Do We Need The Law?

"So the Law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good"  (Rom. 7:12, CEV).
"All those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone is cursed who does not keep on doing all the things that have been written in the scroll of the Law"  (Gal. 3:10, CEV).
"Blessed condition, freed from the Law, now I can sin all I want and still have remission!"  (Old antinomian ditty.)  [We are free to obey the Spirit of the Law, not to disobey.]
"We know that the law is good when used correctly" (1 Tim. 1:8, NLT).  

Does the Law serve a purpose?  Yes, if one uses it lawfully!  Don't desire to be a teacher of the Law or to lord it over others by putting them under the Law (cf. 1 Tim. 1:6-8).  The main usage of the Law is to make us realize we don't keep it, and to convict us of sin, for "by the Law is the knowledge of sin"  (cf. Rom. 3:20).  The Phillips renders it:  "...indeed it is the straightedge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are."  It was "for freedom that Christ set us free," and we are not to be entangled in a yoke of bondage again (cf. Gal. 5:12).   Israel had promised to keep the Law (cf. Ex. 24:3), when God expected them to beg for mercy and realize they could never keep it.

Scholars, including Martin Luther, have mentioned that the Law is a whip to drive us to Christ, a mirror to show us our real self, and a hammer to smash our self-righteousness.  The Law's Ten Commandments, known as the Decalogue, as the guide of moral principle has not been rescinded; because morality is not relative, but absolute, and doesn't change with respect to time or dispensation;  murder is always wrong with all its implications--character assassination, anger, bullying, pushing your weight around, et cetera.

There are many misuses of the Law:  Judaizers added law to grace and works to faith (Romanists follow suit today).  We are not saved by the works of the Law (cf. Rom. 3:28), but saved so that we can keep the Spirit of it; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (cf. 2 Cor. 3:16);  we are not under any obligation to keep the Sabbath day holy as Christians, though the principle of periodic rest from our labors still stands and for regular spiritual renewal.  The Sabbath was merely a sign for Israel (cf. Ezek. 20:9-12, 20; 31:13-17; Neh. 9:12-15).

We don't judge by this precept: see Col. 2:16; Romans 14:5!  Where in the NT is the believer told to keep the Law?  For the New Covenant means that the Law is written in our hearts and we know right from wrong (cf. Heb. 10:16).  Even the pagan has the Law in his heart as a conscience (cf. Rom. 2:15).  One could argue for the keeping of the Decalogue but note that the only precept not repeated in the NT is the Fourth or the Sabbath.

The Law is merely a shadow of things to come (cf. Col. 2:17) and looks forward to being guided by the Spirit in our hearts because Christianity is not performance-based, but relationship-based.  Paul said repeatedly (cf. Rom. 13:8, 10; Gal. 5:14) that love is the fulfillment of the Law or that the Law can be summed up in love. The Law was merely our schoolmaster/tutor to show us the way and to lead us to Christ (cf. Gal. 3:23-24)--but as adults, we no longer need one and are emancipated, as it were.

We weren't given the Law to keep, but to break (cf. Rom. 5:20), for it made sin worse and aroused sin in us; people always have a tendency to violate prohibitions and to give in to temptation, not to keep regulations and rules.  As believers, we are dead to the Law and it has no power over us (cf. Rom. 6:14).  "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law" (cf. Gal. 5:18)--in fact, there's nothing more musical in God's ears than to hear a sinner realize he cannot keep God's law and to beg for mercy, because he realizes the futility of saving himself and needs God's grace.   The Law wasn't given to show us how to get saved or that we were good enough to be saved, but that we needed to be saved and couldn't save ourselves.

And so you are slaves to the one you choose to obey (cf. Rom. 6:16); the Law has no power over you (cf. Rom. 6:14) as believers set free in the Spirit of the Law.  But we still thank God for the Law, since it gave us the knowledge of sin and made us realize we are sinners.  Its purpose is not to give us the impression we're good enough to be saved, but bad enough to need salvation!  The Law was never intended to be a guide or way of salvation, but only to show us the need for salvation.  "Now we know that the Law is good if used appropriately.  We understand this:  the Law isn't established for a righteous person but for people who live without laws and without obeying any authority.  They are the ungodly and the sinners.  They are people who are not spiritual and nothing is sacred to them..."  (1 Tim. 1:8-9, CEV).

As believers, we are no longer under the yoke of the Law, but under the yoke of God's will; Jesus said that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (cf. Matt. 11:30).  "For Christ is the goal of the Law, which leads to righteousness for all who have faith in God"  (Romans 10:4, CEV).   In other words, Christ is the end of the Law for believers.

We are not under the Law, are we lawless?  "Sin is lawlessness."  No, we keep the Law in the Spirit.  Jesus bemoaned the fact of the Pharisees being entangled in the Law legalistically, and were neglecting the "heavier matters of the Law," which were "justice, mercy, and faith" (cf. Matt. 23:23, NLT).  The immediate purpose of the Law was to put a restraint on sin, and to convict of sin--a diagnosis of sin, not its antiseptic or panacea! The Law was never meant to be the way of salvation, but to show us our need for it!

In contrast:  the Law lays down what we must do; the gospel what God has done!  We show that we know Him by obeying His commandment; "This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love each other as he commanded us"  (1 John 3:23, CEV.  We are bad, indeed.  But not too bad to be saved!  Rejoice that Christ kept the Law on our behalf, living for us! 

In summation, Christians live by a higher law, the law of love and this law's requirements can never be fulfilled; one can meet the demands of a law, but never pay back, earn, nor deserve the demands of love (we hold a debt of gratitude forever!)--Christ raised the bar!  "You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'--but not everything is good for you.  You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'--but not everything is beneficial'" (1 Cor. 10:23, NLT).  "You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'--but not everything is good for you.  And even though 'I am allowed to do anything,' I must not become a slave to anything" (1 Cor. 6:12, NLT).   Soli Deo Gloria! 

When God Is Silent

"He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds.  He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings"  (Job 33:14-15, NLT). "He is there and He is not silent."  (Francis Schaeffer)
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pain."  (C. S. Lewis)

God is not obliged to answer all prayers the way we want.  He reserves the right to do His will, regardless of our desires or plans.  Prayer is only for the believer, it's not a way to win over the lost by granting their desires as you pray for them--the only prayer valid for the unbeliever is his salvation, God only promises to meet the needs of His children, but not necessarily their felt-needs or wants.  Playing God or Santa Clause to the infidel or even to the carnal Christian who needs repentance doesn't fly with God.

