There is a lot of debate about who God is, who Jesus Christ is and who the Holy Ghost is. It is really quite a simple matter to solve if you ignore the voices of men and religions and read the Bible for yourself. The Bible is the only authority we should be listening to because it is the divine word of God. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. That being said, let us see what the word of God has to say about who God is, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Ghost is.
The first thing we discover in reading the Word is that God is one. Dueteronomy 6:4 gives us the first and most important commandment, “Hear, O Isreal: the Lord our God is one Lord: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might”. This verse is what the Jews refer to as the Shema. The Jewish people understand the importance of worshipping only one God so much that thy recite the Shema in the morning, in the evening, before they go to bed, during prayers, on special occasions… basically any chance they get they remind themselves that “Hear O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord”.
In Isaiah 44:6 God says, “I am the first, and the last: and beside me there is no God”. In verse 8 he declares, “Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any”. In verse 24 of the same chapter in Isaiah God says, “I am the Lord that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone, that spreads abroad the earth by myself.” Galatians 3:20 says simply, “God is one”. So over and over again in scripture we see that there is one God and he alone created the heaven and the earth.
The second thing we discover in reading the Word of God is that God is an invisible spirit. John 1:18 says, “No man hath seen God at any time”. John 4:24 says, “God is a Spirit”. In Luke 24:39 Jesus says, “a spirit has not flesh and bones”. Therefore God is invisible and we cannot see him; which therefore brings us to Jesus Christ.
From reading the Word of God we understand that God is one and that he is an invisible spirit, but we also see that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. I Timothy 3:16 says, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, receive up into glory”. So God became flesh or took on flesh, he was justified in the spirit, he was seen of angels, he preached to the Gentiles, he was believed on in the world, and he was received up in glory? Hhmmm, let’s see. Who was flesh? Jesus was. Who was justified in the spirit? Jesus was. Who was seen of angels? Jesus was. Who preached to the Gentiles? Jesus did. Who was believed on in the world? Jesus was. Who was received up in glory? Jesus was. So what does that mean? That Jesus is God? Let’s see what the Bible has to say about that.
When Jesus resurrected he came looking for Thomas, who had said he would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw the nail scarred hands and his bruised side. In John 20:26-29 Jesus finds Thomas and shows him his nail scarred hands and his bruised side. But notice what Thomas says when he finally realizes that this is the same Jesus who was nailed to the cross, “My Lord and my GOD” (vs.28). In John 14:8 Philip asked Jesus to show him this Father that he kept talking about and what did Jesus answer Philip, “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?” (vs.9 NIV). Basically Jesus was telling Philip, how can you ask to see the Father yet I am the express image of the Father who by the way is an invisible spirit (He. 1:3)? I am the Father!
So wait a minute. Are you saying that God is Jesus? That God and Jesus are one? John 1:14 says, “And the Word (which Word we saw in verse 1 was God) was made flesh, and dwelt among us”. So God was made flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:10-11 says, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not”. But wait a minute, we read a while back that God said he alone created the world and that he had no help. So why is this scripture saying that Jesus, who was in the world, made the world? Because God and Jesus are one! God simply robbed himself in flesh to come and die for us on the cross because he knew that only he had the power to forgive sin.
Isaiah 9:6 when prophesying about the coming of Jesus Christ says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Look at these descriptions of Jesus; The mighty God, The everlasting Father. If ever you had doubts about Jesus being God this scripture sums it up. In Acts 9:5 when God asks Paul why he is persecuting him and Paul asks who he is what does God say to Paul? “I am Jesus”!
So what about the Holy Spirit? If Jesus is God what about the Holy Spirit? Where does it factor into all this? In John 4:18 Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you”. So the comforter that he promised us, the Holy Ghost, is his spirit? Yes! Jesus is God and the Holy Ghost is his spirit living inside of us. There is no such thing as a trinity. To say that there are three Gods in heaven who are co-equal, co-existent, and co-dependent is to break the first and most important commandment which clearly states, “Hear O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord”.
That is why everything we do must be done in the name of Jesus Christ, because it is the name of God. Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus”. That is why when we get baptized we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; not in the titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Why? Because the name of the Father is Jesus, the name of the Son is Jesus, and the name of the Holy Ghost is Jesus. All three are one and the same God! Revelation 4:2 says, “A throne was set in heaven, and one sat upon the throne”. There is only one throne in heaven and only one God! Those of you expecting to find three Gods in heaven will be sorely disappointed.
