Is Repentance and Faith like choosing from a Menu?

I was listening to a preacher and he preached on 1Thessalonians 1:4, where the Bible says, knowing brothers, beloved by God, your election.' It was obvious that this preacher was not reformed because he gave the final decision to man in regards to his salvation.

He gave an illustration to attempt to prove his position that God provides the way for salvation, but man by his autonomous freewill chooses whether God can save them or not.

The illustration when something like this. When you go to a restaurant, you have a menu, the menu is provided, but you by your freewill decide whether to have something from that menu. 

There is a serious problem with this illustration. Let us take a look at that in this post.

First of all, whether you are saved or not saved, you can look at a menu and decide whether to have something from that menu. You do not need to be regenerated to be able to choose to have something from the menu. Just go to a restaurant and you will see many unregenerate people choosing their meals from the menu without any problems.

What about salvation? Can an unregenerate man choose salvation like he is ordering a bowl of soup at a restaurant or five chicken wings with ketchup? 

What does the Bible say. First let us look at what Jesus said 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. 

What is the Lord Jesus saying here? Look at the words, if one does not receive birth from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God. Notice, without a spiritual birth, you cannot see the kingdom of God. This speaks of the unregenerate man who has a heart of stone, a heart that hates God. The Lord Jesus Christ says that this man cannot even see the kingdom of God. This man needs to be regenerated before he can see the kingdom of God—this man needs to be born from above before he can see spiritually. How can a person come to the Lord Jesus Christ spiritually blind with a heart of stone that opposes God? The Lord Jesus is clearly telling us they cannot. 

When you go to verse 5, the Lord Jesus talks about being born from above saying, 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 the kingdom of God (LITV), which contradicts anyone who believes that faith comes before the new birth, believing that a person enters the kingdom of God and then is born from above, which is opposite to what the Lord teaches here in His Word.

So is repentance and faith like choosing from a menu? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Only Boast in God!

The Lord Jesus Christ says,  "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one coming to Me I will in no way cast out." (John 6:37 LITV)- The Lord Jesus Christ said that. In Ephesians 1:4 LITV the Bible says, "according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and without blemish before Him in love." The Bible says that Jesus came to save His people from their sins-Matthew 1:21 LITV, "And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins."- Notice what the Bible says, "His people"- that is very specific- "His people." That is why Jesus came, to accomplish the salvation of His people- John 6:39 LITV, "And this is the will of the Father sending Me, that of all that He has given Me, I shall not lose any of it, but shall raise it up in the last day." 

The Lord Jesus Christ says in John 10:26-28, "But you do not believe for you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish to the age, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand."

A man comes to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because it is the result of the regenerating work of God- 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."- John 3:5 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 the kingdom of God."

God is very clear in His Word, He is in complete control of salvation- Man has nothing to boast about himself- only to boast in God. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 LITV, "For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast."

Mr. Fearing Comforted (part of the sermon) by C. H. Spurgeon

Prayerful not Fearful

The Bible says in Philippians 4:6 LITV, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and by petition with thanksgivings, let your requests be made known to God.’

What are we to pray? The Bible says, ‘by prayer and by petition.’  Petition can be defined as praying to God about something specific in Christ Jesus. The Lord God commands His people for their good for specific prayers to be made known to Him. When it says, ‘known to Him’, it does not mean God does not know, and we must inform Him, so He can know—obviously it does not mean that.

The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:8 LITV, ‘Then do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him.’ What the Bible is saying in Philippians, the Father wants to hear these things from His people—He wants to know them from them. God wants us to depend on Him, recognizing He is our God, our Heavenly Father, who provides our every need, every time. Everything we have which is good, has come from the Lord’s hands—We receive nothing good, unless it is by the will of God, and from His good hand. We are to rely on Him. Of course, God uses means, absolutely, but as we live for Him according to the Word of God, we are not to be anxious, but come to our Lord and trust Him, stand on His word, and have peace in Christ.

Notice Paul wrote, ‘Let your requests be made known to God.’ What does Paul the apostle mean? The word, ‘request’, refers to the specific details of the petition. In our prayers, we bring our petitions to God—His people are to pray a specific thing to God, and then pray about the details of that specific thing—the specific details about that petition.

For example, Let us go Ephesians 1:16-23, and we can see Paul do exactly this. Paul the apostle prays, v. 16 LITV, ‘I also do not cease giving thanks on your behalf, making mention of you in my prayers’, then we see his petition, a specific prayer in v. 17,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him,

Then we see the request, the details of the petition, v. 18, ‘the eyes of your mind having been enlightened, for you to know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints’, and he continues after v. 18. This is how we are to pray—commanded by the Lord in Philippians 4.

Now, there is another aspect of prayer, and that is thanksgivings. Very important aspect of prayer. Notice what Paul wrote, ‘but in everything by prayer and petitions with thanksgivings, let you request be made known to God.’ This is an expression of thanks or gratitude for all the things the Lord has done for us and is doing. It is thankfulness from the heart for His mercy and grace to us in Christ Jesus. The Greek word holds thanksgiving in the upmost importance. This thankfulness will guard our hearts from whining and complaining before the Lord. All that we have comes from the Lord, we do not deserve anything, but because of His love for us, He has given to us the greatest and most precious gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. His people would have to admit, there is always something to give thanks to God for, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, and all we have received in Him. We are to give thanks to God, because without the mercy and grace of God, we would not have Christ. His people are to be thankful to God in Christ Jesus, for all our spiritual and temporal blessings.

Another scripture, we see that it is God will for us to be thankful to Him in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:18 LITV, ‘In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.’ Notice the apostle Paul wrote, ‘in everything give thanks.’ God is always good to His people—in everything in Christ Jesus. God is good to His people not only in good times, but God is good to them in hard times; God is good to them in everything. God is good to His people.

