"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25 ESV)
As Christians we know that our sin is revealed to us through the Law of God (commonly referred to as the Ten Commandments). Paul told the Romans that it is by the Law of God that sin is known and that by this Law the whole world will stand guilty before God. It is by this Law that we looked at ourselves before we came to saving faith in Christ. It is absolutely necessary for one to understand that his sin is exceedingly, infinitely offensive to God. Without this knowledge one cannot know the magnificent grace of God. As time goes on the Christian will continue to see himself more and more wretched before God as he understands the nature of his depravity. Even as we grow in sanctification away from sin into a reflection of Jesus Christ, parallel to this is the increasing knowledge of our own depravity.
One problem that has existed throughout the history of the Church is reliance upon the Law as a standard by which we are to measure lives to determine our standing with God. This is the mistake that Paul aggressively attacks in the epistle to the Galatians. Don't get me wrong. The Law is good. We are not to get rid of the Law because it is good. It is good in its purpose to reveal sin to the sinner. That is the only reason for the Law to be used. We need the Law to show us our sinfulness because we sear the tenderness of our conscience when we rationalize sin and skew our understanding of holiness; but as Christians the Law is not our standard for living. Love is our standard. Christ is our standard. Jesus said to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love your neighbor as He has loved you. For in these two commands all the Law and the prophets are fulfilled. The Ten Commandments is not the perfect law of liberty, love is, Christ is. The Ten Commandments only bring bondage to legalism if used as our standard. Jesus is the end of the Law for righteousness for all who believe. We live under grace now, not the Law.
The Law stirs up desire to sin. As humans we are prone to do that which we are told not to do. Children do this all the time. On the other hand, love stirs up righteous deeds within us (a godly love, that is). The Law doesn't help us be more like Christ. It helps us be more like legalistic in ourselves and towards others. Christ is love incarnate. To love with a godly love that glorifies God makes us more like Christ. I'm not talking about hippie love. I'm talking about a love that loves righteousness, goodness, and godliness; but hates sin, evil, and corruption. Christ gave us the freedom to do this when we trusted Him to save us.
What is our responsibility then?
We are to love God with every ounce of our being, glorify Him in all we do, and love our neighbors with the same love Christ has loved us with. We are no longer to live our lives as if we are constantly trying to stay on God's good side (He makes us right, remember?). We are no longer required to live by the Law and measure ourselves against it. The perfect law of liberty is love, grace. We compare ourselves to the commands of Jesus: Am I loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? Am I loving my neighbor with the same love that Christ has loved me? There is no more obeying the Law for a righteous standing before God. Christ accomplished this on the cross and we obtain it through faith.
Pray with me today that we might love God and our neighbors. Pray that we will understand that as Christians this is our standard for living and not the Law. Worship our great and loving God today who has given us the freedom to display His love to others.
Blessings,
Nick
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Reasons: He Makes Me Right
"Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse." (Job 9:20 ESV)
There is nothing we can do to make ourselves right before God. The most righteous person alive can't even come close to perfection in the presence of God. According to the standards between men we can say, do, and think all the right things. We can love our fellow mankind, help him, and even die for him, but this holds no bearing with God. Doing good for the sake of helping mankind or doing good for the sake of doing good is still sin in the eyes of God because it is done apart from the purpose of glorifying His name. Job understood this and realized that even though he could be the best person in the world he would never match up to God and His glory.
We have already established that our good works can't gain us entrance into heaven, and this new knowledge should prove to us even more as to why this is true. If God already views our good deeds as filthy garments and the world's most righteous (by man's standard) man as still a vile sinner, wouldn't trying to earn salvation or doing good works to make up for sin be even more disgusting in the sight of God? Most definitely! To say that you can help God make you right before Him is saying that you have some little tiny spark of goodness in you. This is an utter lie. The Bible says that we are depraved, godless beings that would love nothing more than to live our lives as we want without giving any credence to God and His standards, let alone do anything to please Him in the slightest. Yes, men do good to please God, but they bribe Him with good works. They don't want to glorify His name. They want to save their hides from hell. It is very important that we remember there is nothing we can do apart from faith (which even still comes from God) to please God.
As Christians we try to make up for our sins by doing good. We bribe God to get back on his "good side." Brothers and sisters, this is not the life that God has designed us to have as His children. That is still a life of bondage to good works. We don't try to make up for our sins because Christ paid for them on the cross. We don't have to try to cover our own sin with our own efforts to make them right because Christ has washed us with His blood! Don't get me wrong. If your sin has caused an ill effect towards someone that needs to be corrected, correct it. Just remember that our sins are paid for by the blood of Christ. In Him we have forgiveness, not in our works but in Him! He makes us right in spite of our depraved sinfulness. He makes us right by His own doing. When you sin you are to confess it to God as sin, turn away from it, and trust that Christ paid for the penalty for that sin on the cross in your place. Remember He makes us right. What love is this that God would not require us to make up for our sins because He already made up for them on the cross! What an inconceivable price..
I hear the Savior say
"Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness watch and pray;
Find in Me thine all in all."
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone
Can change the leper's spots
And melt the heart of stone
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete
"Jesus died my soul to save!"
My lips shall still repeat
'Cause Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
Oh, praise the One who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead!
Oh, praise the One who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead!
What an awesome reason to worship our God...
Blessings,
Nick
There is nothing we can do to make ourselves right before God. The most righteous person alive can't even come close to perfection in the presence of God. According to the standards between men we can say, do, and think all the right things. We can love our fellow mankind, help him, and even die for him, but this holds no bearing with God. Doing good for the sake of helping mankind or doing good for the sake of doing good is still sin in the eyes of God because it is done apart from the purpose of glorifying His name. Job understood this and realized that even though he could be the best person in the world he would never match up to God and His glory.
We have already established that our good works can't gain us entrance into heaven, and this new knowledge should prove to us even more as to why this is true. If God already views our good deeds as filthy garments and the world's most righteous (by man's standard) man as still a vile sinner, wouldn't trying to earn salvation or doing good works to make up for sin be even more disgusting in the sight of God? Most definitely! To say that you can help God make you right before Him is saying that you have some little tiny spark of goodness in you. This is an utter lie. The Bible says that we are depraved, godless beings that would love nothing more than to live our lives as we want without giving any credence to God and His standards, let alone do anything to please Him in the slightest. Yes, men do good to please God, but they bribe Him with good works. They don't want to glorify His name. They want to save their hides from hell. It is very important that we remember there is nothing we can do apart from faith (which even still comes from God) to please God.