Our prayers must be explicit and specific to leave God the opportunity to answer them; this means not being general or making requests that one cannot know whether they can or will be answered (like God bless the people in Africa!).  How are you going to find out if God ever answers such a prayer?  "God is good" to all in some ways, and to some in all ways, known as general grace, but He's not obliged to show special grace to any (or it would be justice, not grace), which results in salvation (cf. Psalm 145:9).  My rule of thumb is never to utter a prayer that its answer cannot be validated or verified.

Before one engages in big prayers, one should be proficient at the small ones--this is common sense.  For an example of my point, George Mueller recorded over 50,000 answers to prayers he had made during his life devoted to prayer.  I'm not saying you cannot pray for the impossible (Cotton Mather prayed hours a day for 20 years for revival and the Great Awakening didn't happen till the year he died!), but know that no request is too small for God and no need too great, for His love reaches out to all our needs and His omnipotence or plenipotence is never challenged by them.

When it's hardest to pray, we should pray the hardest!  We ought always to pray like it all depends on God, but do as if it all depends on us.  We are exhorted by Jesus in Luke 18:1 always to pray and never to give up or faint--to persevere!   We are never out of our league in prayer, because we have an Advocate in the Holy Spirit putting our requests into perfect, heavenly diction.  God's power is best demonstrated through weak vessels who will give Him the glory!  Never think that a prayer ministry is a small one, for there are few so inclined that it's vital to the body to have prayer warriors.  Also, remember that practicing the presence of God entails constant prayer and communion or fellowship with God.

Ending a prayer "in Jesus' name" is not a magic formula, but to remind us that we are praying God's will, not our own, and relying on Christ's merits, not ours to enter the throne of grace.  God does promise to answer a prayer agreed upon by the body of Christ (two or three gathered in His name), but the assumption is that it's in Jesus' name, to bring Him glory!  The more adept we become at prayer, the more we sense God's will and pray accordingly.

You can judge someone's prayer life (have a litmus test for it), by how in sync they are with God's will and how much they depend upon the Spirit to guide it, being sensitive to His promptings and on the same page as God.  Prayer is not a wish-list to present, but dialogue with God--the purpose of prayer is prayer, not to get our will done in heaven, but God's will done on earth.  Christ's motto was "Thy will be done," and this is the key to pleasing God and seeking His presence in prayer, not a cop-out or excuse if the prayer's not answered, and certainly doesn't indicate lack of faith.  The key to understanding prayer is to know that God has ordained prayer as the vehicle for doing His will; both the efficacy of prayer and the sovereignty of God are at work and both taught in Scripture.

By and large, God is always at work speaking through His Word and Providence, and even circumstances.  In passing let me mention an oft-quoted word to the wise:  "Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when he sees, the weakest saint upon his knees!"  To sum up, God is never silent--we need to listen up--sometimes He chooses to say "No" and teach us a lesson on His will.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Strange Teachings

"So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas..." (Heb. 13:9, NLT).
"[But] test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good"  (1 Thess. 5:21, NLT).
"Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many"  (Matt. 24:11, NKJV).

It is often tempting to let curiosity get the best of us and to read for the sake of satisfying our quest for the unknown--to go where no man has gone before, as it were--and not with a purpose of edification and to discover the truth.  We will not find truth on the lips of deceivers, "wolves in sheep's clothing," or any who know not Lord.   Quoting Scripture doesn't prove they know the Lord, and we are to be skeptical as to the trustworthiness of any source except the Bible--which alone is inerrant and infallible.  An example in point:  Do not read some book about the Bible that cannot be recommended by someone you know or has internal evidence you are willing to accept.

Do not take their word for it that they know the Lord if there is no evidence and you will know them by their fruits.  One can never be too precautious or safe in filtering his reading and must not read just for the sake of curiosity, for curiosity killed the cat! "The fool feeds on trash; the wise are hungry for the truth" (cf. Prov. 15:14).  "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching.  They will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear"  (2 Tim. 4:3, NLT).

We read for a purpose (entertainment, passing the time, etc.), but curiosity is dubious.  It is better to read to be informed, gaining information and learning something new.  By all means, listen to your conscience and heed its warnings--dubious sources, mysticism, gnostic sources.  These three make up red flags that should stop you from going into uncharted territory.  Martin Luther said that to go against conscience is neither right nor safe and that is valid especially if it's enlightened by Scripture.  For example, if no one recommends it and you can't find any endorsement from known men of God, you are taking a leap of faith in reading it, because more damage may be done than good and you may be fooled by the so-called element of truth that is disguised with the abundance of deception--there is some truth in every faith, and you can be inoculated against the real thing by being immunized by error mixed with truth.

Don't be fooled because of the following:  strange teachings that you've never heard or had no one's endorsement that you trust; don't be led astray by mysticism or trusting in spiritual experiences for revelation instead of Scripture; and don't be led astray by Gnosticism or those who think they are "in the know." "For no prophecy is of any private interpretation" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20). No one's cornered the market on truth!  Above all, obey your conscience and if you have doubts, err on the side of safety--don't try out something to see if it works, for we don't try Jesus and see if He works for us, we make a commitment to Him and there's no turning back or experimentation!

No one enters the realm of error without giving the devil an opportunity to spread his lies and we must not become partners in crime, as it were--the naive believe anything (cf. Prov. 14:15). We are guilty of opening the door that gives the devil the chance or opportunity (cf. Eph. 4:27) to poison our minds with lies--look at Eve falling for Satan's lies, that God was holding out!  There are no secrets to discover:  Freemasonry is bogus and full of lies! The "secrets things" don't belong to us, but to God (cf. Deut. 29:29).

Remember, that flirting with Satan is dangerous and once the door is opened it is hard to close because the lure of Satan's lies become all the more to beware of.   How do cults get started?  People believe the teacher who has charisma, and loses faith in Scripture as the final arbiter of truth--look at "The People's Temple" or the "cult of death" in Jonestown, Guyana, where they didn't find one Bible, because they trusted the Rev. Jim Jones as the voice of God! Jehovah's Witnesses trust in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society organization to interpret the Bible for them and rely on its private translation and interpretation!

"Beware of empty philosophies and high-sounding ideas" (cf. Col. 2:8), but how can this be if we are not aware of the truth and what good philosophy is?  The only way to combat a secular worldview is to have a biblical worldview!  The only way to interpret the Bible correctly is to hold to principles of biblical hermeneutics.  The only way to become immune to heresy and error is to know the truth which sets us free from it and sensitizes our antennae. "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (cf. John 8:32).

