The Gospel is for Believers

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Refrain from cussing

Witness to someone

Some of us love checklists. If we can check things off it lets us feel a sense of accomplishment. But when it comes to the gospel checklists are bad. Very bad. Paul wrote to a group of believers in Galatia to warn them about their own checklists. They had begun validating their own justification with the checklist of the Law. Paul's stern warning should also be a warning to us. It's easy to slip into that checklist mode, but when we validate our justification by that checklist we are treading on dangerous ground.

When we begin checking off our list we become spiritually prideful and arrogant of our own righteousness. Our boastfulness to be disciplined in "religion" becomes an all consuming fire. We become our own god. We become idolaters!

For others, it causes a deep depression. I should know. I've been that person more than once. I've looked at my own checklist, and though I was seeming doing everything could not escape the feeling of condemnation. My assurance came from within rather than from the Person and work of Jesus.

Christian, while the Bible gives us proofs to look at, while we are exhorted to examine ourselves, we must remember that these were never meant to be a hard copy list to go by. Looking inward will either cause pride or depression. Let us always look upward to God and outward to the cross.

Embedded below is a Phrase I constructed of Galatians 3:1-7. The notes are attached to the bottom of the Phrase. While it is only intended to be a general overview and not a deep exposition it still serves as a good reminder for believers that we still need the gospel–even after we're saved.

Feel free to look it over and leave some feedback if you wish. To God alone be the glory for our justification. If your browser does not support the embed please visit the page using this link. Thank you.


Steven.

Christ-less Self Examination, Judging My Salvation by My Sanctification

One of the most sobering questions a Christian can ask is, "How do I know I'm saved?" This is a question that every Christian has had to grapple with at one time or another.
If this is a question you're struggling with now, you're not alone. Many Christians are struggling with assurance, even to the point of despair.

Assurance Does Not Lie Within Us

Although the Bible does teach us that the sanctification process begins at conversion, and that every Christian should be becoming more and more like Christ, it doesn't make sanctification the primary test of one's salvation. Assurance does not lie within us, but outside of us.
For years I was told, and I taught, that the key to assurance of salvation, i.e. "how do I know I'm saved," lied in self examination. In other words, I know I'm saved if I'm progressing in my sanctification.
So, I need to look at my works to see whether or not I'm becoming more and more holy. If I'm not, well, it could mean that I'm not a genuine Christian. If I am, then there's good evidence I'm really saved.
This is what I call "Christless self examination," a looking away from Christ as my substitute in life and in death, and a constant looking within to see if there is any evidence of conversion.

The Way to Despair

What a horrible way to live the Christian life. Living this way will either lead to despair or even worse, spiritual pride.
Sanctification, the process of becoming holy, can be a tricky thing.
First, not everyone grows at the same rate. Certain sins can take a long time to be rooted out. But even the process of dropping particular sins from one's life doesn't mean a person is holy. I know plenty of unsaved moral people.
Second, how do you measure spiritual growth between say, someone who was converted as a child and never had to deal with certain outward immoral behaviors, and someone converted from a long life of immoral behavior?
And third, how do you know whether or not your "holiness" is nothing more than legalism? There's a big difference between obedience to biblical commands, and obedience to personal standards.

Assurance Lies in Christ's Work for Us

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that we shouldn't strive for holiness. The Bible makes it clear that we should:

Hebrews 12:14 (ESV) Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Romans 8:29 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

What I am saying is that our assurance lies in Christ's work for us, not in our works for Him.

Just and Sinner

Every Christian has to deal with the problem of indwelling sin. And because we are at the same time just and sinner, we need to know where to look when we blow it. And we will blow it.
The answer to assurance lies outside of us to something objective, the work of Christ on our behalf.
The work of Christ was twofold, active and passive. Active in that He obeyed the entire Law of God perfectly on our behalf, and passive in that he paid the penalty God required from us for breaking His Law by "bearing our sins in His body on the tree," 1Pet. 2:24.
The work that Christ did for us is objective. It actually happened. All of our sins were punished at the cross. The judgment of God against our sins has already taken place. Christ was judged on our behalf. No more judgement remains for us.
Looking to the objective work of Christ alone is what gives us great comfort and assurance. Looking to the subjective work of our sanctification can be deceptive.

