OUR SALVATION

Our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the father. In salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by His grace alone.

There is no gospel except that of Christ's substitution in our place, whereby God imputed to him our sin, and imputed to us his righteousness. The gospel declares what God has done for us in Christ. It is not about what we can do to reach Him.

Justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone__ Christ's righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God's perfect justice. It does not rest on any merit found in us.

Because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God's glory and we must glorify Him always.

___A few excerpts from the Cambridge Declaration on our salvation.

Recommended: THE NARROW WAY

"Is there a heaven? If so, what is heaven like? Is hell real? Do many people go to hell when they die? Is what Jesus Christ taught the same as what is being taught in most churches today? Are some of those who profess to be Christians deceived about where they are going when they die? Are you one of them? Why do Christians say that Jesus Christ is the only way to God? How may I seek God?"

This book by William C. Nichols contains a faithful presentation of the true gospel message, and is a "must have" for anyone who desires to reach others with the message of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ alone. It presents a stark contrast to some of the evangelistic methods we see today, with their shallow gospel (or no gospel at all), and techniques aimed at manipulating people into "making a decision."

Chapter titles include: The Glory of Heaven, The Terrors of Hell, The Narrow Road that Leads to Life, True Godliness, Are You Deceived?, A Call to Self-Examination, and The Use of Holy Violence.

The book is available through International Outreach, Inc. Ordering information can be found on their web site. Also available are evangelistic books, booklets and tracts by some of the Puritans and others. An Evangelism Outreach Training Program package is offered, as well.

Mojave Desert Wonder

Rainbow Basin National Natural
Landmark

This is about an hour's drive from my home, and 20 miles south-west of Goldstone Deep Space Tracking Station. Rainbow Basin is an ancient lakebed where minerals have created an array of colors, and erosion has sculpted spectacular land formations. The fossilized remains of saber-toothed tigers, mastadons, camels, three-toed horses, and rhinoceros have been found here.

Spurgeon Quote

There are some who say that all men are Christ's by purchase. But, beloved, you and I do not believe in a sham redemption which does not redeem. We do not believe in a universal redemption which extends even to those who were in hell before the Saviour died, and which includes the fallen angels as well as unrepentant men. We believe in an effectual redemption, and can never agree with those who would teach us that Christ's blood was shed in vain. The good Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep. Christ loved his Church, and gave himself for it. He bought his own people with his blood.

Two Good Friends

J.L. and Blacky by the Flower Circle.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

(1 John 3:1-2)

Affirming Divine Sovereignty

R.C. Sproul's post at Ligonier today ties right in to the theme I have been posting about lately, so I've linked it here. Has R.C. been reading my blog; or should I chalk it up to Providence? : )

Then isn't God at least partly to blame?

I have been engaged in a very interesting conversation with Reynold, an atheist who is a regular commenter at Ray Comfort's blog. His questions and challenges relate directly to some of my recent posts here.

Reynold said "...isn't some of the blame his then? If it's up to him to "break in" and "cause them to be born again" then by what you just said, for every one who isn't "born again", it means that your "God" chose to NOT have them be "born again"? Is that it??"

The bible teaches explicitly that every one in the world, who is born by natural generation (i.e. except Jesus) is guilty of transgressing God's law (Romans 3:19-20), we have done what the law forbids, and have failed to do what the law commands. God would be just in leaving all of us to perish in our sins. That he chooses to save some is out of his sheer mercy and goodness. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

The Canons of Dordt addresses the point that Reynold was making in Head 1. article 6. That some receive the gift of faith from God, and others do not receive it, proceeds from God's eternal decree. (Romans 9:10-15) "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." See also: Ephesians 1:11. "Who works all things according to the counsel of his will."

That was looking at it from God's perspective. Those who are the objects of God's grace in his eternal decree are unknown to us, only that there are some. However, we are promised that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 1:23)

Conclusion: God is indeed responsible for the damnation of sinners, in that he is just in punishing them. But, It is the duty and privilege of everyone who hears the gospel immediately to accept its merciful provisions; and they who continue in impenitence and unbelief incur aggravated guilt and perish by their own fault. [From the Westminster Confession of Faith]

Jesus Christ calls everyone,everywhere to confess his sin and trust in Him for his salvation and deliverance.