Don't flirt with danger into uncharted waters where your conscience gives red flags.  Everything we read doesn't have to be recommended, referenced, or footnoted (it should be sound sources), but we must use sound principles in deciding what to give credence to and what to take with a grain of salt and be careful of, and not necessarily at face value.  We don't have to become scholars either to be believable, but we are still to write with credible principles based on the Word and not resort to dubious methods, e.g., mysticism, Gnosticism, misquoting Scripture, private or strange teachings.  "So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters?  God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish..." (1 Cor. 1:20, NLT).  But "I know whom I have believed..."  (cf. 2 Tim. 1:12).  Therefore, interpret experience by the Word of God, not vice versa!   Soli Deo Gloria!  

Works Religion

"They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works..."  (Titus 1:16, HCSB).
"Now someone may argue, 'Some people have faith; others have good deeds.'  But I say, 'How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds?  I will show you my faith by my good deeds' ... You see, his faith and his actions worked together.  His actions made his faith complete"  (James 2: 18, 22, NLT).  

There are four contradistinctions:  Works equal salvation (religion); works plus faith equals salvation (legalism); faith equals salvation minus works (antinomianism), and faith equals salvation plus works (Reformed and evangelical theology).  

It is our natural inclination to believe that our works must count for something to gain the approbation of God; however, you never know in a works religion--God doesn't grade on a curve and the only way to be saved is by grace, not merit, which works imply.   The Bible is not against works, just those done in the flesh, for man cannot please God in the flesh (cf. Rom. 8:8).  All our righteous deeds are as filthy rags or useful for nothing (cf. Isa. 64:6).

All of the works of a believer are done by letting Christ live through him and He gets the credit, as we are just vessels of honor (Isa. 26:12).  Paul, himself, would venture to boast of nothing, except what Christ had accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18).  We are not saved by works, but unto works, as Eph. 2:10 says "unto good works."  We are not saved by works, but we are also not saved without them:  Paul would say that he'll show you his works by his faith; while James would tell you that he'll show you his faith by his works.  The two, are distinguished and inseparable, and they cannot be divorced.

All coins have a flip side and can be seen in a twofold manner.  Antinomians believe we are saved by faith, but that works do not necessarily follow, so they say that faith equals salvation minus works.  On the other hand, the Reformers taught that we are indeed saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone--true faith always generates good works as validation.  Having no works is equal to no faith, just like a branch without fruit--YOU SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS (cf. Matt. 7:16).  Faith must have fruit, for this is the reason we are saved, and no fruit means no faith.

Many think that works are a substitute for faith, but they are the evidence of it!   The problem with some sincere people is that they are "incurably addicted to doing something for their salvation," (according to Charles Swindoll), but the work of God is to believe in Christ (cf. John 6:29).  Works are indeed important in their own right because we are judged and rewarded for them, not our faith (cf. Rom.  2:6).  There are two issues concerning do-gooders, or those enamored with good works:  some cannot do enough because they put their faith in their works, not in Christ; while others are too confident in their faith that they think they don't need good works.

The Reformed formula for salvation is that we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone; nonproductive or dead faith doesn't save.  James says, "Can that faith save?"  It should be noted that we can only do God's work by God's power, for Christ said, "Apart from me you can do nothing"  (cf. John 15:5).  Our good deeds are meant to show our faith and to win over others as Jesus said in Matt. 5:16, ESV: "In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

The problems encountered with some who do good works are that you can have works without faith--but not faith without works--each must examine himself.  We all need to put our faith into action because the faith you have is the faith you show!   We turn our faith into deeds or translate creeds into deeds, you might say--seeing we are not saved by knowing a creed, but knowing a person.  We are all called into the service of our Lord, and we are not saved by our service, but unto service!  The only true measure of faith is obedience as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."

Living the good life really amounts to abundant life in Christ, doing His will for your life, and serving in whatever capacity you are equipped to do by talent, gift, resources, opportunities, relationships, time, and circumstances.  The whole purpose of good works is that they give proof of our salvation, for without them our faith is suspect.  Theologically, faith and works are distinguished, but not separated--juxtaposed.  But works are the result, and outcome of faith, not the cause of it or part of it; we are not saved by faith and works, which is legalism, but by faith alone, but only a faith that is productive.  We do good works because we want to--not because we have to.

In summation, it boils down to the two viewpoints (Paul's and James's):  Paul teaches that works must spring from faith; James teaches that faith must be proved by works!

THEREFORE, YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY (BECAUSE OF) YOUR GOOD BEHAVIOR, BUT UNTO (FOR THE PURPOSE OF) GOOD BEHAVIOR!  TO BE BLUNT:  TRUE FAITH EXPRESSES ITSELF.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Touched By God

We may not realize it, but we've been touched by the grace of God, through the ministry of the Spirit: convicting, admonishing, and edifying our spirit.  No one can find the way by himself but must have the eyes of his spirit opened to acknowledge the truth and see the light.  We all are capable of experiencing God and finding out that the Lord is good on our own, as it is written:  "Taste and see that the LORD is good," in Psalm 34:8.  

No one remains the same after experiencing God and getting to know Him, some people are hardened due to their rejection, and some are healed because of their faith (which is a gift of God, but He expects us to use it!).  As they say, "The same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay."

No one has the same experience in Christ as you do, and you cannot expect others to share your personal relationship.  We are all individuals with Christ and we all matter; there is no elite or super-Christian that gets a better deal or privileged status. God levels the playing field!   For God is no respecter of persons, shows no favoritism, and God is not partial (cf. Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34).  When we come to God in faith, we are free to come as we are, but we will not remain that way, for it is a transforming experience, to be touched by God.  

The point is that all must come to God on the same basis and from the same point--as unworthy, in need of grace.  We are all unclean and are made clean by the washing of the Spirit (cf. Tit. 3:5). We are all in the same boat as to our qualification for grace and God's grace reaches out to us and takes the initiative and calls us to Himself--He comes searching for us as the Good Shepherd.

However, God grants us the privilege of believing (cf. Phil. 1:29) and expects us to exercise this faith in reaching out to Him. The beauty of it all is that God gets personal with each one of us and doesn't treat us like a number, so to speak, but knows us by name and knows those who are his  (cf. 2 Tim. 2:19).  As Jesus said concerning His sheep:  "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me"  (John 10:27, ESV).  The sheep recognize their shepherd and will not follow a stranger, for they do not recognize his voice.  Sheep are comforted by the touch of their shepherd (as Psalm 23 says he anoints my head with oil), and Jesus looks after His sheep personally--even getting down and dirty with them, so to speak, because He fully relates to us and knows what we're going through.  Yes, it is comforting to know that we matter to God and that He knows us and is never too busy for our needs.

