Faith – Auriesville Tubthumper

Here Comes the Judge, Part 1

The Trial of the Ages.

Please allow me to set the stage here. We are about to witness a major trial and we are in the Court House. Can you see the Jury in your mind and the two attorneys about to argue the case?

We are in the courthouse of Law.

We have a trial in progress.

We need to introduce the Court Reporter. It’s the Apostle Paul. He comes with good credentials.

Paul declared the righteousness of God in these passages and it’s really what the book of Romans is all about.

God is Righteous!
God demands Righteousness!
God provides Righteousness!

There must be a basis of righteousness in order for sin to be forgiven. If a judge wants to totally dismiss the charges against a guilty person he can but that’s not righteous. So God can’t simply tell you, “You are forgiven.” Not without that righteous basis. FOR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS!

For your sins to be forgiven there must be that Righteous Basis. And where is that basis found? It is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

The sinner was sentenced to death (SINFUL MAN) and God established that righteous basis because Jesus Christ became the substitute. He took your sin upon Himself and He died in your place. It’s trading the righteous for the unrighteous. You are forgiven! He took your place! He died for you!

The righteousness of God is revealed from FAITH TO FAITH. As it is written,

“THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Verse 17.

And then we also see the WRATH OF GOD… which we will look at during the trial.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:18)

Let’s look quick at the very first verse in the book of Romans:

“Paul, a bond slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1)

So he was a servant… a bondslave… Paul was not his own person after being called. WE ARE NOT OUR OWN PERSON- WE BELONG TO CHRIST- HE PURCHASED US. We are debtors to everyone unsaved once we become a Saint and become separated unto the gospel.

He was called apostle. He was DECLARED! HE WAS SENT FORTH! In order to be an Apostle you must have seen the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul saw Jesus at least 7 times that we know of. And God called him directly. Keep in mind this is now 25 years after Paul first came to Christ. And he said, “Who art thou, Lord, that I may serve thee?” 25 years later he is still saying I am a bondslave! I am an Apostle. He made his calling and his election sure. We should do the same… whatever it is that God calls us to do we should do. Nothing more nothing less. Whether it’s to be a greeter or bass guitar player or a preacher. Whatever it is just do it.

My birth was no accident— Your birth was no accident— God desires to work the good works through his servants. (Bondslaves) He separated us unto the Gospel to do for Him…

Do you know the will of God for your life? I want you to know that 90% of determining the will of God is being willing to DO-IT. So just do it.

Separated unto the Gospel of God. – We are first separated from our mother’s womb and then separated from sin and the world to Christ as Paul is explaining.

Paul let us know in the written word the Gospel is not new and it’s still not new. (IF IT’S NEW IT AINT TRUE)

Paul presented the message of the Gospel right up front as he began to share the court record. Christ is the center of the Gospel message and Paul introduces Christ in a threefold way.

He is the REVEALED ONE, the one “Promised Afore” (v.2), for the Gospel of God has its roots deep into the Old Testament.
He is the REIGNING ONE, He is “Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” (v.3) The New Testament opens and closes with Jesus referred to as the “Son of David.”
He is the RESURRECTED ONE, the one “Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (v.4)

It is all about Christ’s Deity… Jesus was 100 % God, 100% Man, 100% of the time. And Paul is making that clear.

Paul had complete confidence in the Gospel because of its sufficiency and its supremacy. He wrote, “It is the power of God unto salvation.”

John Phillips in his commentary on Romans wrote, “The world does not need a better system of education, more social reform or new ideas in religion. IT NEEDS THE GOSPEL! The Gospel message grips the mind, it stabs the conscience, it warms the heart, it saves the soul, and it sanctifies the life. It can make drunken (or drugged) men sober, crooked men straight and profligate women pure. It is a message sufficient to transform the life of any who believe.”

“IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION “TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH.” Could anything be any simpler than that? It is simple, trust in God’s Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, as your personal savior from sin. Simple as that!

The Just shall live by Faith.

The Gospel MUST be received by FAITH.

Habakkuk 2:4- The Just shall live by Faith.

Romans 1:17- The Just shall live by Faith.

Galations 3:11- The Just shall live by Faith.

Hebrews 10:38- The Just shall live by Faith.

THE COURT RECORD

Lets look at the COURT RECORD– First 3 Chapters of Romans.

If you look around, it’s even likely here within our group, there are two kinds of people throughout the world.

People that have been delivered from the Wrath of God because they have sought God’s righteousness.
Everyone else, whom the wrath of God abides upon.

Paul indicated that those that are called and delivered from the wrath of God are to be called Saints. (v.7) This is not some special class of people within the church, but it describes all that have trusted Christ as their savior. It means, “One set apart for God.”

You are either a Saint or a Sinner. More appropriate is to say a sinning saint or just a sinner for no one is righteous, no not one. I am a Saint, but… I am also a sinner.

J Vernon McGee used to say, “There are two kinds of People in the world, The Saints and The Aints”

During this trial God’s righteousness will be revealed, but then God’s Wrath will also be revealed. Throughout the New Testament we see both God’s Righteousness and God’s Wrath.

God’s Righteousness was/is revealed to man by Nature, Human Conscience and by Human History. There is no excuse for being unaware of God.

God’s Wrath was/is revealed by His Word, the Natural World, and by The Cross.

Paul lets us know that the bad news of human sin comes before the good news of salvation. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” (V. 18)

Paul said Gods wrath is revealed for three reasons: First it’s revealed because of human ungodliness, second because of human unrighteousness, and third because of human unbelief.

