Category: Salvation

To Give His Life a Ransom for Many?

Monday, August 1, 2011

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 KJV).

Calvinists use today’s Scripture to argue “limited atonement,” the belief that Christ only died to save “many,” not “all.” Does God want “all” to be saved, or just “many” to be saved?

In Luke 1:68,69,77, the Holy Ghost speaks through Zacharias (father of John the Baptist): “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;…to give knowledge unto salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,”

Surely, the Holy Ghost is speaking of Israel here. According to the Old Testament, Israel had to be saved first, and then God would use that saved nation to bring salvation to the rest of the world (Exodus 19:5,6; Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23; et al.).

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). Jesus Christ came to Israel first because the Old Testament covenants were given to Israel’s patriarchs, not to the Gentiles. Christ came to fulfill Israel’s covenants (Romans 15:8), which explains why He restricted His earthly ministry to Jews. “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24; cf. Matthew 10:5-7; John 4:22). Salvation needed to be preached to Israel first (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:36-38; Acts 3:24-26).

When we come to Paul’s ministry, we learn: “but rather through [Israel’s] fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke [Israel] to jealousy” (Romans 11:11). Israel blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, and rejected the establishment of her kingdom. Consequently, God went to the nations, apart from Israel. Today, the Apostle Paul writes that Christ “gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:6). Thus, limited atonement is foolishness.

Today, salvation is sent to the entire world (“all”)—not just to Israel (“many”)—through Paul’s Gospel.

We Are Ambassadors for Christ

Sunday, July 31, 2011

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV).

In the context of today’s Scripture (verses 14-21), the Apostle Paul describes our “Great Commission.” Why has God (temporarily) left us saints here?

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15). Saints, we are alive physically. But Christ died to give us His life, so we are also spiritually alive.

We died on Calvary’s cross with Christ (Romans 6:6). We live not for our glory, but unto the glory of Christ whose life is now in us. God left us, the Body of Christ, on earth so we could be “ambassadors,” His servants in this foreign land where we do not belong (Ephesians 2:19-22; Philippians 3:20).

God is doing something amazing today in this the Dispensation of Grace. As His children in Christ Jesus we should participate in what He is doing by placing our faith in His Word to us (Paul’s epistles). It is our “reasonable service” to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Romans 12:1).

As we tarry in this world, waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to snatch us away, He has entrusted us with the message of His grace. God wants to utilize us to demonstrate His grace, His glory, and His life to the world. As God’s children, it is our responsibility to tell the lost world that God has reconciled them unto Himself by Jesus Christ and His finished crosswork.

We have “the ministry of reconciliation,” the Christian ambassadorship, to share the “word of reconciliation,” the gospel of grace (2 Corinthians 5:18,19): that Christ died for their sins, was buried, and raised again for their justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

In Paul’s epistles we learn the true meaning of “ambassadors for [the risen] Christ.”

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*As “ambassadors for the risen Christ Ministries” (arC Ministries) celebrates its fourth anniversary today, we want to take this opportunity to thank all those who have labored with us in the gospel. It has been a privilege, and we look forward to serving you for another year (Lord willing). Thank you for your continued prayer. –Shawn Brasseaux

Using the Law Lawfully

Saturday, July 30, 2011

“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;” (1 Timothy 1:8 KJV).

In this the Dispensation of Grace, how does a man use the Mosaic Law “lawfully?” Paul continues in verses 9 and 10: “…the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;”

The function of the Mosaic Law is to show us we cannot measure up to God’s standard of righteousness (rightness). Galatians 2:16 says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the law shall no flesh be justified.”

God’s Word says in Romans 3:19,20: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Galatians 3:24,25 says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

Using the Law lawfully in this the Dispensation of Grace means to recognize our sinfulness and Jesus Christ’s sinlessness. The Mosaic Law shows us that we cannot be justified (made right before God) through our works. It points us to the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Law points us to salvation in Jesus Christ and His fulfilling the Law perfectly.

Do you use the Law lawfully?

Fallen from Grace?

Thursday, July 28, 2011

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4 KJV).

Today’s Scripture has been greatly misunderstood, often being used to support the idea of loss of salvation. The Galatians were saved because Paul called them “brethren” nine times (1:11, 3:15, 4:12, 4:28, 4:31, 5:11, 5:13, 6:1, 6:18).

“Fallen from grace” describes many Holy Spirit-indwelt Christians today. They are saved, eternally secure in Christ Jesus, but like the poor Galatians, they have fallen prey to denominationalism. They have inadvertently or deliberately abandoned God’s grace to us in Christ. Sadly, they prefer Israel’s legalistic program of time past.

