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Psalm 1 – The Way of Godliness.

Psalm 1
1  Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

Those in Christ are blessed with eternal life according to the promise of God’s Word, by faith in the completed work of Christ alone, and not of anything to do with their own efforts. However the blessedness in the sense of our happiness, peace and stability as believers is conditional. We must strive to enter and remain in the rest Christ secures for us, by turning away from ungodly counsel, departing from sinful lifestyles, and refraining from hypocrisy and scornfulness.

True godly counsel can only be found through the counsel of Scripture, and from those who look alone to the Scripture as a complete revelation from God for the fullness of their teaching and instruction.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

As followers of Christ we must delight in His Word, allowing it to take hold of our thoughts day and night. It is not sufficient to simply read through the Bible out of a sense of duty. Rather we shall find a passionate obsession for Christ and His ways grow within us through the internal work of His Spirit. It is the love of His truth, and intimate knowledge of Him that sets us free.

3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

If we are submitted to Christ in this manner, we shall be like a tree planted by a river. We shall bring forth fruit for His glory effortlessly, for just as a tree by the river, it is not the effort of the tree, but the location it is planted that causes abundant growth.

Also, just as with the tree, our leaves shall not wither. It is the leaves that help the tree to absorb the light, and expel oxygen. In the same manner, if we are rooted in Christ we shall draw from His strength, and our leaves shall be sensitive to draw in the Light of His Word, and expel that which should be expelled from us.

We shall prosper in the works that God has created us for. It is not like an empty “prosperity gospel” promise to become wealthy and affluent whilst clinging to the world. It is a promise to those who sacrifice all to abide in Christ, that they shall prosper in all that He has called them into.

4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

The ungodly are like dry and dusty chaff that is at the mercy of the wind. This can still apply to Christians who are in a place of rebellion in some measure, and only true repentance, and belief expressed through obedience, can lead a person back to a place of peace with God.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Just one of many verses right the way through Scripture that flies in the face of universalism. Only those abiding in Christ shall stand in the Day of Judgement, and only those who abide in Christ, shall be considered worthy to dwell in His eternal congregation.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Lord knows those who are His, and has written their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life. All who put their trust in Him shall be named in this Book, and as a result shall inherit eternal life. However all who refuse to repent and believe the Gospel of Christ, and whose names are not recorded in this Book, shall be damned for eternity.

Originally posted 2010-01-14 09:57:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Order of Salvation Part 3: Conversion (Repentance & Faith)

As pointed out in the first two parts of this series of articles, the work of salvation is completely out of our hands, and entirely in the hands of God. Through the call of the Gospel, and His act of choosing us and making us alive to believe and receive the Gospel (regeneration), we are graciously brought to the point of believing what Christ has done on our behalf, and trusting our very lives to His completed work at Calvary. However our salvation does not end here, for us to idly sit back, embrace the ways of the world, and wait for Christ to return for us. Rather it is the very beginning of our walk with the Lord, and it is a path that we should tread reverently with all fear and trembling, remembering full well it is really a path we have no right in walking, save alone for the grace and mercy of God Himself.

For those who would consider themselves to be a Christian, and yet display very little fear of God in their lives, and do not acknowledge what He is able and willing to do to those who mock Him, I suggest you listen to these words very carefully:

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”  ———

——But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

(Romans 11:5-8 & Romans 11:17-22)

The sorrow of the worldly is directed in a selfish manner, usually producing an attitude of self pity that tends to blame others for the predicament that our own sinful desires place us. However Godly sorrow is of an entirely different nature. The believer is convicted of their own sinfulness and selfish ways, and made completely aware how this attitude has grieved the Lord and Saviour they so love and desire to follow. It is from this place of harsh realisation, that the true believer will desire to put away all that offends the Lord, and instead seek to replace their own ways with His ways, by the power of His Spirit. This attitude of repentance and faith towards the Lord is both the beginning of conversion, and the process by which the believer is transformed from glory to glory into the likeness of Christ Himself.

Originally posted 2010-02-26 09:03:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Glorious One: John 13

I just wanted to share a wonderful message I heard at our church fellowship today, preached on the Gospel of John, chapter 13. The preacher is Simon Lawrenson, who is head pastor at Calvary Chapel, Southampton, and who’s sermons I find to be a breath of fresh air here in the U.K.. I will possibly highlight various sermons here providing it’s okay with the fellowship, but you can listen to a whole archive of messages preached over recent years by clicking here to visit their website.

Here is the message preached earlier today:

 

 The essentials: Love [61:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Originally posted 2010-02-07 22:10:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Order of Salvation Part 4: Justification

Sometimes as Christians, we can have a very lop-sided view of God, for we equate His mercy and compassion with His love, and pretty much cast out His holiness and wrath as something that no longer applies. This is completely in error, for our God is love, and is just and perfect in all His ways, which includes His righteousness, holiness and wrath. The God we serve and worship today as New Testament believers, is exactly the same God who made Himself manifest to the Old Testament believers too!

