I’ll be in Wheaton with my fellow F.I.R.E. brethren Monday thru Thursday – and hope to be back in the office on Friday!
Pray for me – I’m traveling with Tony Bartolucci.
Trust me, I NEED prayer!
OK – so maybe Tony does too.
Category: Salvation
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There are certain crystallizations of Biblical truth, which if thoroughly understood, believed, and made a part of one’s world-view, will enable Believers to easily assess other truth claims. These are not substitutes for knowing the greater body of Scripture – but useful digests; a sort of theological short-hand.That God has spoken in His Word, the Bible, and that having done so has provided us with an ultimate authority on truth from which to proceed is our very first place to go. This is what the Reformers referred to by advancing the slogan: Sola Scriptura. But, by God’s grace, they did not stop there. They went on to help us get a grasp of some of the central truths taught in the Bible, in a form that once again is extremely helpful in weighing the most important issues of life – those which impact our souls and their eternal destiny.
This brings us to our second great slogan in cult proofing our kids and ourselves – Sola Gratia – by GRACE ALONE.
Once again, the basic message is exceedingly simple. And, it is inestimably profound. One is delivered from their guilt before God and thus saved from His just wrath – by one means ONLY – by His grace. By God’s unearned favor poured out in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and applied to those who believe by the Holy Spirit.
Grace, by definition is unearned. And in this regard, the Reformers coined this slogan so as to pit it in direct opposition to the idea that one can MERIT – can be good enough in any way to deserve and thus obtain salvation because of earning it. Grace is grace, when it is given to the undeserving. This is how the Apostle Paul unpacks the issue for us in Romans 11:5-6: “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” Those last words expound the key concept. If one’s salvation is earned by some one, or mass of works – then salvation ceases to BE by grace, at all.
Every cult or false religion proceeds precisely on this point. “Good people go to heaven.” Be a good enough person (though no one can say exactly HOW good one has to be to out-weigh their sin) and you’ll be fine. The false premise upon which this is built is obvious – no amount of doing good things in one place, mitigates the evil done in another. A person is not less guilty of murder, because when they DID kill their victim, at the same time they didn’t kill all the people they could have. The two ultimately are not related. It is a logical fallacy. No number of good things, no matter HOW good, somehow erase the guilt of my sin. It can no more do so any more than all the times I do drive under the speed limit somehow builds up a bank of miles per hour I can trade off against the ones I spend when I DO go over. No system of justice works like that anywhere. And yet when it comes to salvation, millions are ready to sign on the dotted line. And every false religion and cult adopts this point of view in one way or another.
Beloved, salvation is by grace alone. It is a gift. It is unearned in any way, shape or form. It must be received as a gift and as a gift only. Nor is it given to those somehow more deserving than others. It is given to the very lowest of human debris. It is given to us in the preaching of the Gospel. Unearned. Undeserved. Never forget that, and no cult, no man-made religion will ever suck you in.
It is in the Scripture alone, that we are told authoritatively that salvation is by grace alone. Sola Scriptura. Sola Gratia.
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Slogans find their way into every culture. Webster’s 11th Collegiate states that a slogan is: “a : a war cry especially of a Scottish clan; b : a word or phrase used to express a characteristic position or stand or a goal to be achieved.” Such slogans can be merely catchy, or motivating like Patrick’s Henry’s famous “give me liberty or give me death” – or even vitally useful. It is this last category that our graphic above falls into. For during the Protestant Reformation, a series of slogans were used both to motivate, and to crystallize some of the key concepts being fought for. Sola Scriptura is the first of five of the most important of those Reformation slogans. And if they are digested and stood upon, they can serve a most extraordinary role still. If one embraces these slogans as a part of their world view, they can, all alone, serve to keep one safe from nearly every form of false religion, and Christian cult.- Sola Scriptura. What does it mean? In the first place, it is simply the way of saying “Scripture Alone” in Latin. But what was meant by its use then? Above all other things, it meant that the Reformers, held that Scripture – the Holy Bible – stands uniquely, unerringly and supremely above every other authority. It serves always as the final court of appeals in terms of its revelation of God, our world view, and thus in defining faith, morals and ethics. No, The Bible will not teach you quantum physics, nor how to fix your motorcycle. It will teach you how to be reconciled to God in Jesus Christ, why you NEED to be reconciled and how once you have been – you can DO quantum physics and repair your motorcycle in godliness and to the Creator’s glory. Scripture does not contain all information on every subject. But it is the ONLY authoritative source of the necessary information God has revealed concerning who and what He is, who and what we are, the saving of our souls, the meaning of life and how to live it.
- Every false religion, or even false expression of true Christianity errs on this point. It will either make some thing or some one equal to the authority of Scripture, or above it. It cannot rest with man being brought supremely under the authority of the Bible above all else.
