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 Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 10:44 am
An excellent email I received from The Institute for Creation Research.
Leaning on the Word
November 18, 2010
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. . . . These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:11, 13)
Our salvation does not find its basis in an emotional experience of the heart, although our emotional tendencies are God-given and not to be denied. Indeed, the salvation experience may be sweet and memorable, but all sorts of religions, non-religions, and cults have emotional experiences, like the Mormon's "burning of the bosom." But experiences alone are subjective and easy to be misinterpreted. Our faith should be a faith from the heart, and it should be founded on the written Word of God. The third verse of our hymn, "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place," presents this timeless truth.
My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's name, Salvation thru' His blood.
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me.
The Bible, God's holy Word, is a book about Jesus and how God, through Jesus, deals with man. Much more could have been written: "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). "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). We were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:19).
And this is sufficient! Nothing else needs to be done or said or paid! Christ's blood is enough! His word tells us so. JDM
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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:11 am
amen!  and i LOVE that song! It's so great to be able to have confidence that we have eternal life! I am convinced that God did not want us to live our lives wondering if we would "make it" to heaven. We can KNOW we have eternal life! And that is not boasting of our own goodness. Rather, it is faith and confidence in the promise and word and free gift of the Lord Jesus Christ! yaaaay Jesus! 
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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 12:53 pm
SARL0 amen! and i LOVE that song! It's so great to be able to have confidence that we have eternal life! I am convinced that God did not want us to live our lives wondering if we would "make it" to heaven. We can KNOW we have eternal life! And that is not boasting of our own goodness. Rather, it is faith and confidence in the promise and word and free gift of the Lord Jesus Christ! yaaaay Jesus! I wish I could tip posts in the guild because I agree whole heartedly! Yaaay Jesus!
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:21 am
2 Cor. 5:14 For the love of Christ constrains us because we
have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died;
(15) And He died for all that those who live may no longer
live to themselves but to Him who died for them and has been
raised.
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 7:15 am
More from ICR
I Need No Other Argument
November 19, 2010
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)
Each of the four verses of the majestic hymn "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place" repeats the theme that Christ’s blood was shed on our behalf, and it is enough. Nothing else remains to be done. The final verse adds perspective to the other three:
My great Physician heals the sick, The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed, For me His life He gave.
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me.
Christ was certainly "the great physician," for He "went about all Galilee, . . . healing all manner of sickness" (Matthew 4:23). But His ministry was not only to the physically ill, for as He said, God "hast sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives" (Luke 4:1 cool . His mission was a deeper one, that of healing the sin-sickness of the soul. "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
As we read in our text, "we have redemption through His blood," and through His blood alone. As a result, we have "forgiveness of sins," we are "delivered from the power of darkness," and we are given a home in "the kingdom of his dear Son."
And there we will join in singing "a new song, saying, Thou art worthy . . . for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Revelation 5:9). He has done it all, and He has done it "for me!" JDM
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Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 3:07 am
The Sleeper
November 20, 2010
"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Ephesians 5:14)
The message in our text provides an attention-getting warning to those who claim to be Christians but indulge in or even allow the evil practices of Ephesians 5:3-7. A Christian does not, and indeed cannot, live a life of fornication, or uncleanness, or covetousness, or filthiness, or foolish talking, or jesting (vv. 3-4), for no such person "hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God . . . for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (vv. 5-6). Those who practice such things are "fools" (v. 15).
While we as Christians must always be willing to bring the saving message of God’s grace to the sinner, we must not be "partakers with them" (v. 7) in their sins and indeed must "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness" (v. 11). Instead, we must "reprove them" (v. 11), pointing out the consequences of their actions and focusing their attention on Christ, who "hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour" (v. 2) in payment of their penalty. All that must be done is to accept this forgiveness. In doing so, we who are "light in the Lord" (v. cool will shed light in their darkness, for "all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light" (v. 13).