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1:17

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

As mentioned previously, everyone who comes to salvation in Christ comes in the same likeness, and that is as a guilty sinner condemned to the wrath of God against sin. This is not the opinion of any man, but of God, for He gave His Law that everyone should stand guilty before Him, leading all who believe to the saving grace of Christ crucified (Rom 3:19 , Gal 3:24).

What is more, as guilty sinners before a Holy, Righteous and Unchanging God, we must be totally aware of His attitude towards man in His fallen, wicked and unrepentantly sinful state.

God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.
Psalms 7:11

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
Psalms 5:4-6

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

These references to Scripture are not intended to beat up sinners with, nor is the descriptive list in the verse above an exhaustive one, intended to point self righteous fingers at some particular sin or another. Rather these passages have been included to show that, regardless of how righteous we may be in our own eyes, we are sinners before God, and have no right to enter His presence and Kingdom whatsoever. If we are to do so at all, it is solely by His hand, by His choice, and by His provision. For He is a Just and Righteous Judge who cannot overlook our sinfulness, for to do so would be to deny the very Justice He promises.

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

From this place of accepting the true character of God Almighty revealed through His Word, and understanding that He is not the One who is ever going to change, the whole Gospel message begins to make sense. For it is only when we begin to understand these things, that we can begin to see the reason God had to do something to save us, rather than just change His mind towards us, which in itself would mean that He is no longer unchanging, which in turn would bring His Eternal Perfection into question.

The amazing thing about the Gospel is that through Jesus Christ the Messiah, we have revealed to us Almighty God who so loved those He has created, He sent His own Son directly into creation to bridge the gap between the perfection of God and sinful man. By His own will, and through His own blood, Jesus Christ paid the price acceptable by God, that would clear the penalty of sin for all who would choose to accept this sacrifice, and put their trust in Him.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:16-18

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:23-26

Therefore through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross, a divinely planned exchange takes place, wherby the penalty for sin that is rightfully ours is placed upon the shoulders of Christ instead, and the Righteousness of Christ is imparted to us as if it were our own. This is the miracle of the Gospel message, and is found absolutely nowhere else!

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

To even begin to understand our salvation in Christ then, we must come to terms with the true nature and character of the Unchanging One we dare to call Father. For we cannot truly claim to come into an intimate and personal relationship with God the Father without recognising Who He actually is. Nor can we claim to stand in His presence without acknowledging the enormous price that was paid upon the Cross by His own Son, in order to cleanse us from our sin and declare us to be justified before God in the first place.

Originally posted 2010-03-08 12:54:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Resurrection Confirms Our Forgiveness

Upon listening to a wonderful sermon from my pastor on Sunday just gone, spoken on John chapter 20, we were left with no doubt whatsoever of the crucial fact that the Resurrection of Christ, if not the truth, leaves us in a hopeless state. Whilst I would have agreed with that statement previously, I would have been hard pressed to give a specific reason as to why that is the truth. What’s more, with the seemingly common tendency for many to “spiritualize” the Resurrection of Christ, and sowing doubt throughout the Church, solid ground is obviously needed in order to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints through the Bible.

The reason I have found clarity over this issue is because my pastor quite rightfully pointed to the Law as a shadow of things to come [Col 2:17 , Heb 10:1], and how it could be clearly seen that what was tangibly taught in the Law, was seen clearly fulfilled in Christ. In other words, the Law of God pointed towards that which was to come through Christ. Although I would like to focus on one particular point in this article, the original sermon will shortly be available to listen to on the church podcast, along with previous studies throughout the Gospel of John.

There is little doubt within Christian circles that the sacrifice offered during the day of atonement for the sins of Israel, spoken of in the Old Testament, directly reflects the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins, spoken of in the New Testament. Even the most infant of Christian believers can see the significance of the crucifixion of Christ, given for our justification, in the light of the Old Testament teaching. But would it be true to say that just as many Christians see the significance of the Resurrection of Christ in the same place? I know that at least on my own part, the answer would have to be a resounding no. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that some Christians, would be willing to give ground for the case of the Resurrection, where they never would concerning the death of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. What I would like to point out here though, is that the physical Resurrection of Christ is as important to us as His physical death on the Cross. Continue reading ‘The Resurrection Confirms Our Forgiveness’

The Glorious One: John 14

Maybe it’s just me over reacting, or maybe it’s just the fact that I have been starved of the Word in the churches I have attended over the years, but I feel utterly blessed to find myself under the preaching in the fellowship I am now in at Calvary Chapel, Southampton. As much as I like the people there however, it is not so much for this reason, but that it feels to me that I am quite literally sitting and listening to Jesus Christ Himself speaking His words straight into my heart. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?

I could not attend church today for reasons beyond my control, but listening to this message I have been almost moved to tears at the thought of what my Lord and Saviour has done for me. Praise You Jesus!

 

 The Glorious One: John 14 [69:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Order of Salvation Part 2: Regeneration (Effectual Calling)

Talking from personal experience, one of the largest contributing factors that have caused me to lose assurance of salvation, has been the ignorance of the way in which God saves sinners from start to finish, and without any aid from those being saved whatsoever. I had somehow mistakenly assumed that my salvation was without doubt in the hands of God, but I was also co-partner in that salvation. After all, I had chosen to follow Christ hadn’t I?

