Tag Archives: Salvation

Nov 18 2009

On Christian Conversion


A gracEmail came to my inbox that was so concise, so truthful, I decided to share it here.

A gracEmail subscriber writes that he “went forward” as a young man to be saved at an evangelical church. Several years later, he was immersed by a minister of a different Christian fellowship. Now he wonders, “What does it mean to experience conversion anyway?”

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In reading the Book of Acts, I am impressed that Dr. Luke most frequently reports what we call conversions by saying that people “believed” or “believed on the Lord.” Sad to say, I do not know any folks today who regularly talk that way. Most evangelicals say that people “got saved” or “accepted Christ.” Others report that people “obeyed the gospel,” “were baptized,” or “became members of the church.” Luke does not use any of those terms by themselves in the book of Acts to report conversions during the first gospel generation.

What must one know in order to “believe on” the Lord Jesus? Primarily, according to reports in the Book of Acts, that God raised Jesus of Nazareth from among the dead. That fact, in turn, gives mind-boggling meaning to his otherwise senseless death. Jesus’ resurrection means that God has given him the positions of Lord, Christ (Messiah), Prince of Life and final Judge, and to believe on Jesus is also to embrace those declarations as true. This calls for a change in mindset (repentance) to reflect a new purpose, direction and manner of life (discipleship}. And, as part of the conversion process, Luke repeatedly says that new believers were baptized,giving visible expression to their repentance and faith, and openly signalling their commitment to follow Jesus Christ.

All this is rooted in Jesus’ charge to his first disciples to be his coworkers in mission (“commission”), as reported by Matthew (28:18-20), Mark (16:14-16) and Luke (24:44-47). According to the three Gospel-writers, Jesus specified that his followers proclaim internationally the good news (Mark) that the Messiah foretold by the Hebrew prophets has come, and that he has suffered and risen from the dead (Luke). Through him, those who repent are promised forgiveness of sins (Luke). Such believers (Mark) or disciples (Matthew) are to be baptized (Matthew, Mark), then are to be further instructed in everything that Jesus himself had taught (Matthew). This all is part of the conversion process, which, in the larger sense, is really an ongoing transformation that continues as long as we live.

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© 2009 by Edward Fudge. You may reproduce, redistribute and forward this gracEmail without further permission but only in its entirety, without change and without charge.

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Edward doesn’t fudge on the truth. Well said my friend.

Royce

Oct 15 2009

Facts and fiction about the grace of God


If you are one of those people who like me read Christian blogs, read, watch, and listen to sermons and Bible lessons, you will agree that there is lots of hubbub on the subject of God’s grace. You don’t need to read, or listen long to realize that many of the voices either extolling the virtues of Grace, or fear its excesses, don’t really understand what it is.

From my teen years as a new believer the pat definition I learned from my teachers was this one. “Grace is God’s unmerited favor toward man“. While that definition is true, it is woefully inadequate. The Bible reminds us mere mortals that every good thing we have comes from the unchanging had of God. (James 1:17) Every despot has experienced the “unmerited favor of God” in that he has the breath of life, food, and shelter. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. (I have thought I must be both, judging from the amount of rain recently in N E Louisiana). Both the best people in your town, and the most vile, alike share at least in part the unmerited favor of God.

A better definition of God’s Grace is this acrostic. God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. This view of Grace, although more narrow, is by far more rich and full. The word “grace” appears in the New Testament alone far more than 100 times, and with very few exceptions, is in the context of this more narrow understanding of what God has done through Christ for men as opposed to what I call “common grace”.

Those of us who teach grace and refute its ugly opposite, legalism, are the targets of the ire of religionists who are themselves threatened by something they don’t understand. That is quite a charge! So you can justly ask, “How do you know that Royce?” I know that because of the charges made and the fears exposed by those charges. The alarmist warnings go along this line of thought.

“You are teaching cheap grace!”

“You believe Christians can live any way they want and still go to heaven.”

“God requires obedience…”.

“There is God’s part and your part in salvation.”

And one of the newest,

“You are teaching universalism.”

All of these spurious charges are born of ignorance or unbelief. The idea that teaching what God has accomplished in Christ for wicked sinners is cheap, a license to sin without penalty, or that Christians should not be obedient to God is hopefully based in ignorance. Otherwise it is simply dishonest.