Paul the apostle when he wrote Ephesians was in bonds, but he had a thankful heart and grateful heart. His people are not to forget to be thankful in all things, because our God is always good to us in all things. Every good thing is from God, and without Him, we would not even be here. It is God’s will that we (His people) find joy in prayer in Christ Jesus in every condition of life, with a grateful heart.

Also notice, when Paul wrote, ‘be made known to God.’ We are only to pray to God, and no other. To pray to any other except to God is a despicable sin. If a brother and/or sister is praying for you to God, no problem, because they are still praying to God, and we saw Paul doing that in Ephesians, but we are never to pray to anyone else except God—we are only to pray to the true and living God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Lord is commanding His people here in Philippians 4, to let Him know our petitions and requests, with thanksgivings to Him. This command is in the present tense, which means this command is always present—we are to keep praying to Him and not lose heart, for the Bible says in 1Thessalonians 5:17 LITV, ‘Pray without ceasing.’ Prayer is a conversation, it is how we speak to our God in Christ, who hears us perfectly, knows us perfectly, understands us perfectly, cares for us perfectly, and responds to us perfectly, knowing what is best for us perfectly. If we pray according to His will, He will do it, but if not, we can know, He knows what is best for us perfectly, and He can be fully trusted in all things, for He is perfect—God is always faithful to His Word. God is perfect in all His ways—He is our sovereign God. There is no other like our Lord, for He is the one true living God.

Let us finish these two scriptures about the prayers of His people:

Proverbs 15:8 LITV, ‘The sacrifice of the wicked is a hateful thing to Jehovah, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.’

1Peter 3:12 LITV, ‘because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against any doing evil things.’

Two Resurrections

In Revelation 20:4c-6 LITV, the Bible says,

And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death has no authority over these, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him a thousand years.

There are some Christians who believe that all people are resurrected at the same time, but the Bible does make a distinction between the category of the first resurrection, and the second resurrection. What does the Bible say about the first resurrection?

The first resurrection does not include, for example, one being raised back to mortal life to face death again later on, like Lazarus or the son of Nain, for they were raised not to immortality, but raised again to mortal life, and they died again sometime later on. When we speak of the first resurrection, we speak of resurrection unto everlasting life, which means to immortality, which means no longer subject to death.

Who was the first risen from the dead when we speak of the category of the first resurrection? The first was the Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 15:13 LITV, ‘But if there is not a resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.’ The reason those in Christ can have confidence in Him that there will be a resurrection unto everlasting life, is because our Lord and Saviour has risen from the dead. Amen. For Paul says in v.20-23 LITV,

But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He became the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep, For since death is through man, also through a Man is a resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive, But each in his own order, Christ, the firstfruit, afterward those of Christ at His coming.

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.

The category of the first resurrection begins with the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, because without Him, there will be no resurrection unto life, but because Jesus rose from the dead, we in Him, are part of the first resurrection. The One who gives eternal life, the Lord Jesus Christ, was raised for our justification, will resurrect His people from the dead to everlasting life, and we shall be like Him—which means to be made perfect like Him—because we shall see Him as He is. We will receive a glorified body like our Lord and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, because we are His people, whom He has saved.

Then we see the Bible talks about some Old Testament saints were raised after the resurrection of the Lord.

The Bible says Matthew 27:52-53 LITV,

And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, And coming forth out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered into the holy city and were revealed to many.

Notice in v. 53—they came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection. After the resurrection of their Lord and Saviour, some Old Testament saints who had died, where raised, and came out of the grave—and were seen by many in Jerusalem. Now, by the context which this is written, they did not rise from the dead like Lazarus or the son of Nain, where they still had mortal life, and would die again later on, but they were resurrected to everlasting life, after the resurrection of their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; they conversed with men for a short time in Jerusalem—as proof of a perfect resurrection for them who belong to Christ.

So these OT saints who were raised, were part of the first resurrection. Then we see in scripture, the snatching away, or what is called the ‘Rapture’. This is seen in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18. This is the time when Christ will come for His Church, and the dead in Christ will rise first, and in v. 17 LITV,

Then we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to a meeting with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

This is part of the first resurrection, where the second death has no hold on us.

Then we have the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation, which is during the tribulation period, when the two witnesses of God will be killed, but will be resurrected and be taken up to Heaven. The two witnesses will witness about their Lord and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and will be killed, they will be put to death for their witness. Revelation 11:7 LITV, ‘And when they complete their witness, the beast coming up out of the abyss will make war with them, and will overcome them, and will kill them.’

Then the Bible tells us in Revelation 11:11-12 LITV,

And after three days and a half, a spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. And great fear fell on the ones beholding them. And they heard a great voice out of Heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they went up into heaven in the cloud. And their enemies saw them. 

These two witnesses are part of the first resurrection.

The rest of the Old Testament saints, and the tribulation saints which are put to death in the tribulation period, will be part of the first resurrection, which the second death has no hold on them.

The Bible says in Revelation, 20:4b LITV,

and the souls of the ones having been beheaded because of the witness of Jesus, and because of the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast not its image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

All the saints of God throughout the ages, saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, all will be part of the category of the first resurrection unto everlasting life. The second death has no authority over them. They who are part of the category of the second resurrection, is a resurrection unto death, the second death, which is an eternity in hell.

The second resurrection is the category for them who are without the Lord Jesus Christ—those who rejected Him. These people will have eternal damnation. Notice what the Bible says in Revelation 20:5a LITV, ‘But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were ended.’ They will be raised to stand at the Great White Throne judgment. The Bible says in Rev. 20:13 LITV, ‘And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and Hades gave up the dead in them. And they were each judged according to their works.’