As children of the light (v. cool , our lives must exhibit the "fruit of the Spirit . . . goodness and righteousness and truth" (v. 9). We must prove "what is acceptable unto the Lord" (v. 10), "walk circumspectly, . . . wise" (v. 15), "redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (v. 16). The sleeper in our text, whether he be an unbeliever or a professing Christian, is "asleep"--locked in moral insensibility. "Awake, Sleeper!" Paul would say, "and accept the Godgiven remedy for your plight!" JDM
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:20 am
Those Who Pass By
November 21, 2010
"Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger." (Lamentations 1:12)
This heartbroken lament, uttered by Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet," personifies the devastated city of Jerusalem after the Babylonian invasion. She who had been "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, . . . the city of the great King" (Psalm 48:2), now lay in ruins, and neither the triumphant armies who had ravished her nor the careless peoples living around her cared at all that this was the city of God being chastised for her unfaithfulness.
Many Christians have, at times, felt alone and confused, longing for someone who would care, saying with the psalmist: "There was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul" (Psalm 142:4). But no one has ever been so alone or has suffered so intensely and so unjustly as the one who was the very "man of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3). He was "smitten of God, and afflicted" in the day of God’s fierce anger, for "the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4, 6).
Just as there were those who passed by suffering Jerusalem, some gloating and others unconcerned, so there were those who passed by and viewed the suffering Savior as He hung on the cross. "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads" (Matthew 27:39).
There are multitudes who still pass Him by today. Some revile Him; many ignore Him, altogether uncaring that He loved them and even died to save them. Soon, however, "every eye shall see him, . . . and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him" (Revelation 1:7). Their indifference will be turned quickly into mourning in that day. "Is it nothing to you?" the Lord would ask. HMM
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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 4:57 am
His Age-Long Imminent Coming
November 22, 2010
"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." (Romans 13:11)
The apostle Paul wrote these words over 1,900 years ago, and yet Christ still has not returned. The early Christians were looking for Christ's return in their own day, and so have many believers in every generation since, yet we still wait.
This attitude of age-long watchful expectancy is both scriptural and salutary, for Jesus said: "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 25:13). In fact it is impossible to correctly predict the date of His coming, for He clearly said: "In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44).
In his first epistle, Paul reminded the believers how they had "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven" (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Years later he exhorted Timothy to "love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4: cool . He had written Titus that each Christian should be "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). To the Corinthians he said: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" when Christ returns (1 Corinthians 15:51), indicating he thought it possible that he himself might witness Christ's return. "We which are alive and remain shall be caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air," he had also said (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
There are many other such references, so it is clear that the early Christians were indeed watching for Christ, as He had commanded. We must not set dates, and we must "occupy till |He| come|s|" (Luke 19:13), but we also must continue to watch, "for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Hebrews 10:37). HMM
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Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:43 am
We Have Been Blessed with All Blessings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in
the heavenlies in Christ,
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is
for us , who can be against us ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All the blessings, benefits, and bounties in the universe are
of three categories. The first category is God's creation,
the second is God's redemption, and the third is God's
regeneration. In God's creation we enjoy so many good things:
air, sunshine, minerals, animal life, vegetable life. All
these are good things of God's creation, and we are qualified
to partake of them because we are God's creatures.
Furthermore, as the redeemed ones, we enjoy forgiveness of
sins, justification by faith, reconciliation in God's grace,
and sanctification. Because we are redeemed, all the benefits
in God's redemption are ours.
Moreover, because we have been regenerated, we enjoy God's
life, His nature, and His Person. By these three
qualifications—being created, redeemed, and regenerated—we
are fully and thoroughly qualified to enjoy all the blessings
in the universe, the blessings in God's creation, redemption,
and regeneration. The angels may be sinless, but they are not
qualified to enjoy all these blessings. But through the blood
of Christ, we enjoy forgiveness of sins, the washing of the
blood, justification by faith, and peace with God. We enjoy
all the blessings of Christ's redemption. Furthermore, we
daily enjoy all the benefits and bounties of God's
regeneration. We have the divine life, the divine nature, and
the divine Person. What could be higher than this? Today we
enjoy the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Father.
