The Faith of Moses, Part 2

Faith in Jesus Christ is the means by which we are saved by the grace of God. But as Moses exemplifies, faith can be exercised beyond conversion to enable us to live in such a way that would otherwise be impossible to man. Moses was a man who had it all. Adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, he had the opportunity to live the rest of his life in prestige and power. But by faith, he denied himself, refusing the treasures of the world to seek after the kingdom of God. What can we learn from Moses’ faith? How can we live by faith like Moses? We will consider the answers to these questions as we delve deeper into God’s Word.

Faith has three elements- knowledge, trust, and obedience. You must first have a biblical knowledge of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to have faith. You must know the gospel. Second, you must trust what you know. Or in other words, you must consider Jesus as trustworthy and therefore depend on Him alone. Lastly, faith is completed by obedience. True faith involves absolute commitment, and it bears fruit as you obey God out of love and gratitude for Christ.

Moses’ act of faith described in Hebrews 11:24 is not an easy thing to do. While most of us are reluctant to give up any worldly comfort in our lives, Moses forsook his entire future and security to live by faith in God. Faith is more powerful that anything in, and it is practical through the practice of self-denial and the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the object of our faith, and He is able to transform us, just as He transformed Moses. How is faith able to change us? Faith is sight. It assures us, convicts us, and makes us steadfast. Those who have faith are convinced of the Word of God. They believe what God says despite the lack of any physical evidence. This is why meditating and memorizing Scripture is so important to our faith. By faith, we are able to see reality as we believe and hold fast to God’s Word.

Moses’ faith produced in him the ability to deny himself. What is self-denial? Self-denial is to renounce oneself as the center of existence, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. It is not asceticism, but it is to know and see Christ before all things. Apostle Paul describes self-denial in Galatians 2:20-

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life that I live in the flesh, I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.

To be crucified with Jesus is a metaphor of our conversion. Our self-denial begins at conversion as we understand our depravity and look to Christ alone for salvation. This is the essence of self-denial- not I, but Christ in me. Paul gladly took up his cross to follow Jesus, and in the same way, every disciple of Christ is likewise called to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. The gospel was real to Paul- he knew Jesus loved him, and gave Himself up for him. This encouraged Paul to deny himself in all circumstances, just as it enabled Moses to deny himself and forsake the world. You must always hear and remember that the gospel is for you, not others. By the gospel, we can deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus.

November 10, 2019 0

The Man God Uses, Part 3 – Luke 1:80

You can never be sure how God might use a person. Edward Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Chicago, Illinois. It was his kindness and patience toward a hopeless boy which God used to train D. L. Moody. It is a story similar to the Samaritan woman who was one of the worst sinners God used to bring revival to her entire city (John 4:39).

God doesn’t just use the evangelist. Do you want to be used as a husband, father, worker, or mother? God uses people everywhere. His usage is based on your character, your ethics and your morality. We are called to be the salt of the earth, salt that is not salty is useless (Matthew 5:13).

John the Baptist lived in the desert.
The Christian life is sometimes called going through wilderness. For John the Baptist it was an actual wilderness. The wilderness is harsh and tough environment. It’s a biblical pattern that those God uses those who have traveled through a wilderness. Moses, Isaiah, Jesus and Paul were all raised in a wilderness. The wilderness is God’s school where He reforms and molds a person (John 15:2).

Alone with God
John the Baptist was alone with God, spending time alone with God in the wilderness, away from the cities and the crowds. During this time he was in solitude and restraint before beginning his ministry. In contrast, modern society has a great dread of being alone. We have TV and phones which are always connected. Being alone with God is very important.

Just being alone with God is not biblical solitude. We are constantly thinking about other things, planning our day or letting our thoughts wander. Solitude with God is centered around God’s word. Moses was outside the camp with God learning from God face to face. Jesus sought solitude with God to pray. Isaiah was alone in the temple when God showed him a vision. Believers should priorities solitude with God as it has many benefits. We can gain focus and a right perspective on our other priorities. There is also a danger if we neglect solitude. The worries of life and the deceit of the world can choke your fruit (Mark 4:19). Solitude provides the place to digest the Word with God and internalize God’s truth. The solitude is your wilderness, seek it and prioritize time with the Lord.