As Christians we try to make up for our sins by doing good. We bribe God to get back on his "good side." Brothers and sisters, this is not the life that God has designed us to have as His children. That is still a life of bondage to good works. We don't try to make up for our sins because Christ paid for them on the cross. We don't have to try to cover our own sin with our own efforts to make them right because Christ has washed us with His blood! Don't get me wrong. If your sin has caused an ill effect towards someone that needs to be corrected, correct it. Just remember that our sins are paid for by the blood of Christ. In Him we have forgiveness, not in our works but in Him! He makes us right in spite of our depraved sinfulness. He makes us right by His own doing. When you sin you are to confess it to God as sin, turn away from it, and trust that Christ paid for the penalty for that sin on the cross in your place. Remember He makes us right. What love is this that God would not require us to make up for our sins because He already made up for them on the cross! What an inconceivable price..
I hear the Savior say
"Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness watch and pray;
Find in Me thine all in all."
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone
Can change the leper's spots
And melt the heart of stone
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete
"Jesus died my soul to save!"
My lips shall still repeat
'Cause Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
Oh, praise the One who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead!
Oh, praise the One who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead!
What an awesome reason to worship our God...
Blessings,
Nick
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Reasons: Sufficiency of God
"But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)
Is God enough for you in any given situation in life? Is He sufficient for you if you prosper financially, have a happy marriage, bear healthy children, have good relationships with friends and co workers, or have a great retirement? Is He sufficient if you lose your job, have a rough marriage, have sick children, bad friendships and business relationships, or lose all your life savings and loved ones? The first question is pretty easy to answer with "of course!", but the second question isn't so easy. In fact, most people would have a mind to criticize God or complain to Him "I thought You were loving and cared for me," or "God, why are you doing/letting this happen to me?" This is the same attitude the Israelites had after Moses led them out of Egypt. They were all happy and joyful when the left their bondage, but when they found their way to the desert all they did was complain! God wasn't sufficient for them not because He Himself was lacking in anything but because they didn't have a right view of God. They thought God was supposed to do everything for them when, in all reality, it was their purpose to try to do things for God to glorify Him.
I don't know what other cultures are like, but as Americans we have been raised to believe we are entitled to anything and everything good. We are indoctrinated by the media and even the government that we deserve stuff so we can live better lives. This feeds our prideful and arrogant sin nature to the extreme, and because of all of this we act no different than the Israelites did in the wilderness. We get so offended and bent out of shape that we complain, nag, cry, and whimper to God and others when life gets tough and we don't get what we want. Why don't we rest in the sufficiency of God? Are we really that stubborn and pathetic? Truthfully, yes. Because of our sin we are that stubborn and pathetic. Those words are not powerful enough to describe our sinful condition.
God hates complaining. He hates it when we go about our business like this. He's not a suggestion box. He's our Helper, our Counselor. We are supposed to be satisfied in Him through any given situation of life. We are to come to Him with our problems so He can help us deal with and solve them, but instead we shrug Him off and choose to be self-centered instead of God-centered.
It is so important for us to have faith that God knows what He's doing in our lives. We have to have faith to know that He won't let anything happen in our lives that we can't endure with and through Him. John Piper once said, "When you can have it all, faith says, 'God is better.' When you lose it all, faith says, 'God is better.'" Don't let the trials and tribulations of this world choke out the joy of the Lord in you. Don't let the situations of this life rob from your heart enjoyment of God.
Scott Cunningham wrote, "For when I am weak Your strength is complete/ It's perfect/ Completely all I need/ Sufficient for me/ Your grace and Your peace/ It's perfect/ Completely all I need." He also wrote, "Don't give up/ For God is on our side/ Don't give up running for the prize/ Don't give up/ He'll give you strength to fight/ There's grace enough for you/ Don't give up."
Pray with me today that God will give us the strength to trust Him through every situation in life, good or bad, for the glory and enjoyment of Him with the knowledge that He is all we need.
Blessings,
Nick
Is God enough for you in any given situation in life? Is He sufficient for you if you prosper financially, have a happy marriage, bear healthy children, have good relationships with friends and co workers, or have a great retirement? Is He sufficient if you lose your job, have a rough marriage, have sick children, bad friendships and business relationships, or lose all your life savings and loved ones? The first question is pretty easy to answer with "of course!", but the second question isn't so easy. In fact, most people would have a mind to criticize God or complain to Him "I thought You were loving and cared for me," or "God, why are you doing/letting this happen to me?" This is the same attitude the Israelites had after Moses led them out of Egypt. They were all happy and joyful when the left their bondage, but when they found their way to the desert all they did was complain! God wasn't sufficient for them not because He Himself was lacking in anything but because they didn't have a right view of God. They thought God was supposed to do everything for them when, in all reality, it was their purpose to try to do things for God to glorify Him.
I don't know what other cultures are like, but as Americans we have been raised to believe we are entitled to anything and everything good. We are indoctrinated by the media and even the government that we deserve stuff so we can live better lives. This feeds our prideful and arrogant sin nature to the extreme, and because of all of this we act no different than the Israelites did in the wilderness. We get so offended and bent out of shape that we complain, nag, cry, and whimper to God and others when life gets tough and we don't get what we want. Why don't we rest in the sufficiency of God? Are we really that stubborn and pathetic? Truthfully, yes. Because of our sin we are that stubborn and pathetic. Those words are not powerful enough to describe our sinful condition.
God hates complaining. He hates it when we go about our business like this. He's not a suggestion box. He's our Helper, our Counselor. We are supposed to be satisfied in Him through any given situation of life. We are to come to Him with our problems so He can help us deal with and solve them, but instead we shrug Him off and choose to be self-centered instead of God-centered.
It is so important for us to have faith that God knows what He's doing in our lives. We have to have faith to know that He won't let anything happen in our lives that we can't endure with and through Him. John Piper once said, "When you can have it all, faith says, 'God is better.' When you lose it all, faith says, 'God is better.'" Don't let the trials and tribulations of this world choke out the joy of the Lord in you. Don't let the situations of this life rob from your heart enjoyment of God.