So why did Jesus always pray to the Father if he was the Father you might ask? Again let’s look at the Bible. As we read the Word of God we realize that God was completely human and completely God at the same time. He took on the limitations and weaknesses associated with the flesh in order for him to set an example for us. He was completely human but the spirit within him was the spirit of God. The same way our flesh struggles with our spirit, his flesh struggled with his spirit as well. The humanity of Jesus is the reason he is referred to as the Son of God, and it is the reason Jesus was constantly saying, “I and my Father are one” (Jn. 10:30). We are made up of three parts, our bodies (flesh), our spirits, and our souls; does that mean that each of us is three different people? By all means no! It was the same way with Jesus, he too had a spirit and a body because he was completely human and that is why he too had to pray for strength.
In Revelation 1:8 Jesus declares, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”. It is simple to see, and easy to understand, if you search the scriptures diligently that God wrapped himself in flesh, came down to earth and died for us on the cross so that we might be saved, and then dispensed his spirit upon us so that we would be comforted and guided. Look at it this way, if I wanted to prove to someone that something could be done would I send someone else to show then that it could be done or would I myself get up and show them that it could be done? So it was with God. He wanted to show us that we could live a life free from sin despite our flesh so he decided to robe himself in flesh to come show us that it was possible.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Belief Essential, But Not Enough
This might come as a surprise to most of you but simply confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is not enough to get you to heaven. Now when I say confessing, I am talking about simply saying that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, not the true confession required of us in the Bible. This might sound confusing but I will explain the difference. You see, nowadays people think that by simply saying the words “I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior” they are saved and that they are therefore going to make it to heaven. I am sorry to be the one to burst your bubbles everyone but this is simply not true. What the Bible means when it says, or rather commands us, to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead and we shall be saved (Ro. 10:9) is to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is indeed our Lord and Savior, not just to say it. To acknowledge something and to simply say it are two different things.
I can say that I love someone but if I do not treat them with love then my words are meaningless. However, if I treat someone with the respect and care befitting a loved one then I have acknowledged the fact that I am in love with them and therefore my saying I love them is meaningful. But what does it mean to acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? Well, let’s look at the two words, Lord and Savior, separately. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the word Lord means ‘one having power and authority over others: a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due’. Therefore to acknowledge the Jesus Christ is your Lord is to accept the fact that Jesus Christ has power and authority over you, and that he is your ruler and therefore deserves your service and obedience. Simply saying with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord but then refusing to serve him and obey him is meaningless because you have not acknowledged the fact that he is indeed your Lord.
Now let’s look at the word Savior. The dictionary definition of Savior is ‘one that saves from danger or destruction: one who brings salvation’. So, in the same line, to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is your Savior is to understand the fact that he died on the cross and rose on the third day so that he could save us from sin and we would no longer be held captive by the powers of sin. If you continue to live in bondage of sin then you have not acknowledged the fact that Jesus Christ is your Savior. After all, had you acknowledged that fact, you would understand that you have the power to overcome any sin through Jesus Christ. Many of us “confess” that Jesus Christ is our Savior but then continue to be held back by the same sins that beset us before we knew Christ. How then have we acknowledged that he is our Savior if we have not even let him save us from our sins?
So now we know that to confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, as commanded in the Bible (Mt. 10:32, Lu. 12:8, Ro. 10:9, Ph. 2:11, I Jn. 2:23, I Jn. 4:15), is to obey Jesus, let him free you from sin, and to continue to follow him towards salvation. That being said, what does Jesus command us to do to be saved? A man named Nicodemus once asked Jesus that very question. In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, being confused, asked Jesus how a man can enter back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time. Jesus then explained to Nicodemus what being born again means by saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” So this is what Jesus, our Lord, commands us to do to enter the kingdom of God? He commands us to be born of the water and of the Spirit? But what does being born of the water and of the Spirit mean?
Well, being born of the water means being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Mark 16:16 says, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved”. To be baptized symbolizes the death of our old man and the resurrection of our new selves in Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We cannot enter the kingdom of God with our old, sinful ways: we must put to death our old man, bury him in water in the precious name of Jesus, and put on a new man after Christ. That is why Jesus said unless you are born of the water you will not enter the kingdom of God. When you are baptized in Jesus’ name you come out of the water a new person, you are born again.
