True Saving Faith in Christ

The Bible is very clear that a person is saved by the Grace of God alone through faith alone in Christ alone- The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-10 LITV For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast; for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them,  nothing we do, not by our works of righteousness, for the Bible says our works of righteousness are like a menstruous cloth in the sight of the Holy God, for the Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 LITV But we are all as the unclean thing , and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth. And we all fade as a leaf, and like the wind our iniquities take us away.  A believer is saved by the perfect Work of Christ, by His death, burial and resurrection - The Bible says in 1Corinthians 15:1-4 LITV But, brothers, I reveal to you the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you also are being kept safe, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you in the first place what I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures, - When a person come to Christ, he/she receives Christ's perfect righteousness, which is imputed to their account, which is shown in Romans 3:22 LITV even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ toward all and upon all those believing; for there is no difference, - A believer is declared righteous by God in the righteousness of Christ. The Bible says in Romans 4:8 LITV Blessed are those whose lawlessnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed the man to whom the Lord will in no way charge sin."  Christ has paid the sin debt fully for every believer in Him.

The Bible also teaches that nobody would ever come to the Lord Jesus Christ unless born from above (which means a spiritual birth). The Bible says in John 3:3 LITV Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one does not receive birth from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.  The Bible tells us in the same chapter, this is a work of the Holy Spirit- John 3:5-7 LITV Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one does not receive birth out of water and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. That receiving birth from the flesh is flesh, and that receiving birth from the Spirit is spirit. Do not wonder because I told you, You must receive birth from above. If the Holy Spirit does not work in this way in an individual, a person will continue to hate God- continue to reject Christ- for the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9 LITV The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is incurable; who can know it?  The Bible says in Romans 3:11 LITV There is none that understands, there is "not one that seeks after God. 

So, the Bible teaches a sinner is saved by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and not by any works we do, but the Bible also says that a person who has true saving faith, will produce good fruit- good fruit will come forth. The Bible says in Philippians 1:6 LITV being persuaded of this very thing, that the One having begun a good work in you will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

The Bible says in 1John 3:9-10 LITV Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. When the Bible says, 'does not sin' and 'not able to sin', it means one who is born again does not habitually practice sin, and he/she is not able to habitually practice sin like they did before salvation- it does not mean sinless perfection, for the Bible says in 1John 1:8 LITV If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but speaks of practice, which is seen in verse 10, By this the children of God and the children of the Devil are revealed: Everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God; also the one not loving his brother.  A person who is habitually practicing sin is not saved- they have never known the Lord Jesus Christ- never been saved. The Bible says that Christians are a new creation- 2Corinthians 5:17 LITV So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new! 

Obviously, when a person comes to Christ, they are a babe in Christ, and they need to mature in the faith- even matured Christians will continue to be sanctified through their Christian life, which will be completed at glorification- the Bible says in 1John 3:2 LITV Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it was not yet revealed what we shall be. But we know that if He is revealed, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is, but God continues to work in the lives of His people in Christ, like we have already seen in Philippians 1:6, through His Word 2Timothy 3:16-17 LITV Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfected, fully furnished for every good work, by the power of the Holy Spirit John 14:26 LITV but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and shall remind you of all things that I said to you. 

To conclude, a saved person does not look to their works for salvation, but to whom they have their faith in for salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, but when a person comes to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and trust in Him alone to save them by His death, burial and resurrection, the good fruit will naturally come, not to get saved, but because they are saved, and be evident of a regenerate person in Christ, who has a true saving faith in God, who is now a spiritual man (having the Spirit), and not a natural man (without the Spirit of God). 

The Joy of the Lord

We see that Paul wrote about rejoicing in the Book of Philippians 4:4 LITV, when he wrote, Always rejoice, I say again, Rejoice. This is the joy of the Lord. This is the joy God has given to every believer in the Lord Jesus. 