Solitude with God’s word
Your time alone with God must be meditation on God’s word. (Psalm 1:2) Meditation is a wrestling and brooding over the Word of God. Thomas White said “Mediation is a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance, and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves.” Meditation is not a creating your own reality in your head. True reality is in the word of God. Meditation in the Bible deepens our knowing God and understanding God’s mind and will.

Psalm 119 is all about meditation in God’s word. King David’s life was full of turmoil yet He was faithful because his faith was built through meditation. Isaac overcame the loss of his mother through meditation (Gen 24:64) Meditation is so important to the Christian life. Thinking deeply about God, your sin, the Bible. Use the Bible to constantly think over your life and God.

Solitude and prayer
When you meditate on the Scripture, it naturally leads to prayer. John the Baptist was also a man of prayer (Luke 11:1). Prayer is not just important, it is more important than we realize. Without praying we are spiritually dead. Remember the Genesis account, where Adam and Eve lost closeness with God and were deceived by Satan. In words of JC Ryle, “Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.”

Tragically, many Christians don’t pray, because they are satisfied with physical blessings over spiritual blessings. That is until they hit a wall, then they pray. Another reason we lack prayer is because we might be disappointed in the lack of answers. Jeremiah had 46 hard years of ministry with no conversions, yet he never gave up praying (Lam 3:19-26). If we knew God and what loves most, we would commune with Him in prayer. His desire is for our abiding in Him, being sanctified by the Word and prayer (1 Tim 4:5). When we pray without meditation, we create our own God with little knowledge of who God truly is. That god we create cannot answer prayers. Then we curse God because our wrong prayers go unanswered. Remember it was by prayer that church was started in a small upper room (Acts 2:42) and in prayer it will continue.

Conclusion
We are the creature before the Creator. We need prayer. We don’t pray because we think we are able, but we are not. When we begin to pray, we begin to realize we are not able. John the Baptist loved God more than anyone else. He depended on God and spent time alone with Him in the wilderness. The solitude with God builds obedience which is our proper worship.

November 3, 2019 0

The Essential Element of Faith – Acts 25:13-19

There are many people who know of and acknowledge Jesus’ resurrection, but for most of them, the resurrection is not practical in their lives. Do you place your hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? The resurrection is at the center of Christianity. It is the proof of who Jesus truly was, and it is the evidence of our forgiveness in Him. Without it, our faith would be futile and we would still be in our sins. The resurrection became a stark line that divided the church of Acts from the Pharisees along with the rest of the unbelieving world. It was the line that Apostle Paul placed his life on as he asserted that the crucified Jesus was in fact, alive. Jesus’ resurrection was not merely theoretical to Paul- it was his life. How can we, like Paul, live in the resurrection of Christ? Paul has three marks of a true believer- conviction, understanding, and communion. We will examine these marks and see how they effected Paul’s faith.

Conviction
Paul’s theology can be summed up in two words: In Christ. Paul was truly convinced that he was in Christ. To be in Christ refers to our status- you have been placed in Christ by God. Paul did not invent this- Jesus Himself taught His disciples to abide in Him. (Jn 15:4-5). In Christ, believers are assured of the love God has for them. (Rom 8:38-39) Paul knew nothing could separate him from the love of Christ- he was therefore able to do all things in Him. (Phil 4:13) Being in Christ refers not only to a status, but to a relationship. A believer’s relationship with Jesus is deep and intimate, and it results in sanctification as he becomes more like Christ, in Christ. (Eph 5:25-27)

How can we get in Christ? Whoever believes in Jesus is in Him. (Jn 3:16; Rom 6:3-4) They are united to Him in his death and resurrection, as it is shown by their self-denial and the lordship of Christ in their lives. (2Cor 5:17) This is the ultimate mark of being in Christ- the fruit of a new life. (Lk 8:15) How can we maximize our relationship with Jesus? Only those who consider Christ as supreme in their lives will walk in the reality of the resurrection like Paul. (Phil 3:8) Do not take your spiritual life lightly- without this kind of absolute commitment, we can not grow in sanctification.

