tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733724373580636902024-03-08T09:12:21.472-05:00Only One GospelErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16458419719830306638noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873372437358063690.post-26412165899675468242012-01-26T17:29:00.620-05:002012-04-18T12:16:28.932-05:00The Gospel of Christ<div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"What is the Gospel?" "Does it have the power to change my life?" "Will it save me from death?" These three questions of great depth merit an equally deep answer, which is what I will attempt to explain to the best of my abilities, because <u style="font-style: italic;">your life depends on knowing it</u>.</span></span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First of all, the word "gospel" comes from a double translation of a Greek word - euanggelion - [yoo-ang-<b>ghel</b>-ee-on], meaning "good news." Many people (correctly) associate with this word the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:3-4). But that's not "good news" for the vast majority of people, because it doesn't have much meaning. It's like if a friend came into the room, looking really excited, and says "there's a solution to the Elephant Problem!" "</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What elephant?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" you ask, startled: "</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There was a problem with it?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" Well, that's what I'm going to explain: mankind's biggest problem in the history of time, and it's solution. What's the biggest problem for the natural man? And what's the solution? Believe it or not, it's the same person:</span></span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: white;">God</b></span><br />
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</b></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is one God who exists in 3 persons - the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Mt 28:19); an office held by three equal, coeternal persons. Furthermore, God is utterly (thus <b>infinitely</b>) Holy (Isa 6:3, Rev 4:8), <b>infinitely</b> understanding and knowledgeable (Psa 147:5, 1 Jn 3:20), <b>infinitely</b> great in size (1 Kgs 8:27,Psa 139:7-10, Jer 23:23-24), and <b>infinitely</b> good - that is to say, perfect (Mat 5:48). Because He is <b>infinitely</b> good, He is the very definition of "good" (Psa 136:1). Nothing could possibly be more than something infinite. Thus, because He is the greatest good, He is the definition of good. So, something is "good" if it's in agreement with the character of God, and something is "bad" if it's not. For example, "</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>...it is impossible for God to lie...</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" (Heb 6:18) and "<b><span style="color: blue;">God is not a man, that He should lie,</span></b>" (Num 23:19). It is not <i>physically</i> impossible for God to lie, but <i>logically</i> so. It would be a contradiction to His own nature. Therefore, <i>because</i> God can't do it, it's evil; thus it's forbidden (Lev 19:11). "<span style="color: #45818e;">So,</span>" you ask, "<span style="color: #45818e;">Why is He a problem to me?</span>" Well, He has instituted:</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">His Law</span></b></span></div></div><div style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Law of God is a reflection of His character - just as God is good (Nahum 1:7), so is His law (Psa 119:39). Just as God is eternal (Psa 106:48), so are His Words (Mat 24:35). The Law says "<b><span style="color: blue;">you shall not steal</span></b>" (Lev 19:11) <i><u>because</u></i> God cannot steal (Psa 24:1). And because God is <b>infinitely</b> good (Mat 5:48), so is His law (Psa 19:7). Its very definition is the person of God. Thus, the Law of God is <b>INFINITELY</b> good. Its standard is <b>infinitely</b> great - it demands you to be holy because God is Holy (Lev 11:44-45, Lev 19:2), and it demands you to be perfect because God is perfect (Mat 5:48). It demands you to be <b>infinitely</b> good - that is, perfect - just as God is! Of course, this is rather a large issue: <u><i>you haven't done that</i></u> (Rom 3:23, Prov 20:9, 1 Kgs 8:46, Ecc 7:20). You haven't met the one qualification for peace with God. So you can have no peace with God, due to:</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: white;">Your Rebellion</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
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</span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have rebelled against the King of kings. Not only have you utterly failed to keep the command to be perfect (Rom 3:10-12, 3:23, 5:12, 5:14, Prov 20:9, Job 14:4, 15:4, 25:4, 1 Jn 1:8), but you live a life of <u><i>continual</i> </u>rebellion against God: of continually being <i><u>utterly imperfect</u></i>. Genesis 6:5 </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">says "<b><span style="color: blue;">Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.</span></b>" '<span style="color: #45818e;">Oh, but that was before the flood and Noah's ark,</span>' you protest. '<span style="color: #45818e;">Surely now mankind is better, having learnt from the error of his ways?</span>' No! Look what God says almost immediately afterwards, in Genesis 8:21: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"<b><span style="color: blue;">The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, <u>for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth</u>...</span></b>" Your nature is just as corrupt as theirs was, if not <i>more</i> so! It hasn't changed for the better. Every thought of your heart is only on evil continually - yea, from your youth. You are utterly incapable of doing any good - your best good works that you've ever done is as filthy rags before a Holy and Magisterial God (Isa 64:6, Job 14:4, Rom 8:8) - even if that includes "praising" Him in a church-building (Isa 29:13)!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But, I've never stolen or murdered or committed adultery! Surely that counts for something!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" you cry. Actually, you <i>have</i> stolen. Think hard enough and you'll remember - perhaps you were being paid for doing work when you were actually laying around. Perhaps you took credit for something you never did. That means you're a thief. Likewise, you <i>have </i>murdered if you have ever had an evil thought against someone (1 Jn 3:15) - that makes you a murderer. And <u><i>you have certainly</i></u> committed adultery; have you looked on a anyone with lust in your heart? "</span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" Well then, "</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.</span></b>" (Mat 5:27-28). So you are an adulterer. Have you ever talked lightly about or misused the name of God? "<span style="color: #45818e;">Yes.</span>" That's called blasphemy (Ex 20:7, Lev 24:14-16); thus making you a blasphemer. Has anything in your life ever been more important to you than the Lord Jesus Christ and serving Him? Have you ever valued something <i>more</i> than Him? Of course you have. That's called <i>idolatry</i>, making you an idolater. You see, you have broken every law God has ever made. But even if you had, as impossible as it may be, only sinned <i>once</i> - imagine with me - just lied once, according to God, that's the same as breaking every single law (Jas 2:10). </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You see, this is what happens when we play around with an Infinite Law. The "smallest" law, if it is infinite, is not small at all (Mat 5:19) - it's positively gargantuan. You're a thief, a murderer, an adulterer, a blasphemer, an idolater, but they all scream the same thing: </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8ElT9Freo">FALLEN, FALLEN, FALLEN!</a></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> You are </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">fallen </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- cut off from God (Isa 53:6, 59:2)! Oh, the multitude of verses that testify to your hideousness before a beautiful God! "<span style="color: #45818e;">Yet,</span>" you cry, "<span style="color: #45818e;">surely God will forgive a hateful being like me just because God is loving, right?</span>" No, of course not, because that would be the opposite of:</span></span><br />
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<div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now if God is indeed <b>infinitely</b> good (Mat 5:48), then the Law based in Him, being a reflection of His Infinitely Good Person, is also logically <b>infinitely</b> good (Psa 19:7). Thus every violation of this <b>infinitely</b> good law is of an <b>infinitely</b> bad nature because it violates an <b>infinite</b> law (1 Jn 3:4) - thus the person doing such horrendous crimes must logically also be <b>infinitely</b> evil (thus Paul, in 1 Ti 1:15). Now justice demands a fair punishment for a crime (Prov 24:23-25): and because the crime is <b>infinite</b> in nature, the only fair punishment must also be <b>infinite</b> in magnitude. No, you do not deserve something <b>infinitely</b> good (Heaven)! Neither do you deserve to just sort of die and fade out of existence. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">No, you deserve an <b>infinitely</b> grave punishment; this is called "Hell" in the Bible. It is the furious flaming wrath of God (Jer 30:23-24, Rev 14:10-11, 20:15, Psa 11:5-6, Psa 21:8-9, Isa 34:2-3), and it is eternal (Mat 25:46, Isa 33:14, Rev 14:11). There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in this pit of destruction (Mat 13:41-42, 13:49-50, Psa 55:23); for it is God's vengeance upon His adversaries (Deut 32:40-42, Nah 1:2-6); against whom God is angry with the wicked everyday (Psa 7:11b). You see, <i><u>God is just</u></i>, and if you can't satisfy His justice with something <b>infinitely</b> good, you will burn in Hell-fire for all eternity! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As J. Edwards said, "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When you look forward, you shall see a long for ever, a boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts, and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all. You will know certainly that you must wear out long ages, millions of millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this almighty merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when so many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that all [that] is but a point to what remains."</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How then can His justice be satisfied?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" Well, contrary to the popular and common thoughts about this matter, there is really:</span><br />
