Tag Archives: Salvation

Sep 21 2009

Where Then Is Boasting?


humility

I will not take the time to give historical info as to how the two schools of thought called Calvinism and Armenians came to be. I’m sure that most of the readers of Grace Digest know the story. The bottom line is Calvinists believe that God chooses individuals to be his own and draws them to himself granting repentance, faith, and obedience. The other camp, Armenians, put the emphasis on man’s free will, man’s faith, and man’s obedience.

I am not a 5 point Calvinist but I do believe the following things.

God decides who is going to believe before they actually believe.

This is clearly illustrated in Acts 13:48.

“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed”.

It was not the faith of the listeners that caused them to be appointed to eternal life but the opposite. It seems from the text that all the people were glorifying God but out of the crowd only those appointed to eternal life believed.

Again in Acts we can find the same thing. Acts 11 records Peter’s report to the elders about the conversion of Gentiles. After he explained that they received the gift of the Holy Spirit just like he did (when he believed) verse 18 says,

“When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Those 1st Century men understood that God enables sinners to have a change of mind and believe the good news. God always initiates the work of redemption in a person’s life. In both of these accounts in the book of Acts it is also clear that not everyone is “appointed to eternal life” and not everyone has “been granted repentance”.

Dead men have no will.

Ephesians chapter 2 is one of my favorite passages of the Bible. Read the inspired words of Paul about the condition of sinners and how God saves them.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

How terrible, how awful, and how hopeless our sinful state? All of those who are unsaved and all of us before we were saved were spiritually dead, walking in trespasses and sins, following the devil and his rule in the world, living out the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of our bodies and minds”. If that were not bad enough he says too “we were by nature children of wrath”. That is total depravity! It is the picture of sinners who are hopelessly lost and unable to help themselves.

Now the good news, God is a God of mercy and grace! We were like all of mankind in our sad condition but because of God’s mercy and love he “made us alive”! He did not make all of mankind alive, just “us”, the same ones he had chosen in chapter 1.

So the wonderful parenthetical phrase in verse 5 “By grace you have been saved”!

 He raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places, why? He tells us why. “

V7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”.

Never forget this, our salvation is not about us, it is about him and his glory. He does not need me or you but we must have him.

This great salvation is not our doing, not apprehended by our works; we can lay no claim to our eternal state in Christ. You and I contributed to our salvation in the same way Lazarus contributed to his resurrection when Jesus made him alive, not a whit! We can only give God glory because of his great love and mercy.

God saves at this own discretion.

1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy”

Why us and not them? Why did we receive mercy and others didn’t?

1 Peter 2:  “So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

   “The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone,” 8and
   “A stone of stumbling,
   and a rock of offense.”   

   They stumble because they disobey the word, as they  were destined to do”.

How can I read this plain teaching and disagree that some are destined to disobey the word? I can not and I will not.

I don’t understand fully the God I serve but I do know some things. I don’t have to know a “why”, mine is only to trust.

For Jesus,

Royce

Sep 15 2009

No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus


No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus

Words and Music: C.F. Weigle

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true;
I would tell you how He changed my life completely,
He did something that no other friend could do.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me,
All my heart was full of misery and woe;
Jesus placed His strong and loving arms about me,
And He led me in the way I ought to go.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

Ev’ry day He comes to me with new assurance,
More and more I understand His words of love;
But I’ll never know just why He came to save me,
Till some day I see His blessed face above.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

This song one of my favorites of all time. After coming back from the depths of despair and regaining his vibrant faith Charles Weigle wrote this beautiful song.

It tells my story, expresses my heart, and gives Christ glory. The dear man who wrote both the lyrics and music lived his last 15 years  in a cottage at Tenn. Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was a friend and mentor to many and became a favorite person of both the students and faculty. He wrote over 1,000 songs in addition to preaching the good news of Jesus many, many years. What a wonderfully blessed legacy!

Listen to the song here: Youtube by Signature Sound.

Royce

Aug 31 2009

Four Vital Choices


ewfattyWhen I returned from a weekend trip I found this  gracEmail from Edward Fudge (http://edwardfudge.com). I quote it here and solicit your comments.

For Christians other than Lutherans and Calvinists, the four gospel slogans: “grace alone, Christ alone, faith alone, Scripture alone,” might sound less than obvious. The third expression (“faith alone”) sometimes even provokes a vigorous denial. But properly understood, the four Reformation motto’s well summarize biblical teaching about our salvation. How would you complete each of the following sentences?