God’s grace is free, but not “cheap“. It is given to sinful men and women as a free gift but it cost Christ his precious redeeming blood. (Romans 5:15) (1 Peter 1:18,19) As Jesus shared a final meal with his inner circle he gave them bread to eat, representing his body, and wine to drink, representing his blood, and reminded them that his very body and his own life giving blood would be payment for the new covenant. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) What one works for, or earns, is given by obligation. The justification of the ungodly is not received as something due, but as a free gift. (Romans 6:23)

The idea that somehow those of us who teach free grace believe God has lowered his standards is incredible. The truth is that God raised his standards. Remember the words of Jesus? “You have heard is said…., but I say unto you……” Adultery is no longer only the physical act of sexual intercourse outside the bounds of marriage but the one who lusts is guilty as charged. And, he went on saying, one who hates his brother is guilty of murder. (Matthew 5:28) (Matthew 5:20,21) This level of moral responsibility is hardly an example of God lowering his standards for holiness. What the legalist fails to comprehend is that even though new covenant standards are considerably higher than the old, God now enables and empowers his own to desire to live out his requirements by “nature“.  Not one child ever reaches the ceiling of perfect obedience but every child is looked upon as if he had. (Romans 2:14) (Romans 4) It is because of what God has done and is doing in us that we live out his will before a watching world. (Philippians 2:12,13)

Do I teach grace that sin may abound? What a strange idea! When Paul asked this rhetorical question his answer was “God forbid!” (Romans 6:1,15) Those who have been set free from the slavery of sin by the representative death of Jesus (A dead man is not bound by any law) are those who joyfully surrender to be love slaves of Jesus to do his bidding. The spurious charge that teaching people are saved by grace alone encourages sin is an idea conjured up largely by people who believe they can in some way contribute to their own salvation. The word of God paints a different picture. It says the exact opposite. It is precisely grace that teaches us to say no to unrighteousness and to live upright lives as we wait for Jesus. (Titus 2:11-13)

The lavish love of God demonstrated in the perfect living, sacrificial and substitutionary dying, and triumphant resurrection of Jesus for sinners is the full measure of God’s grace. In the same way that by one man (Adam) sin and death entered into the world, by the obedience of one man (Jesus) many are made righteous. (Romans 5:18,19) Jesus did man’s part by giving to the Father a life of perfect obedience and taking the punishment for sin so that God could justify the ungodly and still himself be just in so doing. (Romans 3:26)

It is certain that God loves you more than you think and likely the expanse of his grace is much larger than you have thought. The complete package of salvation including justification, sanctification, and glorification, are wholly the work of God. Nothing can be done by the will and in the energy of humans to substitute or supplement this great work of redemption designed before the creation of the world.

One of the most clear statements in the Bible about the grace of God in salvation is found in Ephesians 2 verses 4 and  5.

“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.”

Once you see the full impact of this simple statement it is simply astounding! Remember when Jesus visited the tomb of his friend Lazarus? He had been dead and buried long enough that his body was decaying and had a foul odor. He was dead……until……..Jesus cried out “Lazarus come out!” Then “the man who had died came out!” (John 11:42-44) The very one who said “I am the resurrection and the life..” called him out of death to life. Although we were dead spiritually, the Bible is crystal clear that we were “dead”. Just as Jesus made Lazarus live, in the same way he made us to live with Him. A dead man can do nothing to reverse his condition. Only God gives life to the dead and that is my story and it is your story if you have been made a child of God. Nothing can we claim but the love and grace of God. We can only boast in the Lord our God.

May we together grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were saved by grace, we stand in grace, and one golden day we will see Jesus face to face by grace and grace alone.

for Jesus,

Royce

Sep 28 2009

The Lord’s Supper – Proclaimation


This is the second post in the series “The Lord’s Supper”. The last post made the point that one of the primary reasons for the eating and drinking of the Lord’s Supper is to focus us on Christ’s sacrifice for us, and especially to remember his body. “This is my body….” and “This is the blood….” are to be rememberd and appreciated by believers. Communion, if done properly, will accomplish that goal. Not only are we to remember him and his sacrifice of himself but when we share in communion we proclaim his death.

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)

It is very important that we continually proclaim the good news to each other. I think some Christians believe that as we mature we move on from the gospel to deeper things. I have news for you, the gospel is the deepest thing! We must be gospel centered people to be the people God uses.