Galatians 3:1-3 could be written to today’s average “Bible-believing” church: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Protestant and Catholic churches force their members to keep the Mosaic Law in order to gain favor with God. Are we saved by keeping the Law? No. We are saved by God’s grace, apart from our works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5). How do our Christian lives operate? On the basis of Law? No. Our Christian lives operate by Christ living in and through us, not us living the Christian life (Galatians 2:20).

“I do not frustrate [hinder, make of no effect] the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). The way you prevent God’s grace from operating in your Christian life is to force yourself back under Israel’s yoke of bondage, the Mosaic Law. At that point, your Christian life will be utterly destroyed, like the Galatians’.

Brethren, do not fall from grace. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

Stiffnecked, Gainsaying, and Disobedient

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

“But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Romans 10:21 KJV).

Israel was God’s chosen people in the earth but they were just as stubborn and rebellious as the pagan Gentiles described in Romans 1:18-32. In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 65:2 (in which the LORD says): “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;”

Verse 3 continues, “A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;…” Israel ignored the LORD and preferred the Gentiles’ pagan gods! How sad.

For 40 years Moses led the nation Israel in the wilderness wanderings. Their murmuring and rebellion against the LORD caused Moses great distress (Exodus 15:24; Exodus 16:2; Exodus 17:1-4; et al.). The Bible describes Israel as “stiffnecked” (stubborn) eight times in the Old Testament (Exodus 32:9; Exodus 33:3,5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6, 13; Deuteronomy 10:16; 2 Chronicles 30:8). Miraculously, God in His longsuffering tolerated the Jews.

Unfortunately, Israel acted no better in the New Testament. She refused to listen to her Messiah Jesus and His apostles. Ultimately, she killed her Messiah in disobedience (1 Peter 2:7,8). In Acts 7:51 the prophet Stephen tells Israel’s religious leaders: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” Did the Jews repent and obey God? No. They rebel and kill Stephen (verse 59)!

Before we condemn Israel for her wickedness, we need to understand we are just as much Adam’s physical descendants as they were. “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). Even as Christians, we rebel against God and His Word (see Romans chapter 7).

We too may be stiffnecked, gainsaying, and disobedient, but praise God for His longsuffering, grace, mercy, and forgiveness

Life is Unfair Indeed

Thursday, July 21, 2011

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 KJV).

Life is unfair. The guilty are declared innocent, and the innocent are condemned. Productive citizens’ lives are cut short by tragedy, yet those living ill-repute lives survive to do great damage to society. The wicked prosper while the Christians are mistreated. Corrupt millionaires seem to triumph over the people who live average to borderline-poverty lives. God’s people suffer persecution from Satan’s evil world system.

Indeed, life is so unfair. What better way to demonstrate that than to quote today’s Scripture: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust….” The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:3 and Hebrews 1:3 that Christ died for “our sins.” “For he [God the Father] made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin;” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God the Father sent His perfect Son to Calvary’s cross to bear our shame, our sin, our punishment, and our debt.

Heaven’s best came to this nasty world to save us, earth’s worst. Jesus Christ always pleased His Father (Matthew 3:17). We never pleased God (Romans 8:8). Christ did not deserve to go to Calvary. He went there because we deserved to go there, and He took our place so we could be saved from sin’s penalty, the everlasting lake of fire.

Life is SO unfair. The beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ, who always pleased His Father, died for us rotten, disobedient, ungrateful, arrogant, foolish, stubborn, sinful, hell-bound men trapped inside of these earthly tabernacles.

  • The just Son of God died for us, the unjust sons of Adam.
  • The sinless Son of God died for us, the sinful sons of Adam.
  • The loving Son of God died for us, the unlovely sons of Adam.
  • The innocent Son of God died for us, the guilty sons of Adam.

Behold that cruel cross of Calvary and realize that life is unfair indeed.

The One Baptism

Sunday, July 17, 2011

“There is… one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” (Ephesians 4:5 KJV).

Do you need water baptism for salvation? What about for a testimony? In today’s Scripture, our Apostle Paul tells us that we only need ONE baptism today. Rather than speculating as to what that one baptism could be, why not search Paul’s epistles for the answer?

Evidently, our one baptism is not water baptism, for Paul said, “Christ sent me not to baptize” (1 Corinthians 1:17). In fact, Paul did not water baptize every believer in Corinth, only some of them (1 Corinthians 1:14-16)! At this point, by our forbidding water baptism today, 99.999 percent of Christendom would disagree—oh well! “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:13: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” The ONLY baptism we need today is the baptism whereby the Holy Spirit—not a priest or preacher—places us in the Church the Body of Christ. This is a waterless, supernatural baptism. Paul also refers to this baptism in Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12, and Galatians 3:27. Remember, “baptism” in Scripture does not necessarily mean water baptism.