We don't get saved en masse, but one-by-one, as through a turnstile.  No one gets in automatically by birth, rank, position, authority, riches, power, inheritance, heritage, lineage, pedigree, etc., but must come to Christ all alone in a step of faith.  Jesus has priorities, and we are at the top of them--He's never too busy to meet our needs or hear us in prayer.  One noteworthy fact of having an encounter of being touched by God is that we are not to keep it a secret, we must publically acknowledge it and confess Christ before men (cf. Matt. 10:32).  When we profess Christ and make Him known we confirm Him in our hearts and become established in the faith.

In sum, God knows where we are spiritually and what our needs are, and can meet us individually just as if the encounter were tailored just for us, proof He knows us!  For this reason, it's so wonderful to hear people's personal testimonies as to how they got saved:  "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so [tell their story]..."  (Psalm 107:2, ESV).     Soli Deo Gloria!   

Closing The Deal

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:12-13, NIV). 
[Note that God is able to mold us like clay in a potter's hand (Isa. 64:8)!]

"[Who] have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father..."  (1 Pet. 1:2, NIV).  [Note that we did not merit our election or it would be conditional, and we would have place to boast in God's presence.]

Salvation is like a done deal, but not to the highest bidder, but to the lowest! He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (cf. Luke 5:32; Matt. 9:13).  Jesus said that healthy people don't need a doctor by analogy, but sick people do (cf. Matt. 9:12).   Remember, religion says "do" while Christ says "done." If we think we are worthy, we're not.  Some believers actually are under the delusion that they cooperated with God for their salvation, and thus did some presalvation work in preparation.  God works grace in our hearts to make us willing and able to believe, known as special grace (common grace is given to all for general blessings and gifts according to Psalm 145:9).

The better we think we are, the less qualified we are.  Someone who thinks he is someone must become humble like a child (cf. Matt. 18:3) to enter the kingdom of God.  The only qualification for salvation, then, is to realize your need for God (to be "poor in spirit"), and your spiritual bankruptcy.  We have nothing but brokenness and strife to offer Him, according to the song.  Sometimes God has to bring us to an end of ourselves as He did to Nebuchadnezzar, and actually break us before we are willing to believe in Him.

Regeneration is God's work of grace, and its fruit is repentance and accompanying faith (call it either penitent faith or believing repentance, if you will!).  We are saved via sanctification of the Spirit (comes first or preceding faith, according to 2 Thess. 2:13 and 1 John 5:1 in ESV), and belief in the truth (coming afterward or post-regeneration and sanctification).  God actually quickens faith within us or awakens our spirit to the truth, and knowing the truth sets us free per John 8:32.  Charles Swindoll says, people are addicted to doing something for their salvation; the Philippian jailer asked what he must do, and the Jews asked Jesus what they must do to do the works of God ("this is the work of God:  to believe in the One whom He has sent," cf. John 6:29).  We must realize faith as a gift of grace and not a work of merit, for that would be meritorious salvation and we would have reason to boast. Salvation is not according to any work we did (cf. Titus 3:5).

God alone controls and is in charge of our destiny--it's in His hands!  He chose us and we didn't choose Him, according to Jesus in John 15:16. Note also that "many are called, but few are chosen," according to Matt. 22:14.  Salvation then is not some deal we make with God or something God owes us because of our faith--that would be justice if God had to save us and not grace.  God owes no one salvation and doesn't have to save anyone!  Salvation, then, is not a tradeoff, or something we give to God, namely faith, in return for salvation!  If we are already changed people we don't need salvation; we come to Christ for a changed and new, transformed life, we don't offer or give Him one in exchange for salvation--that's not grace!  We come as we are, but don't remain that way!  FAITH IS RECEIVED, NOT ACHIEVED, AS THE UNMERITED GIFT OF GOD (GRACE), and we didn't conjure it up of ourselves or our effort, but faith comes by the preaching of the Word  (cf. Rom. 10:17).

There are several proof texts that demonstrate that faith is a gift (Rom. 12:3;  Acts 16:14; Acts 18:27; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Pet. 1:1; Phil. 1:29; John 6:29), but when you understand grace and are grace-oriented it just makes sense that this has to be and the only way for God to get all the glory (sola gratia, Soli Deo Gloria).  Keep in mind that our salvation cannot be earned, isn't deserved, and cannot be repaid.  When a child is born, by analogy, he can take no credit for cooperating, in fact, he fought it!

God doesn't ask our permission before working on our hearts (He's determined to save us as the "Hound of Heaven" dogs us), He sovereignly chooses to save us and woos (the actual word in Koine is elko, which means to drag, like to drag into court).  We don't meet God's standard for salvation either--all have fallen short and all our works are as filthy rags (Rom. 3:23; Isa. 64:6)--in that our election unto faith is unconditional--without meeting conditions in any way, including faith and repentance as prerequisites; they are the fruit of regeneration.  In sum, this is God's way of making believers out of us--the beauty of it all is that we are made to want and desire Him (He turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh--cf. Ezek. 36:26), and apart from grace no one would; we have truly "believed through grace" (cf. Acts 18:27), and have received our faith (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1), which was granted to us as a privilege (cf. Phil. 1:29).

One of Jesus' hard sayings was that no one "can come to Him," unless it has been "granted of the Father" and the Father "draws him" (cf. John 6:44, 65).  We aren't saved because we were wiser, smarter, more virtuous, more disciplined, more successful, nor more popular, but because of God's "good pleasure," "will," "purpose and grace" (cf. Eph. 1:5; Eph. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:9). It wasn't anything we did at all!  We are not elected because we will believe or that God foresees us as believing (cf. that's the beginning of merit and is called the prescient view).  However, we are elected unto faith and repentance and so our destiny is ultimately in God's hands and He chooses, if God weren't in charge and sovereign, He wouldn't be God--for what kind of God isn't sovereign?  God is not one who reigns but doesn't rule like the do-nothing sovereigns of GB. In short, God's sovereignty is not limited by our freedom--it's total and complete!

When understanding God's freedom, note that He is not free to sin, and yet He is totally free.  We will enjoy this kind of freedom in glory, but now we are limited and fallen and are unable to do good or please God in the flesh (cf. Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:11; Rom. 8:7-8)--our freedom is limited this side of glory.   We are only able to sin before salvation, and after we have the ability to sin, and not to sin, while Christ was totally unable to sin!  The will is stubborn (cf. Jer. 5:23; 1 Sam. 15:22-23; Rom. 1:32; Psalm 81:12; Jer. 18:12; Isa. 63:17), and needs to be converted as well as the rest of us, we are in a state of rebellion before salvation.

That's the nature or essence of sin:  Man's "Declaration of Independence" form God! Man goes his own way (cf. Isa. 53:6).   In acknowledging God's sovereignty and lordship, He has reserved the right and power to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and to harden whom He will harden (cf. Rom. 9:18).  The elect will attain unto it, while the rest will be hardened (cf. Rom. 11:7).  Only those appointed unto salvation will believe (cf. Acts 13: 48).   Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Great Quest Of Man

"... But if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him"  (Deut. 4:29, NLT).