- We must be clear here – Scripture itself teaches that other authorities DO exist, and that by God’s appointment. As such, we are responsible to them. But every other authority, be it familial, civil or ecclesiastical has these inviolable parameters: NO authority, under any circumstances has the right to require one to do anything the Scripture forbids them to do, nor the right to forbid them to do anything Scripture requires them to do.
- Every Christian cult follows suit in this regard. It will have as its final authority some other text or texts, personalities (who themselves are the final interpreters of Scripture irrespective of all others) or another source either equal to or above the Bible.
BEWARE!
- Beloved, when God speaks, all others must shut their mouths. And God speaks, infallibly, only in His Word. Listen to Him. Do we listen to the Church as well? We had better. It is arrogant to ignore the gifts God has given to His Church throughout the centuries for our edification. But we do not mistakenly forget that churches, pastors, theologians, synods, councils and ecclesiastical powers of all kinds not only can err, but do. Not so God. Not so His Word.
- Remember this, keep to this, and you cannot go far afield.
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“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13, ESV)The most obvious application of such a verse is that we need to be a people who regularly and candidly confess our sins to God. One’s salvation (if they are truly in Christ) is not lacking in security in any way, but intimacy with God is to be cherished and preserved. Unconfessed sin injures our closeness to Him. When we fail to acknowledge our sins before Him, we begin to follow a thought pattern that treats sin lightly, and fails to account for sin being a personal affront to our Lord and Savior. We treat it like the World does – as some sort of mere “legal” matter. But sin is not first and foremost a legal matter. Sin, above all other things, is a personal offense to our God’s holy nature. We offend Him when we sin – personally. And that issue needs to be addressed. To let it go, is to ignore Him – to treat Him as though He does not matter. As though our slaps to His holy face are inconsequential. As though our denials of who and what He is by failing to display His glory – mean nothing. As though the cross, means little. That Jesus died for nothing, after all – sin is such a little deal, we don’t even need to make amends when we commit it against Him. Something’s wrong with that picture. It grows out of a low view of sin – which is absolutely tied to a low view of the cross. Heavenly Father, make our hearts tender toward you again – so that we see the sinfulness of sin. Not so as to depress us or drive us to despair – but so as to make us melt at the awe and wonder of your mercy and grace in the substitutionary death of Jesus for our sin at Calvary. That we might delight in you all the more.
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Proverbs 27:5 (ESV) “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”Are you addicted to the kisses of sycophants? Do you need their profuse affirmations? then know that they are the enemies of your soul. People who will only tell you what you want to hear – hate you. They will destroy you.
Husbands, do you always need your wives and children to agree with you and pledge their unqualified support? Or at work, do you need peers and underlings to agree with you in order to feel secure? How about wives? Do you need your gal-friends to only sympathize or empathize with your point of view or hurt feelings? Children, must your schoolmates or friends always affirm your opinions and actions? Leaders, do you need those under you to pat you on the back at all times and sign on to all your ideas and views? If you breed those behaviors in others, if you create that culture in your home, marriage, relationships or workplace – you will do so to your own destruction.
If Jesus only preached and taught what found acceptance with all those around Him, if He catered to their opinions and viewpoints – He might have avoided the Cross. But then, you and I would have no salvation.
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Lamentations 3:31–33 (ESV) “For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.”The Father would rather we not need discipline. He takes no pleasure in our afflictions. He stands ready to forgive, indeed He only afflicts that we might return and enjoy the abundance of His steadfast love. It is the “abundance” we are prevented from having while we remain in our sin. It isn’t that He does not love us, but that we cannot enjoy the freedom and depth and sweetness and the unfettered love that comes with nothing remaining between us to separate. He does not afflict willingly. He does so only out of love. Not because He has begun to love less.
Thy wounds, are good, and right O Lord
No ill attends Thy dealing
Who with each wound in life afflicts
Yet plots my sick soul’s healing
In faithfulness and charity
Thy kind hand works in blessing
Allowing, crafting, crushing more
Thine Image sorely pressing
A softer will I plead O Lord
‘Tis not Your work which harms me
The cold and hardness of my heart
Is what in pain alarms me
Break me, melt me, mold me fully
Spare not each needed turning
Apply the fire of perfect love
Thy loving, cleansing, burning
Till pliable, and yielded up
And stripped of sin’s resistance
The vessel made emerges wrought
Of Love’s divine persistence
O Faithful Lord and Master mine
Make me to show Thy glory
The work of Christ’s redeeming love
Will be my endless story
Thy wounds, are good, and right O Lord
No ill attends Thy dealing
Who with each wound in life afflicts
Yet plots my sick soul’s healing
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Proverbs 19:4 (ESV) Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend.If you are one who’s relationships are built only around what you get out of it, and you put nothing into it to benefit the others – you will find yourself all alone. If you have few friends, ask yourself – do I contribute anything to others, or do I go to them only to fill up the void in myself? If this is the greater way it is with you – you are a very lonely person indeed. The others cannot pour enough into your void to fill you up. And after a while, they give up. They are drained, and have nothing to show for it. They flee in self-preservation. Verses 6-7 go on to add: “Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. All a poor man’s brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them.” Proverbs 19:6–7 (ESV) The truth is, the wealthy and generous here do not have to possess material goods at all. They need only to have a generous spirit – a delight in blessing others, especially in Christ. Know well the riches which are yours in Him, and you’ll have much to contribute to others – and you will have the joy of many friends in the process.