Everyone who is part of the second resurrection, will stand at the Great White Throne judgement, and in Rev. 20: 14 LITV, the Bible says,

And death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And is anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The first resurrection is to everlasting life, and the second resurrection is to eternal damnation. Those in the category of the second resurrection, the second death has power over them, and they will be lost forever.

So we can see clearly the two categories of resurrection. The first resurrection, and the second resurrection. Thanks be to God, if you are a true believer in Christ, you will be part of the first resurrection, the resurrection unto everlasting life, because true Christians are in Him, the One who rose from the dead, who has conquered death and sin, and the grave, and defeated the enemy. Brothers and sisters in Christ, may we be continually thankful to the Lord for His grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, to be thankful to the Lord for His salvation in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be thankful to the Lord, for our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that the second death has no authority over us. Thank the Lord for our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

May we ever be thankful to our God, and look to God to help us to be ever more thankful to Him, for He has done so much for us, and above all, has given to us the most precious and greatest gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Grace of God in Salvation

What did Abraham discover? Salvation respects the glory of God. The Bible speaks in Romans 4:2 LITV, For if Abraham was justified by works, he has a boast, but not with God.

If Abraham was saved by his works and not by the grace of God alone, Abraham could boast and glory in his own salvation. Abraham could say, I contributed to my salvation, or I did this or I did that, but Abraham did not receive righteousness by works, but the Bible says, And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness- God receives the glory. Abraham glorified God because he believed God. To believe God brings glory to God. The best thing we can do to glorify God is to believe God. Always remember, we only believe God because of the grace of God.

The Bible says in 1John 5:10 LITV, The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself. The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.

In simple terms, If a person believes not in the Lord Jesus Christ, that person is calling God a liar. No matter what the person does, if he or she does not believe in the true and living God, they cannot glorify God. The greatest thing a person can do to glorify God is to believe God. The Bible teaches that Biblical faith pleases God, because it glorifies God. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 LITV, But without faith it is impossible to please God. For it is right that the one drawing near to God should believe that He is, and that He becomes a rewarder to the ones seeking Him out. Again, to believe God, delights God, it glorifies God.

Understand that faith is not God authenticating it to me then I will believe, absolutely not, that is not faith. Faith reacts to the nature and the character of God. True faith believes in God because He is God. True faith believes God according to His Word (the Bible) and calls Him not a liar. 

If a person was saved by contributing by his own works, he would receive glory for that and take away glory from God, but when God saves by His grace in the Lord Jesus, that person receives no glory, and God receives all the glory as He should. We are not saved by our works, but by His work in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 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. When a person preaches a gospel of faith and works, they are preaching another gospel, they are doing the work of Satan. The apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:8 LITV, But even if we, or an angel out of Heaven, should announce a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed. Strong language used by Paul. To believe in any other gospel, is a wicked sin against Almighty God.

Why do so many people want to work their salvation? The answer is pride. They would rather work their way to heaven, than humbly come before the Lord and recognize that they are helpless without Him, and need the grace of God.

Imagine, if a person wanted to buy a new house for someone that was worth a lot of money, say, one million pound; Imagine before He gave the keys to him, the man said to him, I cannot allow you to pay for all this house, let me put something towards it. So, the man reached into his pocket and gave him 50 pence. The other man paid almost one million pound, and he paid 50 pence. Then one day, his friends came around the house and they said to him, You have a nice house, and he said to them, Yes, me and the another man bought it. Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? To add to the grace of God is to destroy the glory that God deserves.

A person goes to heaven with an empty hand, for Christ did it all; We pay nothing, He has paid it all. In my hand no price I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. When a person gets saved, God receives all the glory. There is nothing we can add to salvation. God will not share His glory with anyone else, and to bring our works into salvation, is an attempt to take away from God, which is a wicked sin.

Anyone who is depending on their works to play a part in their salvation, will not end up in heaven because they have not believed in Christ, the righteousness of God, where righteousness can only be found, and the forgiveness of sins. Christ said, It is finished. Christ has paid the sin debt in full for those who put their faith in Him, to save them by His perfect work. God said in Isaiah 64:6 LITV, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth. God will not accept our filthy rags. The justice of God is only satisfied in the Lord Jesus, and what He has done. There is no middle ground. The Lord Jesus said in John 8:24 LITV, Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.

There are many in this generation who are walking pompously to hell. There are people who think they are to good to be damned. There is no one too good to be damned, because there is no one good, but God. The Bible says in Romans 3:12 LITV, All turned away, they become worthless together, not one is doing goodness, not so much as one. The Lord Jesus said that No one is good except One, God! (Matthew 19:17b LITV). There is no one in heaven boasting about their part in salvation, they will not be there, they will be in hell, but only those boasting in the Lord Jesus Christ will be there, the One who paid for their sin for their salvation, when He laid down His Life on the Cross, and was buried, and raised for their justification. All glory goes to Him.

Abraham believed in God, and it was counted for righteousness, and the same for every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ- we have received the perfect righteousness of Christ. Praise the Lord! A believer in Christ does good works because they are saved, not to get saved.  A believer in Christ is saved unto (which means for) good works. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10 LITV, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:38 LITV, But the just shall live by faith.

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). 

More Apologetics! The Jehovah's (false)👎 Witnesses

One of the false doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses is that Jesus is the first created being of Jehovah. They teach that Jesus is Michael the archangel, who was on this earth just as a man, not as the God-man. 

First of all, the Bible teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God (His eternal nature) and fully man (the nature He took on when He came to this earth), but One person, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God-man. The Bible says in John 1:14a LITV, And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.

I would like to look at 3 verses in the Bible that clearly teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is God- one verse is in the Old Testament, and two verses in the New Testament. The first verse we can find in Isaiah 45:23 LITV~ The Bible says, 'I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.'  The Lord God says, 'That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear'.

