• Tag Archives redemption
  • Connected With God’s Grace

    “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. (Heb.13:9)”

    God’s writer for the above verse warns us that it is possible for our heart i.e. our intellect, emotions, and volition, to be carried from one strange and foreign doctrine to another. How can this be? I am a child of God! Every real child of God knows deep within that only God’s rich grace presented and permitted us to partake of His precious salvation! “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. (Eph.2:8-9)” To many, I am afraid, that God’s grace is only associated with salvation. Certainly, we must and should frequently praise our Lord for His benevolent act of personally meeting and bestowing His wonderful gift of redemption upon us but does grace end there! My dear friends this is only the beginning! IICor.1:22 proclaims that salvation is merely the down payment (“earnest”) for what is to follow. Perhaps it is time we all hang our heads and deeply examine where we stand spiritually. Maybe we can only remember the love and zeal we used to have.

     

    The “carried about” in Heb.13:9 introduces a scary thought. If we become passive, in our walk and talk with the Lord, we give permission to outside influences to rule us, in spite of our Biblical knowledge and the occasional interaction. In a world filled with multitudes of anti-God ways, we must assume the responsibility, with fear and trembling, of scanning our own lives. Never forget that God has daily grace for each of us – first, for salvation (Rom.10:13) if we are void of it, and ,secondly, He ever so desires to meet with ever child of His for daily strength that He might see and hear our daily praises for His movements and comfort.

     

    To the church of Ephesus and to our souls today God says through Paul,

    “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

    Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (Eph.1:6-9) 

    God ever so desires to connect His grace with us. Are we willing?

    R.L.

     

     

     

     

     

     


  • Want to Be In On What God Likes?

    The little book of Esther is another reminder of how God can protect, provide, and pronounce victory over the enemy, bring Glory to Himself, joy to His people, and touch others.
    The era was during the reign of Ahasuerus – the mighty Persian King that ruled from India to Ethiopia, over one-hundred and twenty provinces. His conquering of Babylon brought with it all the captive Jews. Eventually the evil Mordecai manipulated the King into decreeing extermination upon all Jews throughout the land. The brave Mordecai knew that God could use Esther, if she was willing, but to intercede before the king could be instant death. In spite of all risks, listen to Mordecai talking to Esther, “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, [then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?” (Est: 4:14) Courageous Esther risking it all stood before the great King and was granted permission to write whatever decree she desired and to seal it using the king’s seal. Once again, God spared the Jews.
    Notice very closely the results when faith and courage unite before God to accomplish His will. (Est: 8:17) “And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.”
    Thus, we learn that when the highest level of faith and courage stand together, God gloriously accomplishes His will for His people and for others! What a day it would be if just a small group of God’s people were so joyful and festive that fear would fall on the outsiders, resulting in many of them receiving redemption and joining us!
    What about you, or perhaps you and another?

     


  • Why Did He Do It?

       A dear pastor friend of mine in Mount Vernon, Washington, recently posted the following on Facebook:  I am taking a theology class, and one of my assignments this week is to ask the following question in the “public square”: What was the purpose of the life and death of Jesus Christ?

         The moment I read this, the gears started upstairs and I began wondering what we would say if someone simply proposed, the same question to any Christian at random. Have you considered that such a scenario is not only highly possible but, as we grow nearer our Lord’s return I am strongly convicted it will become highly probable. Folks, right now there is a growing population (many of whom who profess to be believers) all around us who are desperately searching for help and answers and eventually one of them will cross paths with one of us. The Bible says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:  16.  Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17.  For [it is] better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” (1Pe. 3:15-17) 

        The following was my response to John. According to the Scriptures, Jesus supplied that which God requires in order for us to be pleasing to Him in this life and throughout eternity – perfection. All of humanity’s blood was and still is, tainted with sin since, consequently, the time when Adam and Eve became earth’s first two sinners. Thus, since all lineages reach back through one of Noah’s sons and eventually back to Adam and Eve through the lineage of Seth, each earthly human being is in a fix – i.e. we are all sinners and no earth-born citizen can change their condition nor do the same for another. The Scripture states in Romans 3:19-26, “ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin. 21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22  Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25  Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26  To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.  God never intended the Old Testament law to provide the where-with-all to redeem anyone. At best, the law could only provide a temporal covering of sins, if obeyed. (Heb.10:1-10) “ For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2.  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.  3. But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. 4.  For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.  5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6.  In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.  7.  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.  8.  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law; 9.  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10.  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].   The law was and forever will remain God’s continual reminder that all are sinners in desperate need of miraculous intervention from Him.  

             In conclusion, by personally repenting of our sins and accepting The Lord Jesus Christ as our Savor, God instantaneously cleanses us from all sins, equips us with His type of life (eternal), and then adopts us into His heavenly family! That is the reason Jesus went to the cross, shed His blood, suffered and died, and then arose early on Sunday morning.  The Word of God says it best – (Jn. 3:16) “ 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.”