I think it important to give some clear definitions at this point:

Wrath of God: Please note God’s wrath is not due to Anger on His part, it is a reaction to unrighteousness. The wrath of God is His judgment regarding sin and is a standard that reveals His displeasure toward sin.

Ungodliness: Having the wrong attitude toward God and having spiritual failure.

Unrighteousness: The wrong conduct toward God and fellow man and moral failure.

Stay tuned for the “TRIAL OF THE AGES.”

Join me in the next post as we proceed on to the court record as the trial begins…

God bless you,

The Tubthumper

Enosh: Part 2

The Wounded Male

Most men share a number of losses in common with Job. Job’s struggle to make sense of his woundedness provides a rich commentary regarding the enosh experience we all go through. We find this most particularly within Job 1-3, 6-7, and verse 14.

Job can’t except the fact that he has done anything in his life to deserve what is happening to him. Why would God allow him to go through such things? Job is struggling with his woundedness and he is struggling with God as he attempts to show that he is completely innocent. When things began to happen to him he said in Chapter 1, verse 20, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” He had not sinned.

But later Job romanticized about back when he had it all and was in his prime of life, back when he had the respect of men and was in God’s favor. So now he is alienated from God and experiencing the incongruency. Things are now totally out of whack. The same as we feel today when this happens… It is the most distressing when the angle that does not fit is the one with God. When we were once intimate friends with God and now we cannot come to agreement. For a Christian this does not seem right or even valid. The experience is that we are distant from God, we feel alienated and it’s as though God is no longer present or involved in our lives.

Job did what he had to do and he analyzed all the evidence. What he saw probably did not point to a trustworthy God at that point. But in the end, he kicked and screamed all the way, but he still decided to put his faith on God. During these wounding time men we must keep the faith. We must place our faith in God even when it feels bad. That is the incongruency. That feeling of alienation is normal and is part of grieving. This extreme incongruency with God could lead you to new understandings of the mystery of God and a new respect for His mysterious ways. Show me the way Lord.

We learn in the Bible that death is basic to human existence. Every time we experience wounds it is a process of death. We see this in Genesis 5, Psalm 90:3 and Hebrews 9:27 so why do we fight it all the way as if it will never overtake us. Why don’t we be serious about it and prepare for death instead of continuously pursuing our material dreams in warrior mode? We keep pushing, pushing, pushing on with life as though we can put death off as long as we want. You know how it is, Heaven can wait, but the American dream cannot.

The biblical patriarch Jacob epitomizes the wounded male. Jacob as a young man illustrates a male having been severely wounded by a dysfunctional family. We see this playing out in Genesis 25:19-34, 27:1- 33:20. The first part of the dysfunctional destruction occurred in the mother’s womb with the two twins wrestling. At birth Jacob comes out second but he was holding on to Esau’s heel. Jacob literally means “heel-catcher”. (Genesis 25:19-26). The next stage carries on in the family kitchen where Jacob tricks Esau into selling his birthright. (Gen 25: 27-34). [You can see my blog post about giving up the birthright and the dysfunction in this family.] It then hits an all-time low in the parent’s bedroom where Isaac was so unhealthy and blind that Jacob was able to trick him into showing favor to him and giving the blessing of birthright. Gen 27:1-40). Jacob eventually received the coveted patriarchal blessing reserved for the firstborn. We see sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, and fraudulent scams as they conspire for Jacob to eventually receive the coveted patriarchal blessing that was reserved for the firstborn. Esau should be considered a “real man’s man” both then and now. Jacob was a typical momma’s boy.

Then later on we see Jacob running because he is full of fear, guilt and he is alienated from friends, family and also God. Even when Jacob had the blessing he was feeling the alienation from God. So here is what Jacob the wounded male does during all this time to affirm to himself that he is legitimately blessed before man and God. He represses the hurt from his family of origin by staying away from them. He sold himself short to Laban, who out-schemed the schemer himself. He does what he learned and reproduces dysfunctional families in succeeding generations. He practices self-deception and continues to deceive others. He dreads a reunion with his siblings that he once abused, and appeases him. He had become so insecure in his walk with God and with his standing with his brother he must prove he can still wrestle and win whoever comes across his path. His blessing that was stolen through deception and parental favoritism doesn’t count for much, but his blessing secured by God comes with a wounded hip.

A lot of men wrestle with strangers in the night searching for the blessing that was withheld. Jacob’s experience can remind us that the wounding experience does not need to be a negative one but can be a time of wrestling with God to see what life is all about. Has God used a wounding in your life to bless you? Consider yourself lucky. Why does it take so long to heal a masculine soul? Could it be because Satan actively stalks our souls?

There is admittedly a problem of male hostility and violence. It is not rooted in men’s power over women. It is rooted in men’s sense of powerlessness, stemming from deep woundedness. We do not condone the abuse of women under any circumstances but must admit where the violence comes from.

For men to survive the wounding they need to talk about it and get help. They need to feel safety among fellow sufferers in order to share the pain. That’s why men should be involved in the men’s groups and ministries around. It remains difficult, however, with the loner nature of men. Most men simply withdraw.

Ok men, if we are done licking our wounds we can move to the next step. In the next step on the journey we can emerge as rulers of our own souls. We reach the mature male stage.

“No one gets to adulthood without a wound.” – Robert Bly

Thanks and credit to Robert Hicks, The Masculine Journey. See you later men at the next post which is the Mature Male…

Click here to jump to the next post.