So what about being born of the Spirit? The Spirit we know is the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit. Therefore we understand that being born of the Spirit is being filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 2: 38 says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Notice that it says you SHALL, not you might, or you could, or possibly will… it says you SHALL. Receiving the Holy Ghost is more than just a command from the Lord, it is a PROMISE! Notice what verse 39 says, “This promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all at that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” In John 3:6, Jesus goes on to explain to Nicodemus that, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Meaning if you were to enter again into your mother’s womb and be born a second time you would still be born of flesh and therefore would not be able to enter the kingdom of God because the kingdom of God will not be inherited by flesh. However, when you burry the old man, who was led by your flesh, under the water and are filled with the spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, you are a new man now being led of the spirit. Therefore you are not born of flesh, but are born of the spirit.
So to confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior does not mean to simply say the words, it means to acknowledge that Jesus is your ruler and therefore you must obey his commandments and let him free you from sin as your Savior. You cannot simply say Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior and ignore his commandment to be born of the water and of the spirit because you will not see the kingdom of God. You think simply believing in Jesus Christ is enough to save you? James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe and tremble”. Does that mean that the devils will be saved as well and will therefore enter the kingdom of God? I don’t think so!
In Mathew 8:28-34 Jesus is met with two men who are possessed with demons; and notice what the demons say in verse 29 when they see Jesus, “What have we to with you, Jesus, you son of God?”. These demons “confessed” with their mouths that Jesus was the son of God. In Mark 3:11 unclean spirits fall before Jesus and say “You are the Son of God”. In Luke 4:41 more demons cry out, “You are Christ the Son of God”. So does that mean that these demons got saved simply because they confessed Jesus with their mouths; or simply because they believed in Jesus? No! Believing in Jesus is essential to salvation, but it is not enough. Unless you are born of the water and the Spirit you will not see the kingdom of heaven.
Follow the example of the early church in the book of Acts. Every person who believed the Gospel the apostles preached was immediately baptized and received the Holy Ghost. In Acts chapter 8 Philip preaches the gospel to the church in Samaria and “when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (vs.12). As soon as the other apostles heard that the church in Samaria had received the gospel the sent Peter and John to pray for them to receive the Holy Ghost and they did (vs.15-17). In Acts chapter 10 Peter is sent to preach the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile, and what happened? “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all of them which heard the word” (vs.44). And notice what Peter said as soon as he saw these Gentiles speaking in tongues being filled with the Holy Ghost, “Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (vs.47-48). So what say you? Why not hearken to the words of your Lord and get baptized today in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins and receive the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost?
I can say that I love someone but if I do not treat them with love then my words are meaningless. However, if I treat someone with the respect and care befitting a loved one then I have acknowledged the fact that I am in love with them and therefore my saying I love them is meaningful. But what does it mean to acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? Well, let’s look at the two words, Lord and Savior, separately. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the word Lord means ‘one having power and authority over others: a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due’. Therefore to acknowledge the Jesus Christ is your Lord is to accept the fact that Jesus Christ has power and authority over you, and that he is your ruler and therefore deserves your service and obedience. Simply saying with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord but then refusing to serve him and obey him is meaningless because you have not acknowledged the fact that he is indeed your Lord.
Now let’s look at the word Savior. The dictionary definition of Savior is ‘one that saves from danger or destruction: one who brings salvation’. So, in the same line, to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is your Savior is to understand the fact that he died on the cross and rose on the third day so that he could save us from sin and we would no longer be held captive by the powers of sin. If you continue to live in bondage of sin then you have not acknowledged the fact that Jesus Christ is your Savior. After all, had you acknowledged that fact, you would understand that you have the power to overcome any sin through Jesus Christ. Many of us “confess” that Jesus Christ is our Savior but then continue to be held back by the same sins that beset us before we knew Christ. How then have we acknowledged that he is our Savior if we have not even let him save us from our sins?
So now we know that to confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, as commanded in the Bible (Mt. 10:32, Lu. 12:8, Ro. 10:9, Ph. 2:11, I Jn. 2:23, I Jn. 4:15), is to obey Jesus, let him free you from sin, and to continue to follow him towards salvation. That being said, what does Jesus command us to do to be saved? A man named Nicodemus once asked Jesus that very question. In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, being confused, asked Jesus how a man can enter back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time. Jesus then explained to Nicodemus what being born again means by saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” So this is what Jesus, our Lord, commands us to do to enter the kingdom of God? He commands us to be born of the water and of the Spirit? But what does being born of the water and of the Spirit mean?
Well, being born of the water means being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Mark 16:16 says, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved”. To be baptized symbolizes the death of our old man and the resurrection of our new selves in Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We cannot enter the kingdom of God with our old, sinful ways: we must put to death our old man, bury him in water in the precious name of Jesus, and put on a new man after Christ. That is why Jesus said unless you are born of the water you will not enter the kingdom of God. When you are baptized in Jesus’ name you come out of the water a new person, you are born again.