Understanding
Paul understood how wicked he was. He never believed he had anything good in himself to offer to God. (1Cor 15:9) Do you think this way? Only those who are broken will look to and depend on Jesus. Apostle Paul declared it was by the grace of God that he was an apostle. (1Cor 15:10) Before his conversion, Paul was a savage persecutor of the early church. But upon his conversion, he saw his hopelessness in the light of God’s saving grace. God not only forgave Paul, but called him as an apostle. Paul understood how much Christ loved him as he fathomed the depth of his pardoned sin. He loved Jesus much because he knew he was forgiven much. (Lk 7:47) Without experiencing this, you will not remember the resurrection. The world and our flesh are able enough to make us forget God’s Word, but if you truly understand the seriousness of your sin and behold God’s amazing grace in the gospel daily, the resurrection of Christ will be real in your life.

Communion
Paul had communion with God by the Holy Spirit. Throughout Paul’s ministry, Jesus constantly visited Paul to encourage him. In the same way, the Spirit of God constantly brings God’s Word to remembrance. God speaks to us in His Word through the Holy Spirit, who helps us to understand and empowers us to obey. The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer, and as we are filled with God’s Word, He leads us in the way of Christ. By the Holy Spirit, we are always in the presence of Jesus and as He illuminates God’s Word to us, we live in the true hope of Jesus’ resurrection.

October 27, 2019 0

The Man God Uses, Part 2 – Luke 1:80

When God looks for a person to use, He doesn’t look at their gifts or special talents. Even the man blind from birth is used for His glory (Jn 9:31-33). The Apostles were fishermen, uneducated and unskilled (Ac 4:13). We sometimes confuse men’s giftedness versus their qualification. God wants to use someone who is qualified rather than gifted. He wants to use someone who is transformed rather than informed.

Strong in spirit
To be strong in spirit means your inside life is getting stronger. John the Baptist was the last prophet and lived the life a Nazirite. The text says he was strong in spirit. We too, must be like him. To be strong in spirit, we must have some traits, some evidence of spiritual growth. The following are eight characteristics demonstrated by John the Baptist.

Honest: nothing to hide before God. While John the Baptist was gain popularity in His ministry, and people were confused, he clarifies He is not the Christ. (John 2:19-20). Like Daniel’s friends who were truthful before the furnace (Dan 3:16-18), God uses honest men. Believers have the call to be honest (Eph 4:15)
Humble: submitting to God and His will. John the Baptist knew his baptism was of water, but Christ’s was the true and greater baptism. God loves the humble because they are willing to be molded, like clay. God humbles His children through suffering and hardship, preparing them for their service before Him. It was the humbleness of Jesus by which God accomplished our salvation (Phil 2:3-5). A humble person trusts in God and understands that hardship is God’s beginning to use them.
Courageous: Though it was dangerous and against those in power, John the Baptist called the Pharisees a brood of vipers (Lk 3:7-9). They were the elite and they could have easily found reason to stone him. Jesus did the same thing and they tried to kill him (Lk 4:28-29). God tells Joshua as the new leader of the Israelites to be strong and courageous (Dt 31:23). We have no need to fear, for God is with us. We do not even fear death because Jesus has paid the price for all our sins. Many in the early church, like Prisca and Aquila, risked their lives for the Lord. It’s hard to find Christians who are courageous. We must remember we are at war and Jesus is our Commander in Chief.
Faithful: meaning God can depend on you. Even though you’re not perfect, you can be dependable. Jesus depending on John the Baptist to baptize Him (Mt 3:13). You can be faithful by having conviction, commitment and confidence in the truth. Abraham believed God and God reckoned it to him as righteousness. When Abrahams was called to offer his precious son, he was faithful and God used him (Gen 22:10-11). The Lord doesn’t about your ability but your availability.
Has faith. John the Baptist believed the message he declared (Mt 3:1-2). Faith is refusal to panic and faith is defined by the object. For the believer, Jesus is the object of faith. We must practice faith in all circumstances. Our church needs biblical faith. If you have faith then you will never fear anything. Instead, we must be like Joshua and Caleb who had faith in what God said concerning the promised land. Everyone else was fearful and fell away. Without faith it is impossible to please God, meaning we cannot be used. It doesn’t matter how much faith you have but that you practice it (Lk 17:6).
Pure sexual life. In Luke 7:33 it says John did come eating bread or drinking wine, which shows the John the Baptist refrained from the earthly pleasures. John the Baptist had great influence and popularity, sure there were women who were attracted to him, yet he remained pure. Nowadays, the temptation is pornography and even some pastors and women get hooked. The Bible gives severe warning that the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-10). Sexual sin is more serious than other sins, it is a crime against our union with Christ.
Patient: slow to anger. In Luke 3:1-3, John the Baptist waits until the appropriate time to begin preaching and speaking out against the sins of Israel. In Jesus’ ministry, it’s hard to find times when He is angry. It’s also hard to see Apostle Paul get angry. Christians must also be patient. The Lord commands us to be patient.
Full of joy. John the Baptist exclaims his complete joy from knowing Jesus (Jn 3:29-30). John compared Jesus to the groom and himself as a joyful bride. We too, the church, are the bride of Christ. Our joy is complete in Jesus.

