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!

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). 

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.

Salvation is of the Lord

What About Romans 5:8?

Jesus will save people from every tribe, 
tongue, people and nation (Rev. 5:9)

There are  Christians who believe that Romans 5:8 means Christ died for all, every individual.

Let us look briefly at Romans 5:8,

v. 7 and 8 LITV, For with difficulty one will die for a just one, (for perhaps one even dares to die for the sake of the good one), 8. but God commends His love to us in this, that we being yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Paul wrote, God commends His love to "us" in this, that "we" being yet sinners, Christ died for "us". Obviously the pronouns "us" and "we" are speaking about the same people in v. 8. Let us carry on into verse 9.

Much more then, being justified now by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Notice the pronoun "we" again in verse 9. Reading v. 8 in its context, Paul is making a connection between v. 8 and v. 9, and referring to the same people  in v. 8 and v. 9 with his usage of "we" and "us", and the Bible says in v. 9, the "we" have been justified by His blood, and shall be saved from the wrath through Him. Who is justified by Jesus' blood, and shall be saved from the wrath of God?

The Bible says in Romans 5:1 LITV, Then being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The same "we" in 5:1 (and you can follow it all the way through to Romans 5:11) is the same "we" and "us" in v. 8. which speak of the believing ones in the Lord Jesus.

It is very clear Paul refers to the Elect of God when he wrote in v.8 "Christ died for us". He is not referring to every individual, but His chosen people, who will come to faith by the grace of God and be justified, and be saved from His wrath.

The Bible says in Revelation 5:9 LITV, And they sing a new song, saying Worthy are You to receive the scroll, and to open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood purchased us to God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

Judas Iscariot by John MacArthur

How Weak Man is!

The universe is so huge, man has only scratched the surface. Just think about where man has actually been to in space, how much man has discovered up there, and you come up with very little. Over the many years, man has attempted  to discover what is up there with their best attempts,  only to uncover very little.

Now let us compare that with the Almighty God with an illustration I heard a preacher give in a sermon~ A student said to his teacher, "Do you believe there is life on other planets like ours?" The teacher said, "No, I don't believe there is other life on other planets." The student said, "Then why would God go to all that trouble creating them?" The teacher said, "What trouble?"

Exactly, what trouble? When you compare God who spoke the sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets into existence, to what man has achieved with their quest in space, it gives the reality on how weak and limited man really is, and how Almighty God is.  

Here is another illustration to show how weak man is compared to God: If man was asked to make a flower from nothing, what would happen? Nothing would happen because man does not have the ability to create a flower, or any plant, or anything from nothing, but the Eternal God created the heaven and earth from nothing. God simply spoke His Word.  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1kjv). 

Man did not create God, but God created man (Gen 1:26-27), and the Bible says, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Heb. 9:27kjv). Man, the unique creation of God, will give an account to the Creator (Almighty God), and if we stand before Him anything less than His perfect standard, then we are going to be found guilty for breaking His Law, and we will have to spend Eternity in hell (Rev. 20:15). 

That is the reason we do not go to heaven by our works because we have broken the Law of God already~For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23kjv). We cannot make the perfect standard which is required, no matter how much we try, we do not have the ability.

The only One who could and did live God's perfect standard was the God-Man, who was (and is) fully God and fully Man (perfect Man), the One person of the Lord Jesus Christ. God entered into His own creation, became a man, to die for man, and be buried and on the third day rise from the dead, so we can have forgiveness from God for the sins we have committed against Him, and receive the perfect righteousness of Christ from Him onto our account, so we can enter into heaven and have Eternal Life with the Creator. This is the greatest miracle of all- God could not simply speak a Word like He did for creation for a person to be saved, but God entered into His own creation to die for us, to pay for our sin debt by the shedding of His blood on the cross.

The Bible says that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation for every one that believeth (Rom. 1:16). Do you truly believe? Never get the idea that you will make heaven without Jesus because you don't have the ability to get there, just like you do not have the ability to make a flower from nothing. You do not have the power to make a flower, how do you expect to have the power to make heaven in your condition?~ Come to the Lord Jesus Christ who has the power to save you!- Repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and trust in Him alone to save you by His death, burial and Resurrection, and the Bible says you will be saved (John 3:16)

The Name of Jesus

Have you noticed how easily many people can use God as one of their curse words. Have you noticed how many people can use the name of Jesus sinfully- they take the precious name of Jesus and mix it in the muck and mire. They have no problem to blaspheme the name of the Lord, the One who gave them life on this earth, and (by His will) gives them every breath. They have no problem to blaspheme the name of the Lord, the One who died for sinners on the Cross, to make the only way (John 14:6) for them to be forgiven for their sins, and be reconciled to God, if they put their faith in Him.

The Bible says in Philippians 2:9-11 KJV, 'Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.'

Any person that does not bow down to the name of Jesus, and confess Him as Lord on this side of eternity, will on the other side, but then it will be without the mercy and the grace of God: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement (Heb. 9:27 KJV). They will bow the knee to Him, and confess Him as Lord (you can be sure about that), before they go to their eternal destination, the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15). The Bible says, 'But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire brimstone: which is the second death' (Rev. 21:8 KJV).

There is only mercy and grace to be found this side of eternity. Don't wait until the other side of eternity to bow the knee to the name of Jesus, and confess Him as Lord, and go to hell, but come to Him now. The Lord Jesus Christ step out of heaven (fully God), was born as flesh (fully human) but One Person (the Person of Christ), lived a sinless life, died for sinners on the Cross and secured the salvation for each believer, paying their sin debt in full. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:7 LITV, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Jesus was buried, and on the third day, He rose from the dead (Luke 24:46-47 and 1Cor. 15:3-4). He has made the way (He is the way) for you to come to God, to be forgiven of your sins, and go to heaven (when you die) and to be with Him forever, but you must receive this free gift by God's grace, by repentace and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches, 'But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name' (John 20:31 KJV). The Bible says, 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life' (John 3:16 KJV).

The Bible says, 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved' (Acts 4:12 KJV). The Bible says, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast' (Eph. 2:8-9).

Repent toward God (which means a change of mind and heart toward God) and put your complete faith in Lord Jesus Christ and trust in Him to save you by His death, burial, and resurrection, and be saved (Acts 20:21)