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Proverbs 19:2 (ESV) Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.We generally refer to such people as “driven.” They just know they have a desire – and are in constant pursuit – but of what? really, they do not know. There has been precious little reflection on it. They just know they want “something” – and are on an eternal quest to gain it. One wonders if they would even recognize it even if they did obtain it. It is like being hungry, and eating, but knowing you are not satisfied – there is some unidentifiable something you crave – but you do not know what it is. If this is the state of your soul – you will run after things which in the end “misses” the “way”. How we need to pray, and submit our souls to the Father in such circumstances, and not allow ourselves be driven like this. In His Garden are all sorts of delights. If none of them satisfies, we will most certainly end up partaking of what we should not. Fill yourself up more and more on what God HAS provided in your life – and grow to be satisfied that He knows the better provision for you, than your unidentifiable cravings do.
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“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:13-17, ESV)Heavenly Father, the headlines today read:
“GINGRICH: Obama ‘most radical president ever’…
LIMBAUGH: Obama ‘inflicting untold damage on this great country’…
PALIN: Obama’s Nuke Stance Like Kid Who Says ‘Punch Me in Face’…
LIZ CHENEY: Obama Putting America on ‘Path to Decline’…
HANNITY: Obama ‘Is a Socialist’…
MARK LEVIN: Civil disobedience is coming…
SAVAGE: ‘Obama The Destroyer’…”‘”
– but I see few people “honoring” President Obama according to your Word. Forgive us.
Father, you know I have little or no accord with the President’s philosophies, policies or outlooks as I know them. But he is the one who occupies the highest office in the governmental structure under which I live – and in your kind providence, the one which we enjoy in this country. And as such, I want to honor him today. I want to do so by beseeching you on his behalf. He bears the weight of this great nation, and its role in the world upon his shoulders. He needs wisdom Father. He needs both the light and the desire to act in accordance with your truth, and the courage to do so. I have no sense of his spiritual state before you except that he makes no profession of saving faith in Jesus Christ as we understand it. I pray then above all else for his soul. That he will come to the end of his fallen condition, and cry out to you for mercy and forgiveness – and that because of the blood of Christ shed for human sin – you will forgive and save him. That he will be born again, and that Jesus Christ will be Lord of his life. I pray that you will surround him with wise advisers, and give him keen insight to the needs of this nation. That under his administration the Gospel will prosper and we will live in peace for the furtherance of the kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth.
Bless President Obama Father – he is our President. And we want him to both be supremely blessed in salvation, as well as rule as your Word says in 2 Samuel 23:3-4 – “The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.”
Save his family and keep them loving and intact. Keep him pure from sin and withhold his hand from unjust, unwise or otherwise detrimental decisions and polices. Give him the physical and emotional stamina he needs. Use him for your glory in this generation for as long as it is wise in your eyes to keep him in office.
Teach our hears to honor him according to your Word. And we ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ your only begotten son, and our Lord. Amen.
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” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.” ’ ” And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.” (Exodus 8:20-24, ESV)Up until this point in the Exodus narrative, it appears the Israelites experienced the difficulties of the plagues as well as the Egyptians did. They too had suffered the loss of the Nile’s water when it was turned to blood; the frogs which invaded even their ovens and beds; the pesky gnats that covered “man and beast” like dust. It wasn’t any more pleasant for God’s people than for their Captors.
God’s judgments upon mankind, or a particular nation, affect the Christians resident there as well as those who are being judged. We need to keep this in mind, especially when we pray concerning God’s dealings with our own nation. Are WE willing to suffer some of what it will take to break the pride and self-sufficiency of America? Or have we developed a theology of “exemption”? “Lord, deal with THEM, as long as we don’t have to experience any discomfort or pain.” But this is not how God works. Christians in America are both Christians AND Americans. We have our share in what God is doing on both fronts.
Does there ever come a separation? Evidently, at least it appears so in this text. There does come a separation – wherein the distinction is made. But in the meantime Beloved, do not be surprised that you suffer some of the ill effects of God’s dealings with the lost. If we want revival in the United States, we must prepare ourselves to suffer what it takes to break a nation like ours, along with the rest of the populace. God will give us special grace – but some things – we will have to endure in common. Are we willing to do that, in order that God might move mightily in revival?
Its a good question to ask ourselves.
ResponsiveReiding 