These are the characteristics of John the Baptist, who was strong in spirit and used by God. This is our purpose as a Christian. We can either be used by God or be used by Satan.

October 20, 2019 0

The Man God Uses – Luke 1:77-80

This passage tells more than the background of John the Baptist- it shows how John became qualified to be used by God. Every believer has been called by the Master to do the work of God. God has a specific purpose for your life, and He has allotted gifts and talents to every individual to help fulfill that purpose. It does not depend on the number of talents per se, but on how faithful you are to serve Christ with all your heart. What is our purpose? Generally, our purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus has ascended into heaven. He will come again, and like John, we are His forerunners, His heralds to lead others to Christ from wherever we are. God wants every Christian to be useful for His Kingdom, but in order to be a man God uses, you must be qualified. What are the qualifications? Based on this passage about John, we can draw three prerequisites- 1) You must spiritually grow; 2) You must be spiritually strong; and, 3) You must practice self-discipline. For this sermon, we will be delving into the first qualification.

John the Baptist continually grew both physically and spiritually over time. This is how we must grow- gradually, but continually. Many Christians fall into spiritual lethargy or laziness, which causes them to lose focus of Christ and fall into sin. Take David for instance- he was Israel’s king and warrior, but when he chose to dally around at home rather than going out to engage in warfare, he fell into the sin of adultery with Bathsheba. (2Sam 11:1-2) You must always stay vigilant in spiritual warfare, and like Paul, always take heed, lest you fall. (1Cor 10:12)

What does spiritual growth look like? In Phil 3:8 Paul provides us a picture of the heart of a man who is spiritually growing- he counts all things as loss so that he may gain Christ. Paul saw nothing good compared to knowing Christ. Do you see Christ this way? Many Christians struggle between valuing Christ plus something else. But if you would grow, you must know how to distinguish and discriminate between what is most important. If something keeps pulling you down into the world, you can not grow up into Christ. This is why it is hard for many to grow spiritually. Seek to live simply. You can not go through the narrow gate with all your clutter.

What does spiritual growth mean? Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more and more like Christ. It is growing in godliness and devotion to God, shown by action. It is a transformation of the inner man that totally affects the actions of the outer man. Are you becoming a man of obedience? In order to grow, we need Scripture. It is heresy to try to grow through any other means apart form God’s Word. Peter says to long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. Our spiritual growth depends on our appetite for the Word of God. Are you hungry for God’s Word? God supernaturally made us born again, and He fashioned us to depend on His Word. That is why when believers get far from His Word, they feels anxious and hungry. Scripture is our spiritually food and drink that we need every day.

What does it look like to grow? Spiritual growth does not mean you become perfect, but you grow in the direction of obedience. Those who are growing are in the Word, grappling with the Word, and bearing spiritual fruit as they are filled with the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Trinity, and He empowers us, enlightens us, and helps us recall the Word. He imparts joy and praise into our hearts, and He desires to control us. How can we be filled? We become filled as we are filled with the Word, meditate, and through Jesus-centered prayer.

You must have a holy ambition to be used by God. We have only one life. Our fruitfulness depends on God’s grace, but it will work through our effort.

October 13, 2019 0

Has Jesus Visited You? Part 3 – Luke 1:77-80

There’s a wonderful hymn ‘Since Jesus Came Into My Heart’ which sings of the change Jesus brings into a life. Jesus is God who visits you, and when He visits, He changes your heart and continues to change you. Just look at Apostle Paul, how he changed. Even today, Jesus is the same and doing the same thing (Heb 13:8). So where is the change? We fail to change because we add on to Jesus. We have Jesus and our old desires in our heart as well.

