Gospel Articles Archive

Grace or Works?

Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then id it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Is the whole of our salvation accomplished by the finished work of our Holy Substitute? Or, is there something else that man can do to make himself more fit, qualified, holy, or otherwise more acceptable in the sight of God? Can man establish his righteousness more securely by his supposed performance of the law? Or, is the righteousness of Christ our all and only means of acceptance before a Holy God? The message of free and sovereign grace is an offense to men’s pride because they refuse to admit that they are totally incapable of doing anything good (Rom. 3:10-12). Men, refusing to find their satisfaction in the righteousness of Christ, go about to establish their own righteousness (Rom. 10:3). Though they often succeed in impressing other men, most especially themselves, God is worse than not impressed. He is infinitely offended by their attempt to rob Christ of His glory.

God says works and grace are mutually exclusive. Grace by definition means the total absence of works. Once you introduce works into grace you no longer have grace but only works. A little bit of leaven leavens the whole lump. You can not mix works and grace any more than you can mix oil and water. Regardless of how hard you shake the bottle the heavier water gravitates to the bottom and the lighter oil to the top. So it is with works and grace. The living water of God’s grace will be completely covered by the oil of man’s works, so that if one attempts to find refreshment from that glass they will ingest nothing but sickening oil. Not only will it not satisfy, it will cause them to loose even what they have.

How do I choose a "church"?

With a religious meeting house on most literally every corner, how does one choose which to attend? The answer to this question will be determined by our reason for attending church in the first place. Many choose the church (I use that word very loosely) that provides the most interesting and entertaining programs for their family. Much like you might choose a health club or a sporting event. Others choose a church because it is consistent with what they have always known; the same denomination, style of services, and familiar surroundings. Really, this is no more a choice than we have in choosing a family. We are just stuck with what we have. Some choose the church to closest to where they live. This is a good reason to choose a convenience store, but do associate with a church for convenience? Many are looking for that subjective “good feeling”. They can’t put their finger on anything specific except to sy, ‘I’ll know when it feels right’. This may be a good way to decide on a flavor of ice cream but does it really work in finding a church? Most, they tell us, go to the place where they know and feel comfortable with another person or persons. This sort of “fellowship” makes for a nice civic club, but is it the criteria one should use in associating with the place that is to care for their soul? Finally, many choose a church because the charismatic delivery of the preacher keeps them awake. One can not but wonder if the apostle Paul whose ‘bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible’, would have any success at all in pastoring today.

Well, the answer to the question; ‘why do I go to church?’ is inseparably linked to what I see the purpose of the church to be. If the church’s reason for existence is to serve man, then all these reasons are very valid. If, on the other hand, the true church exists to serve God and His purposes, then we best look to God’s word to see what He says about His church. Paul sums up the true church when he says to Timothy; “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth”. I Tim. 3:15 We would do no violence to the word of God by paraphrasing this verse to read; the true church is the place where the living God meets with His called out ones who hold up, on firm ground, the person and work of Christ Jesus the Lord. There is only one question to ask to determine if the church I am attending is the right church. Is the Christ of scripture being fully preached, worshipped, and followed? Many men lie about our Lord by saying things of Him that are not true. Others lie about Him by not saying things that are true. If Christ is fully preached, the content of truth will be preferred over delivery, sweet and satisfying fellowship will be in Him, the joy will be incomparable to all entertainment, the consistency of scripture will be far superior to that of my past experiences, and no distance or barrier will be too great an obstacle. To get the right answer you must ask the right question. Choose carefully!

Don't Believe it, He's not there

The twenty-forth Chapter of Matthew has been the source of much speculation by men trying to predict the time of the Lord’s return. The tragic irony is that most of the discussion and debate has been by the very ones our Lord was warning us to avoid. Right in the middle of this glorious prophecy is a description of the “false christs” and “false prophets”. In verse twenty-six, the Lord said, “if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth, behold he is in the secret chambers; believe it not”. Here is the standard of measure we can use to try the spirits. All false gospels declare Christ to be either in the desert or in the secret chambers. Don’t believe it. He will not be found in the desert of law keeping, the arid landscape of ceremony, or the dry lifeless soil of free-will. Nor will He be found in the secret chambers of higher knowledge, deeper life, or an “anointed” charismatic experience. No, when our Lord returns it will be just like when He comes to one of His elect in salvation. The very next verse says, “like the lightening coming out of the east and shining to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” He comes suddenly, sovereignly, and surely. Look for Him in His free, sovereign, simple gospel of accomplished substitution and full satisfaction. That is the only place He will be found, and He will be found there.