You cannot deny the fact that you have been looking for something all your life to find some sort of satisfaction or fulfillment.  People are looking for love in all the wrong places!  Even Solomon tried money, pleasure, knowledge, wisdom, peace of mind or with others, work and ambition, and whatever the world had to offer, including women, but all to no avail!  The wiser and educated we become, the more emptiness we are capable of, and the vacuum inside grows.  Nature abhors vacuums and this is the worst state we can be in, to have no meaning and purpose in life.  Today people cannot even entertain themselves, they're so empty (famed Christian psychiatrist and student of Freud, Carl Gustav Jung, said that the "central neurosis of our time is emptiness"), and this void makes them feel blase even about modern-day achievements like the space shuttle or HST (Hubble space telescope).

The point is that, though people sometimes won't admit it, they're on some kind of frantic search for happiness, fulfillment, or meaning, or even find the answers to life's problems.  Augustine rightly pegged man as having an inward desire only God can satisfy ("we are restless till find our rest in God"), and Pascal agreed that man has a "God-shaped vacuum" in his soul.

We promote the American Way, as it were, and this is highly imperialistic and is known as American exceptionalism, in that we think we've got the market cornered on the good life.  Actually, Americans are no more happy than other developed nations.  Americans seek to impose their way of life on the world as superlative and exemplary:  better education, political freedom, and high standards of living.  Yet we still suffer high crime and citizens with no reason to go on living, with rising suicide rates even higher than homicide rates.  People are looking for something, indeed, but not for God, though they think they are:  they're really searching for meaning in life, the answer, or relief from anxiety or depression.  In other words, man does not seek God, the Benefactor, but the benefits (cf. Rom. 3:11).

There are fringe benefits to knowing God, and He does bless His children, but we must seek Him and find Him: this endeavor begins at the point of salvation, and the Christian life's business is pursuing God and His face.  Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, and it would suffice; however, Jesus said that we see Him and that is the equivalent.  The writer of Hebrews (2:9) explains this Beautific Vision as:  "But we do see Jesus..."  The eyes of our hearts have been opened and anyone born of the Spirit can see the kingdom of God at work.

In man's desperation, he grasps at every passing straw, and as he reaches for it, it slips away.  Many are filled with boredom because of their emptiness and lonely despair, which can only be cured by knowing Christ and following Him.

In the final analysis, man has an intrinsic and natural duty to obey God, rewarded or not, simply because He's our Creator.  Our purpose for living is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (cf. Isa. 43:7).  Without God life is nonsensical.  Whatever we do, ought to be to God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31), and find enjoyment, for this is the gift of God--our labor to show the image of God.  Never be discouraged doing the work of the Lord (slackness in it is cursed in Jer. 48:10), "knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58, HCSB).  Rick Warren says that the consequences or your job won't last forever [but for your purposes, mission, and ministry will].  William James says we ought to spend our life on something that will outlast it--indeed every day we strike a chord that will vibrate for eternity in the symphony of heaven.
Soli Deo Gloria! 

Just Gimme The Facts!

"Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne."  (James Russell Lowell, 1844, The Present Crisis)

We must measure our faith by the object it's in--its validity is dependent on the reliability and trustworthiness of the facts.  There is no such thing as perfect or total objectivity with man, and the faith we have begins with something we cannot prove, but accept as a starting point. Even in geometry, they make assumptions.  Note that your presupposition determines your conclusion:  if someone tells you he saw your wife talking to a man and said she was cheating, you would conclude that she wasn't, but just made a friend because you know her and he doesn't!  That's an example of two people seeing the same fact in different lights and drawing separate conclusions. You cannot use circular reasoning, assuming there is no God, and then concluding there are no miracles, for instance; because the presupposition that there is no God is a leap of faith.  God has given a man all the proof he needs and has no excuse not to believe there is a God (cf. Rom. 1:20).

Believing something doesn't make it true, nor does disbelieving something make it false (objective truth exists regardless of belief, and can be known--"you will know the truth and the truth will set you free," according to John 8:32, NIV).  Truth is reflective of the mind of God and agrees with God's reality and the world--it's absolute and timeless.  According to Augustine, "all truth is God's truth" and consequently "all truth meets at the top" according to Aquinas. Note that people confuse fact and truth, or truth and opinion.  We have a right to our own opinions, but not our own facts.  There is no universal belief, but there is universal truth!  We don't have the right to fabricate our own truths, but we have a right to our own opinion, even if people disagree.

Christianity is a religion of facts and the believer has nothing to fear from scrutiny, there is no suddenly discovered the so-called fact that's going to destroy the credibility of Christianity after 2000 years.  In order to discover truth in a scientific sense or using the scientific method, you must be willing to go where the facts lead--dogmatic science is not science.  Socrates said that in order to begin learning you must admit your ignorance. and to find truth, you must admit you could be wrong! All knowledge begins in faith, and Augustine said that he believes in order to understand.

God is able to open the eyes of our hearts to see spiritual truth.  If you are unwilling to admit you could be wrong, you will never arrive at the truth--even scientists have been wrong, historians have misinterpreted history, and philosophers have come up with unsound, wacky ideas.  All of the wrong ideas have been because man basically only accepts the facts that fit his opinions or theories.

Spiritual truth is not subject to scientific analysis, Christianity is the only religion based on history, and if you could disprove its reports the faith would crumble--many have tried, only to fail and to become believers.  You cannot disprove or prove history in this scientific, empirical sense since history by its very nature is nonrepeatable.  God is metaphysical and we cannot measure God, or subject Him to laboratory conditions with variables and experimentation.  God is neither audible, visible, tangible, nor auditory.  God cannot be known by our tests or experiments, because He demands faith. The question of God's existence is philosophical, and out of the domain or province of scientific research or verification.

It takes faith to believe in God, but once you do it's like the proof of the pudding is in the eating--"taste and see that the LORD is good" (cf. Psalm 34:8). But it also takes a leap of faith to disbelieve in God or to become an atheist--he cannot disprove God because logically no one can ever disprove a universal negative (e.g., try disproving the existence of little green men somewhere in outer space!).

The problem with an atheist is that he cannot defend his position and there is virtually no substantial evidence that cannot be refuted for that worldview.  The fact is that it takes more faith to be an atheist; Norman Geisler wrote a book, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist.  Ray Comfort wrote God Doesn't Believe in Atheists, to make a similar point!   The problem with an atheist is that they don't want to believe, not that they cannot.  It's not an intellectual problem, but a moral one--they don't want accountability for their life and principles.

