Category Christ

Aug 22 2007

God is for us!


Peter, in his first letter, began by addressing those who were, “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 

   
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Paul, in Romans 8 says in verses 28-31, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.    
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

There is a theme in the Bible that is clearly there although it flies in the face of the doctrinal positions many of us have adopted; Or, does it? We shudder at the idea of Calvinism but what do we do with the myriad of verses that teach what we have rejected? In my view, believing these, and many other passages that say the same things, are not in conflict at all with those of us who believe salvation is of the Lord and not of us.

Even Luke in the Acts uses this terminology, “And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48b). Then there is that troubling passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus said to His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15:16a).

Then that classic first part of the letter to the Ephesians is almost offensive to anyone who does not believe in the doctrine of election at all. I will not quote it but suggest you read carefully the first 14 verses of chapter 1.

One of the marks of deity is “omniscience”, the fact that God infinitely knows everything. If this is true (and it is) then God surely knew before time began who would and would not become obedient believers in His love gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. And, as Peter said it, we are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father“. It would be a completely different dynamic if we were elect, period! But, Peter makes it clear that in agreement with what God knows (or knew) we are elected to be His.

I am no theologian so please be kind to me. This is one way I think of these amazing ways of our great God. I have 6 grandchildren. I love them completely! I love them so much that often I will give them what I know is not best for them just because they want it. (I do have an excuse, I am not as wise or as good as God!) If the younger of my twin grandsons is offered ketchup for his french fries, he will reject ketchup every time and request mustard instead. I know this as well as I know almost anything. Howevcer, my knowing does not in any way invalidate his freedom to choose what goes on his fries. So, I can say to you that my first twin grandson is destined to be a mustard lover. Yes, this is perhaps a weak analogy but I think it makes the point quite well, at least the way I understand God’s choosing as stated by Peter in 1 Peter 1.

Just for the sake of brevity lets assume I am correct. One fact is clear, God has chosen those who are His own. Now lets examine that Romans 8 section.

  1. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son“
  2. “whom He predestined, these He also called“
  3. “whom He called, these He also justified“
  4. “whom He justified, these He also glorified”

God knew us in eternity past, He predestined that we would be not only called but conformed to the image of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and those He called He justified, and those He justified He also glorified! All of these things are spoken of in the PAST tense!

How many of those He forknew will be justified, or “set right” with God? ALL who are called! How many of those who have been justified will be glorified? ALL of them!

Now the following question makes lots of sense doesn’t it? “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Grace to you,
Royce Ogle

Aug 1 2007

Is the “church” in competition with Christ?


Most of us who are not Roman Catholics have criticized Catholics for elevating the authority of the church to a place equal to, or in some cases, greater than the Bible. Our criticism is just in my view. There is one mediator between the sinner and God, the man Christ Jesus, not the church.

I wonder, have some of us in Restoration Movement churches committed the same error? There was a reference in an article in the recent issue of the Christian Chronicle to this very thing. In at least some circles, “the church of Christ” gets much more play than Christ Himself. If anyone doubts this, just “google” a few church of Christ websites and read what they have to say.

I submit that this is a dangerous trend. The marching orders given by Christ were to preach the Gospel, not to preach the church of Christ. Christ can save a sinner, the church can’t. Perhaps if the energy and resources spent on promoting the church had been used to publish the good news about Christ, the church of Christ would have a larger foot print in the world than it does.

Do you suppose there are people are committed to the church of Christ who are unwitting imposters and not true disciples of Jesus? In my view it would be very naive to deny the possibility. Sincerity does not make one right, or righteous for that matter. Only a real faith relationship with Jesus Christ will make one a child of the Heavenly Father.

If all of us, of every stripe, will preach the good news about Christ, men and women and boys and girls will come to know Him and the church will grow without so much promotion. Three thousand in a day isn’t bad for church growth is it?

Grace to you,
Royce Ogle

Jul 9 2007

“Keeping the saved, saved”?


The latest installment of the Christian Chronicle had an article titled “Are we loosing our young people?” Near the end of an informative article a heading reads “Keeping the saved, saved”. And then the next few paragraphs talks about a youth ministry in Florida that focuses on “keeping the saved, saved”.

This is rather odd language for this theological and Bible student. I most recently heard the phrase after a “door knocking” campaign when one of the leaders, while discussing follow up, mentioned the job of “keeping the saved, saved”.  This terminology is almost exclusive to the churches of Christ according to Google. When I Googled the phrase in quotation marks, of 152 references to this statement, I believe about 150 of them were quoting statements from church of Christ websites, ministries, or preachers.

So what about “Keeping the saved, saved”? I suppose if you saved them you can keep them saved. But if God saved them, He will have to keep them saved. If you believe people are saved, or stay saved by going to church, living a good life, not drinking and not being immoral, then perhaps you can keep them saved. However, if you believe the Bible then you know that no person is justified because of what he or she does or can do but rather wholly upon the merit of Christ.

The righteousness credited to the account of a new Christian is “by faith”, “a righteousness that is from God”, and apart from the law (our doing). (Romans 3:21-30)

The way to “keep the saved saved” is to get them saved to begin with. A man can be converted to a cause, a good and noble cause, and wind up in hell. A man can be converted to a church and end up lost. A man can be convinced to change his way of life and to begin a life of love and kindness and still be rejected at the judgement. Only those who come to God by Christ Jesus will be saved, and they will never be lost.

” But you do not believe, because 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 them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (spoken by Jesus in John 10:26-28)

Only God keeps the saved saved.

Grace to you,
Royce Ogle

Jun 26 2007

The Exclusivisity of Jesus for Salvation


 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:9-13 NKJV)

John’s record sounds very much like Jesus’ own words when He said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:16-21 NKJV)

The truth is clear. Men are given eternal life based wholly upon what they have done about Jesus. And, the text is also very clear that those who refuse to take God at His word do so because they love their sin, or to put it another way, they refuse to repent. Those who go to the light, simply believing what God has said about Jesus, have eternal life and will not ever be condemned again.

Salvation is not found in living right, in any church on earth, in aligning with a religeous system, or any other way than by taking God at His word and trusting Jesus and Him only. Those who try to get into the kingdom any other way are rejected and will not be saved in the end unless they repent and come to Christ.

Who can God save? Whosoever will let him come.  Does God need my assistance to save? No. Can God extend His love and forgiveness to anyone on the planet at any time He chooses? Yes.

“When we all get to heaven we will sing and shout the victory”. And, every last one there will be saved by the person and work of Jesus and not by our own doing. “There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved”. Simply put, it is Christ or condemnation. Have you believed God’s record or have you believed the “witness of men”? Trust Christ today.

Grace to you,
Royce Ogle