Scott Cunningham wrote, "For when I am weak Your strength is complete/ It's perfect/ Completely all I need/ Sufficient for me/ Your grace and Your peace/ It's perfect/ Completely all I need." He also wrote, "Don't give up/ For God is on our side/ Don't give up running for the prize/ Don't give up/ He'll give you strength to fight/ There's grace enough for you/ Don't give up."
Pray with me today that God will give us the strength to trust Him through every situation in life, good or bad, for the glory and enjoyment of Him with the knowledge that He is all we need.
Blessings,
Nick
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Reasons: Security in Salvation (pt. 2)
Yesterday I pointed out some verses about how our salvation is secure in Christ. I want to expound on that more today, but first I want to talk about some common views people have regarding the security of salvation (or lack thereof).
1. Legalism
The first view I want to look at is a works-based view of salvation. There are those who claim to be Christians that hold to a view of salvation that demands an obedience to traditions or rules in order to obtain salvation. They say that they must do enough good works in order to be granted forgiveness and eternal life. If they sin, they have to make it up to God with good works in order to remain in a "saved" state. Even if they do well to obey all the traditions and rules, there is still no guarantee of salvation because they don't have a promise. It's like taking a test. You may think you did well, but you won't know the results of your work until the test is returned to you. I think we can all say that there is no security in this view. As Romans 4:13-15 says,
"For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression."
2. Faith and Works
Another view held by people and a few groups such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses is a faith-works salvation. There are two ways to look at this view. The first view is faith in Christ's work on the cross is necessary for the initiation of salvation but it's your good works and obedience to God that keep you saved. The second view is you do your best to please God to earn your share in salvation and whatever you can't earn will be made up by Jesus' work on the cross.
The first view of a faith-works salvation is dangerous because the understanding that Jesus paid the whole price for sin on the cross is lacking. If you hold to this view, you have no hope of salvation. You want to take credit for part of your salvation which is stealing directly God's glory and placing it upon yourself. You boast in earning part of your own salvation. True salvation has no room for boasting. Ephesians 2:8-9 says,
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Good works are necessary to the Christian lifestyle, but they don't help save a person from the punishment of their sin. They complement salvation by being a testimony to the changed life that God has done in a person. They are a reflection salvation in a person, not an ingredient to salvation. Both together working for salvation cancel each other out.
The second view of the faith-works salvation, "do your best and Jesus makes up the rest", is almost just like the first view, and it's just as bad. If not, worse. I say that because it emphasizes more on the idea that good works or obedience take precedence to the cross. Jesus is basically fire insurance here as where the first view makes Jesus just the first step of salvation. Either way they both nullify substitutionary atonement (Jesus payment for all of our sin in on our behalf) and Jesus being the propitiation (satisfactory payment) for our sin. To say to God "I'm gonna do my best to please You and obey Your law. I trust that if I do that, Jesus will cover that which I couldn't obey. That way I can still do my best and get to heaven." Read Ephesians 2:8-9 again. There is still boasting in this view. There is still a stealing of God's glory and making it man's glory. Remember what Isaiah said about good works in Isaiah 64:6,
"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."
Our good works apart from faith mean nothing to God. In fact, they are disgusting to Him because everything we do is tainted with sin (we do everything for ourselves or others apart from the primary purpose of glorifying God). So if you think you can "do your best and Jesus can make up the rest", you are greatly mistaken. There is no way you could begin to pay off your sin with good works anyways. Da T.R.U.T.H., a Christian rap artist, wrote concerning sin, "it's too extensive, don't get defensive, God gotta list of your sin too extensive." Again, God has called us to good works, but not for salvation. Good works are fruit from salvation for the reason of glorifying God.
So where is security in a faith-works based salvation? There is none. This might make you live a better life, a life that mimics that salvation has taken place, but you will live your life in a state of bondage to good works hoping that it's enough to keep you saved or a life of pride comparing yourself to the law while not knowing the law brings wrath.
3. Faith-Based
The last view is the view the Bible teaches: faith-based salvation. This is faith alone in Christ alone for His righteousness alone (in place of my unrighteousness) apart from any works of my own. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this very clear. Now I want to expound upon why this view has ultimate security in salvation.
A. God is the one who draws.
People do not seek God. God seeks people. Psalm 14 and Romans 3 make this very clear. Man is a depraved being. He does not seek after God to know His will or His ways, nor will he ever do so. The only reason why a person would ever believe in the Gospel is because of the supernatural drawing of God to Himself. Jesus said in John 6:44,
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."
Security? I think so.
B. Everyone who is drawn believes.
The whole of John 6 is an awesome example of security in salvation. Jesus teaches in one part of this chapter that everyone who is given to Jesus by God to save will be saved. John 10 is another great example of our security in Christ. Jesus said in John 10:27-30,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
Those who have faith in Christ will never perish because God keeps them for Himself. What great truths to rest in!
C. Belief is an act of God.
A person can only believe by the will of God because man is completely unable to believe because of his depraved state. We've already established that no one searches after God so God has to do that work in a person Himself. John 1:12-13 should help solidify this. It says,
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
The work of salvation in you began with God. No part of your own self helped God begin this work.
D. Those who believe were chosen to believe.
Another reason why salvation is secure is because God chose those who believe to be saved. In eternity past (before God created the universe) God chose those who would believe (not based on anything they would do or wouldn't do, good or bad.. read Romans 9). Ephesians 1:3-6 says,
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."
The work of salvation is done in a person from beginning to end by God. We have established that God chose from before time those whom He would save, that those who believe are born of God's will not man's will, and that a person can only believe if God draws him because of the complete inability of man to choose God. The saving work of God can be summed up on Romans 8:29-30,
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
Those who God predestined to salvation (through faith alone in Christ alone) are justified and glorified by God. He does everything in a person Himself for their salvation. It is nothing of ourselves. What great security this brings!
E. God will complete salvation in you.
God is the one who will finish you salvation, and there's no greater security than that. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6,
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
F. Conviction of Paul
Finally, the conviction of Paul was that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:38-39 says,
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Rejoice in the salvation you have. It is another reason to worship God. He has done everything for you. Now live for Him and produce good works for His glory.