So what about being born of the Spirit? The Spirit we know is the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit. Therefore we understand that being born of the Spirit is being filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 2: 38 says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Notice that it says you SHALL, not you might, or you could, or possibly will… it says you SHALL. Receiving the Holy Ghost is more than just a command from the Lord, it is a PROMISE! Notice what verse 39 says, “This promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all at that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” In John 3:6, Jesus goes on to explain to Nicodemus that, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Meaning if you were to enter again into your mother’s womb and be born a second time you would still be born of flesh and therefore would not be able to enter the kingdom of God because the kingdom of God will not be inherited by flesh. However, when you burry the old man, who was led by your flesh, under the water and are filled with the spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, you are a new man now being led of the spirit. Therefore you are not born of flesh, but are born of the spirit.
So to confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior does not mean to simply say the words, it means to acknowledge that Jesus is your ruler and therefore you must obey his commandments and let him free you from sin as your Savior. You cannot simply say Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior and ignore his commandment to be born of the water and of the spirit because you will not see the kingdom of God. You think simply believing in Jesus Christ is enough to save you? James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe and tremble”. Does that mean that the devils will be saved as well and will therefore enter the kingdom of God? I don’t think so!
In Mathew 8:28-34 Jesus is met with two men who are possessed with demons; and notice what the demons say in verse 29 when they see Jesus, “What have we to with you, Jesus, you son of God?”. These demons “confessed” with their mouths that Jesus was the son of God. In Mark 3:11 unclean spirits fall before Jesus and say “You are the Son of God”. In Luke 4:41 more demons cry out, “You are Christ the Son of God”. So does that mean that these demons got saved simply because they confessed Jesus with their mouths; or simply because they believed in Jesus? No! Believing in Jesus is essential to salvation, but it is not enough. Unless you are born of the water and the Spirit you will not see the kingdom of heaven.
Follow the example of the early church in the book of Acts. Every person who believed the Gospel the apostles preached was immediately baptized and received the Holy Ghost. In Acts chapter 8 Philip preaches the gospel to the church in Samaria and “when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (vs.12). As soon as the other apostles heard that the church in Samaria had received the gospel the sent Peter and John to pray for them to receive the Holy Ghost and they did (vs.15-17). In Acts chapter 10 Peter is sent to preach the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile, and what happened? “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all of them which heard the word” (vs.44). And notice what Peter said as soon as he saw these Gentiles speaking in tongues being filled with the Holy Ghost, “Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (vs.47-48). So what say you? Why not hearken to the words of your Lord and get baptized today in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins and receive the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
When? NOW!
There once was a man living in a very old house. The house was falling apart bit by bit every month. One month a shingle fell off the roof. The next month a window cracked and broke. A few months later tiny holes in his roof started to appear. Confused and baffled the man decided to call an architect friend of his to ask him what was going on with his house. The architect looked over the house very carefully, from top to bottom, and finally concluded that the house was slowly but surely crumbling around them. You see the land the house was built on was once a marsh so the foundation of the house was very shaky and unstable. The instability of the house’s foundation was making the house fall apart bit by bit. Knowing the dangers of living in as unstable house, the architect advised his friend to move out of the house as soon as he could before it came crashing in on him. The man looking at his house and figuring it would take a lot of work to move all his stuff out, asked his friend how much time he had before the house completely gave in. His friend, being an expert, looked at the house and said “well, no one can tell you that. It could be today it could be next year. I don’t know exactly when but I know this house is going to fall down one day.” The man decided that he would spend just a few more months in the house… until things got really bad. Every month the house deteriorated, and then the decay became more frequent. Now it was every week that the house was falling. But still the man refused to move. He figured, “since it’s just every other week, I still have time”. Soon the house was falling apart day by day in bigger and bigger chunks. Every day the man came home from work and said, “Tomorrow I’ll move”. One rainy day what was left of the roof came crashing in on the man while he was sleeping and killed him. The architect, when he heard about his friend’s death exclaimed, “I told him months ago to move. Why didn’t he just listen to me? Had he moved out of his house he would have been saved!”
What is salvation?
Salvation refers to us being saved or redeemed from our sins by God because of his grace and mercy towards us. We know that Christ left his home in glory to come live and die on earth as man in order to save us from our sins (Lu. 19:10, I Tim. 1:1, Ac. 4:12, Ro. 5: 8-9, He. 5:9).