God bless you,

The Tubthumper

Finders Keepers Part 7

Once saved always saved? Watch it or you could lose that salvation before you die?

How much more can be said on this subject? I guess I’ll continue until it becomes exhausted in my mind. I will continue driving the subject home.

Some want you to believe you cannot be sure. Some want you to think the doctrine of the “Preservation of the Saints is a false doctrine. Some scholars call this theological doctrine the “Perseverance of the Saints”. I prefer the word “Preservation” because it is making an emphasis on the activity of God. It is He who saves us, it is He preserves us and it is He who keeps us, watches over and protects us.

I will remind you of what has already been written in my previous posts. Being saved has little to do with the response to an altar call or revival meeting emotion. Being saved has everything to do with faith. It is having a saving faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Lord, the Son of God. It is about you the believer being transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, and I am paraphrasing from memory, “My sheep listen to my voice and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and no one can snatch them out of my hand.” I have mentioned this passage before and you can find the reference in a previous post within this subject. The point is that no one can snatch them away… no one can snatch you away if you have saving faith.

I recently did some work on the deity of God and the trinity doctrine and will put some of it up soon. One of the points made is even the demons believe in God. It says in James chapter 2 and verse 19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Let that serve as a lesson to you in that belief in God is one thing and it will not save you. In order to be saved you must worship, have faith, follow His commandments and trust Him. Belief in the Lord involves much more than simply acknowledging He exists. So a true believer is one that is transformed, follows Christ and has a changed life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If that sounds like you and you believe the Bible is the inerrant, inspired and authoritive word of God then you can be assured of your salvation forever. You can be assured because the Bible states very clearly that we can know that we have eternal life. Turn to John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

The Bible indicates that we are Children of God. It indicates this in many scriptures of which I will list a few: John 1:12, Hebrews 2: 9-10, Hebrews 12: 5-6, Romans 8:16, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:6-7, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:10 and 1 john 5:19. If you are still a skeptic after all I have written then do this for me. Please reply to this post with a reference to one verse in the Bible where God disowns one of His children. You cannot!

I have written previously about how we, the children of God have been predestined. We have been predestined for salvation even before the creation of the world. Scriptures that tell us of this predestination are listed here: Matthew 20:23, Matthew 25:34, Mark 10:40, John 14:2-3, John 17:2-3, Romans 8: 29-30, Romans 9:223, 1 Corinthians 2:7, 1 Corinthians 2:9, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 4: 11-12 and Hebrews 11:16. Now I ask again of the unbelievers among you, can you please reply to this post with one verse from God’s word that refutes this? You cannot!

The Bible also tells us we are heirs of God. We have an inheritance. Scriptures that indicate we are heirs of His are: Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29, Galatians 4:7, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Hebrews 7:24-25, 1 Peter 1: 3-4, Ephesians 1:4-6, Ephesians 1:18, Jude 1:1, Revelation 17:14. Let us turn specifically to Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” To you that doubt, can you reply to this post and tell us of just one verse that leads one to a conclusion that a believer is ever un-called or sent packing? You cannot!

Scriptures tell us also that believers are chosen by God Himself. Scriptures that give evidence to this are listed here: Ephesians 1: 11-13, Mark 13:20, Luke 18:7, John 15:16, John 15:19, romans 8:33, Romans 11:5, Colossians 1:27, Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, James 2:5, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 17:14, Matthew 22:14 and Revelation 17:14. With the scriptures listed clearly showing a believer is chosen please then, if you are one who thinks you can lose your salvation, reply to this post and cite me just one verse from the Bible that shows God removing a believer from the kingdom. You cannot.

We are sealed by God when we become saved by His grace. The Bible says believers are sealed by God for redemption within these verses: 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30 and 2 Timothy 2:19. Please if you don’t believe, reply to this post with just one verse where God removes the seal from a believer. You cannot.

Believers are glorified by God and the Bible says we will be glorified after death in these verses: Romans 8:17, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 1 Peter 5:4, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 Thessalonians 2: 19-20, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:10 and Colossians 3:4. Now to those that oppose my view I ask for a reply to this post that shows me where in the Bible that God removes that glory from a believer. You cannot do it.

The Bible shows that we are born again and we have become a new creature when we are saved. Look to these scriptures: John3:3, John3:7, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 peter 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Ephesians 4:23-24. Now, again I ask for a reply that would show just one verse in the bible where a believer can become unborn after being born-again. It even sounds silly.

This notion that once someone is saved and has a saving faith in God could lose their salvation is refuted in over 80 verses throughout the Bible. We, as believers are predestined, called, chosen, sealed and we are children of God that are heirs of the Father along with Christ for our glorification in Heaven.

All of the verses I will list here speak of the promise of eternal life to believers. This is not an all exhaustive list and not one of them mentions anything about the possibility of losing that eternal life. Here they are: Matthew 19:29, Mark 10:29-30, Luke 18:29-30, John 3:16, John3:36, John5:24, John6:39, John 6:40, John17:2-3, Acts 13:47-48, Romans 5:20-21, Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5;1, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, Titus 1:2, Titus 3:5-7, 1John 2:24-25, 1 John 5:11-13, and Jude 1:21. In John 5:24 Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Can anyone show me anywhere in the Bible where someone is to return by passing from life unto death? No… not one verse.