Blessings,
Nick
1. Legalism
The first view I want to look at is a works-based view of salvation. There are those who claim to be Christians that hold to a view of salvation that demands an obedience to traditions or rules in order to obtain salvation. They say that they must do enough good works in order to be granted forgiveness and eternal life. If they sin, they have to make it up to God with good works in order to remain in a "saved" state. Even if they do well to obey all the traditions and rules, there is still no guarantee of salvation because they don't have a promise. It's like taking a test. You may think you did well, but you won't know the results of your work until the test is returned to you. I think we can all say that there is no security in this view. As Romans 4:13-15 says,
"For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression."
2. Faith and Works
Another view held by people and a few groups such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses is a faith-works salvation. There are two ways to look at this view. The first view is faith in Christ's work on the cross is necessary for the initiation of salvation but it's your good works and obedience to God that keep you saved. The second view is you do your best to please God to earn your share in salvation and whatever you can't earn will be made up by Jesus' work on the cross.
The first view of a faith-works salvation is dangerous because the understanding that Jesus paid the whole price for sin on the cross is lacking. If you hold to this view, you have no hope of salvation. You want to take credit for part of your salvation which is stealing directly God's glory and placing it upon yourself. You boast in earning part of your own salvation. True salvation has no room for boasting. Ephesians 2:8-9 says,
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Good works are necessary to the Christian lifestyle, but they don't help save a person from the punishment of their sin. They complement salvation by being a testimony to the changed life that God has done in a person. They are a reflection salvation in a person, not an ingredient to salvation. Both together working for salvation cancel each other out.
The second view of the faith-works salvation, "do your best and Jesus makes up the rest", is almost just like the first view, and it's just as bad. If not, worse. I say that because it emphasizes more on the idea that good works or obedience take precedence to the cross. Jesus is basically fire insurance here as where the first view makes Jesus just the first step of salvation. Either way they both nullify substitutionary atonement (Jesus payment for all of our sin in on our behalf) and Jesus being the propitiation (satisfactory payment) for our sin. To say to God "I'm gonna do my best to please You and obey Your law. I trust that if I do that, Jesus will cover that which I couldn't obey. That way I can still do my best and get to heaven." Read Ephesians 2:8-9 again. There is still boasting in this view. There is still a stealing of God's glory and making it man's glory. Remember what Isaiah said about good works in Isaiah 64:6,
"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."
Our good works apart from faith mean nothing to God. In fact, they are disgusting to Him because everything we do is tainted with sin (we do everything for ourselves or others apart from the primary purpose of glorifying God). So if you think you can "do your best and Jesus can make up the rest", you are greatly mistaken. There is no way you could begin to pay off your sin with good works anyways. Da T.R.U.T.H., a Christian rap artist, wrote concerning sin, "it's too extensive, don't get defensive, God gotta list of your sin too extensive." Again, God has called us to good works, but not for salvation. Good works are fruit from salvation for the reason of glorifying God.
So where is security in a faith-works based salvation? There is none. This might make you live a better life, a life that mimics that salvation has taken place, but you will live your life in a state of bondage to good works hoping that it's enough to keep you saved or a life of pride comparing yourself to the law while not knowing the law brings wrath.
3. Faith-Based
The last view is the view the Bible teaches: faith-based salvation. This is faith alone in Christ alone for His righteousness alone (in place of my unrighteousness) apart from any works of my own. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this very clear. Now I want to expound upon why this view has ultimate security in salvation.
A. God is the one who draws.
People do not seek God. God seeks people. Psalm 14 and Romans 3 make this very clear. Man is a depraved being. He does not seek after God to know His will or His ways, nor will he ever do so. The only reason why a person would ever believe in the Gospel is because of the supernatural drawing of God to Himself. Jesus said in John 6:44,
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."
Security? I think so.
B. Everyone who is drawn believes.
The whole of John 6 is an awesome example of security in salvation. Jesus teaches in one part of this chapter that everyone who is given to Jesus by God to save will be saved. John 10 is another great example of our security in Christ. Jesus said in John 10:27-30,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
Those who have faith in Christ will never perish because God keeps them for Himself. What great truths to rest in!
C. Belief is an act of God.
A person can only believe by the will of God because man is completely unable to believe because of his depraved state. We've already established that no one searches after God so God has to do that work in a person Himself. John 1:12-13 should help solidify this. It says,
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
The work of salvation in you began with God. No part of your own self helped God begin this work.
D. Those who believe were chosen to believe.
Another reason why salvation is secure is because God chose those who believe to be saved. In eternity past (before God created the universe) God chose those who would believe (not based on anything they would do or wouldn't do, good or bad.. read Romans 9). Ephesians 1:3-6 says,
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."
The work of salvation is done in a person from beginning to end by God. We have established that God chose from before time those whom He would save, that those who believe are born of God's will not man's will, and that a person can only believe if God draws him because of the complete inability of man to choose God. The saving work of God can be summed up on Romans 8:29-30,
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
Those who God predestined to salvation (through faith alone in Christ alone) are justified and glorified by God. He does everything in a person Himself for their salvation. It is nothing of ourselves. What great security this brings!
E. God will complete salvation in you.
God is the one who will finish you salvation, and there's no greater security than that. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6,
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
F. Conviction of Paul
Finally, the conviction of Paul was that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:38-39 says,
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Rejoice in the salvation you have. It is another reason to worship God. He has done everything for you. Now live for Him and produce good works for His glory.
Blessings,
Nick
Monday, October 3, 2011
Reasons: Security in Salvation
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV)
There is security in salvation. When we put our faith in Christ alone for His righteousness and payment for sin we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. If I may, the Holy Spirit is our receipt, and our proof of purchase is our sanctification, our producing of the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control). God basically approves you (not based on what you've done, but based on what Christ has done for you and in you through the cross and His resurrection) for heaven, and He promises to hold to it. He is the one who saved you. He secures your salvation. He changes your heart to desire Him and enjoy Him. Look at this small passage from the Gospel of John:
"John 10:27-30
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
Those whom God gives to Jesus will never perish! Those who have been saved will never be snatched out of the hands of God. Now look at this verse from the Psalms:
Psalms 117:2
"For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!"
The love of God is steadfast. That means it is unwavering. God doesn't go back and forth in His love for those He has saved. It is unmovable... even when you sin against Him over and over. The other side of this coin is how God's faithfulness endures forever. When God says He's gonna do something He does it and He won't go back on His word. So when He says "they will never perish", He means it. I want to look at one more verse from the Psalms:
Psalm 32:1-2
"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."
