those who trust in wealth are never satisfied and always seeking just a little more.  True philanthropy is rare among the rich and powerful.  They usually are seeking the applause of men because of the insecurities of their final destiny.  We are not to live for today and be just be consumers either like the Epicureans who said, "Eat, drink, and be merry [for tomorrow we die!]."  Or today, as they say, "Grab all the gusto you can, for you only go around once."  One key way to see how much we love our wealth is how tightly we hold unto it and we refuse to render to God that which is God's.  We are only robbing ourselves because the riches of the kingdom of God are greater than the world can offer. "Freely you have received, freely give" (cf. Matt. 10:18).

Some people may wonder who can be saved if it's difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. With God all things are possible though and He can transform the hardest and most stubborn of hearts.  We must realize that Christ offers the road of sacrifice not very popular with the world's mindset.   For instance, the world sees money, power or influence, and morality or good works as a sure ticket to heaven or pass out of hell.  They may compare themselves with others and feel superior but they may inwardly wonder how much is enough and are never quite sure of their salvation as the rich young ruler needed to ask Christ what he must DO.

But people are addicted to doing something for their salvation and have a works mindset.  If we had to swim a mile, we'd all be at the beaches.  Believe me, if we had to do anything or if there was just one rule to keep, we'd blow it!  It's no use giving us rules to keep; we cannot keep them--look at Adam and Eve.   But God sees the heart and motive behind every deed and says that they all amount to trash in His sight and do not qualify as good works.  All our righteousness is the gift of God and our gift to Him (cf. Isaiah 45:24).

People are good works-driven, even karma-oriented, and play the "let's compare" game, even commending themselves among themselves (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12) when they see someone worse off than them.  We must understand that salvation is free but not cheap; it costs everything we have, meaning full surrender to God's economy. We must be warned that Christ cautioned us to "count the cost."  That doesn't mean that there's a special blessing in poverty per se nor in poverty vows, nor in a martyrdom complex, thinking that the more we give to God or the more we suffer, the holier we are.  We will indeed be blessed for every sacrifice but salvation isn't by asceticism either.  God wants to bless us in this life too but that blessing isn't necessarily in materialism. God blesses our endeavors as we do His will!   In sum, we must embrace the theology that Jesus is enough for us and He will supply all our legitimate needs for His will.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Releasing Our Inner Child

Pop psychologists urge us to release our inner child or not to inhibit our child-like nature.  Too many of us are stuck in the adult mode of existence and have forgotten what it's like to be a child much less relate to one and communicate or level with them. Jesus' own disciples rebuked the crowds for bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus, thinking that was a waste of time or effort.  But Jesus rebuked them for their interference in God's plan and thinking they knew better and their agenda would be acceptable in God's eyes.  The thing is is that in God's economy there are many paradoxes and we must all become children to become born into God's family.

There aren't too many qualifications for entering the kingdom of God, the primary one being that we realize we aren't qualified, but we must be like a child in many ways and Jesus used children as an object lesson to teach the disciple a lesson on salvation. You must realize, that in Jesus' day, children had no rights and were not respected and also didn't have a long life expectancy with a high infant mortality rate. It's the same with believers because we get no respect and also may have a high mortality rate in a sense.

But by way of analogy, let's look at some of the traits of children that Christ must've admired.  Firstly, they are humble and not arrogant, they don't think they know it all and ask questions.  Secondly, they are dependent and know it and trust their parents to meet their needs.  Thirdly, they forgive and accept forgiveness easily because they don't keep score.  Fourthly, they are vulnerable and look to their parents for support.  Fifthly, they are filled with awe and wonder and are impressed with simple things, whereas adults are blase about the space shuttle and modern ingenuity.

We may be impressed with our latest smartphones and modern technology but not so with spiritual things, but even the simplest Bible stories captivate children.  Sixthly, they are without prejudice or bias and accept people for their human dignity. Seventhly, they have that inner joy of life that is lost in adulthood, few of them are depressed about their lives.

Now God breaks us for a reason, to make us outgrow our childishness and to grow up and learn to depend on God.  It is only broken people or contrite ones that can be forgiven.  As long as we have no convictions or guilty feelings we don't qualify for salvation for He came to seek and to save not the righteous but sinners. Children outgrow their childishness but some adults never outgrow their childish faith and insecurities.

We must not think God has to abide by our visions and we don't bring our plans to Him for approval but seek His will and plan and to obey it.  When we are born again we become children of God and can see life from a new perspective and vision that the world sees not because we have the inner Spirit and the mind of Christ.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Preaching The Good News...

"The Desire of All Nations shall come" (cf. Haggai 2:7).
"Preach the Word, be instant in season and out" (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2). 
"Proclaim the message, persist in it whether it is convenient or not..." (2 Tim. 4:2, HCSB). 
"... And how can they believe without hearing about Him?  And how can they believe without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? ... " (Romans 10:14-15, HCSB).  

"Where there is no vision, the people perish," (cf. Prov. 29:18, KJV).  Our mission statement and vision from above should be to spread the word--the message of Christ.  "We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord," according to 2 Cor. 4:5.  But we cannot preach the good without the bad!  This is also called preaching law and gospel. Salvation is freedom from the yoke of the Law and put under a much easier yoke of  God's will and Christ's yoke.  We must get them lost first and make them realize their depravity and predicament before getting them saved!  The discerning theologian can distinguish law and gospel in the Scriptures.   Law is what God requires of us and how we measure up and fail; the gospel is what Jesus did and does for us and what we receive by grace.  Jesus and John the Baptist both inaugurated their ministries:  "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!"  clearly Law and our duty to God.  NB:  Although repentance is demanded of us, it's a gift of God (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25; Acts 5:31; 11:18).

We must first be convicted of our sins before we can confess them! It's not our job to convict--that's the prerogative of the Holy Spirit who shall convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (cf John 16:13).  No one is more lost or blind than the one who doesn't know his sin or realizes he's lost!  Jesus told the Pharisees that because they said they could see, they were really blind; for He came to seek and to save the lost--the precondition for salvation is that we realize we don't qualify for it.  In a play on words, we sue God for peace in His divine court!  We are spiritually bankrupt and have no options but to repent and turn to God in faith! He dictates the terms and makes the rules.

Preaching is a bad news/good news announcement and preachers ought to know where the parishioners are spiritually and reach out to them in love, not over their heads, nor getting personal, nitpicking, pointing to or stressing any one sin over another as a hobbyhorse or agenda such as taking up a campaign against smoking.  We aren't doing anyone any good by bypassing or skipping the bad news of sin, judgment, and hell but giving aid and comfort to the enemy and confirming people in their sins. Having false assurance is worse than no assurance.   It's really an act of love to tell it like it is and to warn people of the wrath to come and that there's only one escape through Christ's blood.

We must not ignore the hard sayings of Jesus or the offensive truths that people don't feel comfortable with because the preacher not only can comfort the afflicted gut afflict the comfortable--false assurance is worse than no assurance.  "Speak the truth in love!"  (cf. Eph. 4:15).  To preach the Word means to do it in love and honesty, not to water it down or domesticate it!  We don't gloss over the truths that seem like a hard pill to swallow! Martin Luther said that the sinner doesn't see his sin, and it's the preacher's job to show it to him.  Only when we know the whole truth are we able to appreciate the good news and put everything into a spiritual perspective.