Today’s Scripture, in its context, lists three of the seven doctrines that we share as members of the Church the Body of Christ. The one baptism that you need today is already yours in Christ! When you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, you received your one baptism by the Holy Spirit placing you into a living, unbroken union with Jesus Christ. That is the one baptism necessary for salvation today in the Dispensation of Grace.

Never let some minister try to force you to be water baptized, either for salvation or for a testimony. Water baptism was for the salvation of the nation Israel in her kingdom program (Matthew 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21).

What About Unanswered Prayer?

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” (Psalm 66:18 KJV).

Unanswered prayer is a popular topic. Why are some prayers “unanswered?”

Read Isaiah 59:1,2: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Using the above verses, denominationalists say that if we have unconfessed sin, God does not hear our prayers (or He refuses to answer them). Of course, these religionists are not “rightly dividing the word of truth” like 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs.

Before we claim a Bible passage as ours, we need to notice to whom is the passage written. Psalm 66:18 and Isaiah 59:1,2 are not written to us in the Dispensation of Grace. They are God’s message to the nation Israel. God made a covenant with Israel—if Israel refused to listen to Him, He judged them in chastisement (in this case, unanswered prayer). Israel had to perform and obey if they wanted God’s blessings. That was their agreement with God in the Old (Mosaic) Covenant (see Deuteronomy 28).

It would make no sense to steal Israel’s passages (like Isaiah 59:1,2 and Psalm 66:18), because God dealt with Israel under law whereas He deals with us under grace (Romans 6:14,15). We are NOT in Israel’s works-religion (performance-based acceptance) system.

God judging us for unconfessed sin? If we have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we have perfect righteousness. How can God impute sin to us when we are in His Son (Romans 4:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:19)? As Christians, we can boldly come to God our Father in prayer. He hears all our prayers.

So, why do we not always get our prayers answered how we want? Evidently, we are trying to get God to do something He is not doing today (like asking Him for the promises He gave Israel and never promised us). Unanswered prayer is the result of us not praying in accordance with Paul’s epistles.

On the Sufferings of This Present Time

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 KJV).

Everyone suffers, Christians and lost people alike. Our suffering originates from three sources:

  1. We all live under the curse of sin. According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, matter is becoming less and less usable. Every living creature grows sick and eventually dies. Romans 8:21,22 and Genesis 3:16-19 explain the curse (the bondage of corruption) was instituted on creation because of sin. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
  2. We make mistakes, hurting ourselves and others. Others make bad decisions, and they negatively affect us. Of course, this too is closely related to #1 (sin). Christ said, “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).
  3. We Christians suffer for righteousness’ sake. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29).

Until we leave this present evil world of Satan, we will continue to suffer from all of the above. The good news is what Paul writes in today’s Scripture: this temporary suffering is nothing when compared to the eternal glorification that is awaiting us as members of the Body of Christ.

When we Christians receive our glorified bodies in heaven, we will be free from these bodies of sinful flesh, never to suffer again. What a hope we have in heaven, all because of Christ Jesus and His finished cross work on Calvary!

Lest They Also Come Into This Place of Torment

Monday, July 11, 2011

“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment” (Luke 16:27,28 KJV).

While fools often quip they anticipate their partying with friends in hell, the rich man of today’s Scripture was certainly not partying. By the way, this is NOT a parable.

The Bible says the rich man’s soul was in torments, greatly tortured by hell’s flames (verses 23-25). His mind was overwhelmed with regretful memories. He remembered he still had five lost brethren alive on earth, so he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to go witness to them and warn them of hell’s torments.

Notice Abraham’s response: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (verse 29). If someone wants to avoid everlasting hellfire, he or she needs to study God’s Word and learn how to escape God’s righteous judgment against our sins.

Christian ambassadors, we have been entrusted with “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Our ministry is to tell the entire world they can have an opportunity to avoid hell because Jesus Christ suffered for them and as them on Calvary’s cross!

“[Christ] tasted death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9). Christ was “made a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). The Bible says that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day for our justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

It has been said that the spirit of evangelism is stronger in hell than it is in the Christian heart. We all have family and friends headed to hell, yet we lapse into attitudes of unconcern, hoping that someone else will witness to them. Be bold in Christ. Tell them of Calvary’s cross. Pray for their salvation, too.

Whenever you fall into a state of complacency (unconcerned) in sharing the salvation found only in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be motivated to speak up when you remember the rich man’s haunting words: “Lest they also come into this place of torment!”