He did so in order to take away our sins and to break the power that the devil had over us. Because Jesus died on the cross for us we know that we can come to him for the forgiveness of our sins and walk in newness of life (Is. 53:3, He. 2:9, I Pe. 3:18).
How do we receive salvation?
The Bible outlines for us a three step method of salvation. In order to be saved from our sins we must first of all
1. Repent: which means to turn away from our sins and to never go back to them.
(Lu. 13:3, Ac. 3:19, Ac. 17:30, Ez. 18:21)
2. Be baptized in Jesus name: which symbolizes the burial of our old selves and the resurrection of our new selves.
(Mk. 16:6, Jn. 3:5-6, Ac. 22:16, Ga. 3:27, I Pe. 3:21)
3. The third step is actually a gift to all who follow the first two steps. Everyone who repents and is baptized in Jesus’ name will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
(Ac. 2:38, Joel 2:28, Mat. 3:11, Lu. 11:13, Ac. 1:8)
The Holy Ghost is the comforter and guide we need to be able to withstand the attacks of the enemy. Without the Holy Ghost we cannot make it in this world as Christians because we do not have it within ourselves to do good, or to even know what is good and what isn’t.
(Ez. 36:27, Jn. 16:13, Jn. 15:26, Jn 16: 7-8)
When do we receive salvation?
The Bible says there is a time for everything. However, when it comes to salvation the Bible is very clear that the time for salvation is now.
• 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 : “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I sucoured thee: behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” (KJV)
• Romans 13:11-12
• Hebrews 3:7-8
Why NOW? Because we, first of all, don’t know when the Lord is coming back (Rev. 3:3, 5). Secondly, because it is better to get saved too early than to wait and end up being too late(Ec. 11:4, Mt. 25: 1-13). And thirdly, because we are not promised tomorrow (Pr. 27:1).
Most Common Reasons for procrastination
- I’m not good enough.
Who says you need to be? God wants us to come to him as we are, diseased, wicked, possessed, addicted, whatever it might be only God has the power to heal and to free you. Of all the lepers and diseased people in the Bible Jesus healed which one of them first made themselves whole before they came to Christ for help?
- I still want to have fun.
Answer me this then, while you’re busy “having fun”. What will it profit you if you gain the whole world but then lose your own soul in eternal hell (Ja. 2:14)?
- I’m not a bad person, I don’t need to do anything to go to heaven because I’m already good enough.
You think so huh? Well have I got news for you! The Bible says you are not saved by works of righteousness which you have done, but according to God’s mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Good intentions alone cannot get you to heaven. Unless you are born of the water (baptized) and of the spirit (Holy Ghost filled) you will not see the kingdom of heaven (Jn. 3:5, Ga. 2:16, Ep. 2:8-9, Tit. 3:5).
God stands with his hands outstretched waiting to forgive you of your sins and to save you from the trap the devil has set before you. But he’s a gentleman; he cannot force himself on you. God will never force you to do anything you do not want to do. He will never force you to love him. He will always, always, wait for you to call out to him, to ask for him.
There will come a time when all who have been planted in this world will be harvested. It is plain to see from the parable in Luke 13:6-9 that only those who bear fruit will survive. Those who do not bear fruit will be cut down. But how do bear fruit you might ask? John 15:4-6 says God is the vine and we are the branches and we are to abide in him in order that we may bear fruit.
If you show God that doing evil is more important to you and “more fun” for you than his gift of salvation, he will leave you to your evil deeds (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28).
A father can only warn a child so many times until he has to let the child learn from experience. But how painful do you think it is going to be for you to go through life hurting and scared because you ignored a warning as opposed to carefree and happy because you heeded good advice?
What makes it even worse is that we are not like God, we are restricted by time. This world will one day pass away and the lives we are living here will one day end (Ja. 4:14). Like the man in the old house, we are living in a world built on unstable ground. Wars break out every day, and terrorist attacks spring up from all corners of the world. Cars are becoming faster and faster, and it now seems like the world is moving at the speed of light. The fact of the matter is if we don’t move out of this house of the world and take refuge in the Lord and make him our rock, our shelter, and our fortress, we will surely die. NOW is the time for salvation, NOW is the time to move out of this house into God’s grace and mercy before the world comes crashing in on us and kills us.
What is salvation?
Salvation refers to us being saved or redeemed from our sins by God because of his grace and mercy towards us. We know that Christ left his home in glory to come live and die on earth as man in order to save us from our sins (Lu. 19:10, I Tim. 1:1, Ac. 4:12, Ro. 5: 8-9, He. 5:9).
He did so in order to take away our sins and to break the power that the devil had over us. Because Jesus died on the cross for us we know that we can come to him for the forgiveness of our sins and walk in newness of life (Is. 53:3, He. 2:9, I Pe. 3:18).
How do we receive salvation?
The Bible outlines for us a three step method of salvation. In order to be saved from our sins we must first of all
1. Repent: which means to turn away from our sins and to never go back to them.
(Lu. 13:3, Ac. 3:19, Ac. 17:30, Ez. 18:21)
2. Be baptized in Jesus name: which symbolizes the burial of our old selves and the resurrection of our new selves.
(Mk. 16:6, Jn. 3:5-6, Ac. 22:16, Ga. 3:27, I Pe. 3:21)
3. The third step is actually a gift to all who follow the first two steps. Everyone who repents and is baptized in Jesus’ name will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
(Ac. 2:38, Joel 2:28, Mat. 3:11, Lu. 11:13, Ac. 1:8)
The Holy Ghost is the comforter and guide we need to be able to withstand the attacks of the enemy. Without the Holy Ghost we cannot make it in this world as Christians because we do not have it within ourselves to do good, or to even know what is good and what isn’t.
(Ez. 36:27, Jn. 16:13, Jn. 15:26, Jn 16: 7-8)
When do we receive salvation?
The Bible says there is a time for everything. However, when it comes to salvation the Bible is very clear that the time for salvation is now.
• 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 : “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I sucoured thee: behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” (KJV)
• Romans 13:11-12
• Hebrews 3:7-8
Why NOW? Because we, first of all, don’t know when the Lord is coming back (Rev. 3:3, 5). Secondly, because it is better to get saved too early than to wait and end up being too late(Ec. 11:4, Mt. 25: 1-13). And thirdly, because we are not promised tomorrow (Pr. 27:1).
Most Common Reasons for procrastination
- I’m not good enough.
Who says you need to be? God wants us to come to him as we are, diseased, wicked, possessed, addicted, whatever it might be only God has the power to heal and to free you. Of all the lepers and diseased people in the Bible Jesus healed which one of them first made themselves whole before they came to Christ for help?
- I still want to have fun.
Answer me this then, while you’re busy “having fun”. What will it profit you if you gain the whole world but then lose your own soul in eternal hell (Ja. 2:14)?
- I’m not a bad person, I don’t need to do anything to go to heaven because I’m already good enough.
You think so huh? Well have I got news for you! The Bible says you are not saved by works of righteousness which you have done, but according to God’s mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Good intentions alone cannot get you to heaven. Unless you are born of the water (baptized) and of the spirit (Holy Ghost filled) you will not see the kingdom of heaven (Jn. 3:5, Ga. 2:16, Ep. 2:8-9, Tit. 3:5).
God stands with his hands outstretched waiting to forgive you of your sins and to save you from the trap the devil has set before you. But he’s a gentleman; he cannot force himself on you. God will never force you to do anything you do not want to do. He will never force you to love him. He will always, always, wait for you to call out to him, to ask for him.
There will come a time when all who have been planted in this world will be harvested. It is plain to see from the parable in Luke 13:6-9 that only those who bear fruit will survive. Those who do not bear fruit will be cut down. But how do bear fruit you might ask? John 15:4-6 says God is the vine and we are the branches and we are to abide in him in order that we may bear fruit.
If you show God that doing evil is more important to you and “more fun” for you than his gift of salvation, he will leave you to your evil deeds (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28).
A father can only warn a child so many times until he has to let the child learn from experience. But how painful do you think it is going to be for you to go through life hurting and scared because you ignored a warning as opposed to carefree and happy because you heeded good advice?
What makes it even worse is that we are not like God, we are restricted by time. This world will one day pass away and the lives we are living here will one day end (Ja. 4:14). Like the man in the old house, we are living in a world built on unstable ground. Wars break out every day, and terrorist attacks spring up from all corners of the world. Cars are becoming faster and faster, and it now seems like the world is moving at the speed of light. The fact of the matter is if we don’t move out of this house of the world and take refuge in the Lord and make him our rock, our shelter, and our fortress, we will surely die. NOW is the time for salvation, NOW is the time to move out of this house into God’s grace and mercy before the world comes crashing in on us and kills us.