Jesus is the sunrise and came to shine light into the darkness and death which men live. To live in the light of Christ means seeing things through the lens of God (2 Cor 12:9-10). Sometimes our heart struggles and unbelief takes over God’s word (Mark 9:23-24). Jesus visits you individually, and the full power of the gospel is given when Jesus comes into your heart.

To guide our feet into the path of peace
Jesus also came to guide. Augustine once said God made us for Himself and our hearts are restless until it finds rest in God. Jesus is the one who guides our hearts to peace. Since the fall of man in Adam’s sin, man has lost his God given attributes such as love, joy and peace. Men even fight in the womb (Gen 25:22-23). There’s no peace between man and because of sin men do not have peace with God. Jesus came to lead us into peace with God.

In Psalm 42:5 the psalmist laments his soul and finds no peace within. As sinners, man cannot have peace with God. In fact, as said in Romans 5:2 without faith, there is no access to God. Access to God is crucial. Martyn Lloyd Jones explains that without access, our prayers cannot be answered (John 9:31).But God is merciful, and in Jesus we obtain peace with God and by His grace and mercy, access to Him (Heb 4:12).

Without peace with God we cannot have any peace of God. Peace with God is the cause, the peace of God is the result (Ro 8:31-34, Phil 4:5-7). With the peace of God, even when times are hard, whatever happens, you can be joyful and confident because you have peace with God. That is true peace of God.

We need peace but we cannot obtain it. Romans 8:7 says we are hostile towards God. Hostility is not atheism or persecuting Christians. Hostility usually takes the form of indifference. When people don’t care at all is when people are hostile, it is unbelief (John 3:18). It is an improper relationship with Jesus the Son of God, where they do not know Him. Those who do know God, God knew them, going back to the beginning, they are His elect. How amazing.

True peace looks like the father embracing his prodigal son and placing the robe, the ring and sandals on him. The father doesn’t hold back but brings forth everything good. In the same way, God gives His son Jesus to those who repent. He doesn’t make us wash up first. Though we are dirty and sinful, if we humble ourselves and repent, God embraces us.

It is Jesus alone who brings down peace with God for us. Man is unable to create peace. How can they, when they are full of self. Any attempt at peace is temporary. History is full of failed attempts at lasting peace. Man has no fear of God and no peace with God. Jesus came to bring true peace (Lk 2:14). God has visited his people and brings peace wherever He visits (Luke 7:16).

Do not resist Jesus Christ in your heart. He must be your Lord for there to be peace. Follow the example of Daniel’s three friends, who had the peace of God when faced with trial, no matter the outcome (Dan 3:17-18). Recognize that God is the Creator and the Lord of everything.

Peace with God is reconciliation, meaning God has forgiven you. Propitiation precedes reconciliation. It is the work of Christ on the cross which propitiated God’s holy wrath, so that we might be reconciled to God (Rom 5:1,9-10, 2 Cor 5:21). The love of God forgives our sins through the propitiation of Jesus Christ, bring peace and reconciling God and man.

How does Jesus guide? He calls His sheep by name, like He called out to Saul on the road to Damascus (John 10:3, Acts 9:4) Jesus calls you by the gospel, which comes in power and the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:5). Those whom He calls, must turn from their idols and turn to the true and loving God. This is the response of those who have peace with God. (1 Thess 1:9).

Signs of Peace
There are some signs of a false peace with God. A self-reliance, a skewed focus on forgiveness (antinomian), a light view of sin, and a lack of conviction from God’s word. There are true signs of peace with God. Serious about life because it is a new life in Christ, a humility giving glory to God and growing in faith.

Conclusion
To sustain our peace with God, to continue to walk in the light, there is one thing we must do. Preach the gospel to yourself. Jerry Bridges reminds us to face our sinfulness and then flee to Jesus in faith for the forgiveness of our sins. We must deal with our sin and it is through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we obtain peace with God. Practice the gospel in your life, and there will be peace.

October 6, 2019 0

Has Jesus Visited You? Part 2 – Luke 1:77-80

The last portion of Zacharias’ prophecy is all about Jesus. In God’s mercy, He has sent the “sunrise,” who is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. God provided what man has needed the most- salvation. Zacharias’ prophecy tells us the two purposes of Jesus’ visitation: 1) to shine upon those who sit in darkness, and 2) to guide our feet in the way of peace.