In closing I must say there is one sin that is not forgiven by God. The sin of blasphemy is not forgiven. So I suppose some fool could give away by choice all that he has. That is not losing salvation given by Christ but is a conscious turning away. Blasphemy is complete unbelief. According to the Bible a true believer cannot fall into unbelief. True believers will persevere even unto the face of opposition. Recently I heard of a couple Pastors that said they went from belief to unbelief. I say they never really found out what true faith is and never were anointed by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 1:8 says, “Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Once saved, we are confirmed unto the end and we are always saved, so that we will be blameless in the day of our Lord. Amen!

God bless your day,

“The Tubthumper”

Finders Keepers, part 3

The last two posts have been about salvation and whether or not one can lose it once they have it. Maybe I should have done this first but lets look at the process.

The logical order of salvation is outlined in these verses of John 6:35-65. Let us review them:

1. The Father draws the un-saved by ‘revealing Christ’ as an attractive and only answer to sin and its end. (6:37)

2. The sinner, (that is us) ‘beholds’ or contemplates this gracious offer from the father. (6:37)

3. The sinner, (us again) ‘determines or decides to trust’ the atoning work of Christ for His salvation. (6:40) Should Christ be rejected at this point it ends the saving process at least temporarily and hopefully not forever.

4. With repentance we the sinners ‘come to Christ’ to be saved. We come for the purpose of salvation. (6:37)

5. We (the sinner) evidence our heart ‘of repentance’ by coming to Jesus. (6:35, 65)

6. We (the sinner) embrace Jesus Christ ‘by faith’ as our Savior. (6:35)

7. The disciple (us again, now saved) embraced by Jesus Christ, ‘never to be lost or cast out’. (6:37, 39)

8. The disciples (we disciples) enjoy a ‘growing intimacy’ with Jesus Christ during our lives. (6:54, 56)

9. We as believers and disciples shall be ‘raised by Christ in the last day’. (6:39, 40, 44, 54)

Here is Jesus talking about the true remnant being raised out of sin to life. A raising up out of the earth to be where He is. The rapture! When will that happen? It is coming sooner than you think. Like a thief in the night He will come and no man knows the hour. If you haven’t been drawn to Christ and haven’t taken the steps to be in Glory with the savior the time is now.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”, (John 3:16)

I saw a great statement the other day in a commentary on Romans by John Phillips, “The gospel message grips the mind, stabs the conscience, warms to heart, saves the soul and sanctifies the life. It can make drunken men sober, crooked men straight and profligate women pure. It is a message sufficient to transform the life of any who believe. It is the power of God unto salvation “To every one that believeth.” It doesn’t get any simpler than that.

We need to turn back to the subject at hand of forever salvation or not. Once we have salvation and I sincerely pray you have not gone this far without securing that between you and Christ, salvation is forever. That is still my position on the matter. Now, neither I nor anyone else can deny that there are several warning passages in the New Testament which seem to imply that there is a possibility of loss of salvation. My satisfactory explanation of these verses is that they apply to false professors of Christianity and not the true believers. You should also be aware of the difference between your standing as a Christian and your state as a Christian. A saved person’s standing is perfect, immutable and guaranteed by the Word of God, the work of Christ and the witness of the Spirit. Our state, as Christians is imperfect, changeable and in a big way, mostly dependent on us. When you are saved you are justified. You have something the world can’t give to you nor can the world take it away. You have peace with God. You can read much about your standing with God and your state with God in Romans chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8. I encourage you to go there and be blessed.

Let me pose two questions for you to think about:

1) If in the mind of God we are already glorified in Heaven, how then could we ever lose our salvation here on earth?

2) If you believe you could lose your salvation, how would you ever know when you lost it?

You can think those over while I continue.

Jesus Christ died and rose again. Christ’s death was our death; His burial was our burial; He died as me! So far as God is concerned, we are already on the resurrection side of the grave and it remains for us to realize this truth and appropriate it, and as to the point I am trying to drive home, victory is assured.

In conclusion for today we are sinners that need to be saved because of CONDEMNATION. We are saved through Christ with JUSTIFICATION. After we are saved we are set aside in SANCTIFICATION. Now we, the saved sinner remain saved through PRESERVATION. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”, Romans 8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation and salvation is immediate. There is no condemnation and there is no separation. The Bible teaches a whole and eternal salvation, once saved always saved.

Once saved there are seven new things that enable us as believing sinners to remain saved. I will review those seven things as we continue on this subject with more future posts.

The believer has a new position in Christ and experiences fellowship with a new guest because of the new relationship with Jesus. There is a theological description of the believer’s adoption by the Father that explains our eternal security. You will have a good look into each of these points as we continue in the next post at getting to the bottom line of what is called “the believers confidence”.

ARISE, MY SOUL, ARISE by Charles Wesley

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;

The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:

Before the throne my surety stands,

My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;

His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:

His blood atoned for all our race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:

“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,

“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;

He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;

His Spirit answers to the blood,

And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;

He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:

With confidence I now draw nigh,

And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

Believe and live!

“The Tubthumper”

Join me on the next post as we continue by looking at more evidence leading to “Once saved, always saved”. Click here to go to next post.

Click here to jump to other posts in this series:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Finders Keepers, Part 2

The question is on the table. Can we lose our salvation?

