Category Archives: the gospel

Reading the Bible Cannot Save You

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Living a life provided by us, can only lead to an eternity provided by us. “Unless the Lord builds the house the builder builds in vain.”

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“Salvation belongs to our God and to the lamb!”  This will be the song sung by those who arrive in heaven, dressed for eternity.  It will not be sung by those who think they can save themselves.  No work of man can produce the attire necessary to stand before the Living God.  Simple logic brings us to this conclusion.

As an aside: I met a man who told me he had no time for Jesus.  He said he would take his chances in the Judgment Day.  I will give the man this, at least he was being honest with his folly.

The power of God alone can turn a man from fool to wise.  Those who live in truth before the Holy Lord, will cannot lie.  It is impossible to stand before Him and do anything other than tell the truth.  The perfection of God demands it.  How then can the man who trusts in his own strength sing that song?

I do not write this article to make fun of people.  I write this article that everyone may understand.  From the simple to the great, salvation is extended freely.  Yet only those who humble themselves before the Living God, will find it.

39  “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.  These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5)

No righteousness belongs to man.  If a man is able to memorize the entire Bible, it does not save him.  God does not take pride in such a child.  God in his excellent wisdom has reserved His Holy Son alone, that men may be saved.  The song does not say, “Salvation belongs to those who have saved themselves”.

When the Lord Jesus was with his disciples on the mountain, and was transformed before their very eyes, the Holy Father spoke.  Of all the myriad of things the Holy Father could have said, what did he say?  “. . .This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”  (Matthew 17:5)

God did not say,  “Read the Bible and do what it says”.  The Bible is a written and concrete evidence of the covenant of God toward man.  But the Living God, and His strength to save is, found exclusively in his Living, Righteous and Holy Son.

Pride comes when man thinks he owns anything by his own strength.  But salvation comes when all the man has belongs to God. 

If anything is not of God it will not endure the Judgment Day.  Eternity is Holy.  Nothing will ever be in it but that which is God.

There will be no pride in heaven.  There should be no pride among us here.  If a man thinks he is something, he deceives himself and does not understand the truth.

Reading the Bible, alone, cannot save you.  It is necessary that every man should humble himself before the Living God, and receive the power of his Holy Son’s sacrifice and eternal Kingship.

Find a man who knows the Bible through and through, yet does not commune with the Living God in Christ Jesus, and you will find a man who is full (to overflowing) with pride and false humility.  But living in vibrant fellowship with the Living God’s Holy Son, produces humility, by crushing the pride in which a man trusts.

If still you need proof, read the Holy Law that God gave to his people through Moses.  Now for 24 hours, do that law.  You will find yourself falling short within an half hour.

Those who think they can save themselves by memorizing and understanding the Bible, are like those who live by the law.  Not one man can obey it completely.  And every man who tries will die.  Remember what the Apostle Paul said.  “Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, ‘Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God’s curse!’” (Galatians 3: 10)

May the Living God grant understanding.

By His Grace

Losing the War

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I have made complaint, over and over, as to how the world is plummeting to destruction.  I have said, over and over, it is because they denied the truth of the living God among them.  But this morning, understanding comes, as to the mechanics of this plummeting to destruction.

No doubt this subject requires a rather lengthy book.  But I am forced by the willing restraint of the reader to keep it short.  Keeping it short however, will mean a loss of important trains of thought.  So I will leave it to the reader to fill in the blanks.

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I do as my daddy taught me.  His teaching is like a shadow lurking in my mind.  I listened to him speak.  I watched him act.  I gathered the trains of thought in his mind and made them my own.  So also, was the influence of my mother. 

To some extent, their example remains within me.  No matter how I try to shake it with the truth of God, I cannot completely undo their influence.

This is true of every man and woman.  The better the example of truth, the more readily truth is received when we mature. 

But let us now look to the larger scale of things.  Adam and Eve could have told us what perfection was like.  Not so our parents.  And if the destruction of truth was made apparent in Cain, their son, how much more so is it today?

On and on, through the generations to now, the truth has been obscured and forsaken.  If perfection was squandered within one generation how much more so now?

The miracle of change is not the destruction of society.  (The constant pulling away from what is real) The miracle is that truth even remains at all.   The miracle is that the human race is not destroyed already.

What has prevented complete and catastrophic failure in humanity?  The power of God has restrained destruction among us.  As it is written, “Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1:9)

The world speaks of truth as it applies to society at the moment.  But God has raised up men and women who know the truth according to Eternity.  They have lived among us and taught what they knew.  Those whom God inspired, listened to them and did likewise.

If we want to know why we continue to fail, it is because of the unseen shadow of lies we were taught as children.  Add to that, our natural proclivity toward rebelion, and destruction will run rampant in our streets.

To whatever degree we find ourselves willing to obey the Living God in Christ Jesus, we will become shining examples of what is true and faultless.  But to whatever extent we agree with man, that truth is relative, we will remain filthy examples of rebellion.  (Of which, by the way, are vastly more than those who teach the truth.)

A man’s response to these things, is determined by his desire to love the living God.  Will he allow himself to be used as an agent of truth; helping to sustain life?  Or will he continue in his fellowship with the agents of destruction?

The Lord Jesus is able to change a man’s perception.  Many things we were taught as children remain.  But they are subdued by His holy words that live within us. 

The choice belongs to every man to accept or reject this message.

I will add this final note.