Because of Christ's payment for our sin we can claim this verse as our own. We should be so excited when we read this! Why? Because of what Christ has done for us on the cross (and in us through faith in the work He did on the cross) God does not and will never count our sins against us.. ever!
Now look back at what we just uncovered. When we act upon the Gospel and put our faith in Christ alone for His righteousness alone God changes us and seals us with the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our salvation and inheritance of eternal life with God. We established that no one can take us out of the hands of God. We know that God's love is unmoving and that He stands by His word. We learned that the Lord does not hold our sin against us anymore. All of this is possible because of God and He sealed it with the blood of Christ.
Meditate on God's faithfulness and love. Think about how you are secure in your salvation based not upon your own ability but because of God's ability. Remember that "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it..." Just another reason to worship God.
Blessings,
Nick
There is security in salvation. When we put our faith in Christ alone for His righteousness and payment for sin we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. If I may, the Holy Spirit is our receipt, and our proof of purchase is our sanctification, our producing of the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control). God basically approves you (not based on what you've done, but based on what Christ has done for you and in you through the cross and His resurrection) for heaven, and He promises to hold to it. He is the one who saved you. He secures your salvation. He changes your heart to desire Him and enjoy Him. Look at this small passage from the Gospel of John:
"John 10:27-30
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
Those whom God gives to Jesus will never perish! Those who have been saved will never be snatched out of the hands of God. Now look at this verse from the Psalms:
Psalms 117:2
"For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!"
The love of God is steadfast. That means it is unwavering. God doesn't go back and forth in His love for those He has saved. It is unmovable... even when you sin against Him over and over. The other side of this coin is how God's faithfulness endures forever. When God says He's gonna do something He does it and He won't go back on His word. So when He says "they will never perish", He means it. I want to look at one more verse from the Psalms:
Psalm 32:1-2
"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."
Because of Christ's payment for our sin we can claim this verse as our own. We should be so excited when we read this! Why? Because of what Christ has done for us on the cross (and in us through faith in the work He did on the cross) God does not and will never count our sins against us.. ever!
Now look back at what we just uncovered. When we act upon the Gospel and put our faith in Christ alone for His righteousness alone God changes us and seals us with the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our salvation and inheritance of eternal life with God. We established that no one can take us out of the hands of God. We know that God's love is unmoving and that He stands by His word. We learned that the Lord does not hold our sin against us anymore. All of this is possible because of God and He sealed it with the blood of Christ.
Meditate on God's faithfulness and love. Think about how you are secure in your salvation based not upon your own ability but because of God's ability. Remember that "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it..." Just another reason to worship God.
Blessings,
Nick
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Reasons: Death Is Defeated
"For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
'Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?'
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:53-57 ESV)
Do you ever sit the guilt of your own sin wondering if you are really saved at all? Does the fear of death and guilt of your sin weigh you down like 100 pounds of bricks on your back because you know that you will never measure up to God's standards? I've been there. It's a depressing, scary place to be. Death is a scary reality. Death is a result of the sin of Adam and all the generations after him have inherited it. The statistics don't lie: 10 out of 10 people die. It's just a matter of time before death comes knocking at your door. When death knocks, you better have ready for God the payment for your sin, and that payment is righteousness, perfection, perfect obedience to God's Law. The only problem is our righteousness, our goodness, is worth nothing to God because everything we do is tainted with sin. Isaiah 64:4 says all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. If your good deeds aren't good enough to cancel out your sin, death will come to sweep you away into hell where you will endure the eternal consequences for you sin. Many will say "That's not fair! I did my best!" Well, God is not subject to fallen notions of fairness. Death has power to take you to hell because you have committed treason against God with your sin. God gives this power to death through the Law. Everyone who has ever lied, stolen, looked with lust, hated, committed sexual immorality, murdered, coveted, or put God in a lower position than where He ought to be has committed treason against God. After God, death is your worst enemy. When you die you will be declared guilty and be cast forever into hell where you will never stop paying for your sin. Sin is infinite treason that deserves infinite payment because it offends the infinite God. There is no escape that we can provide for ourselves. In ourselves we are doomed to the fate of our filthy, disgusting, putrid unrighteousness.
But the story doesn't end here...
There is a way of escape from this pitiful end. God knew from eternity past that man would fall, and He has always had a plan to pay for the sins of men. God became flesh in the person of Jesus who lived a perfect life. He had no sin and was therefore not under the power of death. He willingly laid His life down as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He died to take the wrath of God in our place. Three days later, when there was no possible way to say that He was only unconscious or sleeping, Jesus rose from the dead proving He has power over death. On that day death was swallowed up in victory by God Himself. Anyone who places their hope and trust in Christ alone for His righteousness alone apart from any good deed of their own will have their sin pardoned and its record destroyed.
Do you understand what this means if you put your hope and trust in Christ to pay for your sin? There is no more sin record against you! Death no longer has power over you! Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe! Christian, wake up and believe this glorious truth! God no longer holds your sin against you. He will never hold it against you anymore! No matter how hard Satan presses you about how bad you are, you can eternally say "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impure sin! I am blessed!"
So when death comes knocking on your door, greet him with a smile and great joy for you are not subject to him anymore. Your sin has been forgiven. Your debt is paid. Christ now dwells in you and He is the hope of glory. Live on this truth!
O death, where is your sting?
O death, where is your victory?
If this does not stir up joy and praise in your heart desiring to worship God, I don't know what will. Praise Him with me today as we rejoice in this glorious truth that God delivered us from the power of death into the eternal hope of His glory.
Blessings,
Nick
Here is a 24 minute video of Victor Watters' conversation with death which was read at his funeral. Victor was a brave you Christian man who just recently died of cancer.
'Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?'