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The Free Garments of Righteousness

 

You and I come into this world clothed in filthy garments, the garments of sin. With these garments on we will never be able to enter through the gates of heaven, for only those who's garments are spotless may enter. But Christ offers us an exchange. He is wearing spotless garments, white as snow, and He offers a trade, His spotless garments for our filthy garments. There is no cost for this exchange. He has paid all of the expenses in order to offer them to us free, "without money and without price (Isa 55:1). We need not fear He will not give them to us because they have been bought for us with a great price, His blood!

This is a portion of a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on April 5, 1857. You can find the entire sermon here. May God give you joy in your worship of Him this Sunday morning.

 

 

And now, let me further go on to explain some of the characteristics of this justification. As soon as a repenting sinner is justified, remember, he is justified for all his sins. Here stands a man all guilty. The moment he believes in Christ, his pardon at once he receives, and his sins are no longer his; they are cast into the depths of the sea. They were laid upon the shoulders of Christ, and they are gone. The man stands a guiltless man in the sight of God, accepted in the beloved. "What!" say you, "do you mean that literally?" Yes, I do, That is the doctrine of justification by faith. Man ceases to be regarded by divine justice as a guilty being; the moment he believes on Christ his guilt is all taken away. But I am going a step further. The moment the man believes in Christ, he ceases to be guilty in God's esteem; but what is more, he becomes righteous, he becomes meritorious; for, in the moment when Christ takes his sins he takes Christ's righteousness; so that, when God looks upon the sinner who but an hour ago was dead in sins, he looks upon him with as much love and affection as he ever looked upon his Son. He himself has said it—"As the Father loved me, so have I loved you." He loves us as much as his Father loved him. Can you believe such a doctrine as that? Does it not pass all thought? Well, it is a doctrine of the Holy Spirit; the doctrine whereby we must hope to be saved. Can I to any unenlightened person illustrate this thought better? I will give him the parable we have given to us in the prophets—the parable of Joshua the high-priest. Joshua comes in, clothed in filthy garments; those filthy garments representing his sins. Take away the filthy garments; that is pardon. Put a mitre on his head; clothe him in royal raiment; make him rich and fair; that is justification. But where do these garments come from? and where do those rags go to? Why, the rags that Joshua had on go to Christ, and the garments put on Joshua are the garments that Christ wore. The sinner and Christ do just what Jonathan and David did. Jonathan put his robes on David, David gave Jonathan his garments; so Christ takes our sins, we take Christ's righteousness; and it is by a glorious substitution and interchange of places that sinners go free and are justified by his grace.

"But," says one, "no one is justified like that, till he dies." Believe me, he is.

"The moment a sinner believes,

And trusts in his crucified God,

His pardon at once he receives;

Salvation in full, through his blood."

If that young man over there has really believed in Christ this morning, realizing by a spiritual experience what I have attempted to describe, he is as much justified in God's sight now as he will be when he stands before the throne. Not the glorified spirits above are more acceptable to God than the poor man below, who is once justified by grace. It is a perfect washing, it is perfect pardon, perfect imputation; we are fully, freely, and wholly accepted, through Christ our Lord. Just one more word here, and then I will leave this matter of justification. Those who are once justified are justified irreversibly. As soon as a sinner takes Christ's place, and Christ takes the sinner's place, there is no fear of a second change. If Christ has once paid the debt, the debt is paid, and it will never be asked for again; if you are pardoned, you are pardoned once for ever. God does not give man a free pardon under his own sign-manual, and then afterwards retract it and punish man: that be far from God so to do. He says, "I have punished Christ; you may go free." And after that, we may "rejoice in hope of the glory of God," that "being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." And now I hear one cry, "That is an extraordinary doctrine." Well, so some may think; but let me say to you, it is a doctrine professed by all protestant churches, though they may not preach it. It is the doctrine of the Church of England, it is the doctrine of Luther, it is the doctrine of the Presbyterian church; it is professedly the doctrine of all Christian churches; and if it seems strange in your ears, it is because your ears are estranged, and not because the doctrine is a strange one. It is the doctrine of holy writ, that none can condemn whom God justifies, and that none can accuse those for whom Christ hath died; for they are totally free from sin. So that, as one of the prophets has it, God sees no sin in Jacob nor iniquity in Israel. In the moment they believe, their sins being imputed to Christ, they cease to be theirs, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to them and accounted theirs, so that they are accepted.