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Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 9:36 am
He Chose Us for His Purpose
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eph 1:4 Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of
the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love,
2 Thes 2:13 But we ought to thank God always concerning
you... because God chose you from the beginning unto
salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God's choosing is His first blessing bestowed upon us; it is
the first item of God's well-speaking concerning the church.
God's choosing is His selection. From among numberless
people, He has selected us. Verse 4 says that God chose us
before the foundation of the world. This was in eternity
past. God chose us according to His infinite foresight before
He created us.
God's selection was not made in time, but in eternity. Before
the foundation of the world, God chose us. Among millions of
people, He foresaw us before we were even born and selected
us before the foundation of the world. The expression, before
the foundation of the world, implies the entire universe, not
only the earth. This indicates that the universe was founded
for man's existence to fulfill God's eternal purpose. Without
such a universe, it would be impossible for man to exist.
Man's existence is for the fulfillment of God's eternal
purpose. Thus, man is the focal point of God's eternal
purpose. The universe was founded so that man could exist to
fulfill God's eternal purpose.
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Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 9:55 am
The Pilgrims
November 25, 2010
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." (1 Peter 1:1)
These "strangers" to whom Peter wrote his two epistles were actually "pilgrims." He used the same Greek word (parepidemos) in 1 Peter 2:11: "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts." The word means a resident foreigner, and its only other New Testament usage is in Hebrews 11:13, speaking of the ancient patriarchs who "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."
We give honor today to the American "pilgrims," as they called themselves (thinking of these very verses), who left their homelands in order better to serve God in a foreign land. The "pilgrims" to whom Peter was writing likewise had been "scattered abroad" for their faith (note Acts 8:4).
For that matter, every born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is really just a pilgrim here on earth, ambassadors for Christ in a foreign land. "For our conversation is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). That is, we are citizens of heaven (the Greek word translated "conversation" in this verse is politeuma, meaning "a community" or "citizenship"), and are here only for a time to serve our Lord until He calls us home.
And while we are here, we may endure many trials and sorrows just as did those Massachusetts pilgrims. But He nevertheless supplies our needs--just as He did for them--and we ought to abound in thanksgiving, as they did.
Thus, Christians all over the world have cause for thanksgiving every day. Since we are "enriched in every thing," through our Savior, this "causeth through us thanksgiving to God" (2 Corinthians 9:11), and we should be "abounding therein with thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:7). HMM
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Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:26 am
The Faithful Creator
November 26, 2010
"Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." (1 Peter 4:19)
This is the only verse in the New Testament describing the Creator as faithful. God had a very specific purpose in creating the universe and especially man, and He will surely accomplish that great purpose.
The Scriptures repeatedly stress God’s faithfulness. With respect to the physical universe, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth" (Psalm 119:89-90). As far as His promises to His people are concerned, "know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9).
The faithful Creator is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and He rebukes the compromising church of the last days with these majestic words: "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14). Although many professing believers will prove unfaithful to Him, "yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:13).
The triumphant book of Revelation comes directly "from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness" (Revelation 1:5); and when He finally returns to earth in power and glory, His very name shall be "called Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:11). He is both Alpha and Omega, and thus all His "words are true and faithful" (Revelation 21:5). Our salvation is sure, therefore, because "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thess alonians 5:24). HMM
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:11 am
The Truth Setting Us Free (1)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall
set you free.
Eph. 4:15 But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into
Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Part 1 of 3)
Do we not have the truth already? Yes, but a question
immediately arises. Why is there a vast difference in what we
are before the Lord and what we are in the world? The work of
the cross is finished, but we are still not victorious. The
Lord Jesus has changed us into one kind of person, yet on
earth we still appear as another kind of person. This means
that our condition does not match the truth that we hold onto
before God. This is our problem. We often do not know what
the truth is. We come to God according to our own feelings
and experiences rather than according to God's truth. We must
realize that God's truth is contrary to our feelings and
experiences. The one issue we have to resolve is which of the
two is real. Is the Lord's accomplishment for us before God
more real, or are our own feelings and experiences more real?