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:53-57 ESV)
Do you ever sit the guilt of your own sin wondering if you are really saved at all? Does the fear of death and guilt of your sin weigh you down like 100 pounds of bricks on your back because you know that you will never measure up to God's standards? I've been there. It's a depressing, scary place to be. Death is a scary reality. Death is a result of the sin of Adam and all the generations after him have inherited it. The statistics don't lie: 10 out of 10 people die. It's just a matter of time before death comes knocking at your door. When death knocks, you better have ready for God the payment for your sin, and that payment is righteousness, perfection, perfect obedience to God's Law. The only problem is our righteousness, our goodness, is worth nothing to God because everything we do is tainted with sin. Isaiah 64:4 says all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. If your good deeds aren't good enough to cancel out your sin, death will come to sweep you away into hell where you will endure the eternal consequences for you sin. Many will say "That's not fair! I did my best!" Well, God is not subject to fallen notions of fairness. Death has power to take you to hell because you have committed treason against God with your sin. God gives this power to death through the Law. Everyone who has ever lied, stolen, looked with lust, hated, committed sexual immorality, murdered, coveted, or put God in a lower position than where He ought to be has committed treason against God. After God, death is your worst enemy. When you die you will be declared guilty and be cast forever into hell where you will never stop paying for your sin. Sin is infinite treason that deserves infinite payment because it offends the infinite God. There is no escape that we can provide for ourselves. In ourselves we are doomed to the fate of our filthy, disgusting, putrid unrighteousness.
But the story doesn't end here...
There is a way of escape from this pitiful end. God knew from eternity past that man would fall, and He has always had a plan to pay for the sins of men. God became flesh in the person of Jesus who lived a perfect life. He had no sin and was therefore not under the power of death. He willingly laid His life down as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He died to take the wrath of God in our place. Three days later, when there was no possible way to say that He was only unconscious or sleeping, Jesus rose from the dead proving He has power over death. On that day death was swallowed up in victory by God Himself. Anyone who places their hope and trust in Christ alone for His righteousness alone apart from any good deed of their own will have their sin pardoned and its record destroyed.
Do you understand what this means if you put your hope and trust in Christ to pay for your sin? There is no more sin record against you! Death no longer has power over you! Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe! Christian, wake up and believe this glorious truth! God no longer holds your sin against you. He will never hold it against you anymore! No matter how hard Satan presses you about how bad you are, you can eternally say "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impure sin! I am blessed!"
So when death comes knocking on your door, greet him with a smile and great joy for you are not subject to him anymore. Your sin has been forgiven. Your debt is paid. Christ now dwells in you and He is the hope of glory. Live on this truth!
O death, where is your sting?
O death, where is your victory?
If this does not stir up joy and praise in your heart desiring to worship God, I don't know what will. Praise Him with me today as we rejoice in this glorious truth that God delivered us from the power of death into the eternal hope of His glory.
Blessings,
Nick
Here is a 24 minute video of Victor Watters' conversation with death which was read at his funeral. Victor was a brave you Christian man who just recently died of cancer.
Reasons To Worship
Over the next few days I would like to expound a little on a few reasons why we should worship God. I pray that these reasons will spark life into your hearts and give you the burning desire to enjoy God and worship Him. I have already discussed who God is so I want to focus more upon what He has done specifically in the life of us believers. I hope you stick around and draw from the well of God's marvelous joy with me!
Blessings,
Nick
Blessings,
Nick
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Is Jesus Worth It?
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18 ESV)
"What's in it for me?" and "Is it worth being a Christian?" are two questions that run through the minds of those to whom we present the Gospel to. Our answer is "Of course it is!", but that answer only masks and and deceives the person to whom we answer unless we explain what the Bible says. The Christian life is not easy. Look at the disciples life after the Great Commission (which is the command to go out and preach the Gospel to every part of the world, making people disciples of Jesus, and teaching them all the things that Jesus commanded). They were mocked, beaten, tortured, and martyred. Guess what.. Jesus said that we are guarantees these things if we become followers of Him. In America we may think we're safe from these things, but we're not. The Columbine High School massacre resulted in students murdered because they wouldn't denounce the God of the Bible. We may not experience this all the time here in America, but we are mocked and scoffed at daily. It is only a matter of time before Christianity is repressed in America. So what do we say to people when that occurs in the "land of the free"? Being a Christian is more "worth it" in the terms of today's way of life as Americans than it will be when it's illegal to side with Christ.
Hundreds of Christians die every day throughout the world because they won't deny Jesus as Lord. When a Muslim in the Middle East or an Hindu in India become a Christian, they basically sign their death warrant because their families and culture view that as committing treason to their gods. They can be thrown in jail, dismembered, burned with fire or acid, tortured, shot, hacked with machetes, decapitated, etc., but Jesus is still worth it to them. They understand the verse at the top of this entry. They understand that the Gospel rings through eternity beyond anything that happens here on earth.
So what's in it for me and you in this life on earth? That's a simple answer: persecution (mocking, scoffing, beatings, torture, and sometimes death). Is it worth being a Christian? That's up to you what you're willing to go through for being a Christian. If you're willing to be assaulted with words and fists or be killed for what you believe, then yes. If you aren't willing to go be persecuted but want to have a comfortable life, it won't be worth it to you, but let me try to convince you otherwise.
If you have been following my blog, you will understand that this life is about giving all glory to God because it's all about Him. You also know that even though it's all about God, He became a man and died for sin on a cross so that if you have faith alone in Christ alone for His righteousness alone apart from any good works of your own (all for the glory of God), you will be forgiven and made righteous before God. So is Christ worth it? Are the trials and persecutions of this life worth it? You can bet your life on it (and you will)! Because in the end we will be with our God and King for eternity. Every hardship in this life is worth enduring because we will one day be in God's glorious presence with Him for eternity. Jesus said if you want to be His disciple, you must pick up your cross daily and follow Him. That means you must die to your fleshly desires every day and seek to serve Him. When you realize that serving Him is a great privilege (whether in hard times or good times) and you enjoy Him for who He is and what He's done, you will live a life of worship. You will begin to realize what it is to be a slave of worship because you can't help but do everything for the glory of God with a heart that desires to glorify God and enjoy Him.
Blessings,
Nick
"What's in it for me?" and "Is it worth being a Christian?" are two questions that run through the minds of those to whom we present the Gospel to. Our answer is "Of course it is!", but that answer only masks and and deceives the person to whom we answer unless we explain what the Bible says. The Christian life is not easy. Look at the disciples life after the Great Commission (which is the command to go out and preach the Gospel to every part of the world, making people disciples of Jesus, and teaching them all the things that Jesus commanded). They were mocked, beaten, tortured, and martyred. Guess what.. Jesus said that we are guarantees these things if we become followers of Him. In America we may think we're safe from these things, but we're not. The Columbine High School massacre resulted in students murdered because they wouldn't denounce the God of the Bible. We may not experience this all the time here in America, but we are mocked and scoffed at daily. It is only a matter of time before Christianity is repressed in America. So what do we say to people when that occurs in the "land of the free"? Being a Christian is more "worth it" in the terms of today's way of life as Americans than it will be when it's illegal to side with Christ.