When Jesus visits your heart, there is light. This light is revelatory and sudden. We never expected to be saved, but just like the prodigal son who in a moment realized he could return to his father, we too saw the salvation of God as He shined the light of Jesus into our hearts. Jesus is the light. Nothing can be hidden from Him. He reveals God Himself to us, because He is God. Jesus is the only true light- the very source of light. All things come from Him, and without Him nothing has been made that was made. Wherever Jesus visited during His ministry on earth, there were miracles, salvation, and life that came with Him. Likewise, when Jesus visits the heart of a man, something truly remarkable happens- he is left with the nature of God.

Why does Jesus need to visit us?
Zacharias describes man as those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. To “sit” in this context implies a sad and hopeless state. It is a spiritual tragedy that is aptly illustrated by the lame beggar who needed to be carried. We were sitting in sin with no desire nor power to move from our hopeless state. In other words, we were sitting in total depravity. Total depravity does not mean that we live in the most evil way we possibly could. God by His grace restrains us from falling into acts of the most heinous sins that our hearts are capable of. Nor does it mean that man has no ability of discerning right from wrong, or of doing any good. Total depravity means that the corruption we inherited from Adam has affected every aspect of our nature. It is the internal corruption of our whole being. None is righteous, no, not one. In our total depravity, we can do nothing to please God. Good deeds of unbelievers can never please God because they never proceed from faith. This is the bottom line- men are totally depraved because they don’t do anything out of faith in Jesus Christ.

You must understand your total depravity to be able to see the good of Jesus’ visitation. The moment you believe you have something good you can offer to God, your salvation is powerless. We are saved out of self- self-righteousness, self-dependence, self-aggrandizement. Salvation is not self-generated. We were sitting in darkness since we were born- in ignorance, in sin, and in eternal misery. The darkness is powerful. We were spiritually blind, enslaved by Satan and the world. But when Jesus visits, there is a total transformation. We become children of light. We put truth above everything, and no matter what we lose, we choose Christ because He is the truth.

Our salvation is not abstract or impractical. It must directly affect every part of our lives every day- our marriages, our businesses, our relationships.

How do you know you are no longer in the shadow of death?

You have a different authority. Your authority is no longer your emotions or Satan. It is God and His Word alone.
You love God above anything else, therefore you obey Him. Obedience is the hallmark of salvation. You also love others because of the love of God in your heart.
You have no addictions or enslavement to sin. You are free to serve Christ alone.

Jesus visited us to shine upon us who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. By God’s mercy, we now live in the light. This is the gospel.

September 29, 2019 0

Has Jesus Visited You? – Luke 1:77-80

The dominant theme of Zacharias’ prophecy is God’s God’s salvation. Even though man is a sinner in a hopeless pit, by God’s mercy, there is hope of forgiveness.

The role and purpose of Jesus Christ to rescue and guide sinners to salvation. In this world of chaos and turmoil, men seek harmful and wicked methods to try to escape, such as drugs or alcohol, but Jesus guides the lost to peace. True peace can only be found in Jesus.

To correctly enjoy our salvation, we must know the basis of our salvation. First, we are not saved by our works. Man is unable to save himself and instead must repent. We repent and are saved because of the tender mercy of God. It is God’s mercy that brings Christ to the sinner. Without the mercy of God, men cannot be saved. It is mercy which brings joy, thankfulness, faith, humility and hope. By God’s mercy, we surrender to Christ and live.

Examine yourself. By the Holy Spirit, you will realize that you are a traitor and murderer of Christ (Acts 2:46). This is an important step which many skip and eventually apostate. You must realize your hopelessness as a sinner to know God’s mercy.

Tender mercy
This mercy is shown by bearing our sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). He died in our place so that we might also die to sin. We are given grace instead of the just punishment we deserve. Not just on the cross, but God is showing His great kindness and compassion continually (Jer 25:22).

Why don’t we experience His mercy abundantly? Why does Christ seem inactive in our lives? Wherever God’s mercy is, Christ is so we should be different. Jeremiah helps us understand that even through difficult times and unfruitful ministry surrounded by wicked people, God’s mercy never fails (Lam 3:22-23). To experience God’s mercy we must fear Him (Luke 1:50). Like Mary who was in danger as a woman with a child out of wedlock, or the tax collector beating his breast and bowing his head, we must fear God and be humble, to be forgiven and exalted (Mt 21:31-32).