 

 

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5 Reasons Why Morality Won't Save You

Why is it that so many sermons, teachings, and even blog posts are about a moralistic Jesus that always did good deeds but wasn't concerned too much about doctrine. Why has doctrine become such a dirty word in our day? I even saw a blog post this morning called 5 Ways You Can Spot a Jesus Follower. According to this blogger Gandhi could have been a "Jesus follower". They forget that our Lord talked much about doctrine. He was concerned about truth. And the whole reason He came was to work for us, not have us work for Him. They focus specifically on the moral acts of Jesus not understanding that these acts were for us. These moral acts of Christ would one day be applied to all of God's elect by faith. So here are 5 reasons why morality won't save us.

1. All are born in Adam

1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die.....
We all have two major problems. First, Adam’s sin is counted as our sin. As our Representative Adam was acting on our behalf. When he sinned we sinned. God counted his disobedience in the garden as our disobedience. This means that even if we never committed any sin of our own, we would not be innocent. Our Representative failed therefore we failed (Romans 5:12-14). Second, we inherited Adams nature. Because of this we are all born dead in our trespasses and sins. We are slave to sin and children of the devil. So to try to do good before a Holy God is futile. Our works are tainted with sin.

2. God demands perfect obedience to His Law

Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God does not grade on a curve. There are no second chances. His standard is perfection. James makes it clear that if we keep the whole Law and yet fail in just one point, we are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10).
So if it were possible for you to go throughout your entire life loving God with all of your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself and then right at the end of your life have a covetous thought, everything good you have done up to that point will count as nothing. Failure to obey the Law at one point is failure to obey it at all points.

3. The Law was not given for the purpose of salvation

Romans 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
The Law has no power to make us obey. As a matter of fact the more we try to obey it the harder it becomes to obey. This is because the purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and not to save us (Romans 3:20). Paul speaks about his struggle with obeying the Law even as a Christian. He says in verses 14 and 15 "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." At the end of the chapter he cries out "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Then he gives the answer, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" The Gospel is what fuels our obedience, not the Law.


4. Christ obeyed the Law for us

Just as Adam was the Representative of the entire human race, so Christ represented those He came to save. Adam was placed in the garden by God and given this one command: Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Adam broke God's Law and as a result plunged the entire human race into sin. Christ came as the New Adam (1Corinthians:15:45) and kept all of God's commands. He represented us by doing what none of us could ever do, keep the entire Law perfectly. This is freeing news! God has done for us what He demands from us, perfect obedience to his Law, and punishment for every time we broke His Law. Christ did both as our Substitute.

5. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone

God has provided for us in Christ something we could have never achieved for ourselves- perfect righteousness. This righteousness is outside of us. It is not something that comes from us. It is a gift given to us for free.
Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man 's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Any non Christian can do "good works." Morality will never save. Only the work of Christ on your behalf received by faith will save!

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A Post for the Outcast And The Heavy Laden

This is part of a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on August 25, 1855 called Law and Grace. I love how it begins: "Listen O heavy laden..."