The Glass House
Proverbs 23 gives us instructions about how to live wisely. We are advised not to set our eyes upon riches, for they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. We are advised not to speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. We are also advised against looking unto the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. Above all, we are advised to BUY the truth, and sell it not. To BUY the truth, and sell it not! But what does it matter how we live? What does it matter what we do? Will one drink really send us to hell? Will one party be the death of us? Will the way I dress really result in the eternal torment of my soul? Maybe… maybe not… but here’s what the Bible does say.
II Corinthians 6: 17 urges us to come out from among this world and separate ourselves from it. Acts 2:40 warns us to save ourselves from this untoward, corrupt, perverse, crooked, and evil generation. All the way from the Old Testament we see God calling his followers to live a life set apart for him. In Leviticus 10:9-11 God calls Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from unclean things so that they may be an example to the children of Israel as priests. In Numbers 6: 1-21 God describes the Nazarite vow taken by Nazarites. The vow required all Nazarites to, among other things; abstain from wine and strong drink. What’s interesting is that the word Nazarite comes from the Hebrew word Nazir which means “consecrated” or “separated”. All through the Bible we see God putting up stipulations and regulations for those consecrated to or set apart for him to follow.
So where does that leave us? We know that God requires us to live separate from this world, to live in this world but not be of it, but what does that mean?
- To be separate from the world means to draw close to God (Ro. 12:1-2, Ro. 13:14, 1 Pe. 1:15-16)
- To keep our eyes from taking pleasure in evil (Ps. 119:37, Is. 33:15-16, Lu. 11:34-35, I Jn. 2:16)
- To keep our conversation godly (Pr. 6:16, 19, Mt. 12:34, 36-37, Col. 3:8-9, Tit. 3:2)
- To keep our hearts undefiled (Pr. 23:7, Mt. 15:19-20)
- To keep our thoughts pure (Ps. 19:14, II Cor. 10:5, Ph. 4:8)
- To keep our hearts free from the thorns that choke out the Word of God in our hearts and make us unfruitful (Mt. 13:22).
- To be separate from this world is not be distracted by the riches and cares of this world (I Jn. 2:16).
But why? Why must we do all these things and abstain from all these things? The purpose of living separate from the world is two-fold, one for your own sake and two for the sake of others.
For Us
Hebrews 12:14 says without holiness we shall not see the kingdom of heaven.
A few posts ago I told the story of the crow who wanted to fly with the doves to their promised land. The crow, unfortunately, did not make the journey because he took his eyes off his destination and began to focus on the pleasures below him. Much like the crow in this story, we must remain holy with our eyes fixed on God if we are to make it to heaven.
Separating ourselves from the world is how we make sure our eyes stay fixed of our destination, which is heaven. When we abstain from indulging in the idle pleasures of this world and instead choose to spend our time seeking and serving God we keep our fixed upon Jesus, the only one who can help us make it to our final destination; the author and finisher of our faith (He. 12:2).
For Others
As Christians we must remember that we live in glass houses. II Corinthians 5: 20 says we are ambassadors for Christ. When we want to know how people from a certain country behave or dress we consult the natives of that country, ambassadors or representatives of that country, because they would know best. When the world wants to know what God has to offer, what God is all about, what God requires of his people, they will look at Christians… at you. Knowing then that you are on display, it is in your best interest to make sure that you look your spiritual best all the time. I Corinthians: 8:13 tells us it is better to give up something you love so dearly if it weakens your brother spiritually than to continue to enjoy it. While some of the things required of us to give up may not be bad things in and of themselves, the effect they have on those who are watching us may be detrimental to their spiritual progress and so therefore are not worth it.
Mathew 5: 13 says we are the salt of the earth, but what is the point of salt if it has lost its savor? Verse 14 says we are the light of the world, but who lights a candle and hides it under a bushel? Will it still do its job of casting out the darkness if it is hidden under something? As the salt and light to this earth we have strict regulations to adhere to and we should be careful to do so or we might lose our savor and hide our lights under a bushel.
Is It Worth It?
The point is we were called by God to live separately from this world so that we may be an example to the world. So the next time we begin to ask ourselves if what we are doing really is all that bad, let us first stop and ask ourselves if it is worth it. Is whatever we want to do worth giving up our walk with God? Is it worth missing out on eternity with God? Is it worth sending our brothers and sisters to hell? Is it worth causing the weak to stumble and fall? Is whatever we are clinging onto, justifying, and fighting for really worth it? And if it’s not, why not let go?