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<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: white;">One Way Only</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, the question now is: "What can I possibly do to escape the furious flames of God's anger? How can I be saved?" Well, right after being told that it is almost impossible for a rich man to enter Heaven, the disciples of Christ asked Him the same question: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"<b><span style="color: blue;">When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible...</span></b>" (Mt 19:25-26) Note Jesus' reply. He did not say "unlikely," or "hard to do," but <i>impossible</i>. "With people" it is impossible. If you try to save yourself, or get together with a bunch of other people; in a church-building, in an organization, or in a "religion", you're not going to succeed. Why not? </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Because </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">you are a finite person who has broken an <b>infinite</b> law, placing an <b>infinitely</b> negative charge upon your head</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Just to </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">lessen</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> your future torment you would have to live a life of continual perfection (of continually doing infinitely good things) for the rest of your life. The problem is, you </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">can't even do something finitely good</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (Rom 3:10-12, Isa 64:6), let alone something </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">infinitely</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> so. God demands complete and utter perfection in obeying every single law He has ever stated (Mt 5:48). So it's quite hopeless for you if you look at yourself for salvation (Mt 19:26, Mk 10:27); the price is just too high (Psa 49:7-9). Furthermore, the Bible confirms this: it states that salvation just simply </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">does not come from works </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Eph 2:8-9, Gal 2:16); you're not saved from God's wrath because you do things that you and others call "good". In fact, God says that every single one of your "good" works - even the very "best" thing you've ever done is as a filthy rag before Him (Isa 64:6). </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Think of</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a criminal who breaks into your house and murders your entire family, leaving only you alive. There are people all around the house who see him break in (one even caught it on video). The police are called, they quickly arrive and he is later taken to court, and you go there and testify. There are many witnesses there, the video is presented, DNA and blood tests prove his guilt, and finally even the murderer himself acknowledges his crime. At the end of the trial, the judge stands up and says to the murderer "It's incredibly evident that you are guilty of a multi-homicide. I just have a little question: do you feel bad for doing it?" The criminal replies, "Yes, I feel guilty." "Well then, because I'm such a nice guy and you feel bad, you can go free!" </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What would you think about the justice of such a judge? The man's more corrupt than the criminal! Yet if you are just hoping God will forgive you because He is loving or because you feel bad, then you honestly believe that God is over ten times as evil as this unrighteous judge! You believe that God is evil and unrighteous - and you believe it so much <b>you're willing to bet your soul on it</b> by living like God doesn't hate your sin. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">But God isn't an unrighteous judge - He is the very </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">definition</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of justice (Psa 7:11, 2 Th 1:6), and He will </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ignore your sin even though you try to cover it up with so-called "good works" (Nahum 1:3). "<span style="color: #45818e;">Alright,</span>" you admit, "I know that I cannot save myself by doing anything - is there then no hope for man?" Remember that verse quoted right at the beginning of this section? "<span style="color: blue;">...<b>for man this is impossible</b>...</span>" - Jesus didn't stop there: "<span style="color: blue;"><b>...but for God, all things are possible</b>.</span>" (Mat 19:26) So, if there <i>is</i> salvation, only God is capable of rendering it. He is not unjust if He does not provide a way (Rom 9:20-22), seeing as how we will all receive exactly what we deserve anyways - Hell (Rom 3:23; 6:23). But if a way is possible, it can only come from God (Mat 19:26). Now, this is where the word "gospel" has meaning - because there <i>are</i> good news - God has made a way (Jn 14:6)! The name of the Way is:</span></span></div></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