Unconditional Love

“God is love” I John 4:8. He defines love. He is the source of all true love. Any ‘love’ that is inconsistent with His love is no love at all. So, where did man get the notion of “unconditional love”? Well, obviously from his perverted view of God. For the God that is, knows nothing of unconditional love. Our God loves Righteousness and hates iniquity, Heb. 1:9. The Lord loves The Righteous, Ps. 147:8. There is one huge condition on God’s love…Absolute Perfect Righteousness. To say God loves anything or anyone else is to blaspheme His Holiness. The Lord Jesus Christ (and by imputation those that are in Him), is the only object of God’s love. ‘…the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ Rom. 8:39. Those who talk of unconditional love deny God’s glory in salvation by denying the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The essence of His nature (Righteousness), and the purpose of HIS death (Substitution and Satisfaction), was so that God’s condition for love would be met. Mark it down, those who talk of unconditional love do so to cover up and excuse their own sin. It may fool men but God is still angry. And what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of an angry God.

Not even an accusation

Suppose you had to stand as a defendant before a judge whose responsibility it was to enforce the law. You would hire the best advocate you could afford. Suppose you were guilty without any defense. You would plead for the courts mercy. Now, suppose you were an habitual offender that had committed nothing but crimes that were all so heinous they were punishable only by death. And, suppose the prosecutor, who had never lost a case, had such irrefutable evidence against you that your attorney could not so much as cross examine the witnesses. Add to that a judge who was well known for always exacting perfect justice. One who by no means would clear the guilty.

Though men rarely see themselves ever having committed a crime punishable by death, and though they rarely see the Judge of the universe as perfectly just to His law and Holy in His character, this is in fact where all sons of Adam are. Is there any hope? Can God be just and justify sinners at the same time?

Well, suppose the Judge himself willingly became the defendant. Suppose He came down from His lofty and rightful place of honor and took on Himself the very guilt and punishment of your crime. Then, after having satisfied all the demands of His perfect law He ascended back to His majestic throne of justice to stand as your Advocate. What cause would be so desperate, in which such an Advocate, if He will plead, will not prevail? What rightful claim would the law have against you now?

Poor sinner, admit your guilt. And rather than presuming upon the benevolent mercy of a consenting god, trust in the righteousness of a substituting Saviour; the only One in Whom the Judge of the universe is satisfied.

Guilty but Forgiven

"Blood and Water"

John 19:33-34 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

God in His providence, would not allow any of the bones of His sinless Son to be broken. It was pictured in the Pascal Lamb (Num. 9:12) and prophesied in the Psalms (Ps. 34:20). There must be no doubt among us that Christ is not divided; nor can He be, or will He be, received in part. Our only hope for holiness before a righteous God is the whole sacrifice of the spotless Lamb.

There is another reason God would not allow the legs of Christ to be broken. The miracle of blood and water from the side of Christ must be accomplished to further testify the purpose for which our Lord died. The wicked act of this frustrated soldier was planned and used of God to publicly declare an accomplished redemption. God requires an atonement of precious blood, innocent blood, to justify guilty sinners and satisfy the demands of His holy law. From the innocent animal that God Himself slew in the garden to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness, all the way through the history of His people, the shedding of sacrificial blood was given to picture what was now once and for all accomplished by Christ upon the cross. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. But with it; oh, with it…, there is now no condemnation. None! Glory to God for His unspeakable gift.

What about the water? Man is not only in need of atonement and justification but he is also in need of holiness. Without holiness no man will see God. We must be cleansed from the filth that defiles us. We must be sanctified in the sight of a holy God for His eyes are too pure to look upon sin. Some would tell us that we go to the blood of Christ for our justification and then to the law and our good works for sanctification. The flow of blood and water from our Lord’s side tells us that we go to Christ for both. Everything we need is found in the person and work of Christ Jesus (I Cor. 1:30).

The Lord Jesus likened spiritual birth to physical birth when he said to Nicodemus, “you must be born again”. What is present at the birth of a baby? Lots of blood and lots of water. From our entrance into this world as the sons of Adam, we are told of our need to be justified and sanctified. From the. testimony of our Lord’s pierced side we are told…”It is finished”.

God's High Priest

Some time ago I spoke to a man who told me he was a member of the “Order of Melchizedek”. He seemed to be very proud of the fact that his group has discovered some deep mystery that was known only to themselves. Their leaders has written some books that gave them insight into these lost ancient secrets. It was clear to me that this man was infatuated with a hard to pronounce name that had the sound of profundity. However, it was also clear that though he thought he understood all mysteries, he was, in fact, clueless.

Isn’t that the way religious people are? They aquire a vocabulary that makes it sound like they have uncovered the deep meaning of life while blind and ignorant to the most basic truths.

So, who is Melchizedek and what does His name tell us? Hebrews 7:2 makes it clear that His name means: 1) King of Righteousness, and 2) King of Peace. The two things men can never do for themselves, Righteousness and Peace. Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ as God’s High Priest. Only as He intercedes for us with His perfect righteousness, can we enjoy peace with God. The only way to be of the “order of Melchizedek” is to be “in” Melchizcdek. When that is done, men don’t boast of their knowledge. They boast of their Lord.

Should we mention the doctrine of election to the unbeliever?

Some have told us that this great Biblical truth is an “in-house debate” and should not be brought up to the unbeliever. We should them at the place of their responsibility and never mention their inability we are told.

First, let me say with no uncertainty, the doctrine of election is not a “debate”. It is a biblical truth that is uncatagorically essential to the marvelous gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace. To deny election is to dethrone God. The gospel of “man’s free will” is another gospel. Read Galations 1:6-10 to see what God says about that. The doctrine of election is not a “deep truth” that requires the exercised intellect of a trained theologian to comprehend. It is a simple truth that all of God’s children rejoice to believe.

Second, the scriptures give plenty of examples of this great truth not being “in-house”. Let me briefly mention just two. The first is none less than our Lord’s own evangelistic ministry. In Matthew 15, and Luke 7, we have recorded Jesus encounter with the Syrophenician woman. After pleading with the Lord for mercy on her demon possessed daughter, Jesus told her that He came for the lost sheep of Israel (the elect), and that He could not take the bread from the children and give it to the “dogs”. The Bible says, “she worshipped Him”. The Lord declared the doctrine of God’s sovereign election to bring this woman to understand her only hope was to bow in humble submission to the One who alone could save her. The second example is the conversion of the apostle Paul in Acts 9. God sends a disciple by the name of Ananias to confirm the gospel to this last and greatest (or least as he saw it ) apostle with the message of election; “he is a chosen vessel of mine” v.15.

The modem evangelistic appeal, devoid of God’s sovereign election, in essence, invites the unbeliever to “make a decision” without confronting them with the Sovereignty of God. It presents them with an “invitation”, an r.s.v.p… let them decide if and when they are ready. It feeds the pride of man. The true gospel message is one of sovereign grace that humbles the sinner to beg for a crumb of bread from the Master’s table. God gives grace to the humble. .’.He resists the proud.

Twelve and Seven?

Mark 8:13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

In reading this passage recently I found myself in the boat with the disciples experiencing their bewilderment. What did the Lord mean when He used the number of baskets left over from the miraculous feedings to explain the warning about leaven? When He said, “How is it you do not understand?” I was forced to confess my own dullness and brought to ask Him for discernment.

In both the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand Jesus gave His disciples an opportunity to feed the people before He performed the miracle of multiplication. He obviously wanted them to see their own inability and conclude that He alone is the Bread of Life. But, now they did not even bring enough bread for themselves. They concluded that the Lord’s warning about leaven was a veiled rebuke for their lack of preparation. No, the one loaf they had with them in the boat was quite sufficient. Any more would have been too much. The Master Teacher was showing them, and us, a truth about salvation that must not be missed.

First, let us remember that once a little leaven is put into the bread it eventually leavens the whole loaf. No amount of leaven is acceptable. Our Lord said the leaven of the Pharisees is illustrated by the twelve full baskets left over after the feeding of the five thousand. Twelve is a number used often in the Scriptures to illustrate complete perfection. Most of the references to the number twelve in the Old Testament are to the twelve sons or tribes of Israel. Most of the references in the New Testament are to the twelve apostles. We see in Revelation that God’s elect gathered in glory are pictured in multiples of twelve times twelve thousand. Also, the heavenly Jerusalem, the place of the Lamb’s unmitigated glory, has walls built on twelve foundations, each measuring twelve furlongs, separated by twelve single pearled gates, and guarded by twelve angels. So, what is the correlation between the twelve baskets of leftovers and the leaven of the Pharisees? God gave His perfect law to the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve apostles preached Christ, the only law keeper, whose substitutionary atonement provides for His people eternal salvation in the City of God. The Pharisees were guilty of self-righteousness. In their blind hypocrisy they recommended themselves to God as having completed the perfect demands of the law through their own religious zeal. Jesus is telling us that when we have done all we can do to keep the law there are still twelve full baskets left over that no man can consume. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” (Titus 3:5). The One Loaf in the boat is all we need.

