Category: faith

‘Twas the Sunday Night Before Christmas

Sunday, December 22, 2013

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 KJV).

Let us not be so sidetracked by religion and commercialization that we miss the reason for the Christmas Season….

During the Christmas Season, we wonder how many people are visiting church for the second time this year (the other being Easter Sunday). How many will be going to church today—the Sunday before Christmas—just to feel “religious” or “holy?” How many really know Jesus Christ? For many, visiting a church building is just an obligation; they do not have faith in God’s Word and have no interest in God’s Word.

We do not go to church to “feel closer to God,” for if we have trusted in Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we cannot be any closer to God than we already are in Christ! “[Before salvation, we were] without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh [close to God] by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:12,13).

Furthermore, we do not go to church in order to get God’s blessings, for God has already given us “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We go to church, not because we are keeping Israel’s Sabbath day, since we are not obligated to observe Israel’s religious days (Colossians 2:16). We go to church to fellowship with like-minded believers and hear sound doctrine… more than twice a year, by the way.

In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy that whenever he would assemble with fellow Christians, certain behavior was acceptable and other types of behavior were not (described throughout the epistle of 1 Timothy). Recall that when the Bible refers to “the church,” it refers to the body of believers, not the physical building in which they meet.

As we get opportunities, let us make an effort to reach these dear souls misled by all the vain religious tradition and Christmas commercialization, and may we tell them of the wonderful Christ Jesus whose name is found in Christmas!

*Based on the poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Final Arrangements #2

Saturday, December 14, 2013

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12 KJV).

When all of life is over, all of life has just begun, so when all of life is over, be sure you have the Son!

In verse 11, we read, “And this is the record [testimony], that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Unbroken fellowship with the God of heaven is in His Son, Jesus Christ, who defined “life eternal” as knowing God the Father and the Son (Himself), whom the Father sent (John 17:3). The “life” of today’s Scripture is not living in general (even non-Christians are alive!), but “eternal life.” Furthermore, “eternal life” is not simply living forever, but living forever fellowshipping with God and His Son Jesus Christ! Fascinatingly, the Apostle John wrote that he and all the other Jewish believers who saw Jesus living in His physical body (His earthly ministry) literally saw God’s life, and they also partook of that eternal life (1 John 1:1-3)!

When one places faith in and relies exclusively on the death, shed blood, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for his or her sins, one receives eternal life now (rather than dying and getting it in heaven). One enjoys this eternal life by studying God’s Word rightly divided, discovering Him and what He is doing.

James likened the human life to “a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (4:14). Our physical bodies exist for “a little time,” and then they “perish” (2 Corinthians 4:16). However, our inner man (soul and spirit) will live forever—believers dwelling in God’s presence (Psalm 23:6; Ephesians 2:6,7 cf. Ephesians 3:21) and lost people dwelling in torments in God’s absence (Isaiah 66:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 14:9-11).

This life will end one day, but the next life will begin: we will continue to exist as a soul and a spirit. May we trust Jesus Christ alone as Saviour now, that we may have eternal life now, and not experience life in eternity apart from God’s life, for that godless life is no “life” at all!

A Fruit-Bearing Gospel

Sunday, October 13, 2013

“[The gospel] Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:” (Colossians 1:6 KJV).

As today’s Scripture teaches, God’s Word never returns to Him void.

Verse 23 says the Gospel of God’s Grace had reached the Colossians, as well as the whole then-known world, via Paul’s ministry: “…the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister….” The Gospel “[brought] forth fruit” in that it accomplished God’s intention.

Isaiah 55:10,11 affirms: “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Read 1 Corinthians 3:9: “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” God is a farmer, and Christians are His crops. Once Paul and his ministry coworkers had preached the Gospel of the Grace of God, Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for one’s sins, the Holy Spirit used those words to convict lost souls of their need of that salvation through Jesus Christ. Some, though not all, who heard Paul’s Gospel believed that message and trusted it alone for soul salvation.

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6,7). Like the Corinthians, the Colossians had believed Paul’s Gospel once they heard it (today’s Scripture). They recognized God’s grace “in truth;” they knew what Paul preached was true and they gained an understanding of everything that God could do for them through Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork.

May we, by faith, let the Gospel bear fruit in us.

Consider Your Ways, Israel! #4

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

“Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:5,6 KJV).