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</span></div></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: white;">Jesus Christ</b></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span> </span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Approximately 2015 years ago, Jesus Christ was born of a virgin (Isa 7:14, Mat 1:18-25, Lk 1:31-37), that is to say, pure (1 Jn 3:3), without sin (2 Cor 5:21), undefiled (Heb 9:14), and never sinned even once (Jn 8:46, 1 Pt 2:21-22, 1 Jn 3:5). Because Jesus added onto His eternal nature (Heb 13:8) the nature of man (Jn 1:14, Phil 2:7, Heb 2: 9,14) he was able to live as a human, completing all the laws (Mat 5:17). But He was (and is), furthermore, wholly God (Jn 1:1,14, Phil 2:6, Col 2:9) - which means He has<b> infinite</b> worth. Now, look at Isaiah 53:5 "<b><span style="color: blue;">But he was wounded for our transgressions; <u>he was crushed</u> for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.</span></b>" "<span style="color: #45818e;">Wait a second,</span>" you may keenly observe, "<span style="color: #45818e;">When was Jesus ever crushed?</span>" </span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Well, when Jesus died upon the cross, He took upon himself all the wretchedness, vileness, and the black filth of the sins of the elect (the past, present, and future believers) (Jn 10:11, 15-16, Heb 9:28) - and He became that sin on the cross, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "<b><span style="color: blue;">He made Him who knew no sin <u>to be sin</u> on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.</span></b>" So Jesus literally took onto Himself and became the sin of the sheep of God. The believers, the moment they believed, had it no longer; it was taken from them (1 Jn 3:5). </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then God the Father, seeing Jesus Christ, having taken the elect's sin onto Himself, left Him abandoned on the cross (Mat 27:46), for God cannot look on unclean things (Hab 1:13). Jesus did not become a sinful being on the cross (Heb 13:8), but rather was legally declared to be so in the place of sinners and He was treated accordingly (Rom 5:8).</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Then, the full flaming wrath of God - all His furious and just rage against the sins of the multitude of sinners, being </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">infinite</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in nature due to the </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">infinite wickedness</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the sins themselves, was poured out on Jesus Christ. He drank the wrath of God (Jn 18:11, Psa 75:8, Rev 14:10). That is Hell. Don't be mistaken and think Hell is some dark underground cave with lava pits and Satan is with his demons running around with pitchforks. Hell is God's flaming FURY (Zep 1:18, 3:8) - and that is what Christ drank on that cross. And so Christ was crushed by the wrath of God. Isaiah 53:10 says "</span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">The LORD was pleased to crush Him.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">" So Christ died in the place of many sinners on the cross (Isa 53:11-12) - why? So He could:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) Take the legal punishment for their sins - what <i>they </i>deserve (Rom 6:23, Heb 2:9), </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) Purchase these elect ones with His own blood (Ac 20:28),</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) Purchase their faith to be given to them later as a gift (Ep 2:8),</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">4) Take away the penalty of the Law which says to them "You are guilty!" (Col 2:13-14) by doing "1),"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">5) Give them His own <b>infinite</b> righteousness (Rom 3:23-25, 8:3-4). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">All this and a thousand things more were done on the cross, and this perfection, this righteousness of Christ is <i>imputed to</i>, or <i>reckoned to</i>, or <i>counted as if it belongs to </i>the believer <i>when he believes it with (the gift of) faith </i>(Rom 1:17, Eph 2:8). All of this happened when Jesus uttered one simple word just a moment before He died "<b><span style="color: blue;">Tetelestai</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">" - meaning - "<b><span style="color: blue;">It is finished</span></b>" (Jn 19:30).</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">After dying for the sins of many sinners under the horrendous wrath of God, He was buried and <u><i>He rose from the dead </i>three days</u> later (1 Cor 15:4)! The fact that He rose from the dead means that those He died for </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">really were justified </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Rom 4:25)! It means He really is the God who lives forever (Rev 1:18; Deu 32:39-40), and He was an acceptable offering, credited to the offerer, pure, and takes away all sin (Lev 7:17-18). No man has ever risen from the dead in His own strength but Christ, the Son of God (John 10:18). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Thus we see that man's greatest problem is God, and His just wrath against them. We also see that the only solution is the same One, who out of ardent love sent His Son to die for His sheep (Jn 3:16). "<span style="color: #45818e;">What am I expected to do now,</span>" you ask, "<span style="color: #45818e;">knowing all of this?