Here it says, not just mercy, but tender mercy. The word tender has to do with the bowels, from the inside. It’s like saying, ‘from the bottom of my heart’, which emphasizes the genuineness and affection of God’s mercy (Phil 1:8). God’s mercy is tender because sin is harsh and brutal. To overcome the astounding power of sin, God’s mercy must be deeper and greater, it must be tender. Our sin is extremely wicked, we are not better than rapists or sex traffickers. Apostle Paul understood his sin (1 Cor 15:9-10). Not only is our sin great, but continuous. Until we die, we sin. God’s mercy even outworks our sin. In addition to our forgiveness, God’s mercy also disciplines and helps our sanctification (Phil 1:6). His mercy is truly tender, complete in it’s reconciling us to Him.

The sunrise from on high will visit us
Jesus is the sunrise who visited. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus (John 1:27). Jeremiah told of Jesus’ coming. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah (Lk 4:18-21).

He is the sunrise from on high, from heaven. Jesus is the preexistent, second person of the Trinity, who was with the Father, and Creator. There is no one else like Jesus who came from on high. He came to solve our greatest problem of sin. If Christ had not come, then the angel of death would have come, bringing judgement and hell. Instead, Jesus came to save and to bestow God’s amazing mercy.

To visit means to examine with your eye. Visiting means God came in person to save the world. (Jn 3:17). It is a close and personal visitation, not carried out from a distance, but directly. This is our only chance to be saved. The next time Jesus comes it will be in judgement. But right now, by the mercy of God, Jesus has visited you. Have you born fruit? Are you like the church in Antioch, where they were first called Christians? They are an example of how people change when God visits them (Acts 11:24-26). Today, we must bear the fruit of God’s mercy. This is an urgent charge. To not change is dangerous. Steve Lawson puts it, ‘If Jesus has not changed your life, the Jesus you met was another Jesus’. It is a matter of genuine salvation

How to change
Jesus says in Matthew 18:1-4, that to enter the kingdom of heaven, one must become like a child. You must depend on God’s mercy like a child. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep (John 10:27-28). He visits His sheep, shows mercy to them. The sheep hear his voice and follow Him. By God’s mercy, we hear God’s message of salvation, and we follow Him.

September 22, 2019 0

Do You Have the Knowledge of Salvation? Part 3 – Luke 1:77-80

How can you have the knowledge of salvation? The knowledge of salvation comes through the forgiveness of sins. God’s forgiveness is the foundation of the knowledge of salvation, and only those who have experienced God’s mercy know the power of the gospel. Forgiveness can not be bought or earned by works. Followers of every other religion in the world labor to have the knowledge of salvation, but the Bible tells us salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. He causes us to repent of our unbelief and gives us saving faith in Jesus. God completely wipes out our sins- past, present, future- and He sets us apart from the power of sin, even as we still live in its presence. He considers us justified and perfectly righteous in Christ, and through adoption as sons, we can call out to Him any time and anywhere because He is our Father in heaven. (Mic 7:18-19)

God’s forgiveness is present and complete because Jesus paid it all by His blood. We can be assured that no word can be spoken against us, because there is no higher authority than God’s Word. The Bible says Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our sins. God calls us to turn to Jesus for forgiveness, and He promises to forgive us. This is the love of God. He came to us not to judge, but to save, to give hope, and to show the way to eternal life. You don’t need to be a Bible erudite to have the knowledge of salvation. You simply need to know that Jesus died and rose again for you. (Heb 9:22; Eph 1:7)

God’s forgiveness is an objective fact. Many believers sometimes doubt their salvation because they don’t feel saved. Thankfully, God’s salvation doesn’t depend on your subjective feelings, but on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. Those who have repented can rest their souls on the objective truth of God’s forgiveness in the gospel.

Forgiveness is not a light matter. For one, God is holy, and He can not compromise His holiness by simply forgiving sinners. He had to humble Himself by coming to the world as a man, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man, because He is wholly God and wholly man. We must not take forgiveness lightly also because sin is powerful. We were all under the bondage of sin that leads every man to hell. But God delivered us from this bondage and He calls us to forsake sin and self. In Christ, we now bear the fruit of forgiveness because God has removed our guilt and has given us a new heart. We are temples of God, and His Spirit dwells in us, causing us to bear the fruit of forgiveness.