The Jews have built their houses, but they are apathetic that they have not finished JEHOVAH’S….

Although JEHOVAH is displeased with Israel for not completing His Temple, and while He has caused a severe economic depression in Judah and Jerusalem (verses 1-11), He, through the prophet Haggai (and Zechariah, too), encourages Israel to put Him first—and get rid of that curse—by completing His Temple!

Verses 12-14 document Israel’s response: “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD. Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God….”

Ezra 5:1,2 supplement Haggai’s words: “Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.”

By faith, Israel is encouraged in God’s Word, and thus resumes building her God’s Temple….

Where Was God? #7

Friday, September 20, 2013

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 KJV).

One of the most common questions ever asked….

Jesus Christ said of Israel, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). Signs, miracles, and wonders are the nation Israel’s birthright: in Psalm 74:9, Israel confesses they are “our signs.” Paul wrote, “For the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22a).

Rather than seeking visible and audible proof of God’s working today—angelic visitations, miraculous healings, financial deliverance, “small still voices,” et cetera—we walk by faith. When writing to and about us in this the Dispensation of Grace, Paul wrote, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight: )” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus Christ stated, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Where is God during tragedies? He is working in and through us Christians using His Word, that those troubles not destroy us. The way God intervenes today is by directly (yet invisibly) working in our inner man: He takes His rightly divided Word that we study and believe, and His indwelling Holy Spirit uses it to transform us from the inside out. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13: “…the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

God gives us strength (Philippians 4:11-13) and grace to bear those troubles (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Paul prayed: “That he [God] would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). See 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is exiled today. He is sitting at His heavenly Father’s right hand in glory. Until He returns to earth and deposes Satan and his minions, this “present evil world” will continue as is (Galatians 1:4; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4). Let us remember that we have hope: we Christians are not here forever, and while we are here, the Lord is in us and here with us! 🙂

Who Is a Saint? #6

Saturday, August 31, 2013

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” (1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV).

Behold, the identity that we Christians have in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Through faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork alone as sufficient payment for our sins, we are dead to our old Adamic nature (sin’s dominion): “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). We have been raised again with Christ to “walk in newness of life” (verse 4). Just as our Adamic nature produces sins, that new nature/life we have in Christ generates good works (Galatians 5:22-26; Ephesians 4:20-32; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 3:1-17). God has made us “saints” for this purpose!

Paul explained practical sanctification in 2 Timothy 2:19-21: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7). The Christian is to take God’s Word, study and believe it rightly divided, and will thus be “perfect [mature], throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Remember, one is not a saint based on his or her performance, but because of his or her identity in Christ. Still, our positional sanctification (in Jesus Christ) should be reflected on a daily basis (practical sanctification by Jesus Christ). A sinner is a sinner not because he sins—he sins because he is a sinner in Adam (his very nature causes those sins). Likewise, a saint, although leading an imperfect life, is still a “saint” (“sanctified;” today’s Scripture) in God’s eyes because of that person’s identity in Jesus Christ.

This earthly Christian life is a preview of that which is to come….

One Heartbeat Away from Eternity

Saturday, August 24, 2013

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1 KJV).

How true, Job, how true!

Earlier this week, just hours after returning from my mom’s aunt’s out-of-state funeral, my family received news that my dad’s younger brother had had a “minor” heart attack but that CPR saved him. We were relieved. Minutes later, we received a second phone call: we learned it was a massive heart attack and his soul likely slipped away into eternity before help arrived.

I was the one who had to tell the news to his 86-year-old mother, my grandmother. There really was no easy way to tell her, and as I gently spoke those words that no mother ever wants to hear, the poor soul sat speechless. As she wept, she told me she never expected to bury a child. Actually, none of us expected that it would be my 61-year-old uncle to die next in the family, and that he would die without any warning—no one in the family was able to tell him goodbye. My poor dear grandmother never did receive her phone call from him that she had been awaiting.

At the funeral Thursday, the most heart-wrenching sight I had ever seen, I was reminded of today’s Scripture. Dear readers, we never do appreciate the frailty of our lives until death comes. Quite frankly, any one of us may literally be just a heartbeat from eternity. As Job stated, we have been given but “few days” on earth (today’s Scripture). We just do not know how “few” those days “full of trouble” really are. That is why the Bible says to be ready to leave today; death gives little to no warning!