When we go to our next 2 verses in the New Testament found in Philippians 2:10-11 KJV- The Bible says, that at the name of Jesus "every knee should bow," of heavenly ones, and earthly ones, and ones under the earth, and "every tongue should confess" that Jesus Christ is "Lord," to the glory of God the Father'.

We clearly see the Deity of the Lord Jesus. God says in Isaiah 45:23, That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear, and in Philippians 2:10-11, we see that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

What applies to Yahweh God in Isaiah 45:23, applies exactly the same to Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:10-11, for Christ Jesus is Yahweh God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and because He is God, every knee will bow before Him and confess Him as Lord, to the glory of God the Father, even them who reject Christ and will spend eternity in hell.

The Storms of Life

Let us look in Mark 6, from v. 45, when Jesus walked on the water. The Lord Jesus had just fed the five thousand men, plus women and children—so probably maybe closer to twenty thousand— with five loaves of bread and two fish. There was a big crowd. Many people there.

And in v. 45 LITV, the Bible says 'And at once He constrained His disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before to the other side, to Bethsaida, until He should dismiss the crowd.'

Jesus was going to send the people away, and Jesus made His disciples to get into a boat, to sail across the Sea of Galilee to the other side, and Jesus went into the mountain to pray. The Bible says, 'And taking leave of them, He went away to the mountain to pray.' (v. 46 LITV)

Then it carries on to say that the boat was in the midst of the sea when Jesus was still on land, and the disciples were distressed in the rowing, for the wind was against them; they were in the middle of a storm, and the sea was high. The Bible says in v. 46-48 LITV,  

And taking leave of them, He went away to the mountain to pray. And it becoming evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them being distressed in the rowing, for the wind was contrary to them. And it was about the fourth watch of the night when He came toward them, walking on the sea. And He willed to go by them. 

So we see that the Lord Jesus told them to go over the Sea of Galilee, and while the disciples sailed across, they got caught up in a storm, and struggled to row the boat. They had to face a storm, and it was not a very nice storm. The disciples were facing a storm which was against them, and must have seemed like to the disciples that the storm was pulling them under. 

Firstly, that shows us (as Christians) a truth here. We as Christians are not immune to the storms of life.  The Redeemed can go through the storms of life, and not because of the consequences of sin. The disciples were obedient to the Lord, being in the will of God. They were in the place where the Lord Jesus clearly put them. Jesus told them to sail over the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus was not caught off guard by the storm. He knew the storm was coming, and His disciples would be in the middle of this storm. Amen.

Now, there can be times when we (Christians) are in a storm because of the consequences of sin, and this is clearly seen in the Bible. What about Jonah, when he went through a storm because he disobeyed God. Jonah attempted to run from God, being out of the will of God, being in the wrong place, and he faced and went through a storm, being swallowed by a great fish. He was there for being out of the will of God. Jonah found himself going through this time of adversity. 

But here in Mark 6, they were facing the storm not because of sin, but because they were obeying the Lord; they were in the right place, being in the will of God. The same for us in our Christian life, we can face adversity (the storms of life) when we are obeying the Lord, doing the will of God, being in the right place, the place where God wants us to be. Amen. Another example from the Bible would be Paul the apostle, when he was in the Philippian prison, Paul was in the will of God, he was in the place where God wanted him to be, doing the will of God, but going through a time of adversity.  

What is the reason for this? The reason is the Lord Jesus Christ is working on his people. The Bible says in Romans 8:28 LITV, 'But we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to purpose.'

Then in the next verse it tells us the purpose—to be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is spiritually enlarging us in Christ Jesus, conforming us to His image.

Yes, we can grow in the light times, when the storm is calm, but there are certain things which can only be discovered in the dark (the storms of life). There are things in the storms of life we will discover, enlarging us spiritually. It is not because God does not love us, it is because He does love us, and it is not because God does not care, it is because God does care for us. These times will strengthen us in the Lord. The Lord loves us too much to allow us to remain still, but He is making His people more like the Lord Jesus Christ, in our words, thoughts and deeds, and in that, Jesus our Lord is glorified. God is glorified.  Amen. 

Again in v. 46-48 LITV, the Bible says,  

And taking leave of them, He went away to the mountain to pray. And it becoming evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them being distressed in the rowing, for the wind was contrary to them. And it was about the fourth watch of the night when He came toward them, walking on the sea. And He willed to go by them. 

The Lord Jesus, as we have discovered, put His disciples into the middle of the storm, and Jesus had a purpose for doing what He did. Now we will see what Jesus was doing for them while they were in the storm. While they were in a storm, the Lord Jesus was interceding for them on the mountain. The Lord Jesus was watching and interceding for them. When the Lord Jesus puts His people into a storm, He will never leave His people, nor forsake them, just like we see here with His disciples. So the second thing we see—Jesus was interceding for them.

Thirdly, Jesus had His eyes upon them. Notice what it says in v. 48 LITV, the Bible says, 'And He saw them being distressed in the rowing, for the wind was contrary to them.'  The Lord Jesus saw them being distressed in the rowing, for He could see them, but they could not see the Lord Jesus. When believers in the Lord Jesus are going through the storms of life, when adversity comes, the Lord Jesus always has His eyes upon them. He loves His people, and cares for His people, and will always provide for His people when they are going through a storm. The Lord Jesus Christ never leaves nor forsakes His people, for His people are His redeemed, and always will be. 

We also see here that Jesus intercedes for His people. Understand that Jesus intercedes for them who are His. He interceded for His people here, and the Lord Jesus intercedes for all His people (Christians), wherever they may be on this earth. The Bible says in Hebrews 7:25 LITV, ' From this also He is able to save to perfection those who come to God through Him, ever living to intercede on their behalf.'

If you are a believer, be blessed to understand and to know, that every Christian has the intercessory work of the Lord Jesus Christ before the Father in Heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ represents His people before the Father. We need His intercessory work. The intercessory work of the Lord Jesus Christ is based on His finished work; His death, burial and resurrection. The very reason His people will endure to the end, and reach the shores of eternity, just like His followers reached the shore here, is because the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for us, based on His finished work for our salvation. The Lord Jesus can never, and will never fail in His intercessory work.

So not only does the Lord Jesus put us (Christians) in the storms of life at times, to conform us (His people) to His image, the Lord Jesus has His eyes upon us, intercedes for us, providing for us, whatever we go through, even when we fail Him, He will not fail us in His intercessory work—just like we see with Peter when he failed the Lord Jesus when he denied the Lord Jesus Christ—for the Bible says that Jesus prayed for him, knowing that Peter would fall, praying for Peter to come back up again, which Peter did, and was used by the Lord in a great way, and Peter was kept by the Lord until the end. Thank the Lord for His intercession before the throne in Heaven. 

Lastly, we see that Jesus came to them. We have already seen that Jesus was with them all the way, His eyes were upon them, and He was interceding for them, and then we can also see the Lord Jesus Christ came to them at the perfect time, and He calmed the storm. The Bible says in v. 48 LITV, 'And it was about the fourth watch of the night when He came toward them, walking on the sea. And He willed to go by them.' Jesus came to them. In v.51a LITV the Bible says, 'And He went up to them into the boat, and the wind was cut off.' The same for all His people, He will come to us at the right time (never too late, never too early) and He will calm the storm, and get us through to the other side. He is a faithful God. He is faithful to His Word. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can trust Him whatever may come. Let us trust Him whatever we face, whether prosperity or adversity, we can trust our Lord because He is the one true God, who is the God of truth, and His Word is truth. Let us trust Him—Let us stand on His Word. 

Notice what the Lord Jesus says to them. He says in v. 50, 'For all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He spoke to them and said to them, Have courage. I AM! Do not fear.' Notice Jesus said to His disciples, 'Do not fear.' When we go through the storms of life, God wants us to experience His peace which has been given to His people in Christ, and not be fearful. Notice what Jesus said in this same verse, 'Have courage. I AM! Do not fear.' Let us not be fearful when we go through the storms of life, for we serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the I AM.  We belong to Him. The Lord Jesus Christ can always be trusted in all things. The Lord Jesus has already given to His people the greatest gift of all, Himself. We serve a faithful God. Always remember, even when things do not go the way we would like them to go, or our prayer is not answered the way we asked, God can always be trusted, because He is faithful to His Word, and He will always do the right thing, just like we have seen here in Mark 6. Amen.

I will finish with this scripture in Isaiah 51:10 LITV, 

Who among you fears Jehovah, obeying the voice of His servant, who walks in darkness, and no light is in him? Let him trust in the name of Jehovah, and lean on his God. 

The Saved and The Lost

The saved believe God, but the lost call God a liar. 

1John 5:10 LITV, The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself.  The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.  

The saved are thankful to God, but the lost are thankless to God.

1Thessalonians 5:18 LITV, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 

Romans 1:21a LITV Because knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful.

The saved worship and serve the Creator, but the lost worship and serve the creation.

John 4:23a LITV, But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. 

Romans 1:25 LITV, who changed the truth of God into the lie, and worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The saved have pleasure in righteousness, the lost have pleasure in unrighteousness.

1John 3:7-8a LITV, Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one practicing righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous. The one practicing sin is of the Devil, because the Devil sins from the beginning.

The saved practice obedience to God, the lost practice disobedience to God.

John 14:21 LITV, He that has My commandments and keeps them, it is that one who loves Me; and the one that loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and reveal Myself to him. 

Colossians 3:6 LITV, on account of which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience, 

The saved say evil is evil and good is good, but the lost say evil is good and good is evil.

1Thessalonians 5:15 LITV, See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue the good, both towards one another and towards all.

Isaiah 5:20 LITV, Woe to those who say to evil, good; and to good, evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

The Inheritance given by God

Ephesians 1:11-14 LITV

Notice what Paul wrote, in whom we also have been chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of the One working all things according to the counsel of His own will. Notice the word ‘We’. The word “we”refers to all Christian believers. We know this because after v. 11, Paul wrote in v.12, for us to be to the praise of His glory, the ones who had previously trusted Christ, referring to Jewish believers in Christ, and in v. 13, in whom also you, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, referring to Gentile believers in Christ, and then v. 14, who is the earnest of our inheritance. “We” in v. 11 refers to all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile believer in the Lord Jesus, we are one in Christ, and both are heirs according to the promise of God.

Because we have election, we have redemption, and because we have redemption, we have been given an inheritance. All this was predetermined in the very mind of God before the foundation of the world. Paul emphasizes the master planning of God from eternity, to choose and redeem a people for Himself, and to give them a heavenly inheritance in the Lord Jesus. 

Notice the words, being predestinated according to the purpose of the One….. This is referring to the Father. This inheritance was predestined by the Father in His Son. God set the boundary and limited to His elect people in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Not only are the people of God elected for Salvation, but also predestined to an inheritance. It was predetermined by God. Notice the words in v. 11 according to the purpose of the One working all things according to the counsel of His own will. It is according to God, not man. The word "will" is the same word in v. 1 (thelema), which means a thing willed. It was the very will of God. It was in the very heart of God, His pleasure, the desire of God’s heart. He is the source of this work. The author of this work, the one who writes the story. The Lord is the One who puts it into progress, and the Lord is One who will bring it to completion. This was done by the Lord’s own direction and will, no other gave Him advice, nor direction, nor by the will of another, no one persuaded Him, nor inspired Him, nor made an effort on Him, nor gave Him any reason to do what He did, but all done by His Grace. The Inheritance has been establised by God to give to His people, and may we never forget to praise Him for His goodness in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. 