II Corinthians 6: 17 urges us to come out from among this world and separate ourselves from it. Acts 2:40 warns us to save ourselves from this untoward, corrupt, perverse, crooked, and evil generation. All the way from the Old Testament we see God calling his followers to live a life set apart for him. In Leviticus 10:9-11 God calls Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from unclean things so that they may be an example to the children of Israel as priests. In Numbers 6: 1-21 God describes the Nazarite vow taken by Nazarites. The vow required all Nazarites to, among other things; abstain from wine and strong drink. What’s interesting is that the word Nazarite comes from the Hebrew word Nazir which means “consecrated” or “separated”. All through the Bible we see God putting up stipulations and regulations for those consecrated to or set apart for him to follow.
So where does that leave us? We know that God requires us to live separate from this world, to live in this world but not be of it, but what does that mean?
- To be separate from the world means to draw close to God (Ro. 12:1-2, Ro. 13:14, 1 Pe. 1:15-16)
- To keep our eyes from taking pleasure in evil (Ps. 119:37, Is. 33:15-16, Lu. 11:34-35, I Jn. 2:16)
- To keep our conversation godly (Pr. 6:16, 19, Mt. 12:34, 36-37, Col. 3:8-9, Tit. 3:2)
- To keep our hearts undefiled (Pr. 23:7, Mt. 15:19-20)
- To keep our thoughts pure (Ps. 19:14, II Cor. 10:5, Ph. 4:8)
- To keep our hearts free from the thorns that choke out the Word of God in our hearts and make us unfruitful (Mt. 13:22).
- To be separate from this world is not be distracted by the riches and cares of this world (I Jn. 2:16).
But why? Why must we do all these things and abstain from all these things? The purpose of living separate from the world is two-fold, one for your own sake and two for the sake of others.
For Us
Hebrews 12:14 says without holiness we shall not see the kingdom of heaven.
A few posts ago I told the story of the crow who wanted to fly with the doves to their promised land. The crow, unfortunately, did not make the journey because he took his eyes off his destination and began to focus on the pleasures below him. Much like the crow in this story, we must remain holy with our eyes fixed on God if we are to make it to heaven.
Separating ourselves from the world is how we make sure our eyes stay fixed of our destination, which is heaven. When we abstain from indulging in the idle pleasures of this world and instead choose to spend our time seeking and serving God we keep our fixed upon Jesus, the only one who can help us make it to our final destination; the author and finisher of our faith (He. 12:2).
For Others
As Christians we must remember that we live in glass houses. II Corinthians 5: 20 says we are ambassadors for Christ. When we want to know how people from a certain country behave or dress we consult the natives of that country, ambassadors or representatives of that country, because they would know best. When the world wants to know what God has to offer, what God is all about, what God requires of his people, they will look at Christians… at you. Knowing then that you are on display, it is in your best interest to make sure that you look your spiritual best all the time. I Corinthians: 8:13 tells us it is better to give up something you love so dearly if it weakens your brother spiritually than to continue to enjoy it. While some of the things required of us to give up may not be bad things in and of themselves, the effect they have on those who are watching us may be detrimental to their spiritual progress and so therefore are not worth it.
Mathew 5: 13 says we are the salt of the earth, but what is the point of salt if it has lost its savor? Verse 14 says we are the light of the world, but who lights a candle and hides it under a bushel? Will it still do its job of casting out the darkness if it is hidden under something? As the salt and light to this earth we have strict regulations to adhere to and we should be careful to do so or we might lose our savor and hide our lights under a bushel.
Is It Worth It?
The point is we were called by God to live separately from this world so that we may be an example to the world. So the next time we begin to ask ourselves if what we are doing really is all that bad, let us first stop and ask ourselves if it is worth it. Is whatever we want to do worth giving up our walk with God? Is it worth missing out on eternity with God? Is it worth sending our brothers and sisters to hell? Is it worth causing the weak to stumble and fall? Is whatever we are clinging onto, justifying, and fighting for really worth it? And if it’s not, why not let go?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Hello Everyone! It's a new year, a new month, a new day, and a new beginning. I have been looking over my old posts and I realized two things;
1. They are way too long
2. They are very infrequent
So, I have decided to TRY (optimal word) to write shorter blogs so that they are easier to read and digest. Secondly, to write more often. I have been given this talent not to dig a hole and hide it till my master returns but to double it. With that being said, here is the inception of my new blog posts. ENJOY!
1. They are way too long
2. They are very infrequent
So, I have decided to TRY (optimal word) to write shorter blogs so that they are easier to read and digest. Secondly, to write more often. I have been given this talent not to dig a hole and hide it till my master returns but to double it. With that being said, here is the inception of my new blog posts. ENJOY!
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