What is the fruit of forgiveness?

– Trusting in the Lord for forgiveness. We know we have nothing to offer to God to be forgiven, and we rest on God’s grace.

– Desiring to get nearer to God. God is no longer wrathful towards us, but He draws us near with His love.

– Forgiving others. Those who are forgiven are quick to forgive.

– Desiring to serve. Not to pay a debt, but because we love Him who forgave us.

Today is the day of forgiveness. This is the gospel, and we are able to experience it every day because God is with us. If you have this, you have the knowledge of salvation.

September 15, 2019 0

Do You Have the Knowledge of Salvation? Part 2 – Luke 1:76-80

Not all knowledge is equal. During the “Dark Ages”, which was not actually a time of ignorance, theology was the highest study and the study of theology led to the advancements in society such as grammar and writing. The Bible was the source of all truth and influenced every aspect of life. Then history moved away from God’s word. The point is that not all knowledge is equal, and there is a certain knowledge that is most necessary and most significant, the knowledge of salvation. Without the knowledge of salvation a man is doomed. (Mt 16:26)

The knowledge of found is found in Jesus Christ and has three attributes.

Personal meaning it is a relational knowledge of Jesus Christ, intimate and specific.
Experiential which means salvation is experienced and practical, leading to the sharing with others (Jn 15:21,24; 1 Peter 1:8)
Privileged because Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, the Most High, the Righteous One dwells in every single Christian. (Jn 17:23, Gal 2:20) We carry treasure in clay jars. What a privilege!

The necessity of the knowledge of salvation
In Hebrews 9:27 it says that the fate of every person is to die and face judgement. One day, you and I will face judgement and so we must know the gospel of Jesus Christ, the free gift of God (Rom 6:23). We mistakenly associate free with cheap. Salvation is not cheap, it is priceless and unattainable outside the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way one to escape judgement and most necessary.

If you don’t have the realization of your need of Christ and have not yet truly experienced the grace of salvation, then you must pray! This is your most urgent and dire need! Do not casually pass by the words of God in these verses without being convicted. Jesus must be Lord in your life, which is the receiving and evidence of salvation. (Col 2:6-7)

How can you obtain the knowledge of salvation? We learn this from John the Baptist, who is the herald of Jesus the Messiah. This was John’s purpose in life, to prepare the way and give the knowledge of salvation. (Lk 1:76-77, Mt 3:11) The knowledge of salvation is in John’s message. First, you are a sinner in need of saving (Lk 3:4-9), therefore repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 3:2)

Repentance
There is no salvation without repentance. However, the act of repentance itself is not important. Many people repent, that is to say they do the actions of repentance, but repentance itself is not salvation. What turns repentance into salvation is the recognition and receiving by God. Many people claim to repent but their lives have not changed. True repentance is God’s gift.

Our filthiness (Is 64:6) is the reason we should fervently repent. Yet we see no change of life, no transformation, no newness because we fail to repent as God intended. The king of Nineveh forsook his royal robes and repented in sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3:5-6). He gave up his lofty title to become as nothing. True repentance is ready to be humiliated, to be despised, to rid yourself of self (Is 1:16). The wicked king of Israel, Manasseh, humbled himself and repented and his prayers reached the Lord. The Lord received Manasseh’s repentance and Manasseh was changed (2 Chr 33:12-16).

Repentance is complete change of mind, a conversion in understanding. Sin that was once desired is now hated. Pride becomes humility. There might be happiness or victory everyday, but repentance means we know how to turn back to Jesus our salvation. This is what repentance looks like, receiving the Lord’s correction and being humbled.

Conclusion
By God’s supernatural power repentance results in saving faith. A person is changed when God shows pours His loving grace upon a repenting sinner. In Acts 2, the apostle Peter accuses the people of intentionally murdering Jesus the Son of God. God’s word pierced their hearts and they responded, “What shall we do?” The people asked this question, because they were hopeless. They realized everything that they had put their faith had led them to their doom. Their religion had failed, they were doomed. “Repent and be baptized” is the solution given by Peter. In other words, turn away from your sin, humble yourself before the Lord and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior for eternal life. Agreeing with the Bible does not mean salvation! To repent and believe is not mere words, but to trust and depend on God.

September 8, 2019 0