This topic will cover several continuing posts so stay with us… People profess Christ and then fall away. What about Judas? In the Gospel of Matthew, when Judas goes to the chief priests, he asks: “What will you give me if I deliver [Jesus] to you?” (Matthew 26:15). This verse suggests Judas betrayed Jesus out of greed. In the Gospel of John, however, after Jesus gives Judas the piece of dipped bread, “Satan entered into him” (13:27). This verse suggests Satan’s spirit entered into Judas and caused him to do evil. Jesus was sitting right next to him and allowed it. We know from scripture that Jesus knew ahead of time it would happen. Was it a choice a Judas made? What about Demas? Demas had been a faithful servant of the Lord, and a trusted companion of the apostle Paul. He served the greatest cause, and he served alongside some of the Lord’s most devoted disciples. It says in 2 Timothy 4:10, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” So Demas chose the world over the Kingdom and deserted Paul in his greatest time of need. All of his time spent with Paul and the other disciples could not preserve him from the wiles of Satan, the lure of the world, and the lusts of the fleshly nature.

They both went back to the world, they went back to sin. Or were they ever saved to begin with?

Is there any assurance of an absolute and permanent salvation? Some say when a person turns away from God after genuinely being a Christian they lose the saving grace they once had. (This is the classic Armenian and Wesley position.) But others say when a person turns away from God and back to the world it proves they were never Christians to begin with. (This is the classic Calvinistic and reformed position.) So one says hey, “They were never saved to begin with.” And the other side says, “No sir, they once had it but they lost it.’ Where do you stand on this issue? There is yet the third position which is that once someone prays to the Lord and confesses their sin with repentance along with an outward profession of faith they are saved and they can never lose it.

But… people profess and then turn away. Sadly I am seeing a lot of it these days. Is it because of dead faith? You will find in the book of James three different kinds of faith. In James 2:14-26, we find James discussing those different kinds of faith, with an emphasis upon that faith which works to the saving of the soul. Those with a dead faith are just pretenders. Their “walk” does not measure up to their “talk”. Is only an intellectual faith and they have never really submitted themselves to God and trusted in Jesus for salvation. Any form of belief that does not result in a changed life and good works is a dead end street. It is dead. Dead, dead, DEAD! What about false faith? It says in 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” This is what John said about those that turned against Christ. He was making a point. Just like a healthy body keeps poison out of your system and will purge your body of the poison a healthy church or healthy Christian will purge itself from the poison. The insincere become detected and the apostates and revolters and antichrists, they went out, and are made manifest that they were not all of us.

You may be reading all these words about faith and thought we were on some rabbit trail. All this about faith is because a truly saved individual has saving faith. Saving faith causes a regeneration of the person which then becomes manifest in works revealing the fruit of the spirit. Others will know of your regeneration by your fruit. Without regeneration it is morally and spiritually impossible to savingly believe in Christ. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see, he cannot understand, he cannot come to Christ”, (John 3:3; 6:37, 44; 1 Cor. 2:14). Regeneration is the renewing of the heart and mind; and the renewed heart and mind must act according to their nature. This regeneration is the act of God alone. But faith is not the act of God. It is not God who believes in Christ for salvation; it is the sinner. Although it is by God’s grace alone that a person is able to believe, faith is an activity of the person alone. In saving faith we receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation. It might be hard for you understand this concept that the Bible teaches but it is there. This is God’s way of salvation, expressing His supreme wisdom, power, and grace.

We are portrayed more than once in the Bible as sheep. There is a promise for the sheep. A true Christian, a true saved one, one with saving faith, cannot lose their salvation because of the promise scripture gives us. The shepherd gave his life for the sheep. Please allow me to turn your attention toward Jesus, The Good Shepherd in John. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”, (John 10:27-28) Please let verse 28 sink in. He gives us eternal life and we will never perish and NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND! He holds us tight to his chest forever. Forever safe Forever saved.

A person that is truly one of Christ’s sheep, born again of the spirit has Christ as the shepherd with his body lying across the sheep-gate protecting and keeping His sheep. God is committed to them and he will never let them be lost.

Just be sure you have that saving faith.

Have your prayer be similar to that of the Psalmist’s:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;

try me and know my anxieties;

“And see if there is any wicked way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.”

— Psalms 139:23-24

Believe and live!

“The Tubthumper”

Join me on the next post as we continue by looking at more evidence leading to “Once saved, always saved”. Click here to go to next post.

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The Pews are too Hard!

My mother dragged me down the sidewalk each Sunday to church when I was young. She really did drag me and sometimes it was by the ear. I remember each line and crack in that sidewalk on Washington Avenue. I remember the church too. It was a huge old stone Baptist church with massive stained glass windows and a gigantic pipe organ. The pews I had to sit in were just plain punishment. Those pews were solid oak with no pads on them and so hard. No way did I want to be there. I always made that known to all around me. When you see kids fidgeting in church none are as bad as I was. I even got the pastor to stop preaching one Sunday morning. He came down and moved me to the front row. The reverend told me if I moved before he finished I would be in trouble. That got my attention!

My mother made sure her kids got to church. She took us even when we didn’t want to be there. People used to do that you know. I am thankful she did that. I’m sad times have changed. All kids should have the pew experience.

I was exposed to the word of God early and I came to Christ early. I was only a young 10 year old boy but I came to Christ. I was born again! To be born again means that I exchanged my old life for a new life. I was born of the flesh in 1955 and then 10 years after being born of the flesh I was born of the spirit (The Holy Spirit) on August 8, 1965.