What I have since realised through Scripture, is that far from me deciding to walk the path of Christ of my own accord, it was He who first chose me, and it was He who gave me the gift of faith to believe in Christ for the salvation of my soul. This is what is known as the doctrine of regeneration, or otherwise known as effectual calling. This is a sovereign work of God Almighty, whereby he does a supernatural work in the heart of those He has chosen, that they are able to respond in faith to the call of the Gospel, as detailed in the previous article, and is completely detached from anything done by the believer independently.

Contrary to the popular notion of “making a decision for Jesus” as popularised in the modern churches, we are no more able to do this of our own volition, than a dead man is able to get up off his bed and run around the room.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

(Ephesians 2:4-9)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

(John 1:12-13)

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

(John 3:6-8)

Order of Salvation Part 1: The call of the Gospel

For many years I have been largely ignorant of reformed theology due to a lack of doctrinally sound teaching throughout much of the charismatic church, which has been my background for most of my Christian life. Since the Lord woke me up to this fact however, I have been utterly fascinated and amazed how much the Bible clearly teaches us concerning the mysterious ways of the Lord, as He works in the lives of believers for their salvation. Whereas once I groped around in the dark to figure out the mysteries of God, as though this were some noble act of faith. Instead now I have the Light of His Word, and can see clearly, and without being strongly affected by my own personal opinions, what God declares to be the truth on such matters regarding our eternal salvation.

One of the key weaknesses I can personally testify that exists within the charismatic type churches, is an abundant lack of assurance of salvation amongst the congregation. This would rarely be admitted to be so, but I am sure I am not alone in feeling this to be true. Probably one of the greatest things that cements this in my mind, is the utter ignorance, and mostly willing ignorance, with regards to the wrath of God against sin.

It is not my desire to enter into argument concerning the merits of charismatic doctrine here, but rather to highlight clearly what the Bible has to say about the salvation of sinners by the grace of God. For the true nature of salvation is far removed from the idea of salvation spoken to me when I first came to the Lord, and that which I have heard spoken to others during the years since. In general, the thing that has been glossed over in the majority of my Christian life, is that rather than being a simple one off point in history, true salvation is a life long process, that is initiated and completed by the Lord, and the Lord alone. The part of the believer being a total and willing submission to His will and purpose, every part of their life being willingly transferred to the ownership of Christ, and for His glory alone.

In this first article I would like to begin to highlight this process for anyone who is willing to earnestly consider this for themselves, and in so doing, reap the true assurance of faith that comes through total submission to the truth proclaimed in Scripture.

Part One – The Call of the Gospel:

Continue reading ‘Order of Salvation Part 1: The call of the Gospel’

Crossing the Jordan

Joshua 3:8-17
8  You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’ ”
9  So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”
10  And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites:
11  Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.
12  Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.
13  And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”
14  So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
15  and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),
16  that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17  Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

As I was reading through this passage of Scripture earlier today, there seemed a clear call to those in Christ today to fulfill their duty as priests of the Living God, and willingly step into death for the glory of Christ alone, and for the salvation of those He has called. We can know from 1 Peter 2:9 that those in Christ now are in the same role that the Levite priests in this passage were in, and that as believers, we now bear the Spirit of the One who has given us a new covenant by His own blood, as the very temple He now resides within 1 Cor 3:16.

In the Old Testament picture above, we see the promised land that awaits the Israelites beyond the Jordan river, swollen and unpassable, as a representation of death itself. However in Christ we have One who goes before us, and stills the rolling waters in an instant, holding them back until we have all passed through safely. The parallel to the account in Joshua that we see for today however, is that it is necessary for those bearing the ark to stand in the Jordan themselves. To enter death for the glory of Christ therefore, is not simply a noble act carried out by a few Christian believers, but it is the very command of God to be obeyed by every Christian believer, for we have been chosen by God to carry the Ark of the New Covenant right through the midst of death, for the glory of Jesus Christ alone, and that those around us may see the path opening up before them, and hear the call of His voice to follow too.

We can jump up and down all we like, sing loudly and joyfully, clap our hands, pray to our hearts content, and shout “Jesus is Lord!” from the rooftops, but the crunch question we need to ask ourselves is this: Am I willing to march into death itself, and risk losing every single solitary thing that is precious to me for His glory? If the answer is anything but a resounding “Yes!”, then we need to repent and cry out to the Lord with all our hearts that it may be so.

Tears of sadness, and tears of joy.

Nehemiah 8:8-12

(12) And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.

We often hear the words “the joy of the Lord is our strength” quoted within Christian circles, and for those from a charismatic background, you will have often heard this quote in conjunction with displays of so called “holy laughter” and other spiritual manifestations.

Although this quote is taken directly from Scripture, if we examine the context in which it was written, we realise that so often it is used today in a completely out of context manner. So if we are seriously going to attempt to allow this wonderful truth to affect our lives in Christ, it is vital that we understand the true meaning of the statement. This is most easily done by understanding the context in which it was spoken in the Scriptural account.

Continue reading ‘Tears of sadness, and tears of joy.’

Originally posted 2009-08-10 20:18:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter