In Christ Alone

2009-10-30T14:07:00.001-07:00

visionarydaughters.com

Because of the recent events...

2009-07-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

Because of the recent events, I wanted to write. I’ve heard a lot about how this “wicked” man deserves to be punished, and I absolutely agree 100%. ALL guilty criminals deserve to be punished. All law breakers deserve to be punished. If guilty men are allowed to go free, then we cry out and call that unjust…which we should.

But, here is the thing….We’re all guilty before a Holy, Righteous, and Just God. Before a Holy, Perfect, Righteous, and Good God, we’re all criminals; we’re all lawbreakers…and what does any guilty law breaker deserve? Punishment. So what should God do?

Since God is a Just God, He will not allow guilty men to go free. He can’t. That would be unjust. If God were to send all mankind to hell, He would be perfectly just, right, and Good in doing so because we have all sinned against Him, broken His law and we’re all guilty criminals before Him and that’s exactly what we deserve.

Second thing, all of mankind is evil. All of us are just as wicked as this man. The Bible makes that very clear. There are not two groups of people in the world…”the good” and “the bad” According to God’s Word…all are bad. All are under sin and all are guilty. We're all depraved, corrupt and evil...we're not as bad as we could be and we don't go out and committ things like this man did, BUT it's only becuase of the restraining grace of God...no other reason. It's not because we are better in and of ourselves than this wicked man. We're so quick to call this man wicked, which he is, but we're ALL sinners and we have all sinned against a Holy and Just God and are just as wicked.

Romans 3:9-12 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

10 As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;… There is none who does good, no, not one.”

These verses make it very clear…there is NO one good in and of themselves. No one is good enough for God in and of themselves.

All mankind have sinful hearts and the reason men murder is because of their sinful hearts. Why did this man do this?
Jesus tells us why…Mark 7:21…For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

All of us are murderers are heart. God said if you hate, you’re a murderer. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15; Matthew 5:21-22

Our hearts are wicked, and can not be trusted. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Whenever I want to speak evil of others and say that I am better, I must remind myself…if not for the grace of God, I would do that exact same thing. The ONLY One who could save a wicked wretch like me is Jesus Christ, so what have I to boast about…except Christ alone!

We tend to compare ourselves to others. We would compare ourselves to this man and say, “Well, I’m not that bad…I’m ok.” No…We must compare ourselves to God. And then we see how unclean we are and the only thing we can do is cry out for mercy.

What did Jesus tell those people who came questioning Him about how God could allow such a thing to happen as a tower to fall on those people in Luke 13:1-5? They wanted answers of why this happened...but what was Jesus' response? Unless you repent, you will likewise perish. That's His word to you today...Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.

God telling us how wicked we are is the most gracious and most merciful news ever!! That’s right because then we see our need for a Savior. Unless you see how wicked and guilty you are and that you have no righteousness, you will never see your need for Christ.

I pray that you will see that you have broken God’s law and because God is Just, He will punish those who are guilty. Judgment is coming; God’s wrath is coming, BUT God has provided a way to escape the wrath to come and it’s only through Jesus Christ.

I pray you will see the wickedness of your heart and cry out for a Savior.

Mankind should be doomed forever. Mankind should be punished and cast into hell forever for our crimes against God, BUT GOD out of His great love with which He loved us gave His Son!

God, in His mercy, grace, and undeserved love, has provided a Savior for wicked men!Praise God!! What an act of kindness this is. I pray you will repent and look to Christ ALONE for your salvation. Don’t try and set up your own righteousness before God. NO ONE is good enough for God. He has provided all the righteousness you need and it’s found in Christ alone! Don't try and compare yourself with someone else who is a sinner as well...compare yourself to Christ and then cry out in mercy!

Glory to God Alone!

What is the Gospel?

2009-05-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

I never knew you.

2009-02-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

Salvation does not come by saying a "sinner's prayer"

2009-02-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

The Lost Doctrine of Regeneration

2009-02-03T16:07:00.002-08:00

Are you a new creation?

2009-01-27T14:03:00.002-08:00

this is a video i put together with one of my favorite preachers.

"My Lord, I did not choose You"

2009-01-26T10:03:00.001-08:00

Great sermon by paul Washer...

2008-10-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

2008-05-29T14:27:00.001-07:00

My Testimony

2008-05-07T00:58:00.001-07:00

What love, what grace, what mercy

Shown to a wretch like me

Grace that reaches the heavens

Oh how beautiful and lovely is He.

Innocent and declared righteous I must be

To enter your heavenly land

But what an impossibility

Guilty, vile, and unclean I stand. (1)

Perfect obedience to your law

Is what you require

My heart so cold could never

Only to sin is its desire.

But what I could not produce

You provided through Your Son,

Jesus Christ is my only hope

To His righteousness alone do I run. (2)

Jesus Christ absorbed the wrath of God

The cup of my punishment He bore (3)

He has also given me His righteousness

My heart sings of this grace and will forever more!

Jesus Christ became sin for me, (4)

The retribution I deserve He took

God the Father killed Him in my place (5)

His only begotten Son He forsook

You have covered my lawless deeds (6)

With your beauty and righteousness alone

For the best that I could offer you is filth (7)

And never for sin could I atone.

My choice or free will, never will I claim

For in your presence no flesh shall glory (8)

Salvation is of the Lord, His Work alone (9)

That shall be my never ending story.

Vile, depraved, undone

Deserving of Your fury am I

But You, O Lord, are holy and pure

So only on your mercy I rely.

In order to enter into the joy of the Lord

Like the tax collector I must be

Knowing He was unworthy shouted out

“I am a sinner, have mercy on me.” (10)

You have said one blemish to your law

Will cause me to be cursed (11)

Sentence has been passed, I am guilty as charged.

But thanks to your Son, I in love am immersed

As the leopard can not change his spots

Or the Ethiopian his skin (12)

I too have no ability to reverse what’s been done

Because of my crimes and dreadful sin.

I was spiritually dead with no life in me

Like Lazarus in the tomb

But now of His doing I am in Christ

And have escaped the coming doom. (13)

I have no righteousness to bring you

No goodness at all

Only Jesus Christ I boast of

Who obeyed perfectly your Righteous Law

Taking out my stony, God hating, sin loving heart (14)

What power you have shown

Replacing it with a thirst

To know you and make you known.

By nature a child of wrath (15)

With God’s judgment I deserve

But now because of Your Spirit

I desire to glorify and You alone serve.

Since I did rebel and sinned against You,

Your just anger did abide (16)

But thanks to the Mediator between man and God (17)

I call you Father and rest by Your loving side.

You could have left me to face my wrath

And to that I could have never complained.

Because I was brought forth in iniquity (18)

And your holiness I have profaned.

Had you left salvation up to me,

I would never have been saved

For I would have never sought you (19)

My evil heart, so depraved.

I made my choice against you

And my own way to embrace

I have faith only because You have given it

Imparted to me as a gift of grace. (20)

God who is rich in mercy chose me

Though I deserved it not

And because of Christ my sins are gone

There is not one guilty spot. (21)

In my own power and strength

I could have never chosen Your great love

This gift of salvation has only been granted

By a gracious gift from above.

This gift of love I do not deserve

As though I had any merit to claim

You are a God who justifies the ungodly (22)

Praise, Honor and glory are due to Your name.

You did not owe it to me

To forgive my wicked ways

It was only Your free sovereign grace (22)

At which I humbly stand amazed.

My entrance into heaven

Has nothing to do with me

It is only because of the righteousness of another –

Jesus Christ, how beautiful is He.

It’s not just hell that I have escaped

But from me, Your fierce anger has been turned

And that only by Jesus Christ the propitiation (24)

Great joy this brought to me once I learned.

Understanding that you could have left me in my sins

And to do so You would have been just,

But knowing You have shown mercy,

To that I shall praise You, I have to. I must.

How could I not sing praises to Your Holy name?

As long as I have breath.

Knowing You have died in my place

And raised me from spiritual death.

What is the reason you show this great love?

To demonstrate Your kindness and the riches of grace (25)

And one day because of Your mercy

I’ll behold Your loving, beautiful face.

1) Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10)

2) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:21-23)

3) Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)

4) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5-6)

5) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. (Isaiah 53:10)

6) Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose lawless deeds are covered; (Romans 4:7) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

7) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

8) That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:29)

9) But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. (Jonah 2:9)

10) And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:13)

11) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (Galatians 3:10)

12) Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23)

13) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

14) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) (Romans 1:30)

15) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3)

16) He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)

17) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)

18) Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5

19) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (Romans 3:11)

20) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

21) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

22) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

23) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Romans 9:15-16) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)

24) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:1o)

25) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)

My Jesus, I Love Thee

2008-05-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

My Jesus, I Love Thee

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee, all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, My Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now.

I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
And singing Thy praises, before Thee I'll bow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now.

Praying to receive Christ?

2008-04-30T15:12:00.001-07:00

The Greatness of God's Electing Love

2008-04-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

By John Piper

Malachi 1:1-5

Israel's Question
When God said in verse 2, "I have loved you, says the Lord," the Israelites respond skeptically, "How hast thou loved us?"

Now test yourselves here. How would you answer that question in your own life? How would you describe God's love to you. Is your life and family in such a shambles that you feel as skeptical about it as the Israelites did? Do you want to say, "How hast thou loved me?"

I don't doubt that there is a little of that in all of us. And so it will do us all good to listen to God's answer which is almost never heard today. How hast thou loved us? Answer: "Is not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau."

God's Answer

Now what sort of answer is this? The descendants of Jacob have asked, "How hast thou loved us?" How is it an answer to say, "Jacob I loved, Esau I hated"? Isn't that just a repetition of what he already said in the first part of verse 2, "I have loved you, says the Lord"?

No it's not, because of the little question, "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" What does that mean? Why did God ask that? He asked it because he knew that the answer to that question contained the key to the essence of his love.

What is the answer? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? The answer is yes. In fact as every Israelite knew, Esau was not only Jacob's brother, he was his twin brother, conceived in the womb of Rebecca by their father Isaac. Jacob and Esau were not like the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. They had different mothers and one of them wasn't even an Israelitess. But Jacob and Esau were twins. And not only were they twins, Esau was the elder, which means that by all customary rights and privileges he would be the main heir of the father's blessings.

Now what is the point of saying, "Is not Esau Jacob's brother?" The point is this: Based on what you and Esau were in yourselves I could just as easily have chosen Esau as you. Isn't he your brother? Weren't you twins? Isn't he in fact your elder? But I chose you, and passed him by.

What then is God's answer to the question, "How hast thou loved us?" His answer is, I have loved you with free, sovereign, unconditional, electing love; that is how I have loved you.

My love for you is electing love because I chose you for myself above your brother Esau.
My love for you is unconditional love because I chose you before you had done anything good or evil—before you had met any conditions—while you were still in your mother's womb (Genesis 25:24).
My love for you is sovereign love because I was under no constraint to love you; I was not forced or coerced; I was totally in charge when I set my love upon you.
And my love for you is free because it's the overflow of my infinite grace that can never be bought.

Now I ask you, if you are a Christian here today, and if you say to God, "How have you loved me?" can you answer the way God answered the Israelites? Do you look at your sister or brother living in sin and tremble that you have been chosen? And that your election is not because of anything in you? And that your faith and hope are owing wholly to God? Do you look at that childhood friend or college roommate who took a turn away from God when you stayed on the path, and tremble at the awesome thought that God chose you?

Four Aspects of God's Hatred of Esau
But what about Esau?

Probably the most striking thing about this text is that in it God chooses to highlight his love for the descendants of Jacob by contrasting it with his hatred for the descendants of Esau, the nation of Edom.
If we ask, what does God mean by saying (in verse 3), "Esau I hated," the answer is spelled out for us in some detail in verses 3 and 4:
I have hated Esau; I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert. If Edom says, We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins, the Lord of hosts says, They may build, but I will tear down, till they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever.
Notice four aspects to God's hate of Esau.

1. God Opposes Them
First, it means that God opposes their prosperity and brings their land under judgment. "I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert."

2. God Will Continue to Oppose Them
Second, it means that God will continue to oppose them when they resist his judgment. His judgment will not suffer resistance. Verse 4: "If Edom says, We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins, the Lord of hosts says, They may build, but I will tear down."

3. They Will Be Given Up to Wickedness
Third, God's hate for Esau means that they will by and large as a nation be given up to wickedness. Verse 4b: " . . . till they are called the wicked country." This is the most devastating of the judgments and the one that makes all the others just. God does not bring judgments on an innocent people. He is just in all his dealings. When he passed over Esau and chose Jacob, there was no decree that an innocent Esau would be judged. Rather what God decreed was to pass Esau by, to withhold his electing love and to give him up to wickedness.
Now there is great mystery here, and I do not claim to solve all the problems that our little minds can think up. There is much we are not yet ready to know. We see through a glass darkly. But this much we are surely to believe: God did not choose the descendants of Esau; rather he passed over them and withheld his electing love; as a result Esau gave rein to wickedness and deserved the indignation of God. Which leads to the fourth aspect of God's hate.

4. God Will Be Angry with Them Forever
Fourth, at the end of verse 4 it means that the Lord is angry, or indignant with them forever.
Why Does God Inspire Malachi to Open This Way?
Why does God inspire Malachi to begin his message to these worldly Israelites, and to us, with such a revelation as this? "I have loved you, says the Lord. How have you loved us? Is not Esau Jacob's brother? Yet I have loved you and hated Esau. How have I loved you? I have loved you with free, sovereign, unconditional, electing love."

That He May Be Feared
"Why do I tell you this?"
To humble you.
To take away your presumption.
To remove every ground of boasting in yourself.
To cut the nerve of pride that boasts over Esau as though your salvation were owing to anything in you.
To put to naught the cavalier sense of self-reliance that lets you dally in my presence as though you were an equal partner in this affair.
To make you tremble with tears of joy that you belong to God.
As the psalmist says, "There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared!" (Psalm 130:4).

That We May Know He Reigns Over the Whole World
But that is not all. God has another purpose in revealing the greatness of his electing love for Jacob and his judgment upon Esau. He tells us in verse 5:
Your own eyes shall see this [you shall see the terrible judgments on Edom] and you shall say, 'Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!'
In other words, part of what it means to be loved by God is to know that God reigns—that he is great and mighty—even beyond the people called by his name. He reigns in Edom. His purposes are not ultimately frustrated by the wickedness of any people. "Great is the Lord, beyond the border of Israel!" Yes, even in Edom—in Albania.
So let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. Let us give him the glory—all the glory—for our salvation. And let us never grow weary in savoring and strengthening and spreading the vision of our God, for "Great is the Lord beyond the walls of this church!"

The TRUE Gospel presented...Paul Washer

2008-04-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

The Supremacy and Beauty of Christ!

2008-04-24T13:10:00.001-07:00

Do we pray like unbelievers?

2008-04-24T07:43:00.001-07:00

I have really learned a lot about prayer lately...This quote has helped me so much.

"Prayer is not just an act. Prayer is a dependency...dependency on God" A.W. Tozer

Prayer is when I show my utter helplessness and my total and complete dependency upon God. Just like a little child. Just like seth is totally dependent upon Chris and me...if we don't feed him, he'll starve. If we don't take care of him, he'll perish....that's how we are to be with God...totally dependent and trusting in His care.

I read this last night in "When I Don't Desire God. How to fight for Joy" by John Piper and this chapter was on praying...I wanted to share.

Do we pray like unbelievers? Some people pray like unbelievers would pray who are convinced that God might give them what they wants: health, a better job, safe journeys, a propserous portfolio, successful children, plenty of food, a happy marriage, a car that works, a comfortable retirement,etc. None of these are evil...they're just natural. You dont have to be born again to want any of these. Desiring them, even from God, is not evidence of saving faith. (that got me!) So if these are all you pray for, there is a deep problem. Your desires have not yet been changed to put the glory of Christ at the center.

But when you have your mind saturatred with the Christ exalting Word of God and turn it into your prayer, your desires are shaped by the Holy Spirit into God centered, Christ exalting prayers. The glory of Christ and the name of God, the spiritual well being of people, and the delight you have in knowing Jesus, these become your dominant concerns and your constant requests. You will still pray for health and marriage and job and journeys, but now what you want to happen is that, in all of these, Christ will be exalted! God will be glorified! This changes the pattern and passion of your prayers. Your pray for a journey that is not merely safe, but that all along the way your joy would be in God and that he would shine through you. Your prayer for you job is not merely that it be stable and peaceful and prosperous, but that it truly serves the need of society and that in all your labor and all your relationship your joy in Christ and your love for people would make a name for Jesus!! "God, heal my realitive of this disease because I know you can, but if it brings you more glory to not heal them, then don't!" "If it's your will that I move away from my family, if that's what would bring you the most glory, then move me!" "If you get the most glory by allowing me to lose my job, then so be it!" Only, by God's grace could we ever pray like this! That's when we know we're a child of God because that's not a natural prayer...the Spirit of God produces those kinds of desires and wants in our hearts and wants what would honor Him the most...Whatever will bring HIM the most glory, whatever would make His name known, whatever would Honor Him and make much of Him! Whatever would make His name famous among the nations, that's what we should want...

A good way to start our day in prayer is like this:

"O Lord, please grant that Your glory be honored, Your holiness be reverenced, Your greatness be admired, Your power be praised, Your truth be sought, Your wisdom be esteemed, Your beauty be treasured, Your goodness by savored, Your faithfulness be trusted, Your commandments be obeyed, Your promises be relied on, Your justice be respected, Your wrath be feared, Your grace be cherished, Your presence be prized, Your person be loved!"

How to witness honestly and truthfully...

2008-04-22T16:17:00.001-07:00

Apart from Divine Grace...

2008-04-22T08:00:00.001-07:00

I have been reading through the book of 1 John and the other night, I was just overwhelmed at what God has done in saving His children...

The whole book is about seeing whether or not you are a child of God. It's like a test. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says "Examine yourselves to see if you're in the faith." 1 John is the test...along with other scripture but it just hit me what divine grace from God has done...

1 John says we are to love others and not hate
1 John says we know that we love God if we keep His commandments
1 John shows that those who deny Christ's Deity are not of God and are an antichrist
1 John shows if you sin habitually or it is your lifestyle, you're a child of the devil, no matter how much you profess to be a Christian.
1 John says we are to give to those in need
1 John says not to love the world or the things of the world..

I got to thinking about all of this and realized that apart from Divine Grace given by God, I could never love others, I could never keep God's commands, I could never know that Christ is God, I would be a child of the devil and sin habitually, I would hate my brother, I would not love God, I would not give to those in need, I would be an antichrist, apart from divine grace, I would love the world more than Christ...

All of this in 1 John is totally against our nature. We are by nature God haters, we are by nature unloving and by nature selfish, by nature rebels, by nature children of the devil and children of wrath. By nature we have no good within us and the only reason any of God's Children can produce this is because of His Grace...It's because of His life lived inside of us. The Spirit produces all the good, not us. We can't!

Anything praiseworthy in me is because of Him and His grace alone! So, who gets the glory? God!! Becuase apart from Him, I could never do any of these things. Also, in Galatians 5, the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self control, all of these are totally un natural to the human! Because as Paul says in Romans 7:18 There is nothing good that dwells within me. I cant produce any of these fruit! The Spirit is the one producing the goodness so that He may get the glory because Salvation is all of Him from start to finish!

People who are not saved may do good things for others, but only for self glory or self promotion, or to leave a good names for themselves, but the true Christian wants nothing of that, the true Christian wants to make much of God, wants Him to get ALL the glory due to His gracious name and even that desire to make much of God is a gift of grace for apart from grace, I would not have that desire for God to get glory...

Apart from divine grace, I could not even have faith in Christ to be saved. That is a gift given from God (Eph 2:8-9)
Apart from divine grace, I could not do anything! John 15:5 says "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing!" Who is the one that bears much fruit? The one that abides in Him. And how could I ever abide in Him to begin with? Divine grace! For without grace, I would not want to abide in Christ!! It's all of Him!

That's why we could never pray "I know you're proud of me God for choosing you. Maybe some day these other people will get it."

The only reason we can make a human choice for God is because there has been an eternal choice for us..all of His grace! NOT of Ourselves...Nothing!

John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you" Jesus made this very clear, the only reason you chose me is because I chose you first. Same thing in 1 John the only reason we love God is because He loved us first.

We can't even come to God unless we are drawn by Him first. It's all a gift of Grace...John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him." John 6:65 "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." That's why we could never boast! It's all a work of grace...

To God be the Glory!

John Macarthur tells about the "Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren...

2008-04-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Thoughts from a TV show...

2008-04-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

I was watching a well known show today and one of the characters had to earn badges for her sash. She had to prove her "worthiness" and earn her righteousness through her good deeds.

I am so thankful that salvation is not like this! If I had to try and earn my righteousness, I would fall woefully short. I could never weave a righteousness fit for heaven. But, because of Christ we have a perfect, beautiful, glorious, majestic righteousness and His name is Jesus Christ! Thank God for grace!! Thank God that He died for the ungodly and He justifies the ungodly....for if God only justified the good, there is no hope for me! My only hope lies with Jesus Christ and His loveliness!!

We are not declared righteous by our works

2008-04-16T19:04:00.001-07:00

Again, I continue to ponder on this subject of justification. This comes up in almost all of my reading and I just again glory in the grace of Jesus Christ.

This are a few lines from the book "When I Don't Desire God: How to fight for Joy" by John Piper

First of all, I have to be legally absolved of guilt and credited with a righteousness that I don't have. That is, I have to be declared righteous in the courtroom of heaven, where God sits as judge, and where I stand condemned by His law. That's what the word justify means: not make just, but declare just.

I think about this and I wonder: how in the world can I, a God hating rebel, I who have broken every law of God ever be declared not guilty? Not only that, but to be righteous...Jesus Christ!

He became my performer of the law. My title in heaven is provided by Christ's obedience. (Piper)

Romans 5:19 "By one man's obedience the many will be made righteous" Not their own obedience! But by Christ's obedience, many will be made righteous!

Justification is by grace alone (not mixed with our merit), through faith alone (not mixed with our works) on the basis of Christ alone(not mingling his righteousness with ours), to the glory of God alone (not ours) (John Piper)

Even though I'm the lawbreaker, He is my righteousness! What a great God and Savior! I could never attain a righteousness fit for Heaven, but by one Man's obedience, I have been declared righteous!! Praise to His name alone!

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree (Gal 3:13) My curse has been taken care of...

My condemnation has been absolved... Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died Romans 8:33-34

The righteousness needed that I can not produce
Romans 5:19...By the one man's obedience many will be made righteous...

the POWER of God unto Salvation

2008-04-16T16:23:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite quotes is "Salvation is not so easy a caveman could do it. Salvation is so difficult that only GOD can do it." That is how we view salvation now...easy. It is very easy for God, but impossible with man.

The Power of Regeneration. Ezekiel 36:26 shows us this power. Scripture says we have a stony heart and unable to respond to God. We have the responsibilty but not the ability. We are powerless, helpless...we are dead. We have a stony heart that is unresponsive to the things of God.

We can see the awesome power of God displayed in salvation. Salvation is of the Lord! He takes out the heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh...one that responds to Him. God does the impossible...gives us a new heart. We have no ability on our own to create within us a new heart that is responsive to God. Unless God intervenes, we are doomed!

Ezekiel 36:26
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will take away the stony heart of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh."

Notice who does it...It's all God. I will create the miracle within you! I will bring you from death unto life!! Praise God for His power that what is impossible with man is possible with God!

If someone were miracously raised from the dead, we would just be awe struck with that kind of power or that miracle that we have just witnessed...it's the same with salvation. If you are saved, you have been raised from the dead! God has done it! God has done a miracle in your heart and raised you from death unto life, given you a heart of flesh...He has done it with HIS POWER!! Glory to God alone!!

Examine yourselves to see if you're in the faith...

2008-04-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Examine yourselves...2 Corinthians 13:5

How then shall we live?

2008-04-15T17:18:00.000-07:00