JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER OF THE ONE WHO HAS FAITH IN JESUS. – ROMANS 3:26
Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Conscience no longer accuses. Judgment now decides for the sinner instead of against him. Memory looks back upon past sins with deep sorrow for the sin, but yet without dreading any penalty to come; for Christ has paid the debt of His people to the last jot and tittle and received the divine receipt. Unless God can be so unjust as to demand double payment for one debt, no soul for whom Jesus died as a substitute can ever be cast into hell. It seems to be one of the principles of our enlightened nature to believe that God is just; we feel that it must be so, and this terrifies us at first. But is it not marvelous that this very same belief that God is just later becomes the pillar of our confidence and peace! If God is just, I, a sinner, alone and without a substitute, must be punished. But Jesus stands in my place and is punished for me; and now, if God is just, I, a sinner, standing in Christ, can never be punished. God must change His nature before one soul for whom Jesus was a substitute can ever by any possibility suffer the punishment of the law. Therefore, Jesus having taken the place of the believer—having rendered a full equivalent to divine wrath for all that His people ought to have suffered as the result of sin—the believer can shout with glorious triumph, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?”‘ Not God, for He has justified; not Christ, for He has died, yes, has risen again. My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, He is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!
Archive for the Salvation Category
Spurgeon on the Substitutionary Atonement
Posted in Atonement, Salvation, Sin with tags God's Justice, Justification on September 25, 2009 by HarryHow Do We Know If We Are Saved?
Posted in Reformed, Salvation with tags Assurance on August 17, 2009 by Harry- Paul Washer From Biblical Assurance, part 3a
- One of the problems in Evangelical community today is our weak gospel
- We are not saved by repeating a prayer
- At conversion, we become a new creature
- If we profess to know Christ, in order to know that our profession is true, Paul tells us to test ourselves
- We cannot say “In my heart I know I am saved” for our hearts are desperately wicked
- Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked . . . ?
- We also cannot say “I think I am saved”
- Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
- 1 John is the text
- The Gospel of John was written so that by hearing it may come to profess that Jesus is the saviour of the world and that they may have eternal life
- This epistle of John was written so that those who profess in Christ might know if that profession is true
- If it doesn’t look like a Christian, if it doesn’t talk like a Christian, if it doesn’t act like a Christian – it is not a Christian – we do not need to look in the heart
- The whole concept of “you can’t judge a book by its cover” is not in the gospels of Jesus Christ, in fact Jesus said the opposite “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16)
- This is not a minor test
- Does our life demonstrate that we know the Lord?
1 Timothy 2:4
Posted in 1 Timothy, Atonement, Reformed, Salvation, Will - God's with tags Elect on July 8, 2009 by Harry
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Reformation Study Bible notes:
- This does not mean that God sovereignly wills every human being to be saved
- It may refer to God’s general benevolence in that he takes no delight in the death of the wicked, or it may mean that God wills all types of people to be saved (i.e., God does not exclude certain types of people from election to salvation
- see God’s will
2 Peter 3:9
Posted in 2 Peter, Salvation, Will - God's on June 16, 2009 by Harry
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
- Ask RC – The Sovereignty of God; 2007 Regional Conference Charlotte, NC
- Not wishing reflects God’s decretive or sovereign will
- The key to the text is the word “any”
- Who are any? – look at the antecedent and it is clear that “any” is the elect
- God’s will
Alistair Begg – God demands perfection
Posted in Atonement, Holiness of God, Salvation on June 8, 2009 by Harry- From “On the basis of love, part A” – a study from Philemon
- There are two reasons people stay away from Jesus on the cross
- they are too good to need him
- a Christ who bears sin is an obsolete idea
- they think they are so bad that he can never cope with him
- they are too good to need him
- Unlike any other religion of the world which either creates in our minds pride – whereby we are doing everything we should or despair whereby we cannot do what we ought to do, Christianity deals with both our pride and our despair
- those of us who think we are doing marvelously well run right up against the requirement of absolute perfection
- The standard for entry into heaven is absolute perfection
- Only one has kept God’s law in its totality – Jesus and unless we are placed into Jesus and credited with all he has done in keeping God’s law then we have no place before God
- “bearing shame and scoffing rude in the sinner’s place condemned he stood” taking all the punishment my sin deserves so that I may be accepted before the father
Alistair Begg on Salvation and the Gospel
Posted in Salvation, Total Depravity on June 8, 2009 by Harry- From “On the basis of love, part A” – a study from Philemon
- By nature we are not anywhere close to Jesus despite our superficial interest in Him, our knowledge of Him, or awareness of truth in the bible – by our nature we are blind to the truth that is conveyed in Jesus – we are dead in our trespasses and our sins, we are unable to do anything to rectify those circumstances
- Unless the gospel is the good news of Jesus doing something for us that we are unable to do for ourselves – but that is what it is
- The righteousness of Jesus is credited to the account of the sinner, on the basis of the fact that the penalty due to the sinner has been born by Jesus on the cross
Alistair Begg on Luke 23:32-43
Posted in Luke, Regeneration, Salvation with tags Religion on June 7, 2009 by Harry32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
- There are two main themes of the first part of his sermon “A Prayer and A Promise, Part B” : Salvation and Religion
- Salvation
- Both thieves hear the same thing, but each respond differently
- The regeneration of the thief is a mystery of God
- Religion
- Religion makes people confident in themselves
- Religion makes people stand up on chairs and makes them look down on everyone else
- Religion thinks God responds positively to people when they do good stuff
- Religion thinks God owes us something for the good we have done
Alistair Begg on Human Nature
Posted in Salvation, Total Depravity with tags Human Nature on June 7, 2009 by Harry- From “The Sound of Silence”
- Every aspect of human nature is inadequate
- Nothing but divine revelation can make us wise for salvation, can make Jesus known to us, and can draw us near to Christ.