In sum, Arthur W. Pink said, that "there some who say they are saved, even before they have any feeling that they are lost." We must see that the gospel must be preached clear enough to be rejected too; we must not preach easy-believism or cheap grace as Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it and offer salvation without repentance but realize that repentance and faith go hand in hand and can be distinguished by not separated--believing repentance or penitent faith--they cannot be divorced! Soli Deo Gloria! 

To Gain What We Cannot Lose

Martyred missionary Jim Elliot is known for his famous line:  "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."  Our very souls are at stake and the chips are high-- an eternity in focus.  What will pass away is not worth holding to in perspective.  Even Jesus didn't cling to His life but for the joy set before Him, endured the cross and despised the shame!  We are all called to take up our own cross or its burden that is given to us for Christ's sake--but He didn't ask us to do anything He didn't do and nothing He won't be with us in--He was honest enough to warn us of the cost of following Him and to count it.  Remember, Jim would tell you that you've got nothing to lose but infinity to gain by trusting in the Lord.  It is said that he was warned he could die going to the jungles, but he only replied," I died years ago when I accepted Christ."

It may be as simple as re-prioritizing our lives, or as involved as sacrificing or laying down our lives--we all have a mission and calling from God that is suited for us in God's perfect will.  Winston Churchill offered no easy road to victory over the Nazis and warned of "blood, toil, sweat, and tears," ahead for the UK.  Likewise, Jesus doesn't want mere lip service but wholehearted, devoted followers that are gung-ho for Job One--the Great Commission, not lukewarm hypocrites.

When Jesus is our number one priority, all else fades in respective significance and we can say goodbye to self and live solely for Him, not-self.  We can relate to Jesus and identify with His cross.  We become new creatures in Christ and have a new identity.  But somehow the problems we now face seem small because when the one giving orders is our Helper and Advocate, helping us do His will, it is no longer a burden we cannot bear.  The same God who got us to the climactic situation is the same one who will get us through it.

So what is a disciple then?  He meant we are to deny ourselves (cf. Mark 8:34), not asceticism, but who we are as a person--our identity is in Christ.  We die to self and fully relate to Christ for our identity--saying farewell to the old man and welcome o the new man created in Christ's image.  It's not a matter of denying ourselves "things" nor of having low self-esteem, but of giving Christ first place in our lives.  It's not necessarily privation, but we cheerfully take the road less traveled for the sake of the Name.  We get true humility:  not thinking less of ourselves, but of ourselves less!

Jesus went on further to elaborate that discipleship involved taking up our cross: we must be willing to follow Christ wherever He leads, even to the point of death obediently and cheerful as martyrs.  We are willing to go all the way cheerfully on our assignment from God in an act of faith, fulfilling our calling of God's purpose. God doesn't call us to suicide missions with no purpose, and don't get the impression that salvation is by martyrdom, that the more we suffer, the greater Christians we are or our reward, but we must be willing to lay down our lives in faith despising the temporary rewards of this life; our belief in God is not mere lip service but a witness to others to show them how it affects our lives.

We are to go on to "follow Him"  (cf. Mark 8:34) or be willing to go wherever He leads.  I like to say that we should be willing to go anywhere as long as it's forward; we should never stand still in our faith or tread water but progress from faith to faith!  Faith marches forward and doesn't balk or stand still!  We say that the summation of Christian ethics is to follow Christ and this is the full application of our faith--it's not just a profession but a mission to complete--some merely make a profession of faith but don't live it out with their lives and belie their testimony.

The Greek philosophical goals to know God and to know thyself apply since they go together.  We must have no delusions about reality and realize we are lost without Him.  We cannot follow Christ if we do not know Him, and we must believe in Him for who He is and realize what we are in truth as persons.

That's why broad is the way that leads to damnation because it's the easy way of least resistance, and usually a cop-out.  When we suffer for the sake of the Name, we enter into the fellowship of suffering (cf. Phil. 3:10), gaining eternal reward that we cannot forfeit.  This is the ultimate future investment--not a 401(k). We must always have the perspective that this world is passing away and everything here is fleeting, knowing the brevity of life and how short our time is to do God's will, and only what's done for Christ will last and be rewarded. 

But most people are short-sighted and don't see the music that vibrates for eternity when we do things in God's name, making a difference for Christ's kingdom.   If we only could realize the impact our lives have, we would not lose heart and our attitude would be changed, as they say in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life."   A true disciple is a fully dedicated follower of Christ who stays the course and doesn't give up and goes all the way with the Lord through thick and thin.

When the chips are down, he doesn't lose faith but grows by adversity in fortitude and grit.   All in all, we must acknowledge some who boast of great faith or even are pretenders of it, but we are not judged by our faith!  We are judged by what we did with it; namely, our works (cf. Rom 2:6; Psalm 62:12; Prov. 24:12).   ("to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:4, KJV).   Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Battle Is The Lord's

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36, NIV).  

"The battle is the LORD's," (cf. 2 Chron. 20:15). 

HOW'S THE BATTLE?  We are engaged in great angelic conflict in which we have no chance of coming clean without God's help using the military armor of God.  We sin over and over again to be forgiven over and over again, sometimes for the same old sins (we certainly don't want new ones to worry about). Sin is like the smoking habit:  it enslaves us and alienates us from others.  People don't accept smokers as being "good" or polite company, especially when they light up without permission or even in your face.  Cigarettes can become a god or crutch just like our bellies!

"People are enslaved by whatever defeats them," (cf. 2 Peter 2:19, HCSB). [Smokes!]   Alcohol can be a god but people can become addicted for life as a crutch because they haven't learned to lean on God and trust in Him in times of need, knowing "the central neurosis of man is emptiness"--Carl Gustaf Jung. They need therapy!  NB:  "You belong to the power you choose to obey," (Rom. 6:16, HCSB).  We are bad, but not too bad to be saved!

That's why the first step in recovery is admitting slavery; that you cannot overcome it by yourself and need a "higher power," or a buddy.  It wants to destroy us but we must not let it (cf. Gen. 4:7).   Most men look for some outlet to let off steam, whether in escapism or in fantasies.  They won't admit they "cannot see clearly," or they are clueless.  Drugs seem to offer temporary solutions/fixes but the long-term effects aren't worth it and make one worse off.  We must realize how bad we are to be good, and we don't realize how bad we are till we've tried to be good (a catch-22).

We must realize that our lives our not our own and God has first dibs on our bodies because He owns them.   In God's economy, we must surrender daily; it's not a one-time event done at salvation, but a progressive one never to end.  We are to be continually filled with the Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18) to live the Christian life, not just have the filling we all received upon salvation as evidence of our initiation into the body of Christ.

When we get saved, we engage in the mop-up effort to defeat Satan, who's already doomed because of Christ's victory at the cross. We cannot do this alone but need the body of Christ and must not become solitary saints thinking we can defeat the enemy on our own. This battle is a joint effort of the body of Christ where everyone has a ministry and mission to complete in God's plan for their lives.   That's where the ministry of the local church comes in to equip the saints.  Hezekiah felt overwhelmed by his enemies and was reassured that the battle is the Lord's (cf. 2 Chron. 20:15)!  God is on our side, He is fighting for us, and He is using us!