I was just a kid and I wasn’t interested in much other than having fun back then. I was probably no different than other kids. I could not sit still very well. I didn’t even have a Bible. Wow, those pews were so hard! There was evidence all around me that God existed. I knew in my heart that it was true and had no doubt. I knew right from wrong. I was just old enough to learn bout Hell and to understand I was a sinner. I understood I was lost and couldn’t save myself no matter how good I could try to be. “For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

My mother saw to it that Christian values were taught to us and we had the opportunity to meet God. Of course, those Christian values never saved anyone. It is Jesus Christ that saves us. It is the Gospel. To be born again a person needs to make a choice. I made that choice. I chose Jesus Christ as my savior. It didn’t make those pews any softer but it assured me I would be with Jesus and not in the lake of fire.

It was all very simple for me. In faith I trusted in Christ to save me. I believed!

I am much older now and 48 years have passed since then. I still like to keep things simple though. And for me, salvation is as simple as these two things:

1. We must believe God is there and Jesus was His son and was born the ‘Savior’, died on the cross for our sins and rose again. We must repent and call on Him for salvation and ask for a changed life in Him. Believe and live!

— When I was 10 years old I had no Bible but I knew in my heart God and Jesus existed. I wanted to be with Him and was sorry I was a sinner. I called on His name and was saved!

Don’t let anyone confuse you. Keep the first step of salvation simple.

2. Believe the Bible is the written word of God inspired by Him and delivered through man.

Which comes first? I don’t think it matters. I came to the Lord before I had a Bible and my wife came to the Lord after and through reading the Bible. He will make that choice. You just need to respond.

A tiny little booklet, the Gospel of John, was my Bible for a long time. I love John 3:16 and it is my saving verse. It was the verse I learned while on my knees calling to Jesus for salvation. It is forever burned in my heart, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

So 48 years later I can tell you that life has not been a bowl of cherries and being saved by the grace of Christ probably hasn’t made my life any easier, but I can’t imagine going through life without Jesus Christ.

God has done wonderful things in and for my life. He placed me in the presence of the people that I needed to mold me to the person I am today. He made me who I am. My life has been blessed and I am so very thankful. And He is still working on me.

I can still feel those oak pews on my buttocks.

Jesus Christ came to this earth over two thousand years ago for one purpose: “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). His life was an absolutely perfect life. “In him is no sin” (I John 3:5). Yet He went to the cross to pay the penalty of sin and die for me, a guilty sinner. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He died for the whole world, but He died for me. And He died for you.

It didn’t end at the cross. After Jesus died He rose again from the grave. “He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7). “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). This proved Jesus Christ is God, and through Him alone we are saved.

These days, each Sunday I sit in nice padded seats to receive the message from our pastor. I sometimes drift back to the day…

When those pews were so hard…

God bless your day,

“The Tubthumper”

A Storm Is Coming

Warning: A severe storm is on the horizon and it is headed your way!

Have you experienced a really bad storm in the past? The warnings come from the weather center showing a cold front coming in that will produce high winds, damaging hail, torrential rain and possible tornado. Along with it we generally see a posting for flash floods. For those of us in the Northeast we last experienced a major storm when Hurricane Irene released her fury such as we have not seen in this area before. Many within 2 miles of me lost their homes, entire farms, businesses and some lost their lives. The power of nature is awesome and the power of God is awesome.

There are two kinds of storms we must often endure. There are storms of the weather (nature) and there are storms of life. I have experienced both many times. I am a survivor of many storms of life and have come out the other side of the storm with not only victory but as an improved individual. Some of those storms lasted years and others quickly passed. Each one has an indelible stamp on my mind.

There are three kinds of people in the world when we are relating to storms. If you are reading this you fall into one of the three categories. If you are in the first category you “recently endured a storm”. Those in category two are “currently in the midst of a storm”. Lastly the third category holds those who will find themselves “going through a storm in the future”.

Let’s look at a time when the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee and a storm came up that they thought would sink the boat. Jesus was with them and He had fallen asleep. In fear they cried out, “Lord, save us from drowning”. We can see what Jesus did in this account by Mark, “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still, and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39) Many bible scholars believe this vicious storm was caused by satanic activity in an attempt to drown Jesus. The account can be found in Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-37 and Luke 8:22-25.

Is there a storm in your life right now? If you are a Christian and you are trying to weather a storm you may want to ask yourself three questions:

Is the storm you are going through a punishment or is it purification? Could it be that you are being chastened for sin? (Remember the story of Jonah and the whale.) In another violent storm Jonah found himself swallowed and in his case he was being chastened. Could this storm you are enduring be a trial that God has allowed to purify you as it was in this case with the disciples?
Have you made room for God? Are you totally aware of His presence always? Or did you forget Him? God wants you to recognize Him in your life.
What does God want you to do in this time of weathering a storm?

First, God wants your thanks. You should thank Him for the storm. I know that may sound crazy to you, however, it is true. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Second, He wants you to be fellowshipping with Him and reading His word during the storm. “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Third, He wants us all to trust Him in our storms. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Please understand that Christ knows about the storm and if Christ allows you to experience the storm He has good reason. Jesus Christ is watching over you throughout the storm and is interceding with the Father. He will come to you at the proper time in the storm. No one knows His time and it will be sooner or later. During the storm He will help your faith grow. He will see you safely through the storm and will enable you to help others. ” Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Don’t face the storm alone. Be sure Christ is your shipmate.

God bless you as you man the oars.

“The Tubthumper”

It’s a miracle, a free gift!