I call everyone, everywhere to come who will acknowledge his sin and bring his guilt and need to Jesus Christ, and I assure him, without any qualifications, that in doing that he will most certainly be saved eternally by the blood of Jesus Christ.

_John Gerstner

JOHN 10 AND THE "FIVE POINTS" OF CALVINISM

The Reformed have found in these great words
of our Lord, Biblical support for what have come to be commonly be known as the
"Five Points" of Calvinism. In this one passage alone...there is indeed textual
support for all five of the so-called "Five Points."

TOTAL DEPRAVITY__The notion that we are unable to come to God on our own apart from a prior act of God upon us: "I did tell you, but you do not believe." (v.25)

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION__God chooses to save His elect, by-passing the non-elect and leaving them to perish in their sins: "I know my sheep...They will listen to my voice. You do not believe because you are not of my sheep." (v. 14, 26)

LIMITED ATONEMENT__Christ's death is not designed to make people savable, but to save those whom the Father has chosen: "I lay down my life for the sheep" (v. 15)

IRRESISTIBLE GRACE__as fallen, God must call His elect to faith through His word:

"My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me" (v. 27)

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS__the elect will persevere until the end because of Christ's intercession for them: "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. ...No one can snatch them out of my hand" (v. 29)

(From The White Horse Inn: "Highlights from John's Gospel"- Listener's Guide to the broadcast of April 2, 1995)

Reason to Rejoice

"Divine sovereignty is not the sovereignty of a tyrannical Despot, but the exercised pleasure of One who is infinitely wise and good! Because God is infinitely wise He cannot err, and because He is infinitely righteous He will not do wrong. Here then is the preciousness of this truth. The mere fact itself that God's will is irresistible and irreversible fills me with fear, but once I realize that God wills only that which is good, my heart is made to rejoice."

—Arthur W. Pink

This post is from Eddie Eddings' blog, "Facets of Grace" (used with permission)

The Way of Salvation (Part 3)

The Creation, Fall, and Corruption of Man

We believe that God created man from the dust of the earth and made and formed him in his image and likeness-- good, just, and holy; able by his own will to conform in all things to the will of God.

But when he was in honor he did not understand it (Ps. 49:20) and did not recognize his excellence. But he subjected himself willingly to sin and consequently to death and the curse, lending his ear to the word of the devil.

For he transgressed the commandment of life, which he had received, and by his sin he separated himself from God, who was his true life, having corrupted his entire nature.

So he made himself guilty and subject to physical and spiritual death, having become wicked, perverse, and corrupt in all his ways. He lost all his excellent gifts which he had reeceived from God, and he retained none of them except for small traces which are enough to make him inexcusable.

Moreover, all the light in us is turned to darkness, as the Scripture teaches us: "The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not receive it." (John 1:5) Here John calls men "darkness."

Therefore we reject everything taught to the contrary concerning man's free will, since man is nothing but the slave of sin and cannot do a thing unless it is "given him from heaven." (John 3:27)

For who can boast of being able to do anything good by himself, since Christ says, "No one can come to me unless my Father who sent me draws him"

Who can glory in his own will when he understands that "the mind of the flesh is enmity against God"? Who can speak of his own knowledge in view of the fact that "the natural man does not understand the things of the Spirit of God"?

In short, who can produce a single thought, since he knows that we are "not able to think a thing" about ourselves, by ourselves, but that "our ability is from God"?

And therefore, what the apostle says ought rightly to stand fixed and firm: "God works within us both to will and to do according to his good pleasure."

For there is no understanding nor will conforming to God's understanding and will apart from Christ's involvement, as he teaches us when he says, "Without me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

__Belgic Confession (Article 14)

THE FACE OF CHRIST

A rose, a lily, and the Face of Christ
Have all our hearts sufficed:
For He is Rose of Sharon nobly born,
Our Rose without a thorn;
And He is Lily of the Valley, He
Most sweet in purity.
But when we come to name Him as He is,
Godhead, Perfection, Bliss,
All tongues fall silent, while pure hearts alone
Complete their orison.

__Christina Rossetti