The good thing about our so-called slavery to sin is that where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more, as John Bunyan wrote, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, to describe his testimony and his self-estimation.   We must also realize God's grace is not only necessary for us for but we can do nothing without it, but that it's sufficient--we cannot merit it nor add to it nor subtract from it.  Grace means that you don't deserve it!

We don't believe in Jesus and try to be good!  We're a new creation (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).   We don't try, we trust because it must be Christ who changes us, not us turning over a new leaf or making a New  Year's resolution, or an AA pledge. God's grace to us is infinite and we cannot exhaust it, He never gives up on us but we can give up on Him!  We are the ultimate works in progress that God isn't finished with yet (cf. Phil. 1:6).

We all have failed the Lord and must realize that we can come clean by confessing our known sins, keeping a short account with God (cf. 1 John 1:9).  Prov. 28:13 says that if we confess and forsake them we shall find mercy and if we hide them we will not prosper!  But if we have unconfessed sin our prayers are hindered and blocked due to us being out of fellowship and in need of restoration or reconciliation (cf. Psa. 66:18; Isa. 59:2). We are to examine ourselves periodically for the sake of fellowship with the body of Christ at least during the Lord's Supper celebration (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28) and we should always examine our hearts to see if it's really Christ living there (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5).

We must be in awe of God's economy because the way to be filled is first to be emptied!  The more readily we confess, the easier filled.  As we get closer to God, the more we see our flaws and shortcomings, especially "laying aside every weight, and the sin which easily besets us" (cf. Heb. 12:1, KJV).  "Love covers a multitude of sins" (cf. 1 Pet. 4:8, HCSB).  NB:  But "the mass of men live lives of quiet desperation."  --Henry David Thoreau

All in all, we must give God some credit for delivering us from ourselves, for we are our own worst enemy.  It's not just you and I, that's the way it is and ought to be--to rely on God--we don't try, we trust!   In summation, the way to change our lives is by full surrender and to have a change of heart, (will, attitude, and understanding of our sins)--renouncing them and coming clean.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Common Salvation

Jude wanted to write a treatise (cf. Jude 1:3) on "our common salvation," but was diverted to discuss heresy that had crept into the church.

This is a subject known doctrinally as soteriology, from the Greek soter, or to save.

The common man has no comprehension of what salvation means, and probably relates to a boxer being "saved by the bell."  A renowned theologian (R. C. Sproul) was asked if he was saved:  "Saved from what?"  The man was taken aback and had no answer; he didn't know what our salvation is from!   Actually, we are saved by God and from God (delivered from the wrath to come according to 1 Thess. 1:10).  We are as bad off as can be, but not too bad to be saved!

Christianity is a religion of salvation and this is pivotal.  "Salvation is of the Lord," says Jonah 2:9, and this means that God does all the work and gets all the credit and glory.  The other two possibilities are to be saved by a  combination of our efforts and God's, or to be saved by our efforts alone.  Only in the scenario that has God doing everything, can we have the assurance of salvation?    If we had to do anything, we'd blow it.

The Bible proclaims the saviorhood of God; this is His purpose in dying  ("...and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.").  The Scriptures speak of Christ as being the only way to be saved and that there is no other Savior (cf. Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Hos. 13:4;  Isa.43:11).

All three offices of Christ take part in our salvation:  as Prophet, we are saved from ignorance of sin; as Priest from the guilt of sin; as King from the dominion of sin (per D. James Kennedy).

There are many aspects to look at our salvation.   At the point of salvation we are saved from the penalty of sin or justified, then we are sanctified or saved from the power of sin, and in the state of glory, we will be saved from the presence of sin.  Another way of looking at this is that of our position (in Christ), our condition (fellowship and sanctification), and our expectation (glorification).  From the standpoint of the tenses, we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved.  Our outlook is given perspective so that we have a worldview:  "Our past is forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured."  This all began in eternity past, is realized in time, and looks forward to, and is consummated in heaven.

Our salvation is a done deal, a fait accompli, a finished work--a divine accomplishment, not a human achievement.  Religion is a do-it-yourself proposition and says, "Do," but God says, "Done!"  The entire Trinity took part:  the Father planned and authored it, the Son secured and accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applied it.

Only in Christianity can we have the assurance of salvation and this is not meant to be permission to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit.   Assurance enhances growth and is assuredly a boon to our spiritual well-being--otherwise, we are stunted and paralyzed in our walk.  Note that assurance and security can be distinguished, but not separated.  They go hand in hand and without one, you cannot have the other.  Assurance is not to satisfy idle curiosity, but meant to strengthen our faith, and is a sign of faith, not presumption.

Salvation is not by knowledge--that would be intellectualism--and not by emotion--that would be emotionalism--and not by works--that would be moralism.   It is not by faith plus works, not by faith plus being good, nor by faith plus law-keeping.  It is by grace alone, through faith alone,  in Christ alone.  Principle:  Don't divorce faith and faithfulness!  What kind of faith is saving faith is the issue:  only obedient and repentant faith will do.

There are only four possibilities for salvation to note:  by works alone; by faith plus works; by faith alone bringing about good works, and by faith alone equaling salvation minus good works.  The first is religion, the second is legalism, the third is correct Reformed teaching, and the last one is only antinomianism or easy-believism.  [This labeling from R. C. Sproul]  The formula during the Reformation was that we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.

Our faith is simple--so simple a child can do it-- but not simplistic; it is childlike, but not childish.  It's not a matter of trying, but trusting--trust and obey!  It is the work of God (John 6:28-29 answers this question:  "What shall we do, to do the works of God?  It is the work of God that you believe..."); because we are incurably addicted to doing something for our salvation, according to Chuck Swindoll.   The reformer called this Soli Deo Gloria, or to God alone be the glory!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Full Assurance Of Salvation

"Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble"  (2 Peter 1:10, HCSB).   


It is not presumption nor conjecture to believe one is saved eternally in real-time, it's faith and a boon to one's well-being, even justification and a motive and reason to do good.  We should be able to quote 2 Tim. 1:12 that saying, I know whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him day.   Assurance is paramount and enhances our sanctification and is the helmet of salvation to fight Satan and his minions.  If we lack assurance, our walk is paralyzed and we are in limbo, so to speak, meaning we are not resting in faith.  Assurance is not of the essence of faith, and not an automatic fruit, but it is commanded and our duty to know (cf. 2 Pet. 1:10), not just be idly curious about!  Assurance isn't the job description of the pastor-teacher but individual responsibility to examine their heart.  All one can do is "reassure."

Actually, some believers are congenital doubters or have little faith, but false assurance is the bigger problem (believing one is secure without biblical warrant or sanction).  Also, note that it's not some one's job description to certify your salvation--they can only give reassurance:  One must examine his own heart and the fruits of his faith, and see if they align with the Word of God and the witness of the inward Spirit (per Romans 8:16; 2 Cor. 13:5). 

We need not speculate about our destiny with God, for we can take God at His Word and at face value, standing on the promises of God; however, this implies we are not ignorant of the Word and have faith to begin with. In the final analysis, realize that we don't rest on conjecture, but certainty!