Alistair Begg – In the Search of Meaning
Posted in Salvation with tags Foolishness, Wisdom on May 31, 2009 by Harry
Alistair Begg from “In Search of Meaning, part B”:
- “Foolishness, when the Bible speaks about it, does not have to do with mental faculty, it has to do with moral rebellion”
Lord Jesus Christ, I am so foolish, give me your wisdom to see and follow your truth.
Lord Jesus Christ I am so full of guilt and have no peace, but you have died to bring forgiveness and the assurance of pardon
I trust you to be my saviour and by your grace turn away from my sin.
Lord Jesus Christ I am weak and ruled by sin, give me your power and rule in my heart and take charge of my whole life.
Posted in Dependence, Salvation with tags Legalism on May 23, 2009 by Harry
THE LORD WILL FULFILL HIS PURPOSE FOR ME. – PSALM 138:8
It is clear that the confidence that the psalmist expresses is a divine confidence. He did not say, “I have enough grace to perfect that which concerns me—my faith is so steady that it will not falter—my love is so warm that it will never grow cold—my resolution is so firm that nothing can move it.” No, his dependence was on the Lord alone. If we display a confidence that is not grounded on the Rock of ages, our confidence is worse than a dream; it will fall upon us and cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow and confusion. The psalmist was wise; he rested on nothing less than the Lord’s work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is He who has carried it on; and if He does not finish it, it never will be completed. If there is one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness that we must insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence—what the Lord begins, He completes. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Unbelief insinuates: “You will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart—you can never conquer sin; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world that beset you—you will be certainly allured by them and led astray.” True, we would certainly perish if left to our own strength. If by ourselves we navigate the most frail vessels of our lives over so rough a sea, we might well give up the voyage in despair; but thanks be to God, He will complete that which concerns us and bring us to the desired haven. We can never be too confident when we confide in Him alone, and never too eager to have such a trust.
Spurgeon Morning and Evening May 15th a.m.
Posted in Salvation with tags Justification on May 15, 2009 by HarryEVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IS FREED FROM EVERYTHING [JUSTIFIED, KJV].
- ACTS 13:38
The believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce this fruit later on, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith, it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ and accepts Him as its all in all. Are those who stand before the throne of God justified now? So are we as certainly and as clearly justified as those who have entered into the portals of heaven. The thief upon the cross was justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, at the end of his life, after years of service, was not more justified than the thief who had no service at all. We are today accepted in the Beloved, today absolved from sin, today acquitted at the bar of God’s judgment. What a soul-stirring thought! There are some benefits that we will not be able to enjoy until we enter heaven; but this is our immediate possession. This is not like the corn of the land, which we can never eat until we cross the Jordan; but this is part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with which God supplies us in all our comings and goings. We are now—even now—pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”‘ There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dares to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor anything remaining upon any one believer in this matter of being justified in the sight of the Judge of all the earth. Let our present privileges awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus.
R.C. Sproul on Salvation, Justification, Works, Antinomianism
Posted in Salvation, Video, Works with tags Antinomianism, Justification on April 23, 2009 by HarryReward, Judgement
Posted in Judgement, Salvation with tags Justification on March 29, 2009 by Harry1 Cor 3:14-15
14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, a he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, b but only as through fire.
From ESV Study Notes:
- See also v. 8 and 4:4–5.
- Although those who have believed in Jesus have already been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and will not face condemnation on the final day (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1, 33), God will still judge their works (Rom. 14:10–12; 2 Cor. 5:10) and reward them accordingly (Matt. 6:1–6, 16, 18; 10:41–42).
- Paul’s point applies not just to church leaders but to anyone who contributes in any way to building up the church (1 Cor. 12:7, 12–31; 14:12).