Hundreds of Christians die every day throughout the world because they won't deny Jesus as Lord. When a Muslim in the Middle East or an Hindu in India become a Christian, they basically sign their death warrant because their families and culture view that as committing treason to their gods. They can be thrown in jail, dismembered, burned with fire or acid, tortured, shot, hacked with machetes, decapitated, etc., but Jesus is still worth it to them. They understand the verse at the top of this entry. They understand that the Gospel rings through eternity beyond anything that happens here on earth.
So what's in it for me and you in this life on earth? That's a simple answer: persecution (mocking, scoffing, beatings, torture, and sometimes death). Is it worth being a Christian? That's up to you what you're willing to go through for being a Christian. If you're willing to be assaulted with words and fists or be killed for what you believe, then yes. If you aren't willing to go be persecuted but want to have a comfortable life, it won't be worth it to you, but let me try to convince you otherwise.
If you have been following my blog, you will understand that this life is about giving all glory to God because it's all about Him. You also know that even though it's all about God, He became a man and died for sin on a cross so that if you have faith alone in Christ alone for His righteousness alone apart from any good works of your own (all for the glory of God), you will be forgiven and made righteous before God. So is Christ worth it? Are the trials and persecutions of this life worth it? You can bet your life on it (and you will)! Because in the end we will be with our God and King for eternity. Every hardship in this life is worth enduring because we will one day be in God's glorious presence with Him for eternity. Jesus said if you want to be His disciple, you must pick up your cross daily and follow Him. That means you must die to your fleshly desires every day and seek to serve Him. When you realize that serving Him is a great privilege (whether in hard times or good times) and you enjoy Him for who He is and what He's done, you will live a life of worship. You will begin to realize what it is to be a slave of worship because you can't help but do everything for the glory of God with a heart that desires to glorify God and enjoy Him.
Blessings,
Nick
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Clarification About Worship
English is an interesting language being that it can be very vague and words can carry more than one meaning. For this reason I'd like to help clear up any misunderstandings as to what "slave of worship" means. "Worship" in the phrase "slave of worship" is used as a verb, not a noun. We are not slaves to worship in the sense that worship is our master. We are slaves to worship in that we can't help but worship to the appearance that we answer to the beck and call of worship. I will try to explain this the beat I can. A slave/servant does everything his master tells him to do. In the same way we should do everything the Jesus commands us to do. This is just being an obedient slave. But when enjoyment in and adoration of the master is present in the heart of the slave, service to the master is no longer a burden. When we enjoy Christ and adore Him above all things, it is no longer a burden for us to obey Him. Our obedience becomes worship. So when I say we are to be slaves of worship, our lives should be so full of love for God, enjoyment in Him, and adoration of Him that everything we think, speak, or act comes from a heart of worship. So we aren't directly slaves of worship (that is, worship being our master) but slaves of God who can't help but worship Him. I hope this helps clear up some miscommunications.
Blessings,
Nick
Blessings,
Nick
Monday, September 19, 2011
Earthly Model of a Heavenly Truth
"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure'- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God.'" (Revelation 19:6-9)
My wife and I attended a wedding this weekend so I thought it would be appropriate to make this next entry about how the truths of earthly marriage are essential in understanding how to be a slave of worship. I can't stress enough the importance of understanding earthly marriage as a picture/model of eternal life with Christ. I hope you walk away from reading this entry with a new knowledge and understanding of how your walk with God should be. There are a lot of truths and principles of marriage, but I'll only look at a few of them as this is a blog and not a book.
Marriage first and foremost is a picture of Christ and the Church (God's people, Christians). Secondly, it is the way for a man and woman to enjoy each other exclusively as one flesh and glorify God through that relationship. On the other hand, our culture defines marriage as a mutual, legal contract between two people to be spouses. There are legal benefits to having a legal marriage contract, but it does not recognize a couple being spiritually united as one. You can't take a secular view of marriage and apply it to your walk with God. It fails miserably and I will show you how.
Marriage is a covenant, a promise, between a man and a woman to remain faithful to each other throughout all of life's difficulties and blessings no matter what for the glory of God until the day comes when one of them dies. Those are the vows you took (or one day will take), correct? In very simple terms, God took these vows when He made a covenant with Abraham to make Abraham's descendants a chosen people. He also took these vows in the proclamation through the Gospel: "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved", "My (Jesus) Father has given them (those who believe) to Me and no one is able to snatch them out of My hand", "nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord", "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." What you will find most interesting is that God began and will complete these covenants by His own power. When God made this covenant with Abraham He cut an animal in half and walked between the two halves by Himself. Abraham and God were supposed to walk between them together (as was the custom), but God made it to where He would take on responsibility to keep His people for Himself. It is the same with the New Testament covenant through the Gospel: Jesus took on the punishment of God in our place for sin and rose again to prove He has the power over death so that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. God made that promise to keep for Himself His people. His love never fails. Look at the history of Abraham's descendants, the children of Israel. They were always rebelling against God and God judged them for it, but He remained faithful to them, He didn't cut them off from the earth, He provided for them, He called them His own, and He made a way for them to be saved from their sin. Even though God has opened up the Gospel to the rest of the world He still remains faithful to Israel and will fulfill His promise to save them. It's the same truth for the Church: God remains faithful to us even though we turn our backs Him every single day. He is the epitome of faithfulness. What a great God we have! Why wouldn't we remain faithful to Him?
The world would have you to believe if your spouse wrongs you in any way, if he, or if he or she no longer happy or finds another to love, it's pretty much okay to get a divorce and seek new love. This is a slap in the face to God. It is the complete opposite of how He designed marriage to be. We must follow His example: He will never leave us nor forsake us. So the next time you hear about some Christian friends who are getting married, ask them if they think divorce is okay. If they say yes, they are absolutely not ready to get married. Why? Because they don't have a biblical understanding of marriage. They think there is a way out if things go wrong. Remember Jesus remains faithful to His bride when She is not faithful to Him. Read Ephesians 5:22-33 and tell me if there is any room for divorce in marriage. As Christians, we are to be an example of Christ and the Church. Remain faithful to your spouse just as Christ has remained faithful to you.