God is the great Promise Keeper and His Word "cannot be broken"; He has given us His Spirit as the earnest money or down payment on our salvation dividend.  Our destiny is in God's hands!  Believing this, we ought to rest in faith and stop trying to save ourselves by piety or religiosity.  We see salvation as a done deal (a fait accompli) with nothing we can add improvements to it, and we cannot earn, deserve, nor pay it back--it's the gift of God received through faith by grace, giving all the credit and glory to God (Soli Deo Gloria!  "Salvation is of the LORD," per Jonah 2:9). Salvation is not of us, nor of us and the LORD, but solely of the LORD.

In sum, taking a verse that you can cling to as a promise is the way to have assurance, and some call this a spiritual birth certificate, for example, a favorite of mine: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life [now], and shall not come into condemnation, but has [past tense or done deal] passed from death unto life" (John 5:24, KJV).    Soli Deo Gloria!

A Personal Invite: RSVP!

"For the grace of God has appeared with the salvation of all people" (Titus 2:11, HCSB).   

We must all realize that God's call to salvation goes out to us personally and that He cares about our welfare, lot, and future as well as about final destiny with Him.   His plan is personalized, tailored, or individualized with us in particular in mind as if only we we alive.  He knows the plans He has for us; to prosper us and not to harm us!  (Cf. Jer. 29:11).  God's best is for us, spiritually speaking.  But we must apply God's message to us personally (claiming it) and realize that He is talking to and has us in mind.  The only counsel that seems pertinent is to RSVP, because this is such wonderful news we cannot afford to lose the opportunities that are possible.

The offer has not only to do with our forgiveness from our past sins (justification), but deliverance from the power of sin and from what we are (sanctification)!  God never paints a pretty picture of our condition in solidarity with Adam, but tells it like it is--we are slaves to sin and not free before salvation and only Christ can set us free.  G. K. Chesterton said that the only doctrine that can be proved is total depravity!   In fact, the extension of our salvation is fourfold:  pardon from our sins, power over sin; purpose for living and to carry on; and peace with God, man, and ourselves (the four P's).

This means that we are not just sanitizing our life (cleaning up our act) and giving up sins, but turning our back and renouncing sin in general and it's power and influence in our lives, which entails not loving the world (cf. 1 John 2:15) nor the things of the world (the devil's delicacies which spoil our taste for the real thing); what we are doing, in reality, is salvaging our soul itself, not only staying alive but being alive in the real sense--entree into a new life from above in Christ.

For Christ "didn't come to make bad men good, but dead men alive!"  We are never more alive when we live in Christ and know His power that resides in us (the power of the resurrection per Phil. 3:10)).  When we know Jesus, we see Him in a spiritual sense at work around us, even using us for His glory.  To know Jesus, then is to be fully alive with this abundant life (cf. John 10:10) He promised, that involves our soul's participation.  We were dead in our trespasses and sins (cf. Eph. 2:1) especially to the spiritual before knowing Christ, but now we are alive spiritually and can comprehend and know spiritual things (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14).   The only healthy response is to obey ("For to obey is better than sacrifice..." per 1 Samuel 15:22)!  By faith we obey but obedience is the only test of that faith, not ecstasy or experience.  "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes" according to Bonhoeffer.

NB:  Our salvation is nearer than we realize, (cf. Rom. 13:11).   Jesus is as close as the mention of His name and we can do nothing to earn our salvation or even to keep it (cf. Jude 1)--it's all been done for us on the cross and we must just receive it as a free gift on God's terms (cf. Eph. 2:9).     Soli Deo Gloria!

Needless Consternation Over Election

Calvinist or Reformed thinkers, theologians, and believers are accused of stealing man's free will and making us puppets, automatons, robots, even pets of God. Election is a kind of determinism, but it's not determination or coercion.   We are free agents, but free will is not a biblical doctrine but a Romanist one; it's nowhere mentioned in Scripture.  What I mean by free will is not the power to make choices, but the independent power to receive faith and salvation apart from God's grace and influence.  Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" [evidently not even believe].

He also said that believing in Him is the work of God (cf. John 6:29). Why election, that He chose us from the beginning, is so important is that it's the overture to our salvation--the first step in our salvation.  What Calvinists believe is that our salvation is not our wills ultimately to decide, but God working on our wills.

When we say that God knows who will be saved and elects those He foreknows, it's not referring to the prescient view that God elects us because we will have faith--leading to the narrative of merit in our salvation, but that God elects us unto faith--He decides in whom He will work the miracle of regeneration in.  Some people say that this is unfair that everyone should have an equal chance, but if we were all left alone to ourselves by God, none of us would come to Him in faith and repent.  If God is to save anyone it must be by election according to His purpose and will.  Indeed He regards the salvation of the elect more important than not interfering with their wills, and His glory more important than the salvation of everyone.

The result of God's holiness and justice, which require punishment for sin and evil, eternal damnation in hell must exist.  If God knows our destiny, it must be determined; and if determined, we must ask by whom?  God doesn't play dice with the universe of souls and also isn't pleased in the death of the wicked nor rejoice in their punishment, it is justice meted out in mercy but due justice not more than required without any cruelty 

This is the crux of the matter:  human choice doesn't mean without any influence from God to be free.   No one can say they came to God entirely on their own initiative without any grace leading them to God known to some as the wooing of the Holy Spirit--those who claimed they did, probably left Jesus without His grace too.  NB:  God determines our nature and nurture, circumstances, and events, or character and innate righteousness, our contribution to God is nothing--that's why we must be saved by grace--that means very little of our decisions ultimately depends upon our wills and choices.   But God does promise to give us a choice and even the non-elect have made choices against God, not for Him.

But God has determined to save His sheep or the elect, just like he chose the elect angels, He chooses us, we don't choose Him.   "The elect obtained unto it..." (Cf. Rom. 11:7).    We are elect according to His purpose and grace, since God will have mercy on whom He will and no one can resist God's will, being more powerful than ours (cf. Rom. 9:19).   God is totally able to influence our wills to do something of His will voluntarily--He can make the unwilling willing!   But at no time are we forced to do something we don't want to against our wills.  We cooperate all the way with God's sovereign will willingly and voluntarily and not by compulsion or impulsion.  Remember:  "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (cf. Acts 13:48).

The questions posed are:  Why are some saved and others not?  Does God woo all equally?  If so, why do some respond and others don't? Does man need free will?  If it's determined, do we have a choice?

If God woos all equally, and some do respond; therefore, it must be by human merit or inherent goodness and wouldn't be unconditional, and if God doesn't woo all equally, as He doesn't, then that means the ultimate destiny of man is in God's hands, meaning God decides who gets wooed and by how much.  It's a fact though that some are saved and others not because God cannot save all and salvage His justice and maintain holiness and the purity of heaven--He must judge sin and has no pleasure in the death of the wicked.  But God is unjust to no one, salvation is not justice, but a form of non-justice known as grace and mercy.  If God had to save anyone at all, it would be justice!

We are not born free but in bondage and slavery to sin. We don't need free wills to be saved but wills made free!   Our wills are stubborn and need saving too, they are not righteous and able to make free choices:  Augustine of Hippo said, we are "free but not freed," meaning that we've lost our liberty like a man in prison who is still human with a will.  If God left it up to us, no one would be saved because we're all stubborn.  God gives us a choice to make and no one has an excuse or can charge God with wrong for how His Maker made him or Potter molded him; however, we're all culpable for the choices (cf. Josh. 24:15) we make throughout our adult life after the age of accountability (cf. Deut. 1:39; Isa. 7:15).