Understand, this is not the joy the world experiences, but a joy found only in the Lord Jesus, and is always available for every believer to experience. This joy is available not only in prosperity but in adversity. The joy that believers have in the Lord is not based on circumstances, but in Christ, not in a situation but in our Saviour. The source of the believers' joy is not something or someone who will fade away, or change, or perish, or waver, but the joy we have is in the Lord, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Understand too, The Bible never promises that believers will go without problems, but what the Bible does say is the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. Never. A true Christian can know the joy of the Lord in Him, the One who calls us His own, who loved us and gave Himself for us, and saved us, who has given to His people a home in heaven with Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ will remain faithful and true to His Word, and lead us to be where He is. We can fully trust in the Lord. 

Understand too, the more we grow in the Word of God (the Bible), as followers of Christ, and learn how we should live as a Christian, and practiced (made practical), the easier it should be to rejoice in the joy of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit through whatever may come as we serve our God. Amen. 

God's Wisdom and Man's Foolishness

I like to listen to radio programs where they discuss about various topics (not all topics), and listen to what people have to say on them, but one of the problems is the increasing number of radio presenters who blaspheme the Name of the Lord. I have switched off programs on different stations because of the blaspheming. 

Not only that, but there are times when a radio presenter will talk about Christianity, and they have no idea what they are talking about. It is amazing that when it comes to Christianity many people (including radio presenters) think they are experts, but they sound foolish to the ears of people who know Christ and His Word.

The Bible says in 1Corinthinas 2:14LITV, "But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The Bible tells us that the natural man, one without the Spirit of God, an unbeliever, can not know the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, and because the truth (God's Word), which is not foolishness, but precious, is foolishness to the natural man, an unbeliever, he will speak foolish things to oppose the truth and defend the lie.

Paul the apostle wrote in 1Corinthians 1:18LITV, "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God."

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is not foolishness, but the wisdom of God, and how blessed we are who know the Lord, the One who opened our spiritual eyes to see the beauty of His Gospel.  Amen.

The Sheep of Christ

Are you one of Christ's Sheep? My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John 10:27kjv

Entering Through the Narrow Gate by Pastor Elisha John

A powerful sermon preached by pastor Elisha John of Grace Baptist Church Stratford London called 'Entering Through the Narrow Gate' (Matthew 7:13-14)~ click on the link to go to the Church's Website, to listen to the sermon
http://www.gbcsl.org/listen/?sermon_id=29

The Lord Jesus Christ Divides!

It is amazing to hear when people who clearly do not know the Lord Jesus Christ speak about Him like they do know Him. For example, there will be people who believe that Jesus came to this earth to unite everybody to be one big happy family (regardless of their belief), and to love (what the world calls 'love'), because we are all God's children. This is foreign to the Bible. Nowhere in holy scripture will you ever find such liberal doctrine.

What did Jesus say when He was on this earth? Jesus said, 'Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.' Matthew 10:34kjv- What does Jesus mean? Jesus does not mean a physical sword, but speaks about division. Jesus did not come to the earth to unite everybody to be one big happy family (regardless of their belief) and have worldy peace, but to seperate those who are 'His sheep', from those who are not His sheep. He came to divide believers from the unbelievers. Jesus Himself divides the people of God (believers), from the people of this world (unbelievers) ~Luke 12:51.

The Bible does not teach that all people are God's children. The Bible teaches we are all created by God, but we are not all God's children. The Bible says about believers in the Lord Jesus, 'But as many as received him, to them have he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12kjv- but the Bible also speaks about those who do not receive Him, and believe not on His name, For Jesus said to the Jews, 'Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do'. John 8:44a.

Worldly love has no room for godly judgment against sin (sin which has been accepted by this world). But the Lord Jesus said, 'And this is the condemnation, that the light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.' John 3:19-21kjv.

This is the reason many people form (mould) their own Jesus (false Jesus) to fit their evil deeds. They have a Jesus that has no problem with their dark evil deeds (which the Bible calls sin)- this makes them feel more comfortable. They mould their own Jesus who has a worldy love, and accepts what the world accepts as good. This is not the Jesus of the Bible. The Lord Jesus loves righteousness, and hates iniquity.

So as we have seen from scripture, Jesus did not come to bring everybody together as one big happy family (regardless what they believe), but came to make the elect (the believers) one big happy family in Him, to become sons of God,  to love righteousness and to hate iniquity, and one day be with Him in heaven.