People also don't have an open mind, they have their minds made up and don't want to be confused with the facts.  In the theory of evolution, they have twisted and manipulated the facts to fit their theory, not fit the theory to the facts.  It's not a matter of which side (creationism or evolution) has faith or reason, but what set of presuppositions one commences with.  It has never occurred to atheists that they could be wrong (they are just unwilling to accept the God-hypothesis, which they find repugnant), and what those consequences would be (hellfire and judgment). 

Faith precedes reason and I must stress that all knowledge begins in faith. Proverbs 1:7 says that the "fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge."  We all learn from each other, even Christians, because no one has a monopoly on the truth or even on wisdom (that includes Solomon). In the final analysis, what conclusions you reach depend upon your preconceived notions and how willing you are to follow the evidence and the facts to the truth.

The purpose of Christianity is salvation, not education or enlightenment in the Buddhist sense, and the Bible was written to change lives and save souls, not to increase our knowledge.  We must never be content just to be doctrinally correct but must realize the importance of applying our knowledge.  When we learn something we must ask what difference it makes and what our purpose in learning it is.  Knowledge is not an end in itself, but a byproduct and a means to an end.  Ignorance is not bliss, and it's not knowledge that binds us but ignorance.  Jesus said that knowing the truth sets us free (cf. John 8:32).

I'm not referring to the possibility or existence of absolute truth, of which Postmodernists are suspicious of, but of facts that we should be able to agree upon (Christianity is one religion based on facts).  Facts are basically propositions that are indisputable, such as the sun's eclipse on such and such a date.  It used to be considered fact that the earth was flat and the center of the solar system until science was enlightened!   Science has been called a moving train since its theories and so-called facts vary over time and adjust to new experiments and data.  For instance, astronomers no longer hold that the cosmos is eternal, but that there was a big bang and it had a beginning.  The whole point is that if we cannot even agree upon the facts, how are we going to get along and progress?

The danger in today's intellectual power elite or the intelligentsia is the rise of "scientism," or using science for unscientific purposes and assuming that the only reliable facts are those derived by scientific endeavor; e.g., Carl Sagan said that evolution is not a theory, but fact, and that "the Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be."  These statements are unscientific, and, just because a reputed scientist makes them, doesn't lend them credence nor viability.

Everyone, in summation, is a person of faith (it's not a matter of faith versus reason, but which set of presuppositions you adhere to):  Secularists put a lot of faith in science and the scientific method and deny outright the supernatural, and won't let a divine foot in the door; while Postmodernists have faith that you can know nothing for certain and all truth is relative--no one is in a position to judge your truth--especially religious or spiritual truth and reject the fact of science being the answer to man's dilemmas; atheists have faith that God cannot does not and must not exist--unfortunately, the weakness of their philosophy is the problem of atheism per se, which cannot be validated or proved, and is irrational.

On the other hand, Christianity is rational and meant to be understood by the mind, but it's not rationalism, putting ultimate faith in the power of reason as the only epistemology because he chief function of reason is to show that some things are beyond reason.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Being Soft On Sin

"I have kept myself from my sin"  (cf. Psalm 18:23). [Note "my sin" not "sin," since perfectionism is not possible this side of glory.]
"Who can say, 'I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free form sin?"  (Prov. 20:9, NLT).  
[Note that repentance is progressive and we are never too good to repent of some sin since there is no perfectionism state in the believer.]
"I have seen the consummation of all perfection..."  (Psalm 119:96, NKJV). 
 "... There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent" (Luke 24:47, NLT). 
"... [T]hat they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance"  (Acts 26:20, HCSB).  [The whole point is a changed and transformed new life in Christ.]

Repentance is a mandate and God demands that "everyone" repent (cf. Acts 17:30); it's a clear mandate, not fire insurance.  And no one can say he is good to go apart from obeying this recurring motif of Scripture.  God grants repentance as a gift of grace and a privilege (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18) and is good to us and patient in order to lead us toward it (cf. Rom. 2:4).  Some mistakenly believe that repentance is merely changing your opinions about sin: au contraire, it's a change of heart, mind, and will--and a change of behavior is the proof (cf. Acts. 26:20).  

Yes, repentance is a prerequisite, but it is the imperative and result of God's special grace in the heart (grace doesn't just facilitate it, but is necessary and sufficient)--so that we change from the inside out.  We must all come clean and own up to our sin or wrongdoing and make our U-turn or about-face from sin toward Christ.

In short, we must repudiate sin, and renounce it to show our change of heart. The true sacrifices of God are a contrite heart and David illustrated this with his penitential Psalm 51 and in verse 17 (NKJV) he says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God, You will not despise."

Prophets of old had the thankless job of preaching repentance (actually they called them to turn from their wicked ways and return to the Lord), and they did it as part of their job description to bring about true revival, which only results from total repentance, no matter the source (inspired preaching or prophetic utterance).  The mere mention of the word sin is taboo to some preachers because it's such a "killjoy" word!  God levels the playing ground and calls everyone a sinner, and it makes no difference to what degree, we all fall short, since it's not okay to fudge a little, one cannot say his sins aren't very serious, for example saying, "I only pilfered a few bucks from petty cash."  This is theft, period, no exceptions.

Prophets have a way of making you feel uncomfortable and ill at ease in your sin.  Sermons are meant to meet people where they are, and the good preacher knows his flock and is able to do this.  People get the message that sin repels God's nature like matter and antimatter cannot coexist.  Why doesn't God do something about all the sin and evil in the world?  He has, He made you!  Prophets also make the comfortable and complacent feel uncomfortable and convicted, while the troubled conscience is given hope.

The same message has dual effects, subject to the condition of the soul.  John the Baptist began his ministry with this prerequisite:  "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!"  Jesus, likewise, began:  "Repent and believe the gospel!"   Repentance is not some additional work we must accomplish to make ourselves qualified to believe or be saved, but a work of grace in our hearts, bringing us to a knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 2:25).  You cannot have true repentance without the accompanying saving or genuine and sincere faith--they go hand in hand and cannot be separated, but only distinguished--like two flip sides of a coin.  True repentance bears fruit to show its reality according to Acts 26:20 (quoted above), and if there's no change in one's life, his repentance is suspect.  Works are no substitute for repentance or faith, but only it's proof and evidence.