</span>" Well, Jesus commands you, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">right now</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">, to:</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">Repent and believe!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"> </span></b></span></div></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He is the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6). He has been under the wrath of God in order to give His righteousness to those that had abhorred Him. So He rightly commands everyone to "<b><span style="color: blue;">...Repent and believe the gospel!</span></b>" (Mk 1:15, Ac 17:30) "<span style="color: #45818e;">But how? What does it mean to repent? And what does it mean,</span>" you ask, "<span style="color: #45818e;">to believe?</span>". To cut to the quick,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1) It means to feel aching, bitter, guilty sadness and sorrow over sin (2 Cor 7:10)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2) It is abandon your sin, your sinful life, all your possesions and everything your are (Mat 10:37-39)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3) It is to look to Christ with a trusting heart that <u style="font-style: italic;">He took away your sins</u> (Rom 10:9-13)<i><u>!</u></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What will it cost?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" Everything (Lk 14:33). You will be persecuted, (Mat 10:17-19), hated (Mat 10:21-22, 1 Jn 3:13), you will struggle against the sinful desires of the natural self (Gal 5:16-17) and the the forces of darkness (Ep 6:12). Yet Christ will save you. You will be freed from sin forever.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you do this, God promises to save you. If you let go of everything you trust and throw yourself over the edge of oblivion and trust Christ to save you, He will. Because He is faithful (2 Tim 2:13). You will find rest in Christ (Mat 11:28-30). A man of God summarizes all this as this: "<i>Jesus promises you two things: a cross to die on and eternal life.</i>"</span></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Just give it all to Jesus. Believe from your heart (Rom 10:9-10) that He died for you! Call on Him and do not cease to call on His name until He saves you (Rom 10:11-13)! Believe that He Himself bore all your sins, took them away from you! If you do this, God promises to save you. Let go of everything you trust in, and throw yourself over the edge of eternity, trusting that He will catch you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Believing doesn't result in salvation, but being a gift from God (Ep 2:8), means He </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">has</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> saved you! Stop thinking that anything, even repentance and faith can save you. Realize you are incapable of even that without God's gracious work in you. Just give up on depending on yourself, and look to Christ! If you feel repentant, if you feel an ache over your sin and sorrow for your way of life, all that remains is for you to believe! Trust Him.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is what I </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">know</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God is telling you right now:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"<span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth...</span>" (Isa 45:22)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, I cannot faithfully share the gospel with you without informing you of the warnings for those that deny it, either by word or by action. What follows are the final:</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"> </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">Warnings!</span></b></span></div></div><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">"</span><b><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">For this reason we must pay much closer attention to the things that have been heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, <u>how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?</u></span></b><span style="background-color: white;">" (Heb 2:1-3a)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> "</span><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">For if we go on sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.</span></b><span style="background-color: white;">" (Heb 10:26-31)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> This leads us to our:</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></div><div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">Final Note</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you believe you have repented of your sins and given your life to Christ, having truly believed in Him from your heart, and if you believe you are saved, take note: time will tell. In Matthew 7 we find Jesus telling His disciples two important things: 1) There is not only a narrow gate to life, <i>but a narrow path to it as well</i> (Mat 7:13-14) and 2) You can tell true Christians from false "Christians" <i>by their fruit; by how they act</i> (Mat 7:15-20) - this means that if you truly believed and you are saved, you will walk like how Jesus walked (1 Jn 2:6). You will become more and more like Him; holier and holier (1 Jn 3:3). Yes, you will fail and sin, but there will be a struggle. You will be a changed person. You will be born again (Jn 3:3ff).