Look at the word, “working” in v. 11. It is the Greek word, “energeo”, and it is where we get the English word, “energy”.  God never plans something, and then try and to work out how to accomplish the plan, but He predestined, and by His omnipotence, fufills whatever He predestined. In v. 14,  the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inhertance, which means He has been given to us as a guarantee, what we have in part, we will receive in full.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Our Father loves you and me with a measureless, eternal, and perfect love. We will be with Him. Nothing can change that, it is all fixed and secured in the Victorious One, our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus. No man could stop creation, nor the incarnation, nor the crucifixion, nor the resurrection, nor our salvation, and nothing can stop our glorification, nothing can stop us from being with Jesus. Heaven is a real place, but what makes heaven, heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. Being with Him makes all what we have in Him, special, and without Him they would be empty. Jesus is in heaven, and we will be with Him. Amen.

Salvation Belongs to Yahweh

Welcome to this blog article. We are going to look at 2Thes. 2 from verse 13. This is a great scripture to show that God elected certain people for salvation. The Bible says in 2Thes. 2:13 and 14 LITV, But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, to which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we see here very clearly that Paul wrote, But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We see here very clearly that Paul wrote that God chooses people for salvation. God chose His people from the beginning to salvation, from the beginning, they were chosen, for Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us, which means His people, in Him, which means Christ Jesus, before the world was. The Bible makes it very clear that God chose His people from the beginning, not God chose His people at the beginning, but God chose His people from the beginning to salvation, for His people were chosen in Christ before the world was.

Then Paul wrote, in sanctification of the Spirit. This is the work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent by the Father and the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is setting apart those who are the people of God, those whom God elected, those whom God choose to extend His saving grace to, by the good pleasure of His own will. When the Holy Spirit sanctifies, sets apart those whom God has chosen, the Holy Spirit regenerates them, takes out the heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh, and raises them to spiritual life, He changes their wills, and that person will come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Bible says, belief of the truth. This is seen here in this text, for Paul wrote, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth go hand in hand, and cannot be separated. When one does not come to belief in the truth, it is because the Spirit did not set them apart, and they remained in their wilful rebellion against a Holy God.

Important to understand that the Holy Spirit is not trying to save everybody equally, and whereby some people say yes, and some people say no in an unregenerated state, but the Bible teaches that those whom the Holy Spirit sets apart, will come to believe in the truth. They will believe in Christ Jesus.

Paul continue to wrote, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit and His gospel. The Holy Spirit works with His gospel, and when He does, they come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive the salvation which Christ accomplished for them when He came and laid down His life for  them.

We also see the Triune God here. God chose you, referring to the Father,  and then the sanctification of the Spirit, which refers to the Holy Spirit, and then belief of the truth, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. We see the three persons of the One true God, working together in the salvation of the people of God. We clearly see here that this is a work of God. The Father thought salvation, the Son bought salvation, and the Holy Spirit wrought salvation.

When we go to Romans 8:28, the word foreknew is a verb and not a noun. There are people who use this like a noun and not a verb, but the word ‘foreknew’ is a verb in the Greek. That is important. This is a verb, and God is the One doing the action of the verb. Why did God foreknow them who would come to Christ, because God choose them for salvation, and because He did, they will come to Christ, as we have seen in 2Thes. 2:13. 

This is seen clearly in v. 30 in Romans 8 LITV, for the Bible says, But whom He predestinated, (they are those whom He foreknow) which means He choose them, He predestinated them, these He also called. Remember what Paul wrote in 2Thes. 2:14, to which He called you through our gospel. It is the Spirit and the Gospel.

Now, this call here in Romans 8:30 is not referring to a general call, but an effectual call. We can see this here in v.30, for the Bible says, for whom He called, these He also justified. Who are justified? Those who have been saved. This is speaking about an effectual call because them whom God calls are justified, they are saved, just like we have seen in 2Thess, 2:13-14. All who God calls here, are justified. They receive salvation. It can not be referring to the general call to salvation, for many do not come to the Lord, and not receive salvation, which obviously means they are not justified. Amen. Then it continues to say in v.30, those whom He justified, these He also glorified. God, God, God all the way. So whom God foreknew, He predestinated, He called, He justified, and He glorified, God from the beginning to the end. Amen.

It is very clear in the Word of God, that whom God chooses to save, He will save, and they will spend an eternity with Him in Heaven. Praise the Lord that He does, for as Jonah said in Jonah 2:9 LITV, Salvation belongs to Jehovah (Yahweh). Amen.

The Rider in Revelation 19

We are going to look at the second coming of Christ. We are not looking at what is called the rapture,  when believers are taken up to meet the Lord, and we will be made like Him, because we will see Him as He is, which is the time of glorification,  but we are going to study when Christ comes back and places His feet upon this earth, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, when His saints will come back with Him, when He returns to the earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom.

In Revelation 19:11 LITV, the Bible says, And I saw Heaven opened. And, behold! A white horse, and He sitting on it having been called Faithful and True. And He judges and wars in righteousness. 

So let us look at the identity of the rider on the white horse begining in v. 11. 

• First, we see that the rider is called faithful and true. The rider on the white horse is called Faithful and True. Who is called the Faithful and True witness? The Lord Jesus Christ. In Revelation 3:14, we see Christ said to one of the seven churches, the church at Laodicea, These things says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God: (LITV). We see here that the faithful and true Witness is the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ is calling Himself, the Faithful and True Witness. So we see here that the rider in 19:11 is called Faithful and True, and Jesus is the Faithful and True witness. 