Calvin Coolidge, a church-going president, came home from church service and his wife asked him what the sermon was about:  "He preached on sin!"  What did he say about it, his wife inquired:  "He was against it!"  This is the gist of the gospel, God will not countenance sin, and we must not only measure the strength and sincerity of our faith but the thoroughness and completeness of our repentance. The fault of churches today is that they make and allow sinners to feel comfortable in their sin, with no urgent call to change their ways.  The church shouldn't be a place where sinners feel comfortable but become convicted of their sin, otherwise, they will get false assurance, not based on the truth of the gospel message.  They are welcome as seekers, but must realize that God is not soft of sin, but is holy--and without holiness, no one will see the Lord. (Cf. Heb. 12:14).

Now, all believers are still sinners in a technical sense (cf. Gal. 2:17), but believers are called saints and brethren and are justified sinners, members of God's family in Scripture, not sinners.   Jesus came to call sinners to repentance, and in reality, one never ceases to repent (it's not just a one-time event, but a progressive one with daily renewal), just like he never ceases to believe or grow in his faith, but believers are never to become callous or indifferent to sin and sinners but to have their conscience kept sensitive, not immune and insensitive to its presence and voice.  It's not always how big your faith is, but how complete your repentance--they go hand in hand!

What is appalling in some Christian churches or circles is that they pick on certain sins that offend them in particular; namely, homosexuality, divorce, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc.  Even ex-cons are treated with contempt of unwelcome arms as if they aren't as holy as the others (beware of a holier-than-thou attitude per Isa. 65:5).  The worst of sins is the one of pride in the heart (cf. Prov. 6:17), and this is only visible to God because He looks on the heart of man, his motives and spirit, not the outward appearance (1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 16:2; 21:2). "The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart"  (Prov. 20:27, NKJV).  

Churches tend to be legalistic in the appraisal of man and only see "sins," and not "sin."  We need forgiveness from what we've done and deliverance from who we are.  It is true that we need to be saved from what we are (sin), as well as what we have done (sins), by justification and sanctification respectively, but then we are not to pick on certain pet sins that offend us, but to mention that the whole problem of man cannot be solved apart from the conviction of sin, accomplished only by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), and man must repent of his inner rebellion against God manifested in manifold "sins."

When we focus on merely one sin, let's say smoking is one, all we do is produce reformed sinners and not born-again ones.  Just because some alcoholic has been dry or clean and sober, doesn't mean he's saved.  This problem is compounded by many alcoholics who go to AA meetings and take their pledge and substitute this for the benefits of the local church.  They reduce Christianity to an AA pledge or the buddy system, and just because this keeps them sober, they think they are walking with the Lord or living a victorious Christian life--they must have higher goals than just sobriety.

In the story of the so-called sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet, the Pharisees were offended by her "sin" because they felt self-righteous.  We are all sinners saved by grace in Christ and God doesn't see our sin anymore, but only the imputed righteousness of Christ on our behalf.  And Jesus didn't see it this way, but that she only loved Him (love is the fulfillment of the law, cf. Gal. 5:14; Romans 13:8, 10) and all the more, because she had been forgiven more:  the point is that all of us have been forgiven "more," but we just don't realize it.  William Jay of Bath said that he is a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior!  Only when we realize the seriousness, reality, and severity of our sin, do we acknowledge that we have a real, serious, complete Savior who can give us victory over sin.  Yes, Paul said that we are more than conquerors in Christ (cf. Rom. 8:37).

When we get saved we are set from the power of sin and are no longer under its dominion, and this means all sin, including our pet ones or the ones that easily beset us (cf. Heb. 12:1).  Romans 6:18 (NLT) says, Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living."  Verse 14 says, "Sin is no longer your master...."  We are to let no sin have dominion over us  (cf. Psalm 119:133).  Even David prayed not to let any sin have power over him, as he says in Psalm 19:13 (NLT):  "... don't let them control me...."  David is speaking of presumptuous or great sin and we are to pray for victory as a matter of course.

Church is not a place for people to feel that their sins are overlooked or countenanced.  It's true that you can come to Christ as you are, but you cannot stay that way!   But they should become convicted and find solace only in repentance and the power of the gospel message to change them from the inside out.  We aren't looking for reform or conformity, but the transformation that only God can accomplish.  What He's done for others, He can do for anyone!   We welcome sinners but not with the approval of sin!  Just like they say that we love the sinner but reject the sin.  

Just like it says in Jude 22-23 (NLT):  And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.  Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment.  Show mercy to others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives."  We need to stop confirming sinners in their sin by accepting or overlooking sin.  The ideal place for bringing conviction is from the pulpit and the message is to be dependent upon the conviction of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:8);  it's not our job to convict of sin, but only God can do this.

A concrete example of a church being soft on sin is when they go out of their way not to condemn homosexuality, though we are not homophobic either, we are not to give the impression that it's not a sin!  Leviticus 18:22 clearly condemns this sin, but we are not to go on a witch hunt against this particular offense either, as being known as an anti-gay church; but churches are to be "anti-sin."  It's just as bad to boast that your church has no homosexuals attending.  Those churches that make it a mission to aim their guns at any particular sin, overlook sin in general, and that all sin offends God--why is, for instance, that you don't hear any anti-gluttony sermons?  It's probably because too many churchgoers are guilty of it!  When God demands repentance, it's of all our sins, not just the ones that offend others, ourselves, or the church!  It's no wonder we all tend to justify our personal sins and condemn those in others!  As it is written in Psalm 36:2 (NKJV):  "For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates [to hate his own sin]."

We shouldn't need to doubt the gravity of sin (there's really no such thing as a small sin), for Israel was given a graphic reminder of their iniquities every Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and do we need to see the Via Dolorosa of Christ and His passion, from the flogging to the mockery, to the crucifixion, whereby He suffered on our behalf without complaint, completely voluntary for the joy that was set before Him?  If sin weren't such serious business, God would've found another way to solve the sin question apart from Christ's death on a cross. Isaiah realized that sin cannot survive in God's presence because of He is thrice holy and said, "Woe is me, I am undone" (cf. Isa. 6:5).  Job likewise repented in "dust and ashes" upon seeing the LORD (cf. Job 42:6).   At a certain point of time the day of grace is over, and God appraises man with a plumb line of scrutiny, and he is found wanting:  He proclaims,  "... I will no longer ignore all their sins"  (Amos 7:8, NLT).  In Gen. 6:3 God says, "... 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever....'" Thank God we have a Savior:  "... [And] you are to name him Jesus, for he shall will his people from their sins"  (Matt. 1:21, NLT).

The conclusion of the matter is that it is no wonder that the closer you grow towards God and see His face in Christ, the more aware of your own sins you become and how repugnant they seem to you?  Familiarity normally breeds contempt, but not so with Christ, the apostles grew more aware of their own personal failures and shortcomings, and Peter himself declared bluntly:  "Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinner!" (Cf. Luke 5:8).  While Christ alone could declare to the skeptics, "Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?..." (John 8:46, NLT).