Which of the two is more real? This is the question.
We are often bound because we do not see what is real, what
is reality. Once we see the truth, the truth sets us free; it
liberates us. Let us mention a few things to illustrate what
it means for the truth to set us free. We will begin with
salvation. Suppose someone hears the gospel and realizes that
the Lord Jesus has died on the cross and shed His blood to
forgive his sins. He believes in the Son of God for the
forgiveness of his sins, and he receives the Lord into him.
When others ask whether he belongs to the Lord, he says,
“Yes.” He is bursting with joy within. However, three or five
months later, he may feel a little sick, and troubles and
difficulties may arise in his family. Then his joy is gone;
it seems as if joy has departed far from him. He feels as if
he is no longer saved and is no longer a child of God. If
others ask him whether he is a Christian and whether he is
saved, he may answer, “I am quite bothered. I have lost my
former joy. I do not know where the Lord Jesus is anymore. I
do not know what to say about this.” What would you say to
him at this time? If you know God's truth, you would tell
him, “You may feel that you are not saved, but in fact you
are saved. In reality you are saved.”
(Continued tomorrow)
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 8:56 am
Adam's Failure--Christ's Strength
November 27, 2010
"By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Romans 5:18]
When Adam rebelled against God, he experienced many new things--things which have haunted mankind ever since. All of these things were experienced by Christ in an intense way as He redeemed fallen mankind and the cursed creation.
Adam had never seen or experienced death (Genesis 2:17) until he sinned (3:19, 22). God had ordained nakedness (2:25), but sin distorts everything (3:7, 21). Before sin, Adam and Eve had known only blessing (1:28], but the universal curse followed (3:14-19). They had known joy and fellowship, but now they knew sorrow (3:17) and separation (3:23). They had lived in a garden (2:8], but now the plants would bring forth thorns (3:18]. Prior to sin they had been assigned work to do (2:15), but now they would sweat (3:19) as they toiled. The angel's weapon kept them from returning to the Garden (3:24) and outside violence reigned (4:8, 23; 6:13). Childbearing originally was created to be easy and frequent, but now was to be accompanied by sorrow (1:28; 3:16).
Likewise, Christ experienced death on the cross (John 19:30), but by His resurrection He conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). In this death He experienced nakedness (John 19:23; Psalm 22:18]; the full thrust of the curse (Galatians 3:13); sorrow (Isaiah 53:3); and separation from God (Matthew 27:46). Cruel thorns were placed on His head (John 19:2), and He sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). The soldier's weapon pierced Him (John 19:34), finally ending a series of violent acts (Luke 22:63; Matthew 27:26, 29-30; Isaiah 52:14; etc.). But through His suffering He overcame the curse and redeemed His fallen creation. As a result, many children have been brought forth (Hebrews 2:9-10), children reborn into a glorious state through His suffering. JDM
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Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:40 am
Inspired Words
November 28, 2010
"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." (Luke 21:33)
The doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration, wrongly considered antiquated by many modern neo-evangelicals, is actually essential to the Christian faith. "All scripture |that is every word written down or inscribed| is given by inspiration |literally 'breathed in'| of God," not man! (2 Timothy 3:16).
We acknowledge, of course, that problems of transmission and translation exist, but these are relatively trivial in the entire context. We also acknowledge that the process of inspiration may have varied, but the end result is as if the entire Bible had been dictated and transcribed word by word.
This is the way Jesus Christ--the Creator, the Living Word, the Author of Scripture--viewed the Scriptures. "The scripture cannot be broken," He said (John 10:35). "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18. "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: . . . And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:25, 27). The Bible therefore, every word of it, is divinely inspired, verbally without error, infallibly true, and of absolute authority in every area of our lives. The words of Christ who taught these truths are forever "settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89) and "shall not pass away."
It is mortally dangerous, therefore, "unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book" to "add unto these things" as the cultists do, or to "take away from the words of the book of this prophecy" as the liberals do (Revelation 22:18-19). Would it not be much better to say with the psalmist, "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors" (Psalm 119:24)? HMM
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