It is Justification. In my opinion justification is a miracle. It is a miraculous gift given to all of us who believe upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is provided by Christ’s death on the cross and given to us at no cost through His grace.

The doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone is extremely important and central to the Christian faith.

In spite of the importance attributed to it in the Bible and the critical role it played in the Protestant Reformation, most professing believers today do not understand it. We live in a time when most people are woefully ignorant of basic Bible doctrines. An obsession with entertainment and emotionalism has replaced a concern for theology. How many sermons or classes have you seen dealing with the doctrine of God, or the atonement, or justification? Little to none I’ll bet. Why isn’t doctrine taught today? Did you know that Paul made it completely clear that a mistake regarding justification can send you to the lake of fire? We need preachers and teachers committed to expound on the doctrine of justification.

The doctrine of Justification by faith and the death of Christ at Calvary go together and Justification is based on the blood of the Lamb.

A study of Scripture proves that justification is not subjective or a process, but is a legal declaration by God the Father in the heavenly court.

Some points of clarity between justification and sanctification: Justification is objective. It takes place outside of the sinner in the heavenly court. Justification does not directly change the believer’s inner life. On the other hand, sanctification is subjective. It takes place in the sinner and renders the sinner more holy over time.

Justification is an act of God the Father. God renders a verdict regarding the one who believes in Christ. “It is God who justifies” (Rom. 8:33). Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit. “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). Justification is instantaneous. God declares the believing sinner righteous in a moment of time. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (Jn. 5:24; Lk. 18:14; Rom. 5:1). Justification is not a process, nor is it piecemeal. It takes place only once, and then it is complete. “There is no such thing as being more and more justified. There are no degrees of acceptance with God. To be justified is to be wholly justified.” A “man is either fully justified, or he is not justified at all.” Sanctification is a continuous process. The Christian grows in holiness and more and more conforms to the character of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies God’s word to his heart. “The old sin nature is progressively subdued, but never entirely abolished in this life.” Sanctification is progressive, imperfect, and not completed until death.

Justification removes the guilt of sin and clothes the believer with Christ’s perfect righteousness, thus entitling him to eternal life in God’s own family. Sanctification progressively removes the pollution of sin; subdues the power of sin, and increasingly enables the believer to live in conformity with the word of God.

Justification is an act of God obtained by or through faith. “There is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith” (Rom. 3:30). Faith is not the ground or cause of justification but the instrument by which the believer receives justification. Faith is the gift of God which lays hold of and receives what Christ has accomplished. The believer’s salvation and justification are totally a work of God.

Justification is the manner in which God considers righteous those sinners who, by faith in Jesus Christ, receive Devine forgiveness and reconciliation. Justification is a legal or forensic term and is used in Scripture to denote the acceptance of any one as righteous in the sight of God.

“Salvation includes that which is given, freely and finally, by God (JUSTIFICATION); that which is continually imparted (sanctification); and that still to be attained (glorification).”

Justification is by faith alone and not works. We were given a free gift of grace and justification did not occur by anything we did or anything within us, but occurred because of what Christ did for us. Hence it is called a gift, a free gift, a gift by grace, and believers are described as those who receive this gift of righteousness (Rom. 5.17). We are never said to be justified by anything done by us or wrought in us, but by what Christ has done for us. We are justified through the redemption that is in him (Rom. 3.24). We are justified by his blood (Rom. 5.9) We are justified by his obedience (Rom. 5.19). We are justified by him from all things (Acts 13.39). He is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1.30). We are made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5.21). We are justified in his name (1 Cor. 6.11). There is no condemnation to those who are in him (Rom. 8.1). Justification is, therefore, by faith in Christ, because faith is receiving and trusting to him as our Savior, as having done all that is required to secure our acceptance before God.

Justification is God’s response to the problem of estrangement from the only true God. In his letter to the Romans, Paul conveyed the message that God did not consider sin lightly. Sin created a massive gulf between God and people. This gulf required a bridge to bring all of humanity into a right relationship with God. Theologians call God’s bridge building “reconciliation.” Reconciliation functions to bring humans “justification.” The main character who effected this divine plan was Jesus Christ. Uniquely, His death on the cross made it possible for God and people to be reconciled (Romans 5:10) and thus for humans to be justified.

Through the Gospel, God unleashes a power to change people, and at the crucial point: in their relationship with him. When people respond in faith to the message of the good news, God “justifies” them; that is, he declares them innocent before him, removing the barrier that exists between all human beings in their natural state and God. Everything else in the Christian life flows from this marvelous experience.

Yet many people do not hear this good news, and many Christians do not understand what has happened to them.

I see a good example of justification from the Old Testament. We can take a look at David. In Psalms 51 we find the prayer of repentance from David, “restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”. David had no chance under the Law. There could be no sacrifice offered because an adulterer was to be stoned to death under the Law. He had a broken and contrite heart and was asking for forgiveness. He threw himself to the mercy of the Lord and the Lord provided by grace to have David justified apart from the Law. He bypassed the Law of Moses and by grace he was forgiven. The judge died for the defendant!

When God justifies a man, he declares him to be righteous. Just as Adam’s transgressions resulted in condemnation and death, Christ’s ‘free gift’ brought justification and life (Rom. 5:16). In this affirmation, Paul presupposes the resurrection of Christ and its distribution: those who receive the ‘gift of righteousness’ will rule in life through the one, Jesus Christ (verse 17). His single act of righteousness has brought ‘the justification which issues in life (dikaiosis zoes) for all humanity (verse 18). The ‘gift of righteousness’ (verse 17) is nothing other than Christ’s ‘act of righteousness’ (verse 18) in its saving significance for all who believe. Our justification has been accomplished outside of us, in Christ incarnate, crucified and risen.”

