On False Assurance - Matthew 7:21-23

 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ - Matthew 7:21-23

    I’m sure you know many folks who are quick and proud to claim their Christianity (depending on the circumstances and/or where they are). Trust me; all the people who know me, whether friends or merely acquaintances know I’m a Christian. No matter where I am I’m always quick to let people around me know exactly what my belief system is . . . whether they believe the way I do or not.
    So it always concerns me when I hear a person claiming to be a Christian go off on a tangent about their belief about salvation. The red flag usually pops up with these three words, “I feel that . . . .” Those three little words are generally the kiss of death to any discussion of correct soteriology. Because the proper understanding of our salvation doesn’t hinge on one’s “feeling” about the subject. Scripture is very concise about how we must be saved.
    This “false assurance” usually rests upon three tenuous pillars: one is legalism (what I like to call, “Phariseeism”). Under legalism people believe they can achieve salvation by being good people . . . or at least being as good as they can. The second is universalism. Universalism is the belief that ultimately God will bring all people into salvation. In either case those who believe in these errors could not be further from the truth, as Christ declared in Matthew 7:21-23.
    Universalism is an erroneous argument that God is a great and powerful “all-forgiving” Spirit in heaven who will ultimately bring us all home . . . in the end. But scripture tells us - “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ ”
 - 2 Timothy 2:19
    Finally there is the soteriological error of Sacerdotalism. People who make this mistake believe they can achieve their salvation through sacremental performances such as saying “the sinner’s prayer,” stepping up to an “altar call,” or signing a “salvation card.”  But again, it is not a man or woman’s performance which saves them.
    The problem for most of these people is that after they imagine themselves “saved,” they fall back to their old ways of life. After all - once saved, always saved . . . right? The author of Hebrews has a thing to say about such a belief - “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,  and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,  if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” - Hebrews 6:4-6
    Such “saved” were enlightened. But enlightenment doesn’t assure salvation. Many people are aware (enlightened) of the gospel but are not saved. Many have been partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God. Like “common grace” - the rain falls on the just and the unjust the same. But they are not saved. Finally it is impossible to renew these people to repentance . . . because they have never really repented to begin with! I can not give back to you something you never possessed to begin with. That is not to say that they cannot be saved, but they must drop the “I feel that . . .” notion and return through sound theology to the Lord Jesus Christ - in heart and mind and soul.
May the blessing of God be always upon you.

Awakenings - Ezekiel 36:26-28

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:26-28

    The term “regeneration” mean many things to many people. For our purposes here I will limit its definition to the awakening of faith within the fallen sinner. And what is the source of this awakening of faith? Is it man, himself? Is it some series of worldly events? Is it a desire to be closer to God? Fortunately for mankind the answer to all of these is an emphatic “No!” The source of the spiritual awakening in man is God, Himself, and only God.
    As our heavenly Father says in Ezekiel 36:26-28, He will give . . .  He will put . . . He will be. It is all from a loving and merciful God that we are graced with a new heart and new spirit. Regeneration is the work of God. We merely receive the blessing.
    Why? Why does God select us for this awakening? In one of the two occurrences of the word “regeneration” in scripture Paul tells why God grants us this most prized blessing. “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:3-7.
    Mankind is simply and ultimately sinful. Without God’s perfect gift of regeneration we could never be saved. We would never seek God if left to our own devices. Something about us had to change or be changed and that is our hearts. It is because of God’s kindness, love, and mercy that we are regenerated with God’s spirit. It is a one time event and it awakens in us our need for God. According to Herbert W. Lockyer, “The moment faith receives Christ, the miracle of regeneration takes place.”
    God’s gift is regeneration; our role includes both repentance and yielding to Christ through faith. Then we are truly “new creations” in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 . A new heart; a new spirit; we are His people and He is our God.
All glory and honor to Jesus Christ, forever and ever.

No Home to Phone, E.T - Psalm 115:15-16

May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
    but the earth he has given to mankind.
            - Psalm 115:15-16