• Secondly, What is one of the names for our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible. Jesus is called the Word in John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (LITV). John the apostle is clearly telling us that Jesus is the Word, and the Word has been God from all eternity. He is God. What about in Rev. 19:13? We can clearly see the rider of the white horse is called the Word. Revelation 19:13, says, And His name is called The Word of God. John the apostle is writing this book, God used John, and he is writing The Word, like he did in the Gospel of John. So we see here that the rider is called The Word of God, and Jesus is the Word.

• Thirdly, in Revelation 19:16, it tells us about the rider, And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name having been written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (LITV). Who is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, well, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, and we can see this truth in Revelation 17:14 LITV, These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and the ones with Him are called and elect, and faithful ones. Who is the Lamb, well that is Jesus Christ, He is the Lamb of God. So we see here that the rider is called Kings of kings and Lord of lords and Jesus is called Lord of lords and King of kings in Rev. 17:14.

We see here very clearly, the rider on the white horse here in Revelation 19 is the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful and True, The Word of God and King of kings and Lord of lords, all which identify the Lord Jesus. The rider on the white horse is the Lord Jesus Christ in Rev. 19.

We see Heaven open, and the divine glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He comes forth through the gates of Heaven, with the armies of Heaven, which are His saints, and He judges and wars in righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ in His second coming is coming to destroy His enemies on the earth, and the anti-christ's reign will come to an end. Amen.

Holding the Truth in Unrighteousness

Romans 1:18-20LITV

The Bible says, For God's wrath is revealed from Heaven on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, holding the truth in unrighteousness, because the thing known of God is clearly known within them, for God revealed it to them. For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.

The word truth here does not mean, or does not refer to the gospel, because not all men possess the knowledge of the gospel, but here it refers to general revelation, as seen in v. 19, 20, referring to creation and conscience. That is the reason a person who has never heard the gospel is without excuse, because if they lived up to the light he or she had, and earnestly seek to know the true God, then God will bring the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to them, to hear the good news, so they may be saved.

For example, we see this in the Bible, with the Ethiopian eunuch, in the book of Acts ch. 8. He had just been to Jerusalem, and he was seeking the true God, but yet he did not know Him, because he did not know Christ, and he needed to hear the gospel. What happened? God sent his messenger, Philip, to go to Gaza, the deserted place, to tell him about Christ. Philip joined him on his chariot, and the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, and from Isaiah 53, Philip preached the gospel to him, he preached Jesus. 

Look in v. 35 LITV, And opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, Philip announced the gospel to him, Jesus. Obviously, a person is not saved by just hearing the gospel, but hearing the gospel, and believing the gospel. Exactly what happened! The eunuch asked Philip, what prevents me from being baptized. Acts 8:38 LITV, And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 

What did Jesus command in Matthew 28:19 ESV, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Notice Jesus commanded to make disciples, disciples are believers, and to be baptized as a believer in Christ, which is seen here in Acts 8 with the eunuch. He was saved by the Lord Jesus in Gaza, the deserted place. God made him ready to hear the gospel, and to believe the gospel. 

It is also true, if a man who has never heard the gospel, does not live up to the light he has, knowing there is a God, and not seek after Him, the true and living God, to know Him, and does not come to the Lord Jesus Christ, they will die in their sin, and they will face the wrath of God, and will spend eternity in hell. There is only one way to God, and His Name is Jesus.

But understand also, a man who had been given more light, for example heard Bible teaching, heard the gospel, and refused Christ, they will receive a higher degree of punishment in hell, than those who did not hear the gospel, and refused Christ. Both will be in hell forever, no way out for either, but one will receive a higher degree of punishment in hell for all eternity, the other, a lesser degree of punishment in hell for all eternity. What did the Lord Jesus say about the people in Capernaum, Matthew 11:23 LITV, And you Capernaum, who "have been exalted to the heaven, you will be thrown down to Hades." For is the powerful acts happening in you had taken place in Sodom, it would remain until today. But I say to you, It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom in Judgment day than for you.

The people in Capernaum, they will receive a higher degree of punishment for eternity than even Sodom, because Jesus taught and preached in that city, and they received Him not. Both will go to hell forever, but one will receive the greater degree of punishment for eternity, the other a lesser degree of punishment for eternity. 

Now, look at the word, holding, in v.18. It is the Greek word, katecho, and literally means, to hold down or to quash. You notice this is in the present tense. This indicates that all ungodly people continually, wilfully, intentionally, to pin down and holding the truth in unrighteousness. 

In this same chapter in verse nineteen, the Bible teaches there is something in man that causes him or her to know there is a God. The word, truth, refers to that which is out in the open, not an open secret. One commentary says, unrighteous men continually put the truth in a box and sit on the lid and hold it down in unrighteousness. It speaks of people who hold down or quash his truth, and rather hold on to their wicked sins, and not the Lord. These are people who hold onto their sins but hold down the truth. They love their sin but hate God. They love their sin and hate God, so they suppress the truth, and seek to go even deeper into their sins, into their wickedness. The reason an atheist deceives themselves to believe there is no God is because to admit there is a God, means they are in trouble.

What does the Bible teach about a man who says there is no God or says no to the true God. The Bible says in Psalm 14:1 LITV, To the chief musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! They acted corruptly; they did hatefully in deeds; there is none doing good. The Bible tells us in John 3:19 LITV, And this is judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than the Light, for their works were evil. Why do people love their darkness instead of the light of God,  because rebellious sinners want to live their way, and not the way of God. They have pleasure in sin. People are in open rebellion towards God. These people continually quash the truth of God, while persistently they are clinging onto their sins. 

It is like the boy who was told by his mum not to eat the cookies out of the cookie jar before dinner, but the boy was disobedient, and he put his hand into the cookie jar, and heard his mum coming back to the kitchen, and got his hand caught in the cookie jar while attempting to take his hand out, because he would not let go of the cookies in his hand, because he would not let go of his sin. 