* * *

1. God saves us as a matter of: (a) grace alone (wholly a gift)? (b) grace partially (somewhat a gift; somewhat merited)? or (c) grace not at all (wholly merited)? We affirm that God saves us as a matter of grace alone (wholly a gift). Luke 17:10; Romans 5:8-10.

2. God is gracious to us because of the pleasing activity of: (a) Christ alone, as our representative (entirely his obedience)? (b) Christ partially (partly Christ’s obedience; partly our obedience)? or (c) Christ not at all (entirely our obedience)? We affirm that God is gracious to us because of the obedience of Christ alone as our representative (entirely his obedience). 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Colossians 1:19-22; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 10:5-10, 14.

3. We receive, experience and enjoy God’s gracious favor and salvation through: (a) faith alone (wholly relying on God for it)? (b) faith partially (somewhat relying on God for it; somewhat relying on something else)? or (c) faith not at all (wholly relying on something/someone other than God)? We affirm that we receive, experience and enjoy God’s gracious favor and salvation through faith alone (wholly relying on God for it.). Romans 3:21-27; Romans 4:1-5, 23-25.

4. These principles are true because they rest on the authority of: (a) Scripture alone (our only appeal is to the Bible)? (b) Scripture partially (we appeal to the Bible in part; to other authorities in part)? or (c) Scripture not at all (our only appeal is to authorities besides the Bible)? We affirm that these principles are true because they rest on the authority of Scripture alone (our only appeal is to the Bible.). 2 Timothy 3:14-15; 2 Peter 1:16-21.

_______________________

Copyright 2009 by Edward Fudge. Permission hereby given to forward, copy and distribute in any quantity, so long as no changes are made, this paragraph is included, and no financial profit is involved.

I’m curious, how do you respond to these four statements and the questions Edward Fudge asks?

Some church of Christ people will balk at the word “Reformed” and dismiss the whole because of that one word. Do I believe what I believe because I have found it in Scripture or because someone said it’s true? I fear that far too many fall into the latter category.

Your thoughts?

Royce

Aug 20 2009

The “S” Word


Last evening just before time for “Peak of the Week” at White’s Ferry Road Church I was suddenly and soundly reminded that the prince of darkness is steadily at work. As Carol and I finished our dinner my cell phone brought the news that a former associate and dear friend had committed suicide.

In the rush and confusion of the next few moments my emotions raged. A smothering sadness soon gave way to intense anger at the evil one and then compassion for a grieving son, sisters, and mother. Today I will visit with some of them and listen as they ask dozens of questions that have no answers, and love them however I am able.

I have lost a friend, and in one of the ugliest ways. For some reason all hope was lost, uncertainty about the future overwhelmed, rational thought became impossible, the inner turmoil was unbearable, all possibilities but none will ever be clear. I only know that my friend whom I loved took her own life.

And I know that my troubled friend went out to face my Heavenly Father who is altogether just, loving, long suffering, and knew my friends end long before any of us knew her beginning.

The name on her church is different than mine but she trusted the same Christ I do. She took her own life, an awful sin and affront to God. I ask myself, isn’t suicide one of the myriad of offences Jesus bore in his body and paid for in full?

I’ll close this post with a quote from John Piper. These are remarks he made at the funeral of his friend who also took her own life in 1982. They express my heart today.

A Question

Finally the question: What about our friend? Was she made new when she put her life into the hands of God? We have good reason to think she was on the new road. Not instant change, but on the road. The wounds of sin don’t heal easily.

But then came the suicide. And in our minds there lingers the question: Is she safe with Christ? Or does suicide bring condemnation? Jesus has a word for us here:

Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of eternal sin. (Mark 3:28–29)

Only one thing puts a person beyond forgiveness: blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. But this is not any single act, for Jesus says any sins and blasphemies will be forgiven those who follow him. No. Blasphemy against the Spirit of God is treating the Spirit as dirt by continually and persistently resisting and rejecting this call to repentance until death.

No single sin, not even suicide, evicts a person from heaven into hell. One thing does: continual rejection of God’s Spirit. Our friend, we believe, gave up that resistance and accepted the forgiveness of Christ. What sort of momentary weakness, what brief cloud of hopelessness caused her to take her life remains a mystery. But no one can say this: that her final act is unforgivable. Nor any other act by any of us. For Jesus said: all sins will be forgiven the sons of men if they give up resisting the Spirit and look to Jesus for salvation.”

Royce