In sum, we must all give God the glory in our salvation, which is "of the LORD," not mankind, and the only plan giving Him all the glory (Soli Deo Gloria!) is for it to be unconditional election by grace through faith.  No one will have any basis of boasting in God's presence.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Incurable Addiction

"[F]or in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to discover and hate his own sin" (Psalm 36:2, HCSB).     

Man insists upon presenting Himself to God in the most favorable light in regards to his deeds, thinking that the good ones outweigh the bad ones and that he has some merit before a "just" God who will have mercy on him.   He should realize that Job One is repentance and that he must realize he's a lost sinner in need of God and cannot save himself.  The chief problem with man is that he doesn't see his own sin or unworthiness--he believes in the basic or inherent goodness of man and of himself; however, our do-goodery amounts to zilch in God's estimation and He doesn't grade on a curve--He leveled the playing field and we're all in the same boat (totally depraved with nothing good to claim).

If God were just to all of us, we'd all be judged worthy of damnation!  We can be thankful God tempers His justice with mercy (cf. Habukkuk 3:2) We would hope God is not just, and not only merciful (keeping us from getting our just due) but also gracious (giving us what we don't deserve, cannot pay back, and cannot even earn).

The difference between what the common man in view of his religiosity thinks and Christianity is that he is incurably addicted to doing something for his salvation and doesn't seem to have the mindset to realize that it's a gift to be received.  It's not about "Do!" but "Done!"  In Christ, it's a done deal and there's nothing we can do to improve upon God's plan!  To add to God's work is an insult to our Maker like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa!   God doesn't need our efforts to impress Him, for we cannot.  Put it this way:  If we had to do something for salvation, we'd fail!

Salvation must be seen as something we cannot earn by anything we do, and we have no merit before God--that's the definition of grace (unmerited favor!). This is the only way to make salvation available to all  (the outward, general call is to all per Titus 2:11) because it's the only way that everyone has equal chance and no one is excluded, since anyone can believe!  If God had said we had to run the mile in under four minutes, you'd see every earnest believer taking up jogging and joining track teams!

But faith is not what we see, it's evidence of that something being real to us; however, we want to do something because we cannot conceive of this abstract thought of faith.  The Jews asked Jesus what they must do to do the works of God and He told them:  "The work of God is this:  to believe in the one he has sent" (cf. John 6:29, NIV).  You can read at least two doctrines into this verse:  Our faith is solely God's work in our heart and a gift that only God can accomplish; and the only thing that pleases God is faith and our works in the flesh amount to nothing..   But James (cf. James 2:24) said that we are not saved by faith alone but by works!  What he was getting at was that faith must be proved by works and Paul would say that works must spring from faith.

We dare not divorce faith and works for a faith without works as evidence is dead faith and cannot save.  ("faith without works is dead" according to James 2:26).  The Reformers reconciled all this by their famous formula of salvation:  We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone!  It just makes sense that anyone can just say they have faith or even believe they have faith, but if there's no fruit, there's no reality of faith.  Our works become a "therefore," not an "in order to."

There's a difference between a profession of faith and a reality of faith.  Just as Christ said that we shall know them by their fruits, and know fruit means no faith, the whole point of salvation is a changed and transformed life from the inside out due to a living relationship with God through Jesus. We must realize that true faith expresses itself, it's the evidence that gives us credibility and witness to the lost.

We are not saved by our good deeds or behavior, but unto them, likewise, we are not saved by good deeds, but not without them either (CAVEAT:  Beware the doctrine of the antinomians who adhere to a faith that is alone and doesn't need produce works; i.e., once saved you can live lawless or without restraint).

In sum, we must turn that creed into deeds, letting it show, giving it away to keep it, just as Titus 2:14, NIV,  says so plainly:  "... purify for  himself a people, that is his very own, eager to do what is good."       Soli Deo Gloria!

But He Gives More Grace

John Bunyan wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners to tell his testimony of salvation.  Paul also saw himself as the "chief of sinners."  It is true that the more sin, the more grace from God's abundance and bountiful provision:  "Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20).  We are great sinners and need a great Savior!  Salvation goes to the unqualified, not those who see themselves as righteous.  "No perfect people need apply" to God's church!  James 4:6 tells of God granting more grace to the believer and how:  "He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

This is the way it is in God's economy:  the way up is down; we must humble ourselves to be exalted.  Christianity is full of paradoxes like these:  we must become emptied to be filled; we must give to receive; we must love to be loved; we must serve to be served &c.  God sees things in a different light than the natural man. The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God!  The lesson on grace is that we are commanded to grow in it:  "But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"  (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).

Notice that grace and knowledge are juxtaposed or linked in this verse!  They go hand in hand and can be distinguished but not separated.  God doesn't want us to remain in ignorance but to grow in knowing Him; for this is eternal life--to know God and His Son Jesus whom He sent.  To know Him is to love Him!  But God frowns upon ignorance and puts a premium on knowledge and wisdom.  One fault of Israel is that they had a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (cf. Rom. 10:2).

Our hearts must be right before the Lord in our service not like Amaziah's who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with a right heart (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2).  We are only eligible for grace when our hearts are right before the Lord, for the Lord looks upon the heart and sees our motives (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2). Then we are candidates for more grace!  God is a God of grace and mercy and is good to all: to some in all ways, to some in few ways (cf. Psalm 145:9), but good to all nevertheless!  No one will be able to accuse God of not being good! But some will realize that this isn't the whole equation for them--God is also just, holy, and righteous!

Some err in adding merit to grace, tradition to Scripture, the church to Christ, and works to faith!  Salvation is by grace and not by merit or it wouldn't be grace, it would be justice and God would be obligated to save us; however, He is obligated to save no one!  In grace, God gives us what we don't deserve, in mercy He withholds what we do deserve.  Merit is the antithesis of grace and there is no place for merit in salvation--we cannot prepare ourselves for it or do any pre-salvation work; therefore, there is nothing for us to boast of before God. Grace is not only necessary for our salvation, but sufficient--it doesn't just facilitate it, but completes it and we don't deserve it, cannot earn it, cannot pay it back, and we cannot add to it! Therefore, grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God and one of the Five Only's of the Reformers was that salvation was sola gratia or by grace alone!

Our salvation is by grace all the way we are:  called by grace; saved by grace; believing by grace; kept by grace; empowered by grace; delivered from sin by grace; sanctified by grace; and glorified by grace!  God gets all the credit in our salvation.  That's why Jonah 2:9 says, "Salvation is of the LORD," (not of us and the Lord nor of us alone either)!   If it were even partly by us, we'd blow it!  When God is responsible for our salvation, it's by grace and cannot be taken away or forfeited, because it wasn't by merit in the first place.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Come As You Are Party!

"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound"  (Psalm 89:15, NKJV). 

God wants us to celebrate a new life with Him, which began upon acceptance of Him as the owner of our life and in the dedication of ourselves to Him and whatever that may involve, known as our cross to bear.  We must be willing to follow through thick and thin, come what may, wherever the chips may fall, even when they are down,  nor to faint in adversity but go from faith to faith.   The Christian life, though no easy affair, is a family affair lived with the Godhead indwelling us and engaging the fellowship of the church body.