    What can we infer from these verses? Obviously, that God created the heavens and the earth; that the heavens belong to God; and that He has given the earth to man. I will save the fact that God created the heavens and the earth for another time. What I want to emphasis in this post is the fact that the heavens “belong to God,” and that He has given the earth to mankind.
    Notice, if you will, the curious absence of any reference to extraterrestrial life. In these all encompassing verses. It is nowhere stated or even mentioned that any other life form exists besides our heavenly Creator and . . . us! No E.T., my brother; none - zip - nada - zero! Now when you consider all the evidence we have accumulated over the years of space exploration there isn’t one shred that points to any other life-form anywhere else in the entire universe. Every photograph we have ever recovered from our expensive explorations reveals . . . nothing; nothing but piles of rock and dirt. Nowhere have we ever seen the slightest hint of life anywhere but here, on earth!
    Now, as a Christian, don’t you believe that if God in His infinite wisdom had created another life form somewhere in the universe he would have made us aware of it? Why not? The bible opens it’s very first chapter with an account of God’s creation of the universe and the earth. He certainly speaks to us about the creation of living creatures including “ . . .birds . . .(and) great living sea creatures and every living thing that moves,” (Genesis 1:20-21). He goes on to tell us that He “made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:25) No, God certainly isn’t shy when it comes to declaring the life He created . . . ON EARTH!
    Why? What possible motive would our heavenly Father have for hiding His involvement with the creation of life elsewhere in the universe? And when you understand God’s plan for mankind it becomes even more difficult to believe that He created life elsewhere - “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in our own image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:26) Scripture does not reveal a different plan for other worlds or galaxies. It speaks to us only of man and his dominion over the earth.
    What possible reason can you imagine that God would have given man, a creature He created in His own image, dominion over the planet earth and all it’s varying life-forms? The answer lies in the first line of Psalm 115:16 - “the highest heavens belong to the Lord,”. Earth, he has given to mankind. This special, one of a kind celestial body alone has been given life by its Creator. The heavens remain God’s and God’s alone. He shares them with no one, especially not E.T. May God bless you and keep you.

On the Longsuffering of God - Habakkuk 1:2-4

O Lord, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.
- Habakkuk 1:2-4

    Here the prophet, Habakkuk, cries out to God, complaining of plundering, violence, strife, and contention. In many ways we see the same problems in contemporary society. There is certainly plundering of the weak by the powerful; violence occurs globally in nonstop fashion; strife between nations, faiths, races, and ethnicities is rampant; contention permeates every walk of life. Is there any of us who have not asked God why He hasn’t intervened? Is there anyone who hasn’t wished to see God right a wrong? We might all be careful what we wish for.
    We must try to remember Romans 3:23 - “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Understanding that we are all sinners should temper our fervent desire to see God’s holy wrath brought down upon anyone. After all, we are all deserving of God’s justice, are we not?
    If this is true then we should give thanks and find solace in God’s tender mercies. The psalmist says it best. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” - Psalm 103:8. Were He not, perhaps His primary target for holy justice would be us, not those we feel deserve the terror of His immediate wrath. How grateful I am that my Lord and God has shown me patience and longsuffering. I can certainly remember times that a God quick to anger and exact justice would have struck me down without a second thought. To my Lord I am eternally grateful He has not seen fit to do so.
    So the next time you feel the frustration of living in cold, callous, and sinful times hold these words in your heart. “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” - Psalm 86:15. Praise God with your thanks rather than petition Him with your complaints.
    May God always show you the patience and longsuffering of His love.

Sometimes It Just Takes An Earthquake - Acts 16: 30-31 “The Philippian Jailer”

    Living through an earthquake is arguably one of the most harrowing events one could ever experience. The paralyzing fear that must take hold as the very ground beneath you shakes and trembles is possibly indescribable. The story of the Philippian Jailer is one such account.
    The back-story begins in Acts 16:25-29. We encounter a Roman soldier charged with guarding the jail. His duty was to see that the prisoners, his prisoners, remained incarcerated under lock and key. In his prison sat two remarkable men, Paul and his helper, Silas. They had been beaten and thrown in jail on the usual charges: spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
    That night a ground-splitting earthquake shook the very foundation of the prison and awoke the slumbering guard. Upon discovering that the powerful quake had literally left the cell doors hanging ajar an even greater fear befell him - the prisoners, his prisoners, had escaped!            
    Now, under Roman military protocol a soldier who allowed a prisoner to escape brought a sentence of death upon himself for failure to carry out his duty. But tonight, our soldier would not subject himself to the humiliation of a military tribunal and summary execution. He would save his pride and do the deed himself with his own sword. He would not be the first victim of pride.
    As he readied himself for suicide the strangest thing happened - his prisoner, Paul, cried out in a loud voice, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” True, the quake had opened all the gates but Paul and the other prisoners remained in their cells.
    At this point something wonderful happened. Just as God had used an earthquake to shake and open the earth, He opened the Roman soldier’s heart.
        The jailer fell to his knees and reacted in faith to God’s earthquake as we see in Acts 16:30-31 -And he brought them out and said,”Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
    What “earthquake” did God use to open your heart? For those as yet unsaved, what earthquake will he use? Sometimes it is the death of a loved one. Sometimes it’s the loss of a job, or home, or marriage. Sometimes it’s the rock bottom one hits with a addiction. For many, myself included, it took a hard moment in life to realize - to understand- that we could not save ourselves; that we needed Jesus Christ in our lives as both Lord and Savior.
    We had to hit bottom for Jesus to raise us up. God doesn’t help the haughty. He doesn’t help the arrogant or the proud. They are already “self-elevated.” In reality, it is a cruel and merciless satanic joke played on them. Only Christ can raise us up to salvation. And Christ can only reach down to help us up. Until we find ourselves in that precarious position we are “above” being saved. Remember Matthew 9:12 - “When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”
    When we understand that we are incapable of redeeming ourselves and that our entire salvation is dependent upon Christ we also understand the meaning of Acts 4:12 - “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
    From his knees the proud duty-bound Philippian Jailer found his salvation in the one name that could save him - Jesus Christ. Sometimes it just takes an earthquake.
    God grant you a blessing of peace.