The world will be destroyed. 

The moment will come when God will send His Holy Son take all of his people from this place.  Along with the absence of these people will be the absence of His Holy Spirit among men; that Great Spirit of influence that saves humanity from utter, and catastrophic failure.

Consider this, if you are willing.  When the Lord returns, this place will plummet to destruction.  Violence, chaos, illicit and immoral behavior, will become the norm, within a day. 

Within 24 hours blood will fill every street.  Hatred and violence will rise as the preeminent behavior of all men.  Add to that, the horrors God has promised to unveil in that time. 

We live as a people under duress.   By compulsion we are forced to grapple with these things.  We want to live.  But by ourselves there is no eternal life in us.  We are only wicked animals waiting to devour one another.

You, like I am, are forced to make a choice.  Receive the Lord Jesus, and obey Him, or die a most hideous death for eternity.  The wicked nature of man has no place in heaven.  And without the restraint of God’s Holy Spirit we are nothing more than wicked animals.  Those who think otherwise are convinced of the lie they were taught as children.

The Lord Jesus will return without notice.  It could be today.  It could be a hundred years from now.  It will certainly be when you die and leave this place. 

We are under duress let’s make a choice.

By His Grace

Why Lose?

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If you think God is a series of do’s and don’ts, you don’t know him.  If you think obeying the Ten Commandments will make you a friend of God, you don’t know the gospel.  If you believe all the social hype about religion, you are blinded by a lie.

Rather than explain those three statements, I’ll just ask you to read the New Testament.  If you’re still confused, read it again.  And if you still don’t get it, read it one more time. 

The point is confusion isn’t necessary.  Keep reading it until you understand.  Because if you don’t understand, you’ll die.

By His Grace

Who?

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A man’s arm does not fall off because his child is rebellious.  No part of the parent’s body is rejected because the child rejects the parent.  Though there is grief in the parent, the child is the one who suffers the greater loss.

So it is with eternity.  Not the slightest sliver of eternity will suffer loss because you are not there.  Due to the immense joy of salvation, no one will mourn for you.  They might look for you to share in mutual joy.  But when you are not found, no tear will fall.

In this world a man may cause suffering because of his rebellion.  And in his evil heart, he may even take joy in delivering such things.  These are the wicked things of a wicked child.

In this world a man may be lax in doing the work of Christ Jesus.  And truly, the kingdom suffers on earth for the lack of many to obey.  But do not think to yourself, your disobedience will cause God difficulty or pain.

The names of the wicked will be blotted out forever.  Their rebellion will find no strength against God nor his people.  The effectiveness of rebellion will cease!

“A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.” (Psalm 37: 10)

The wicked laugh at the righteous.  “See how miserable their life is!  They do not play with us.  They cannot have joy.”   The wicked mock the Holy Name and ways of God.  But they are the ones who have no place before the throne of the Holy Lord of life.  Nor will they share in the everlasting joy to come.

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  (Matthew 5)

When all these promises come to pass, the memory of the wicked will be no more.  Enjoy your popularity now.  You will cease to be.

By His Grace

“NARROW!” I Said, “Narrow!”

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13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7)

What is this “narrow gate”?  And why did Jesus say, “few there are who find it”?

The narrow gate is this: “37 . . .Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22)

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” (Luke 13:24)

The reason why there are so few who find it and enter, has everything to do with greed.  Men are destroyed because they want everything for nothing.

No man will enter the hope and Holy will of God, thus eternal life, without putting Christ first among all his things.  Take note of how greedy desire restrains you.  Take note of how callously you use the name of Christ Jesus.  Take notice how carefully you avoid prayer.  Take note of how many pages in your new Bible are still uncut.

How can any man travel any distance while he has tethered himself to a heavy weight?  All the pleasures that belong to this world will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Nor will the man who holds them dear.

Look within you.  See, with honesty, what you hold dear.  Is it the will of God?  Or is it love for what you can gain here? 

You say you don’t know the will of God.  I ask you, have you looked into it?  Or have you preoccupied yourself with all the pleasures of this world you can gather?

There are two reasons why most men never enter the narrow gate.  The first is that they hate restriction.  The second is they love pleasure more than they love God.

If you want more provocation to do what is right, consider this, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go in there by.”  If you are one of those, you will certainly be destroyed.

If you don’t care if you are destroyed, what more can be said.  But if you care about whether you live or die, be wise.  The choice is entirely yours. 

Follow the crowd and you will die.  Follow after God and you will live.  Follow the crowd and you will feel safe.  Follow after God and they will abandon you.

By His Grace

The Full Gospel

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A man who considers himself a Christian, once told me, “You won’t save a single soul by the things you write.”  I don’t mean to offend anyone, but why should I care what he thinks?

If we listen to such advice we will not speak at all.  And if we error by speaking too harsh a message, have we done the Lord a disfavor?  And when men stand before the living God, to give account of themselves, will we have delivered what could have save their soul?  Or we will we stand in contempt of His Holy Blood by telling them only, “God loves you”?

The Bible does not tell us that the love of God is the beginning of wisdom.  In fact it says, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  If men will not fear God what is that to me?  We are to proclaim the full gospel.

There are plenty of so called preachers who will tell people only that God loves them.  The world is rich with those who will preach honey.  So by His grace, I determined a long time ago to speak the other side of the coin.  I don’t expect praise from those who preach otherwise.

By His Grace