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When God meets and saves a man, like a famous preacher says, it's like being hit by a train. You don't walk away from that unchanged. Ezekiel 36:25-27 describes expiation - how the sin from a man is taken out from him and how He is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. You will desire God after being saved, not sin. Your entire way of living will be changed. He will put a new Spirit in you and cleanse you from all your old idols. So watch yourself - look to see if you're becoming more and more like Jesus. If 10 years later you're doing the same thing, addicted to the same stuff, walking the same walk, you were never saved. Because when Jesus saves a man, <u>He is faithful to complete the work He started</u> (Phil 1:6).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> "<b><span style="color: blue;">"Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be white as wool.</span></b>" <br />
- Isaiah 1:18</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">For copyright information and contact, please see <a href="http://onlyonegospel.blogspot.com/p/information.html">this link.</a></span></i> </div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16458419719830306638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873372437358063690.post-22324770769618782092012-01-26T17:24:00.002-05:002012-02-25T17:41:14.925-05:00Am I a Christian?<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Am I a Christian?"</span><br />
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</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is an absolutely vital question, because if you're not, you will receive what you deserve. If you are a Christian, that means someone else already received what you deserve. Jesus Christ drank the wrath of God of the cross - but not for everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (Jn 3:16).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Do you honestly believe that Jesus Christ died for you? Not "do you feel like you do," but do you believe in His atoning work on the cross? Do you believe that from your mind? Of course you do. James says that "even demons believe God is one" (James 2:19) - so of course there are many people who believe in Christ the Redeemer - but only in their minds. But if you believe from your heart (Romans 10:9-10), God says you will not perish but have eternal life.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Furthermore, look at the 1st epistle of John - the whole point of him writing the letter was so believers would KNOW they had eternal life (1 Jn 5:13). How? Well, he proposes fruit-tests. Jesus said that "you will know them by their fruit," (Mat 7:16-17), and "the world will know you are my disciples if you love one another," (John 13:35). Some people shout "that's judging!" Well yes, it is, and Jesus says "that's how people will you are my disciple." John 7:24 says "stop judging by mere appearances and judge with righteousness." You are supposed to judge, just not by mere "appearances." Just because someone says "I'm a Christian," doesn't mean you should just judge the book by the cover and go "yep, they're a Christian." Look at their life!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God says you're a Christian if:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. You acknowledge your sin and live accordingly (ie. repent when you feel convicted - continuously). - 1 Jn 1:8-10</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. You obey his commands, for they aren't burdensome to you. - 1 Jn 2:3, 5:3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. You aren't in love with the world and it's things, but rather God. Your joy is not to go shopping or watch a movie with friends, but rather to be filled with the Holy Spirit. - 1 Jn 2:15-16</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. You don't live immersed in sin, like a diver deep beneath the surface in the dark waters of sin (1 Jn 1:6), but rather fly in the light of God (1 Jn 1:7) along the surface of the water - yes, occasionally getting wet in sin, but never immersed wholly and constantly in the depths of sin. - 1 Jn 3:5-6,9</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. Looking back on your life, you can see yourself becoming more and more like Jesus Christ (yes, with times of dark nights of the soul, but even then you become more like Him). - 1 Jn 2:6</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. The world persecutes you for being a child of God - 1 Jn 3:13</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7. You love Christians and would rather be with a few Christians than anyone else - even people the same gender, age, race, and language of you who have had similar experiences in your life. And you love fellowship with real, genuine Christians. - 1 John 1:7, 3:14</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8. The Spirit lives in you. - 1 Jn 3:24, 4:13</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9. You would publically anounce Jesus as Lord (in context, in Roman times, confessing Jesus as Lord, instead of Caesar, would frequently result in decapitation) - 1 Jn 4:15, Romans 10:9-10</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you fail even one of these tests, you aren't a Christian. "Judging!!!!!" Yes, but with righteousness.</span></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16458419719830306638noreply@blogger.com