It has been said that Christian living is not hard, but impossible!  The only way to have victory is to walk in the Spirit and to abide in Christ, for without Him we can do nothing and are nothing but weak vessels of clay in the hands of the Potter (cf. Isaiah 45:9; 64:6).  We must live to glorify and enjoy Him as we desire to honor Him in all we do and think and rethink--for our religion isn't just externalism, but internally affecting our thought life and meditations.

God invites all to come to Christ in the message of the gospel and opens our hearts to have faith and repent, in that they are not meritorious works, but acts of grace by the Holy Spirit.  We believe through grace!  God quickens faith within us and we become alive in Christ with a whole new perspective and outlook on life.  We can do no pre-salvation works to prepare for salvation (the only qualification is to acknowledge we are unqualified as sinners), but we all must come as we are in faith and believe God for a miracle to transform us into new creatures in Christ--it's all a work of grace, God getting all the glory.  But the good news is that we will not stay that way, no matter what our prior condition was, Jesus is still in the resurrection business and the power that rose Him from the dead can be alive in us as we come to know it first-hand (cf. Phil. 3:10), not second-hand or hearsay.

We live our lives as works in progress realizing all the while God is not finished with us yet, till we arrive in glory.  God always finishes what He starts and He has begun a good work in us!   When we enter eternity we will receive a threefold commendation:  an affirmation of "well done, thou good and faithful servant!" a promotion of "thou hast been faithful in small things and shall be faithful in much," and a final celebration of "enter thou into the joy of the Lord!"  The party that will last for eternity and we must realize that this world is passing away and is temporal while we are pilgrims with our real citizenship and portion are in heaven forever. 

Oh, the joy of those who have learned to walk by faith and not by sight or even feeling, but have learned by faith that God is real and seeing Him at work in the world, in their lives, and in circumstances known as Providence.  Noah probably had the best resume in the Bible, for he was a just man and perfect in his generations, and he walked with God!  (cf. Gen. 6:9).  We all have the opportunity and ability to do likewise--walk with God, because we have the indwelling Spirit to convict us of our sins, illuminate the Word, and to enjoy in fellowship, even to inspire us for life.

What is worship, but celebrating what the Lord has done and who He is?  We can learn to appreciate and adore Him for all His works and to realize that we are His greatest miracle because He transformed us from the inside out and made us new creatures in Christ.  Christians realize that Christ is the Lord who made us and owns it all, and worshiping is a way of giving back to Him spiritually and acknowledging this ownership of our spirit as a mere token of our gratitude.  We are led by the Spirit to worship the Godhead and thus celebrate the glory of God realized in Christ's work.

In our celebration, we should keep certain things in mind:  our past is forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured.  We have a reason for living and can live on purpose for God's glory and not for ourselves.   Our salvation is more than mere forgiveness, it's a new adventure with Jesus, a way of life or relationship, turning our creed into deeds (cf. Titus 2:14). How shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation? (cf. Heb. 2:3).

Don't view the faith as an escape, a crutch, a way out, or a way to just cope with life, but how to live victoriously through life with the peace of God, and the purpose and power to overcome our sin nature--our worst enemy could be ourselves! (Cf. John 10:10)  We can view our salvation as past (saved us from the punishment due our sin); present  (being saved from its power); and pending (awaiting glory and freedom from the presence of sin in glory).  We even see new meaning in our trials and adversities that build our character, and it is our privilege to suffer for \the sake of the Name.  In the final analysis, it's not just forgiveness for what we've done, but deliverance from what we are! 

CAVEAT:  NO ONE REMAINS THE SAME AFTER AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD, WE COME AS WE ARE, BUT ARE GUARANTEED NOT TO STAY THAT WAY!  SO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE READY FOR A NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST AT THE HELM OWNING YOUR SOUL AND DESTINY.    LET THE PARTY BEGIN! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!        Soli Deo Gloria!

He Saved Others....

 "His name shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins"  (cf. Matt. 1:21).


When Jesus was crucified the crowds taunted and mocked Him, admitting He saved others and wondered why He didn't save Himself!  If Jesus had saved Himself, He couldn't have saved us!  He loved us more than Himself and His life and paid the penalty we deserved.  The crowds were convinced that He performed miracles and healed people, and even that He saved others; so why couldn't He save Himself?  He deliberately chose to be Savior first, then King and His saviorhood was on His mind not His own well-being. 

The crowds actually condemned themselves by admitting they knew He was the Savior and could save, because they never were saved themselves and applied what He taught--on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, they hailed Him as the King, and shouted "Hosanna!' or Lord, "save us now!" Perchance they had become disillusioned and thought He was not going to deliver them from the Roman rule after all.

We all can be guilty of the sin of vicarious faith.  We can hear someone's testimony and see a miracle at work in their life and actually believe they are saved and have been transformed by the blood of Jesus, but not apply it to oneself.  Believing Jesus saves isn't enough; we must believe He saved us!  We must personalize our faith and not let it be second-hand knowledge.  We must individually experience Christ and then authenticate it by sharing it and spreading the word by faith.  The only way to keep our faith is to give it away!  We may have family and friends with whom we are familiar and have personally witnessed them morph into new creatures in God's eyes, but that isn't enough to save us--we must personally receive Christ into our heart as its Lord and surrender ownership of our life to Him to even get to first base in the game of following Christ.

Jesus never encouraged the curious or the half-hearted trifler who wasn't ready for full commitment.  He was honest enough to warn us of the trials and tribulations and adversities we'd face, to test our faith.  Salvation is free but not cheap; it costs something to be saved (our ownership of our life), but it costs infinitely more not to be saved.  Some people will never apply the equation to themselves and live their whole life vicariously admiring how God worked in other people's lives, but not witness personal transformation.

The Jews weren't interested in being saved from their sins! But that is precisely why Christ was born!  The Jews wanted deliverance from Roman rule!  When the geopolitical dreams vanished, so did the enthusiasm and false disciples. Jesus had no trouble gathering crowds, for His reputation preceded Him, and He even had to keep a low profile later on and stay out of the limelight, for the leaders often tried to kill Him.  He wasn't going to die before His time and before completing His work and purpose to glorify the Father.   In the final analysis, it's not whether He can save Himself, or whether you believe He saved others, but whether He saved you and you believe this! 

In sum, Jesus wasn't the Messiah of conventional wisdom, but He was born to be a man on a mission extraordinaire to save His people from their sins ( cf. Matt. 1:21).        Soli Deo Gloria!

The Manifold Facets Of Our Salvation

Note that salvation isn't a simple adjustment in the Divine Ledger above.  There are four aspects of our salvation that make it so wondrous.   Firstly, we are redeemed from the slave market of sin, for Jesus paid the price to set us free from the power of sin; secondly, we are justified in the heavenly court above and declared righteous in God's eyes because we are imputed with it; thirdly, we are reconciled to God's family and restored to fellowship with the Father and the Son, while this invites fellowship with our brethren in Christ; fourthly, we are propitiated or expiated in the temple of God whereby the blood of Christ was shed on our behalf to satisfy the Father.