There are three major imputations in the Bible. They are Adam’s sin imputed to the human race, Man’s sin (mine and yours) imputed upon Christ, and last but most certainly not least is God’s righteousness imputed to all believers. And justification is an act of God. It is a legal declaration whereby God declares a vile sinner to be righteous.”

The cross of Calvary makes it possible for God to be both just and the Justifier. (II Cor. 5:21)

Justification, however, is only for “him which believeth in Jesus.” This cannot be overemphasized. God justifies only those who believe in Jesus. The only belief that counts with God is belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a comfort to know that through Christ’s redeeming work our Justification is connected indissolubly with the glory of God.

We now can look at the word “Grace”. Grace is unmerited favor. It is getting something we do not deserve. All we deserve from God is His eternal punishment for our continued rebellion; but instead He offers us salvation through His Son at the infinite cost of Calvary. So we are “justified freely by His grace”.

It is based on a redemptive price, for Paul goes on to speak of “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood”. (Romans 3: 24, 25) Remember those words, “redemption, propitiation, faith and blood”. The four steps leading to Justification: 1) You are lost, 2) You cannot save yourself, 3) You realize only Christ can save you, and 4) You must ask Christ to save you.

Justification by faith is the doctrine we need expounded on more today. Justification is free. God does not charge us anything. He does not charge for saving us either.

I will end with these words, “In the brief, but clear and comprehensive words of the Westminster Divines: “Justification is an act of God’s free grace, –Wherein He pardoneth all our sins,– and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, — only for the righteousness of Christ, –imputed to us,– and received by faith alone.”

The peace of God can be enjoyed by all and because of justification we have hope.

By His grace I am saved,

“The Tubthumper”

For more details you can read the full document by clicking here.

Hell, you don’t have to go there!

Part 3 of 3 part series:

God is real. His word is real. His love is real. His working in the world is real. He is real. God is near to any who would have Him. Jeremiah 29:13, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

He wants to offer you a relationship not possible with any person. Only God! No one else can offer you forgiveness of sins and eternal life. No one else can offer you a personal relationship with the divine Creator; only the Creator can do that. No one else can offer to touch you at the deepest level of your being and bring healing from heartache and despair. No one else can offer you the unconditional love we all crave. Reach out. He’s waiting for you.

I want to invite you to make Christ your Lord and Savior by repenting of your sins and calling on Him for forgiveness and eternal life, believing that He died for you and rose from the grave. The Bible says that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. That is very good news. Act on the words of God, will you?

The path to Heaven

1. God loves you and wants a personal relationship with you.

God has a wonderful plan for your life now and forever. The central theme of the Bible is God’s love for you and all people. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

God’s plan: Jesus said, ” The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10; 17:3).

2. We are all sinful and separated from God.

Because of sin we cannot know God personally or experience His love and plan for our lives. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”, (Romans 3:23). Man (Adam) was created to have a relationship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

We are all separated from God because of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Heaven and Hell are real destinations and the ultimate choice is ours. There is a hell…but the good news is we don’t have to go there!

The diagram above illustrates that God is Holy and we are sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows show that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as living a good life, doing good deeds, following philosophies, religions, cults etc. The next point explains the only way to bridge this gulf.

3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin.

Through Jesus Christ alone we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. “, (Romans 5:8).

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep” (I Corinthians 15:3-6).

Jesus Christ is the only way to God. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know the above information. The next point is the most important.

4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

We must receive Jesus Christ by faith (i.e. by trusting or believing) so we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We experience a new spiritual birth when we receive Jesus Christ. “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:1-8).

We can receive Jesus Christ by personal invitation. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Jesus Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Jesus to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us the kind of people He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We must receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of will.

The two circles below represent two kinds of lives, the self-directed life and the Christ-directed life:

Which circle best represents your life? Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

5. How you can receive Jesus Christ right now by prayer and faith:

Prayer is talking with God. God knows your heart and is not concerned with your words. He is looking at the attitude of your heart.

The following is a suggested prayer. It is only an example for you. Dear God/Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned. I believe You sent Jesus Christ to save me. I believe Jesus was crucified on the cross, he was buried, raised from the dead, and He ascended into heaven and sat down at Your right hand. I thank You Jesus for taking away my sins forever. I believe Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I am now born again and will have eternal life. Take control of my life and make me the person You want me to be. Thank You God, for forgiving me and giving me everlasting life. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, pray one like it right now. It need not be the same and should be your own words. If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved (Romans 10:9). If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all wrong doing (1 John 1:9). Jesus said, ” I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).

6. How you can grow as a new member of God’s Kingdom.

Talk to God in prayer daily. Matthew 21:22,”And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. Mark 11:24,”Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Attend church regularly. Hebrews 10:25,”Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Psalm 122:1,”I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Read God’s Word, the Bible, often. 2 Timothy 3:16,17,”All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Obey God always. John 14:21,”He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Be a good witness and live for God by your life and words. John 15:8,”Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

Trust God for every detail of your life. 1 Peter 5:7,”Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Trust the Holy Spirit to help you daily. Romans 8:14, ”For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

*The illustrations were not created by me. Thanks go out to the artist whom I am unable to identify.

God bless you,

“The Tubthumper”