The Necessary Tribulations of Discipleship - Acts 14:21-22

It is all too often in 21st Century America that Christians feel the rising tide of intolerance lapping at our doorsteps. I didn’t say “religious intolerance” because we all know that other religions seem to get a pass as opposed to Christianity. There doesn’t seem to be a week go by without some group or individual challenging the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their affronts are routinely vicious and condescending at the same time. From celebrities to educators to scientists to politicians to the media, they crawl out of their holes, their stingers poised to attack anyone and anything they see as “Christian.”
    Many believers feel the weight of “culture-pressure,” and it can often lead to feelings of disconnect with the rest of the world. Let me say - that is good news. Consider the words of our Lord and Savior in Matthew 10:38, “take his cross;” Mark 8:34, “take up his cross;” and Luke 9:23, “take up his cross daily.” Jesus told us from the beginning that following Him would not be easy. Following our Lord would be tantamount to bearing one’s own cross just as He bore His own cross . . . for us!
    Tribulations and persecution were always part of following Jesus Christ. It has never been any other way. It has never been an easy road to follow.
    Perhaps one of the main reasons Christians, real Christians, are persecuted so often is because we have an exclusive faith. It is exclusive because our belief (Holy Scripture) tells us that the unregenerate will not and cannot be saved; that those who refuse to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior . . . cannot be saved! There is no magic formula for behavior that will open heaven’s gates for us. We acknowledge that good works will never be our key to eternal salvation and glorification. And so we are seen as and perceived by the unregenerate as exclusivists. And we are. But it is our willingness to “take up our crosses” that sets us apart and makes us holy.
    Part of our path to discipleship has always been and will always be “mined’ by those who hate us for being Christians. No true Christian could ever miss the pitfalls, the accusations, and the traps set for us by the unregenerate for they are truly sons of the devil.
            Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
- John 8:42-47
    This is where our persecution comes from. But this is where our strength comes from -
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  Romans 5:1-5
    Yes, as Christians we will face many tribulations, just as the early Christians did. And also, just as the early Christians did, we will persevere in spite of our tribulations.
    May God grace be with you always.

Hell - It’s Real! - Matt 13:49-50

    According to the Westminster Catechism, “It is wrong to pick and choose among the teachings of the Bible. We must accept all that the Bible teaches, or else reject the Bible as a whole and take the consequences. If we accept what the Bible teaches about God’s love, we must also accept what it teaches about God’s justice and His wrath against sin. Romans 1:18 W.C. 89/12
    You’ve heard the talking points before - “God is all love and mercy and would never sentence ‘good people’ to an eternity in hell.” Let’s hope that you’re not one who has ever made such a mistaken point.
    I’ll cut to the chase: what did Jesus, Himself, say about the existence of hell? He revealed to us that hell is a real place. It is not an analogy, a metaphor or hyperbole. It exists in time and place!
    “So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” - Matt 13:49-50
    Christ says that the evil will be separated from the good and there will be a place reserved just for them - hell. In addition to Christ’s assurance that such a place exists He also assures us it will be a place of eternal and excruciating pain and suffering. See Luke 16:19-31
    Now, to question or doubt these revelations from Holy Scripture is to question and doubt Jesus Christ. That’s the bottom line. I’m sorry to smash the delusion of those who believe that God is simply too merciful to send anyone to hell. He can and He will. Romans 3:23 specifically states that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So exactly who are all these ‘good people’ you were talking about?
    Secondly, and more importantly - if hell doesn’t exist or if God would refuse to send anyone there then what was the point of Christ’s death? If there’s no hell and no real threat of eternal damnation then we never needed saving to begin with and Christ’s horrific suffering and death was without purpose! And if hell does exist but being a ‘good person’ is enough to get us into heaven . . . we still didn’t need saving and again it negates the redemption bought for us by the shedding of Christ’s blood. No, for all you confused ‘modern Christians’ there is indeed a place of eternal torture called hell and “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 That name is Jesus Christ. And that is the good news about hell. It exists so that we can find salvation in the self-sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
    No matter how good one is they can never earn what only Christ could give to us by the grace of God. May that heavenly grace be always with you.