Note that one must realize he is lost before being found, since the locus of the problem is our old sin nature, and one must become convicted of sin, before being set free of it in Christ:

"O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, Do it for Your name's sake; For our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You"  (Jeremiah 14:7, NKJV).   

"... For you have stumbled because of your iniquity [sin has been your downfall!]"  (Hosea 14:1, NKJV).   

"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.  There's no regret for that kind of sorrow.  But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death"  (2 Cor. 7:10, NLT).   Soli Deo Gloria!  

A Bona Fide Savior

We don't worship a martyr for a good cause, or a good teacher of moral principles, nor even a great example or role model of how to live life to the full, but a risen Savior who gives us a real hope of heaven and even a more abundant and fulfilling life in the here and now, which we learn to live in light of eternity as God's will is revealed to us through Scripture.

We must realize we are lost before Jesus can find us, for He came to seek and to save those who are lost (cf. Matt. 18:10; Luke 19:10).  That's why a good rule of thumb for evangelistic outreach is to get them lost first!  We are not to reach out with an easy-believism that downplays the importance of taking up our cross and following Him, as we learn to deny ourselves.  It's also called cheap grace that doesn't point out the cross to bear only justifies the sin, not the sinner.  Salvation is not cheap at all, but costs us everything--it's free, but paradoxically it's at the cost of ownership of our lives as we follow Him as Lord of our life.

It has been said wisely that, the more we realize what a sinner we are, the more real of a Savior Christ becomes.  Also, the closer you get to Christ, the more aware and convicted you become of your own shortcomings, failures, and sins.  William Jay of Bath said that he is a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior!

The gospels are not bios of Christ and do not attempt to describe Him, but to make Him known.  That's the difference:  We can know our God personally--a facet of God denied by Islam and Eastern faiths.  In other words, God gets personal with us and is a personality to get to know through His residence in our hearts.  The purpose of Jesus becoming manifest to the world was to save us, because that was our problem, and we were lost in sin and needed forgiveness and justification.  Jesus didn't come to educate us or enlighten us, but to open our spiritual eyes, and not to tell us what creed to believe, but to change our lives by residing in our hearts in personal union and fellowship.

Our salvation differs from Eastern tradition because it's not just learning a code of conduct, rules to live by, good advice, nor a collection of wise sayings to ponder, but is a restoration of our relationship with God.  The religions of the world believe in a creed, Christians believe in a person!  We don't need another to-do list, list of taboos, or prohibitions to refrain from legalistically.  God teaches us right from wrong and writes His law in our hearts so that we need no one to order us to do the right thing.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to anoint and teach us so that we can go directly to the Bible and read God's Word for us and speaking to us.

The reason Jesus is a Savior is because He is in the business of changing and transforming lives.  We learn an exchanged life in Christ with Jesus living through us!  If all you want to do is to improve your behavior, or kick a habit, or reform your vices, any religion will do, but if you want to know God, Christianity is the only one the foots the bill and can satisfy; merely acknowledging Him for who He is doesn't satisfy, we must surrender to Him and trust Him implicitly and unconditionally.  Yes, it might cost something to follow Jesus, but it costs more not to!  The whole beauty of our faith is that it rests in the power of God and not our own wisdom (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 1 Cor. 2:4-5)!

One pertinent promise to believers is that God promises that they will not be dissatisfied or disappointed in Christ (cf. Isa. 28:16; Rom. 10:11)--it's the way to the more abundant life Christ promised in John 10:10.  Walking in the Spirit, or with the Lord is a joy to transform and once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on!   One thing about the real McCoy of a genuine follower of Christ is that you can discern they have been with Jesus because it's apparent and cannot be denied because the Spirit will be irresistible and noticeable.  The Christian soon finds out that if he has Christ, he has all he needs and all that is necessary for a fulfilled life that has purpose and meaning.

All religions will tell you some moral principles and virtues, but everyone falls short because the real problem is man's sin, and only Christ gives us the power to overcome it and defeat it victoriously--we are not all on our own to find our own enlightenment or to reform ourselves by our own efforts and strength.  Christ is the threefold Savior:  As Prophet, He saves us from the ignorance of sin; as Priest from the guilt of sin; as King from the dominion of sin!  Yes, Jesus saved us--He did; He keeps us--He does; He's coming for us--He will!  Jesus was more than just another teacher or prophet--the Law did come through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus (cf. John 1:17).   He is the very personification of truth itself (cf. John 14:6), and all who are of the truth hear His voice (cf. John 18:37).

There is a world of difference between putting a new suit on the man, and putting a new man in the suit!  This is shown just as Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:17 (NLT):  "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"  A point in fact:  Jesus isn't looking for sidekicks, admirers, groupies, fans, nor buddies, but worshipers, lovers, and devoted servants who trust Him to take the pilgrimage with Him as their Pilot or Captain, going wherever He leads, following in His steps.

We must reverence Him for who He is, not just patronize Him with human respect or homage as a great leader, teacher, or example.  We must not only believe that He lived and died on a cross, but did so for us and is alive today!  The whole summation of Christian ethics is summed up in following Him, and this means a surrender to His lordship and ownership of our lives, there's no accepting Him part way or conditionally--He demands unconditional surrender, as it were; in the final analysis, obedience is the only measure of faith!  Genuine believers walk the walk and talk the talk, their profession is not bogus, but is demonstrated by a life of good works as proof (cf. Titus 1:16).

Of all the major world religions, you can remove its founder and still have the religion remain intact; i.e., Islam doesn't need Muhammad, nor Buddhism need Buddha--it's merely a collection of teachings and philosophy.  However, if you remove Christ from Christianity you disembowel it and there is nothing left--Christianity is Christ, and all else is circumference, it's been described by John Stott.  That's because Christianity is not a creed nor a code, but a relationship--this is not just a cliche, but a deeper truth to be recognized personally.   In short, salvation is but the establishment of a personal and family relationship with the person of God; while the only proof of salvation is fruit (cf. Matt. 7:16, 20)! We are saved to become a blessing (cf. Zech. 8:13).

We need to be set free!  "People are slaves to whatever has mastered them"  (cf. 2 Pet. 2:19).  Paul says in Romans 6:16 (NLT):  "Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?  You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."  We are meant to stand fast in our liberty and not become slaves again (cf. Gal. 5:1).   Acts 13:39 (NIV):  "Through him, everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses."

The only way to be set free is in Christ:  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed"  (John 8:36, NIV).  We no longer live in bondage to our old sin nature nor the yoke of the Law.  We do not have the freedom to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit!  We are no longer subject to the power of the Law:  "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace"  (Romans 6:14, NIV).  Soli Deo Gloria!