Marriage is more than just about remaining faithful. It's about forgiving your spouse when he or she has wronged you. It's about letting go of grudges and choosing to faithfully love the other person. You might have a problem with forgiveness or holding grudges. A lot of people do. It's in our nature. Ask God for help in the area. Ask Him for strength to forgive and let go. Of course, you'll never be able to forget what happened, but forgiveness is about not holding anything against your spouse when they've done wrong and never bringing it up again. It's about picking up the pieces and moving on. Trust may be violated and might need to be regained. Take the time to work things out, but you must be willing to work things out. If you aren't willing, you need put your walk with God in check. You might not understand the forgiveness that has been given to you if you have even received forgiveness at all. That is another scary thought..
As you (both of you, that is) apply these principles in your earthly marriage, you will see how much more love you have for your spouse. You will grow closer to each other and have a stronger bond that is hard to break. If you believe these truths about God and His character, you will enjoy Him more as you draw closer to Him, and vice versa. As you grow in these truths you will have a greater desire to serve your God and spouse with love, honor, dignity, and selflessness. These aren't all of the principles and truths in marriage, but they are definitely some of the greatest. If you aren't married, you are kind out of the loop and that's okay. Why? Because if you believe God's promises and trust that He will always remain faithful to you no matter what, and if you will practice these principles with God, you will understand what marriage is all about and you will practice them with your spouse. It will be a learning process, no doubt, but you will be a step ahead of many marriages in this day and age.
Treasure Christ above all things. Treasure your spouse as Christ treasures you.
Blessings,
Nick
My wife and I attended a wedding this weekend so I thought it would be appropriate to make this next entry about how the truths of earthly marriage are essential in understanding how to be a slave of worship. I can't stress enough the importance of understanding earthly marriage as a picture/model of eternal life with Christ. I hope you walk away from reading this entry with a new knowledge and understanding of how your walk with God should be. There are a lot of truths and principles of marriage, but I'll only look at a few of them as this is a blog and not a book.
Marriage first and foremost is a picture of Christ and the Church (God's people, Christians). Secondly, it is the way for a man and woman to enjoy each other exclusively as one flesh and glorify God through that relationship. On the other hand, our culture defines marriage as a mutual, legal contract between two people to be spouses. There are legal benefits to having a legal marriage contract, but it does not recognize a couple being spiritually united as one. You can't take a secular view of marriage and apply it to your walk with God. It fails miserably and I will show you how.
Marriage is a covenant, a promise, between a man and a woman to remain faithful to each other throughout all of life's difficulties and blessings no matter what for the glory of God until the day comes when one of them dies. Those are the vows you took (or one day will take), correct? In very simple terms, God took these vows when He made a covenant with Abraham to make Abraham's descendants a chosen people. He also took these vows in the proclamation through the Gospel: "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved", "My (Jesus) Father has given them (those who believe) to Me and no one is able to snatch them out of My hand", "nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord", "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." What you will find most interesting is that God began and will complete these covenants by His own power. When God made this covenant with Abraham He cut an animal in half and walked between the two halves by Himself. Abraham and God were supposed to walk between them together (as was the custom), but God made it to where He would take on responsibility to keep His people for Himself. It is the same with the New Testament covenant through the Gospel: Jesus took on the punishment of God in our place for sin and rose again to prove He has the power over death so that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. God made that promise to keep for Himself His people. His love never fails. Look at the history of Abraham's descendants, the children of Israel. They were always rebelling against God and God judged them for it, but He remained faithful to them, He didn't cut them off from the earth, He provided for them, He called them His own, and He made a way for them to be saved from their sin. Even though God has opened up the Gospel to the rest of the world He still remains faithful to Israel and will fulfill His promise to save them. It's the same truth for the Church: God remains faithful to us even though we turn our backs Him every single day. He is the epitome of faithfulness. What a great God we have! Why wouldn't we remain faithful to Him?
The world would have you to believe if your spouse wrongs you in any way, if he, or if he or she no longer happy or finds another to love, it's pretty much okay to get a divorce and seek new love. This is a slap in the face to God. It is the complete opposite of how He designed marriage to be. We must follow His example: He will never leave us nor forsake us. So the next time you hear about some Christian friends who are getting married, ask them if they think divorce is okay. If they say yes, they are absolutely not ready to get married. Why? Because they don't have a biblical understanding of marriage. They think there is a way out if things go wrong. Remember Jesus remains faithful to His bride when She is not faithful to Him. Read Ephesians 5:22-33 and tell me if there is any room for divorce in marriage. As Christians, we are to be an example of Christ and the Church. Remain faithful to your spouse just as Christ has remained faithful to you.
Marriage is more than just about remaining faithful. It's about forgiving your spouse when he or she has wronged you. It's about letting go of grudges and choosing to faithfully love the other person. You might have a problem with forgiveness or holding grudges. A lot of people do. It's in our nature. Ask God for help in the area. Ask Him for strength to forgive and let go. Of course, you'll never be able to forget what happened, but forgiveness is about not holding anything against your spouse when they've done wrong and never bringing it up again. It's about picking up the pieces and moving on. Trust may be violated and might need to be regained. Take the time to work things out, but you must be willing to work things out. If you aren't willing, you need put your walk with God in check. You might not understand the forgiveness that has been given to you if you have even received forgiveness at all. That is another scary thought..
As you (both of you, that is) apply these principles in your earthly marriage, you will see how much more love you have for your spouse. You will grow closer to each other and have a stronger bond that is hard to break. If you believe these truths about God and His character, you will enjoy Him more as you draw closer to Him, and vice versa. As you grow in these truths you will have a greater desire to serve your God and spouse with love, honor, dignity, and selflessness. These aren't all of the principles and truths in marriage, but they are definitely some of the greatest. If you aren't married, you are kind out of the loop and that's okay. Why? Because if you believe God's promises and trust that He will always remain faithful to you no matter what, and if you will practice these principles with God, you will understand what marriage is all about and you will practice them with your spouse. It will be a learning process, no doubt, but you will be a step ahead of many marriages in this day and age.
Treasure Christ above all things. Treasure your spouse as Christ treasures you.
Blessings,
Nick
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