 

Listen, O heavy laden, condemned sinner, while in my Master's name, I publish superabounding grace. Grace excels sin in its measure and efficacy. Though your sins are many, mercy hath many pardons. Though they excel the stars, the sands, the drops of dew in their number, one act of remission can cancel all. Your iniquity, though a mountain, shall be cast into the midst of the sea. Your blackness shall be washed out by the cleansing flood of your Redeemer's gore. Mark! I said YOUR sins, and I meant to say so, for if you are now a law-condemned sinner, I know you to be a vessel of mercy by that very sign. Oh, hellish sinners, abandoned profligates, off-casts of society, outcasts from the company of sinners themselves, if ye acknowledge your iniquity, here is mercy, broad, ample, free, immense, INFINITE. Remember this O sinner,—

"If all the sins that men have done,

In will, in word, in thoughts, in deed,

Since words were made, or time began,

Were laid on one poor sinner's head.

The stream of Jesus' precious blood

Applied, removes the dreadful load."

Yet again, grace excelleth sin in another thing. Sin shows us its parent, and tells us our heart is the father of it, but grace surpasseth sin there, and shows the Author of grace—the King of kings. The law traces sin up to our heart; grace traces its own origin to God, and

"In his sacred breast I see

Eternal thoughts of love to me."

O Christian, what a blessed thing grace is, for its source is in the everlasting mountains. Sinner, if you are the vilest in the world, if God forgives you this morning, you will be able to trace your pedigree to him, for you will become one of the sons of God, and have him always for your Father. Methinks I see you a wretched criminal at the bar, and I hear mercy cry, "Discharge him!" He is pallid, halt, sick, maimed—heal him. He is of a vile race—lo, I will adopt him into my family. Sinner! God taketh thee for his son. What, though thou art poor, God says, "I will take thee to be mine for ever. Thou shalt be my heir. There is thy fair brother. In ties of blood he is one with thee—Jesus is thy actual brother!" Yet how came this change? Oh! is not that an act of mercy? "Grace did much more abound."

"Grace hath put me in the number

Of the Saviour's family."

Grace outdoes sin, for it lifts us higher than the place from which we fell.

And again, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound"; because the sentence of the law may be reversed, but that of grace never can. I stand here and feel condemned, yet, perhaps, I have a hope that I may be acquitted. There is a dying hope of acquittal still left. But when we are justified, there is no fear of condemnation. I cannot be condemned if I am once justified; fully absolved I am by grace. I defy Satan to lay hands on me, if I am a justified man. The state of justification is an unvariable one, and is indissolubly united to glory. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Oh! poor condemned sinner, doth not this charm thee, and make thee in love with free grace? And all this is YOURS. Your crimes, if once blotted out, shall never be laid to your charge again. The justification of the gospel is no Arminian sham, which may be reversed if you should in future turn aside. No; the debt once paid, cannot be demanded twice—the punishment, once endured, cannot again be inflicted. Saved, saved, saved, entirely saved by divine grace, you may walk without fear the wide world over.

And yet, once more. Just as sin makes us sick, and grievous, and sad, so does grace make us far more joyful and free. Sin causeth one to go about with an aching heart, till he seems as if the world would swallow him, and mountains hang above ready to drop upon him. This is the effect of the law. The law makes us sad; the law makes us miserable. But, poor sinner, grace removeth the evil effects of sin upon your spirit, if thou dost believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt go out of this place with a sparkling eye and a light heart. Ah! well do I remember the morning when I stepped into a little place of worship, as miserable almost as hell could make me—being ruined and lost. I had often been at chapels where they spoke of the law, but I heard not the gospel. I sat down the pew a chained and imprisoned sinner; the Word of God came, and I went out free. Though I went in miserable as hell, I went out elated and joyful. I sat there black; I went away whiter than driven snow. God had said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be whiter than snow." Why not this be thy lot, my brother, if thou feelest thyself a sinner now? It is all he asks of thee, to feel thy need of him, this thou hast, and now the blood of Jesus lies before thee. "The law has entered that sin might abound." Thou are forgiven, only believe it; elect, only believe it; 'tis the truth that thou are saved.