It is not just they have rebelled against the truth of God, but they have rejected the truth of God. There is no excuse they will be able to use on the Day of Judgment, as Christ rejectors. There is something God has put in man to know there is a God, and a need for God, but when the ungodly who has pleasure in unrighteousness, and quash the truth, they are guilty of their denial of the truth of God, and are subject to the wrath of God, because ultimately, they reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the very same chapter of Romans, Paul makes noticeably clear, in v. 16, the one who genuinely believes in God, believes in Christ. To know God, you need to know Christ. Salvation is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone believing, both to the Jew first, and to the Greek. v. 17, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, even as it has been written, "But the just shall live by faith."

Let us not forget, as believers in Christ, we are to be continually be thankful to our God, for once we were going our own way, and rejecting the way of God, which is Christ, but God interrupted our lives, and saved us by His grace in His Son, and made us sons and daughters of God. Amen. By God's grace, we stopped rejecting the way of God, which is Christ, and received the way of God, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, by the gracious hand of God. Amen. 

For the Lord Jesus Christ paid our sin debt with His life, when He was crucified, and was buried, and rose again on the third day for our justification. He has satisfied the justice of God for His people. We serve a risen Lord, a victories Lord. Our God deserve all the praise and glory for our salvation. The Lord Jesus took the wrath of God for us. Let us give Him continual thanks and praise and honour, for He is worthy, but let us not just be thankful by the fruit of our lips, but let us be thankful in the way we live for Him according to His Word. Amen. We can lay our head at night, and know whatever happens, we will never go to hell, but be with Christ in heaven, all by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The False Doctrine of Modalism

There are so called Bible teachers called modalists who attack the doctrine of the Trinity (One God, but three persons), when they teach their false doctrine.

When a person rejects the Trinity, naturally they will present a false gospel which says the Father did not send His Beloved Son, whom He has had an eternal relationship with, to enter into His own creation and take on humanity, to lay down His life for sinners.

They do not believe that God is One God, three Persons, but they believe God is One God, one person, who takes on three modes or manifestations, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They believe God manifested Himself as the Father, then God manifested Himself as the Son, and presently, God is manifesting Himself as the Holy Spirit. 

First of all, the Bible clearly teaches that the Father and the Son had an eternal relationship before the world was created. John 17:4 LITV, And now Father, glorify Me with Yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the existence of the world. Notice Jesus prayed "And now Father, glorify Me with Yourself, with the glory which I had with you". The Son is communicating with another person, the Father, and He expresses their eternal relationship. It is not as some suggest, the human nature praying to the divine nature, because the human nature had a beginning, but His divine nature did not have a beginning, and we see here that the Son is praying to another who had no beginning like Himself, which is the Father, sharing the glory together before the world ever was. 

Secondly,  in John 14:16 LITV, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, And I will petition the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may remain with you forever. Notice the word 'another'. The word in the Greek in the context it is written means, 'Another of the same kind',  not the same person, but of the same kind, meaning the One true God. Jesus says in John 14:26 LITV, Jesus says, "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."  Notice all three person are in verse 26, the Father, and the Son (in My name), and the Holy Spirit, and they are expressed clearly as three distinct persons. 

Thirdly, there is only One God. The Bible says in Isaiah 46:9 LITV, Remember former things from forever, for I am God, and no one else is God, even none like me. Isaiah 44:6 LITV, So says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts: I am the First and I am the last; and there is no God except Me. And in Revelation 1:17-18, Jesus calls Himself, The First and the Last which is a title for God alone, He says, "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet, as dead. And He put His right hand on me, saying to me, Do not fear. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; and I became dead; and behold, I am living forever and ever." The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons, but They are the One true and living God, Yahweh.

Just looking at these fews verses, this truth can be seen, but there are many other verses in the Bible, which testify to this very truth about God.

The Father has declared in His Word that only through the Son, can you come to the Father. The modalists teach that the Father did not send His Beloved eternal Son, but the one person of God who was the Father in the Old Testament, then became the Son. This is a false gospel. They reject the testimony of the Father, and believe not in the unique Son of God.

The Bible says in 1John 5:10 to 13 LITV, The One believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself. The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son. And this is the witness: that God gave us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son. The one having the Son has life. The one not having the Son of God does not have life. I wrote these things to you, the ones believing in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have everlasting life, and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God.

This makes it very clear that God gives everlasting life in His Son, and not in a person who was first the Father, and then became the Son, because this is not the Son declared in scripture. You have to have the Son recorded in scripture to have life. The Bible says, The one having the Son has life. The one not having the Son of God does not have life.

The Bible says the one denying the Father and the Son (notice two persons) this is the antichrist. The Bible says in 1John 2:22-25 LITV says, Who is the liar, except the one denying, saying that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son. Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son also has the Father. Then what you heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you will abide both in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise which He promised us: everlasting life.

Notice the Bible says, both in the Son and in the Father, which speaks of two persons, not one person, not two modes or manifestations, but two persons. Modalists who reject the Triune God, deny the Son found in scripture, and the Bible says, "Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father." Someone can only know the Father through the Son, the Son who is revealed in scripture, the reason it is important you have the right Jesus,  because it is only through Him, you can have the Father also. There are many false Jesus' out there, and believing in any of them will led a person to hell, there is only one true Jesus, the Jesus found and taught in the Bible, and believing in Him will give you an eternal home with Him in heaven by the grace of God. Make sure you have the right Jesus.

Brothers and sisters in the Lord, If you ever come across a person who claims to be a Christian minister, and rejects the Triune God revealed in scripture (Three persons, but one God), and teaches God is one person, they are a false teacher teaching people to reject the Triune God revealed in scripture, and to believe in a lie. 

The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ

Salvation is of the Lord