We do not have to go to hell. May we not teeter on the edge of a lost eternity! Jesus Christ died for our sins, His perfect blood paid for those sins, His burial put away those sins, and His resurrection gives us new life and justification in Him (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Trust alone in that Gospel of the Grace of God, and when that final heartbeat comes, you will be prepared!

Who Is a Sinner? #7

Thursday, August 22, 2013

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Behold, God’s standard of righteousness, of which we all fall short!

“He that believeth on him [Jesus Christ] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). Right from birth, every person is destined for everlasting hellfire. Scripture says that everything we are by nature and everything we do by nature are offensive to God. Just as physical illness has symptoms, our (invisible) sin nature generates sins (the actions). If we are to be made right in God’s sight (justified), there must be a drastic change in our makeup. The illness, the nature—not merely the symptoms—must be treated.

The only way to avoid that penalty of that sin nature is to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). When we trust alone in the shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the fully-satisfying payment for our sins (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4), we receive the very standing (position) that Jesus Christ has before God the Father. God “makes us the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21), and we thus have in Jesus Christ the righteousness needed to fellowship with God forever in heaven. We become “a new creature in Christ”—we lose our “old man” identity in Adam and God gives us a new nature in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:6).

We have nothing in which to boast, for that eternal life is a gift, and a gift is only free—we do not deserve it (Ephesians 2:8,9). Jesus Christ paid it all, and we accept His righteousness by faith in Him alone.

Who is a sinner? A sinner is one whose nature does not measure up to God’s standard of rightness. Dear readers, please remember, it is only a sinner that the Saviour Jesus Christ can save. Howbeit, for those sinners who do trust Him alone, He does save them from sin and eternal hellfire, free and forever. 🙂

Who Is a Sinner? #6

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Behold, God’s standard of righteousness, of which we all fall short!

Returning to our earlier comments, religious people, whether they know it or not, have set themselves up for misery and disappointment (not including that which will come in eternity). The Bible so clearly declares in Galatians 3:10-13: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written [Deuteronomy 27:26], Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith [Habakkuk 2:4]. And the law is not of faith: but [Leviticus 18:5], The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written [Deuteronomy 21:23], Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

By virtue of the Mosaic Law, we are all “guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). No matter how hard we try, we cannot bring God praise by our performance, and we can never measure up to His glory. The Law “was weak through the flesh” (Romans 8:3): our flesh (that is, we in our resources and strength) cannot obey every single rule that demonstrates God’s holiness. The Law only condemns; it saves no one!

However, the good news is that Jesus Christ died on our behalf; He suffered God’s wrath against our sin by becoming “sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ took God’s curse on us sinners, and He bore its weight on Calvary’s cross! When we trust alone in the shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that perfect sacrifice reunites us with God, and we are declared “the righteousness of God” in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). As sinners, we qualify for God’s plan of salvation available only to sinners. By God’s abounding grace, we can be saved from the curse that our performance generates….

Who Is a Sinner? #2

Saturday, August 17, 2013

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Behold, God’s standard of righteousness, of which we all fall short!

I once posed this simple, straightforward inquiry to a priest: “Where would your soul go if you died right now?” He answered, “Heaven, after I am cleansed in purgatory.” I explained to him God’s Word declared we could be “made the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21) by simply trusting in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins. When I thus questioned him regarding the purpose of purgatorial cleansing, he (blasphemously) replied, “Yeah, but now we are not talking about what Jesus did. We are talking about what I am going to do!”

Beloved, billions have allowed religion to burden them which such a weight that they, sinful people, will have to please a holy God before they can get into heaven. They are basing the salvation of their eternal soul on the presumption that they can do what Jesus Christ—God manifest in human flesh—could not do! Exactly what can we weak, mortal men do to measure up to Almighty God? How can we even think about proposing a more perfect sacrifice than what Jesus Christ offered on Calvary’s cross nearly 20 centuries ago? What utter foolishness!

God the Father said to Jesus Christ, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Jesus declared, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). Can God say that about us sinners? Is He really “well pleased” with us all the time? Can you honestly say with Jesus, “I do always those things that please [God the Father]?” Nay! That is what sin is!

We would do well to swallow our pride and confess that we will never measure up to God’s standard of holiness “doing the best we can.” Our character, our sinful nature, produces sinful behavior, only bringing shame to our Creator, Jesus Christ, and gendering nothing but His wrath….