Romans 8:30 Justification, Glorification ****
Posted in Romans, Salvation with tags Glorification, Justification, Predestination on March 13, 2009 by HarryRomans 8:30 “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
- The chain that begins with the word “foreknew” in v. 29 cannot be broken
- Those who are predestined by God are also called effectively to faith through the gospel (see 2 Thess. 2:14)
- And all those who are called are also justified (declared to be right in God’s sight)
- Because not all who are invited to believe are actually justified, the “calling” here cannot refer to merely a general invitation but must refer to an effective call that creates the faith necessary for justification (Rom. 5:1)
- All those who are justified will also be glorified (receive resurrection bodies) on the last day
- Paul speaks of glorification as if it were already completed, since God will certainly finish the good work he started (cf. Phil. 1:6).
- Faithful are predestined, Called, Justified, Glorified
Justification: declared to be right in God’s sight
Glorification: receive resurrected bodies
TFL: Christian Faith, What Is It, Who Needs It" Part A **** Part B ******
Posted in * Favorites, Salvation, Will - Our on August 19, 2008 by Harry- 16:00 In a universe where we are used to earning everything, it is not good news to hear we cannot earn our salvation
- We will never know Jesus as a reality until we know Him as a necessity
TFL: "Public Prayer – Its Importance and Scope" *****
Posted in * Favorites, Bible, Salvation, Theology on July 4, 2008 by Harry- Do not demonstrate with signs – pray
- Big “T” and small “F”
- F = framework and T =text
- All of us have some kind of framework from which we come to the bible
- We have to have some kind of system of theology
- We understand it in a trinitarian fashion: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Jesus was predicted in the OT and revealed in the gospels
- But when we move beyond that to systems of theology which are the extrapolations of the best of men and we the seek to make our big “F” squeeze this “T” into submission we put ourselves in real danger
- That’s why we need to approach the bible with a big “T” and little “F”, in other words we have to bring our framework underneath the text
- God desires the salvation of all but He has not decreed this or else all would be saved, but not all our saved
- Therefore there is a difference between what God desires and what He decrees
LTW: "Overcoming Timidity, Part 2" not archived
Posted in Giving, Grace, Law, Salvation on January 30, 2008 by Harry- 10 Commandments are not there to save us
- They are there to drive us to God
- They are to remind us that we are desperate for the grace of God
- As long as a person thinks they are good enough or do enough, they will never be saved
TFL:”Believing” ***
Posted in Holy Spirit, Salvation, Sin with tags Foundation, Knowledge on January 12, 2008 by Harry- Christian Basics
- Become
- Believe
- Behave
- Belong
- Intellect is not the key to learning Christian doctrine, obedience is the key to learning Christian doctrine
- Left off at 29:11
Foundations Of Being A Christian:
- Doctrine of the Trinity
- Sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption, and final judgment
- Divine inspiration of scripture, its infallibility as originally given
- Scripture’s sole authority and complete sufficiency in all matters of faith and conduct
- Universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the fall rendering men and women subject to God’s wrath and condemnation
- Redemption from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin only through the sacrificial death as our representative substitute of Jesus Christ, the incarnate son of God
- Doctrine of substitutionary atonement
- He died in our place
- He bears in himself all that we deserve
- Resurrection of Jesus from the dead
- Not a resurrection in the minds of people
- Not a resurrection in the spirits of His apostles
- But a literal, physical resurrection from the dead
- The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Jesus effective to the individual sinner granting him repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ
- The indwelling work of the Holy Spirit in the believer
- One holy universal church which is the body of Christ and to which all true believers belong
- Expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and in glory
TFL: “Becoming A Christian” ***
Posted in Holy Spirit, Salvation, Sin with tags Foundation on January 6, 2008 by Harry- Christian Basics
- Become
- Believe
- Behave
- Belong
- Leprosy is used in both the NT and OT as an allegory of man’s sinful nature
- The predicament is that we are all sinners
- We suffer from leprosy of sin which spoils our souls
- We are all sinners
- Filled with resentment, pride, disappointment, regret, etc.
- Becoming a Christian in trusting that what Jesus did on the cross is the only way to salvation will involve 3 elements
1. Acknowledging we are helpless and cannot rely on our own righteousness
Basically 2 religious systems in the world
Find your own righteousness
We have no righteousness
2. Believing Jesus has died and provided this gift of righteousness
3. We must cast ourselves upon His mercy - Because we are by nature unrighteous and sinful and wanting to trust in God it is going to take a miracle
- The voice of God comes knocking at the heart; it may be a preacher, friend, etc, and then the Holy Spirit unlocks our hearts
LTW: "Everlasting Father, Part 2" not archived
Posted in Salvation, Will - God's, Will - Our on December 20, 2007 by Harry- People say that Christians are narrow minded in that Christ is the only way to be saved
- These people want to come to God on their terms, not God’s