Christianity is a religion of salvation, which doesn't sound so equitable or democratic, implying some are condemned or lost. Salvation, technically, is to be rescued from some threat; however, in our case, we are our own worst enemy!   Salvation is more than forgiveness!  Our whole-person needs salvation:  our hearts are depraved,  our minds are feeble, and our wills stubborn.  Our salvation is through God's grace as the source, with Christ as the means, and faith as the channel.  And Christianity is the only one proclaiming that there is only one Savior and depicts the "saviorhood" of Christ.  What are we saved from?  Ourselves, the devil, hell, the power of sin, the effect of sin, and from God, i.e., from the wrath of God.  Salvation is totally a work of God without our input and reflects our secure position in Christ, our growing condition in Christ, and our future expectation in glory--we achieve no pre-salvation work.

Our common salvation is as good as it gets and we cannot improve on it. We are saved from the penalty of sin, are being saved from its power, and shall be saved from its presence!  Jesus saved us--He did; He keeps us--He does; He's coming for us--He will!  Concerning the tenses, His salvation is our experience, hope, and expectation. Our past was forgiven, our present given meaning, and our future secured.  We are saved; we are being saved, and we shall be saved!  It began in eternity past, is realized in time, and looks forward to heaven. That's why it is written in Heb. 2:9, NIV, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?"  We have faith in Christ, we believe in Him and believe Him, we have our hope secured and anchored in Him, our expectation is in Him, and our security is in Him. If we had to trust in ourselves, we'd fail and could never know for sure of our status.

Our salvation was wrought by God and planned and purposed by God the Father as its Author, accomplished and secured as a finished work by God the Son, and applied by the Holy Spirit. The Father purposed it, the Son executed it, and the Spirit made it known!  The three work as a group effort in a team and union as one Being having no conflict of interest or will.

Christ is fully at work in our salvation through His three offices: we're saved from the penalty of sin by the crucified Christ, from the power of sin by the risen and living Christ, and from the presence of sin by the coming Christ. We are saved from the ignorance of sin by the prophet Jesus, from the power of sin by the king Jesus, and the guilt of sin by the priest Jesus.   

Finally, let me add the perks of our salvation with come with the whole package:  we are given peace with God and ourselves, we are given purpose and meaning in life following His will, and we're given the power to overcome sin, Satan, and the world as our threefold enemy, and don't forget:  God is now our Father and we can confidently look forward to our reward in glory!   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Great Exchange

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21, NIV). 
"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance..." (Luke 3:*, NIV).  
"By faith Abraham... obeyed" (cf. Hebrews 11:8).  
"... [T]o advance the obedience of faith among all nations"  (Rom. 16:26, HCSB).
"The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies but its obedience." --Oswald Chambers
"True faith manifests itself in obedience only."  --John MacArthur
"Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." --Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Faith is not believing in spite of the evidence, but obeying despite the consequences."  --source unknown 
"Faith is not how much we believe, but how well we obey."  --source unknown


Religion is defined as tit for tat:  good works in exchange for salvation! You must earn it by good deeds outweighing bad ones.  But you can never know where you stand!  Legalism is defined as works plus faith in exchange for salvation.  While antinomianism or libertinism is defined as faith in exchange for salvation minus works; (in other words, works are not a part of the fruit nor authenticate salvation) in contrast to orthodox Reformed doctrine that faith is given in exchange for salvation plus works (works will always be the fruit and evidence!).  

The only way of assurance is for everything to be grace!  It's not a matter of us, nor of God and us in any combination, but of God alone ("Salvation is of the LORD," Jonah 2:9).  The rub is that if we had to do anything, we'd fail.  There's nothing we can do!  For those hoping their good works will amount to anything, they are never good enough in God's estimation.

This is an important nuance because the correct Reformed formula for salvation is that "we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone!"  The "Five Only's" include by grace alone and by faith alone!   Faith and faithfulness (making good on our faith) cannot be divorced! These two can be distinguished but not separated more than you can distinguish your body and soul but if you separate them you're dead!  Paul and James both saw the two flip sides of the spiritual equation: Paul would say that he would show you his works by his faith; while James (cf. James 2:16) would counter that he would show you his faith by his works; the point is that they are not contrary nor contradictory statements but just two ways at looking at the one truth of our salvation by a faith that produces evidence in good deeds as fruit.

Salvation is not an imagined or figurative righteousness but actually forensic and totally by grace from beginning till end.  Our contribution to the cross was our sin and God exchanged that for the righteousness of Christ on our behalf to our account to use business jargon.  It was credited Christ's deeds to our account and that's why they say justification is "just-as-if-I'd-done-it!"  When God looks at us in our sinful nature all He sees is Christ's righteousness as it's imputed to our new nature in Christ--the new man.  It's not a new suit on the man, but a new man in the suit!

The point about this great exchange is that we must see our need for it.  The necessary condition for salvation is to realize we aren't worthy of it.  You could say it goes to the lowest bidder!  We don't realize how sinful we are till we've tried to be good and we cannot be good without realizing our sin! Sort of like quitting to smoke.   This is the catch-22 of salvation that is solved only by the mystery of how grace works in our hearts to kindle faith and awaken repentance and regenerate us into new creatures in Christ.

In coming to Christ, we must come in penitent faith or believing repentance which is granted by a work of grace--we exercise this making Christ real to us.  We cannot come of our own power but must be wooed or actually drawn by Christ (elko used here in Greek doesn't mean to woo but to drag, but Arminians don't want to make God out to be forceful and they are trying to protect His honor or reputation).  John 6:44 says "no man can come to [Christ] unless the Father who sent [Him] draws him, and verse 65 says similarly that it must be "granted of the Father."

Many see salvation is something that God owes them for their faith or repentance in a tit for tat arrangement or exchange.  However, if that were true, it wouldn't be by grace but justice; the point is that God owes no one salvation and didn't have to save anyone to remain holy!  We don't earn our salvation by our faith because faith is not a work, as the Roman Catholics believe, and a meritorious one at that-- but don't think grace is enough but add merit to grace, works to faith, the Church to Scripture, and the Pope to Christ.

Faith must be in the right object (we aren't saved by faith in faith--it must be directed in Christ), Christ saves--not faith!  It isn't how much faith we have in the church or in the priest or pastor!  If faith is a work, then we are saved by works!  But we are saved from beginning to end by grace--grace is not only necessary but sufficient (it's all we need).  He saved us by grace (cf. Eph. 2:8-9), He keeps us by grace (cf. Jude 21), and He's coming for us and gives us victory by grace (cf. Phil. 2:13).  We must become totally grace-oriented to appreciate our salvation in its totality.

Now our "righteousness is as filthy rags" in God's eyes and only what's done in Christ is worthy of God's stamp of approval, imprimatur, and reward in heaven.  Paul counted all his deeds in the flesh as "dung."  We must see our faith as God's gift to us, not our gift to God.  We must never attain the mindset that God owes us and we're doing Him a favor! We are simply vessels of honor that God is using for His glory and purpose.  For this is the "chief end of man," according to The Westminster Shorter Catechism, "is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  John Piper adds that it should really read "by enjoying Him forever."  Our righteousness is God's gift to us and is the grand exchange for our sin.