And now, lastly, poor sinner, has sin made thee unfit for heaven? Grace shall render thee a fit companion for seraphs and the just made perfect. Thou who art to-day lost and destroyed by sin, shalt one day find thyself with a crown upon thy head, and a golden harp in thine hand, exalted to the throne of the Most High. Think, O drunkard, if thou repentest, there is a crown laid up for thee in heaven. Ye guiltiest, most lost and depraved, are ye condemned in your conscience by the law? Then I invite you, in my Master's name, to accept pardon through his blood. He suffered in your stead, he has atoned for your guilt and you are acquitted. Thou art an object of his eternal affection, the law is but a schoolmaster, to bring thee to Christ. Cast thyself on him. Fall into the arms of saving grace. No works are required, no fitness, no righteousness, no doings. Ye are complete in him who said, "It is finished."

"Ye debtors whom he gives to know

That you ten thousand talents owe,

When humble at his feet you fall,

Your gracious God forgives them all.

"Slaves, that have borne the heavy chain

Of sin, and hell's tyrannic reign,

To liberty assert your claim,

And urge the great Redeemer's name.

"The rich inheritance of heaven,

Your joy, your boast, is freely giv'n;

Fair Salem your arrival waits,

With golden streets, and pearly gates.

"Her blest inhabitants no more

Bondage and poverty deplore!

No debt, but love immensely great;

Their joy still rises with the debt."

 

 

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The Legal Demands Of The Law Have Been Canceled

As I am studying the book of Colossians the thing that sticks out to me the most is the absolute freeness of the Gospel. Salvation is completely and totally free! Completely free because God did all the work required of us for us. And totally free because because the legal demands of the Law were nailed to the cross.

Christ pursues sinners

This is good news because our works are filthy and tainted with sin. And yet God loves sinners! As a matter of fact, sinners are the only ones who qualify for salvation. Sinners owe a great debt to God. The demands of His Law require perfect obedience. But God in His great love for His own sent a Worker for them. This Worker kept all of the demands of the Law. Then He went to the cross and bore the sins of all who will ever trust in his grace. He absorbed every bit of the wrath due to us for every time we violated His Law.

Canceled debt

Our debt was cancelled! The legal demands of the Law were nailed to the cross! Now through faith in the work of the Worker our sins are forgiven. We are now free to obey the Law of Christ without fear of punishment for our failures. The legal demands of the Law have been cancelled. Let us serve Christ now in freedom!

 

 

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God Does Not Give Second Chances

"God is the God of second chances." How often do you hear that phrase from well meaning Pastors, teachers and friends. Its a nice little phrase, but it is totally false. God is not the God of Second chances.

No do overs

His Word makes it perfectly clear that we get one shot at His Law, and if we blow it we are damned. And the bad news is that everybody blows it. No one has kept His Law perfectly. We all sinned in Adam. Not only that, but we blow it every day, countless times a day. Not only do we sin willfully, but we commit sins that we don't even know are sins. So even if God were to give us a second, third, fourth or hundredth chance we would blow them all.

Only perfection will do

Not one iota of our effort will bring us into right standing before God. Only perfection will make us right before Him. Only a perfect obedience to His Law can remove the damnation that we incurred. And the only way that we can have perfect obedience is if it's given to us. The most wonderful news in all of history is that Christ won that obedience for us. Christ became the Second Adam. Where the first Adam failed as our representative by breaking one command. Jesus, the Second Adam succeeded as our Representative by keeping all of God's commands. Christ came as a substitute for sinners. He lived a perfect life in the place of sinners. He went to the cross and died so that sinners like us wont have to. He kept the Law for us and then went to the cross and paid the penalty for every time we broke His Law.

Christ's work becomes our work through faith

The debt has been paid. Now, by faith in his work, we get all that He did credited to our account for free! And thats Good News. That’s Gospel! So God doesn't give us a second chance. As Tullian Tchividjian puts it, "God is not the God of second chances. He’s the God of one chance and a Second Adam."

 

 

 

 

 

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