Paul’s letter to the Romans was a letter primarily to believers. In fact he gives thanks that their faith is known throughout the whole world. (Romans 1:8) And yet immediately before his statement about the gospel being the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) he wrote these words.

“…I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” (Romans 1:15)

Christianity is the gospel! It is the historical facts of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and their present and future implications upon which we stand and have staked our eternal destiny.

Never, never, never, should we stop preaching and teaching the gospel to each other and one of the ways we do that is by eating the bread and drinking from the cup as we remember the Lord’s body and shed blood for sinners.

In most of our churches on a given Sunday there will likely be those present who have not yet become Christians. We should be aware of that fact and make sure that when we participate in the Lord’s Supper that we are reverent and sincere knowing that we are by these acts proclaiming the Lord’s great sacrifice for sinners to a watching world.

We are to keep proclaiming the gospel facts until He returns. The emphasis is never on the “how” or even on the “when” but wholly upon the “what” and the “who” of the good news.

We remember and we proclaim as together we eat and drink together.

for Jesus,
Royce

Sep 25 2009

WORLD RADIO


worlradio

For almost a half century the good news has been going to the far reaches of the globe from West Monroe, Louisiana through the ministry of World Radio, a missions ministry of the Whites Ferry Road Church of Christ. In 1963 some great men of God took seriously Christ’s command to preach the good news to every people group. My friends Bill Smith, Alton Howard (presently in heaven), and others, were men of vision who dared to dream they could get the story of Jesus to people literally everywhere! Now forty six years later tens of thousands have claimed Christ as Savour and Lord and thousands of local churches have been established in far away places by people who learned the story of Jesus and God’s redemption while listening to a radio broadcast.

World Radio is a local church ministry with a world wide vision. Presently WR is beaming the gospel into 89 countries. 155 radio speakers are preaching across the air waves in 49 different languages. World Radio in the early days produced broadcasts from studios in the church building in West Monroe, LA but as technology grew the methods changed and for many years WR provides radio time for indigenous preachers to share Christ in the languages of the people who listen. People are hearing the good news in their native tongue in Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Dominican Republic and many, many more countries all around the world. And, they are coming to Christ.

World Radio speakers working with others are able to offer free Bible correspondence courses and to connect people with other believers in their communities where they can be loved and discipled. One of the most recent, and for me one of the most exciting, new broadcasts is a Spanish language broadcast in a very needy place, metropolitan Dallas/Ft Worth. A wonderful Mexican brother and gifted servant, Sixto Rivera is reaching the huge Latino audience with the message that sets men free. The response has been awesome with listeners requesting CD’s of the broadcasts to send to relatives in Mexico and countries in South America. Many listeners are being connected with DFW congregations who are equipped to minister to them the grace of God in Christ Jesus. There is no match for gospel radio! How better to reach the hopeless masses than in their cars and homes and work places?

I invite you to visit the World Radio offices in West Monroe, Louisiana if you are in our area. Or click on World Radio’s weblink and learn more about this wonderful open door for the gospel of Jesus. I am proud to say that our own Ben Adkins was recently appointed by the WFR elders as World Radio Team Leader. Ben is uniquely gifted and equipped to lead such an international ministry. He is a great husband and father, preacher and teacher, and humble servant. Open doors abound and are only limited by the funds coming in as Ben, his team, and our elders and church wait upon the Lord in faith.

Will you prayerfully consider World Radio for some of your mission giving? There is no better way on earth to get the gospel to so many people for the dollars spent. WR can literally blanket the world with the good news if God touches enough hearts to partner with this ministry in the gospel. At a minimum, please pray for Ben Adkins and his team at World Radio.

I am humbled that God has allowed me to worship with the most wonderful people I know for the last 9 years. I have never known a local church with such world vision, and such unconditional love for the down and out and the up and out. In addition to World Radio the global relief ministry WFR Relief also calls Whites Ferry Road Church home. We Care, Mexico Medical Missions, church planting, Celebrate Recovery, Grief Share, Divorce Care, and perhaps a dozen other local and international ministries are undertaken by our people. There is but one way to get men fit for heaven and eternal life, Jesus Christ our Lord. We preach Him!

for Jesus,
Royce