That's grace:  we are forever in God's debt and will never be able to reimburse or pay Him back, and we never can earn it nor did we, and we certainly didn't deserve it and never will, much less we cannot add anything (nada!) to grace (not Jesus plus "churchmanship," Jesus plus "Churchianity," Jesus plus emotion (emotionalism or sentimentality); Jesus plus knowledge (Gnosticism or intellectualism); Jesus plus knowing the rules (legalism); nor Jesus plus being a do-gooder (moralism).  We must realize that grace means just that--the free gift of God we cannot even give back!  And God certainly won't ever take back His gift to us, for gifts are given and God will not repent concerning them:  "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29, NIV).

In sum, we may think we are not that bad but God doesn't grade on a scale or curve and the closer we get to salvation and to God, the more we realize our own unworthiness and sinfulness.  Paul called himself the "chief of sinners" and William Jay of Bath said that he was a great sinner, but he had a great Savior.  No one is too far gone for God's grace and, in effect, we are all hopeless  (cf. Eph. 2:12) without it, no one cuts the mustard or meets the standards because Christ raised the bar to perfection, fulfilling the Law.

A word to the wise is sufficient:  We're predestined by grace, called by grace, saved and justified by grace, kept by grace, sanctified by grace, glorified by grace! By grace, no one is lost in the shuffle.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Dwelling In God's House

What exactly was David referring to in verse 6 of the 23rd Psalm?  "... and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever!" (in the HCSB it says "as long as I live.")  This was a confession of faith an article of a creed, or a proclamation of victory that all was well with his soul and he knew to Whom he belonged.  There are three key doctrinal points to be made from this verse.
First,  he was assured of his salvation as it were.
Second, it commenced immediately or he owned it in the present tense (i.e., eternal life in Christ the Chief Shepherd referred to).
Third, he could not lose this confidence or his security was assured and good as God's Word.  David was emphatically proclaiming his salvation and announcing to us that he will be there in the LORD's house as a sure thing, for He is the perfect Promise Keeper.

David connected with the Lord on a personal level and sensed His presence in his life; you might say he knew that God is the One who is there, as Schaeffer called God, "The God who is there!"  As he also said, "He is there, and He is not silent."  We cannot be any closer than that--we converse with Him--in one level this psalm is a prayer of faith! David's faith expressed a deep fellowship and not just second-hand knowledge.

That is to say that we can have assurance of our salvation and don't have to wonder or just "hope" for the best; that our salvation begins in real time (it is not provisional and we are not on probation to earn our salvation or to keep it); and that our salvation is eternal and cannot be forfeited or lost--once you have it, you can never lose it--you're family and one of the Shepherd's sheep.  This is vital to know because the assurance of salvation and the eternal security of the believer are to be distinguished, but not separated!  They go hand in hand and you cannot have one without the other--we must never divorce them!

If there wasn't any security you would be presumptuous to say you had assurance or were saved, because you don't know if you might lose it by some future sin or might commit apostasy or fall away as a backslider and not recover. If there's no assurance, there's no security; if there's no security, there's no assurance--this is logic and by definition.  Just by the definition of eternal life, we say that it cannot end and begins and goes on from Day One, and from there all of one's days into eternity!  How can you have eternal life for one day?  You either partake of eternal life or you don't!  In sum, we share in God's life and are considered members of His household!

Our heritage as believers is the peace of God, which is manifest in multiple ways.  We have the peace with God, of God, and with ourselves.  This knowledge that we can rest in peace knowing we belong to God and are secure in our legacy, is really living the good life or life to the max! Our peace is the peace that surpasses all understanding!  Isaiah 57:21 says, "there is no peace, says my God,  for the wicked" and Rom. 3:17 says that "and the way of peace they do not know."  As they say, know Jesus, know peace; no Jesus, no peace!

"I was glad when they said unto mem, let us go into the house of the LORD" (cf. Psalm 122:1).     Soli Deo Gloria!

Pre-salvation Works?

"I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD, and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart" (Jer. 24:7, NASB).   
"I will give you a new heart and put anew spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26, HCSB). 
"For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive?  If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7, HCSB). 
"Jesus replied, 'This is the work of God--that you believe in the One He has sent" (John 6:29, HCSB).
"For it is God who is working in you, enabling you desire and to work out HIs good purpose" (Phil. 2:13, HCSB).

NB:  If our salvation depended on us or our works, we'd find a way to blow it! 

I have heard that the outsider or infidel thinks we are saved by submitting to the Lordship of Christ as some kind of tit for tat arrangement!  There are no, and I repeat no, pre-salvation works we must do to inherit salvation!  God does all the work and also gets all the glory!  We contribute naught and get no glory or credit--we cannot pat ourselves on the back and give ourselves congrats for a job well done; i.e., being proud of our virtue, wisdom, or even intellect.  Salvation is not by works, but by faith received from God.  We don't achieve faith, we receive it ("[we have ] received a precious faith," cf. 2 Pet. 1:1; cf. Phil. 1:29).  It's grace all the way:  We cannot earn it, nor pay it back, nor do we deserve it, nor even can we add to it!  If faith were a work that we do, we'd have something to boast of because ours salvation would be a work, and we are not saved by works (cf. Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6)!

This tit for tat (quid pro quo) is the totally wrong way to view salvation, because God turns our heart of stone into a heart of flesh and removes all our wrinkles and blemishes in His sight to make us acceptable and justified, even though we are still sinners, we are just in His eyes--He declares us just, He doesn't make us just.  We must look upon salvation as going from Point A to Point Z, whereas Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith and works in us to do according to His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13; Col. 1:29; Heb. 13:21), completing what He began, our salvation accomplished by the power of God, not in the energy of the flesh.  What happened to Saul on the road to Damascus?  Jesus changed his rebellious heart and told him he was "kicking against the goads [fighting God's will]."

God is able, because He's the Almighty, to overcome our weak wills and change our hearts (cf. Jer. 24:7), totally transforming us into new creatures in Christ. Our destiny is in God's hands, not ours (cf. Rom. 9:16).  When we realize that it was God at work, and we that turned over a new leaf, made an AA pledge, or a New Year's resolution, then we are becoming grace-oriented and giving God His due glory.

NB:  There is nothing we can do to make ourselves "acceptable" in God's eyes; we are totally depraved and unable not to sin in His estimation.  As theologians say, "We are not sinners because we sin, but sin because we are sinners."  We cannot not sin!  We are dead in trespasses and sin before salvation and a dead man can do nothing but await the grace of God like Lazarus did, whom Jesus rose from the dead.  What He does is quicken faith (cf. Acts 16:14) within us and make us alive in Christ to respond to the gospel message; i.e., we are regenerated unto faith.  "He opened the door of faith. [cf. Acts 14:27]"  A good rule of thumb for sound Bible doctrine is that the one that gives the glory to God, not man, is the right one!   For example, the sinner who claims he came to Christ of his own free will, probably left of his own too, un-regenerated, that is. We must be wooed or drawn (cf. John 6:44, 65) and transformed all by grace.  If we merited our salvation because we believed, it wouldn't be grace, but justice!

In summation, let me point out that salvation is wholly a work of God (it's monergistic, not synergistic or cooperative) and Jonah 2:9 summed it up with one utterance:  "Salvation is of the LORD!"  It's not Jesus plus anything:  not plus going to church, plus witnessing, plus giving alms, et cetera!  This means it's not of us and God, nor of us, but of the Lord--He did it all!       Soli Deo Gloria!