What about the number seven and the leaven of Herod? Herod is the epitome of licentiousness. His attempt to find satisfaction and ultimately life in the indulgence of fleshly pleasures ends in a horrible picture of judgment and death. Seven is the number for creation. All that God made in the material universe was accomplished in seven days. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and looses his own soul…” The leaven of Herod is any attempt to find our life in the temporal things of this world. The flesh refuses to be gratified. When it has done all it can do to satisfy its hunger there will always be seven full baskets left over. Enjoy what God gives you, use it for His glory, but find all you need in the One Loaf. He is our all in all!

Four Unanswerable Questions

There are four lies being told in Orlando today. Modern, man-centered, Christ dethroning religionist would have us believe; God loves everyone; it is God’s will for everyone to be saved; Christ died for everyone; and the Holy Spirit draws the saved and condemned alike. These are well established suppositions, rarely questioned for their truthfulness. To call them into question is to unmask the faulty foundation of a false gospel and kindle the wrath of those desperate to protect their traditions.

1) “What sayeth the Scripture?” “The Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness” (Ps. 11:7). “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Rom. 9:13). God’s love is a holy love. He can no more love unrighteousness than He can cease to be holy. God’s love is for Christ, in Christ, and through Christ. Everything outside of Christ is under the condemnation and wrath of God. He has loved His elect with an everlasting love, having chosen them in Him before the foundation of the world.
Question #1: If God loves all men, those who receive eternal life as well as those who suffer eternal damnation, what does the love of God have to do with anyone’s salvation?

2) What does the Bible say about God’s will and salvation? “Having predestined us according to the good pleasure of His Will” (Eph. 1:5). “Having made known to us the mystery of His Will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.” “I will have mercy upon whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whomever I will have compassion. So then it is not of him who wills, or of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Therefore, He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens” (Rom 9:15-18). “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wills“ (Jn. 5:21).
Question #2: If God wills for all men to be saved, what does the will of God have to do with anyone’s salvation?

3) What do the Scriptures say about the purpose of Jesus’ death on the cross? Did He die for all men? “I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:11). “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people” (Titus 2:14). “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:4). If Christ purposed to die for all men1 did He not have the power to accomplish His purpose? God forbid! Did He die to make men savable or did He die to accomplish the salvation of a chosen people?
Question #3: If Christ shed His precious blood for all men, what does the work of Christ on the cross have to do with anyone’s salvation?

4) What does God say about the work of the Holy Spirit in redemption? Are sinners dead (Eph. 2:1) in need of regeneration, or just sick in need of a little reformation? “He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). “The written code kills, but the Spirit gives life”(II Cor. 3:6).
Question #4: If the Holy Spirit draws the saved and the condemned alike, what does the Holy Spirit have to do with anyone’s salvation?

The Truth: Salvation is of the Lord! Don’t believe a lie, it will damn your soul.

Exclusive and Inclusive

The gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus is both exclusive and inclusive. It is a double-edged sword. It cuts people out and it cuts people in. The exclusivity of God’s gospel will not allow a person to be saved while believing another gospel. One’s complete hope and trust must be in THE Christ revealed according to the Scriptures. He is The Way and He Is God’s Way. To deny Him is to be excluded by the sword of the gospel. Just as the door of your home is used to keep out unwelcome guest, so Christ stands at the entrance of the sheepfold to keep out those that would rob Him of His glory.

But, never let us forget that God’s gospel is also inclusive. Put the positive side of two magnets together and they will repel one another with an irreconcilable force. When we come to the positive righteousness of Christ with any amount of our own righteousness we are repelled. But, turn the negative side of that magnet to the positive side of the other and they will be attracted with a force irresistible. So it is with Christ. The only condition for salvation is to repent of your righteousness (which is altogether filthy rags) and trust in the Christ of true righteousness as your only Lord and Savior. It matters not who you are or what you have done. ‘Whosoever will‘ may come. If we are kept out it is because we refuse to come on God’s terms. Jesus said, ‘you are not willing to come to me‘. Again He said, ‘Light has come into the world but men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil‘. The gospel includes everyone who is willing. No man can say, “I was willing to come but He was unwilling to save me”. Unregenerate men are by nature unwilling. You can not be more willing to be saved than God is to save you. “Thy people will be made willing in the day of Thy power“ (Psalm 110:3). “Oh Lord, make us willing.” Can you say with the hymn writer, ‘He included me?’

"Can God use me?"

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me… ” Acts 1:8

Why did God choose to use human instruments as His witnesses? Is it a denial of His power or His glory to say He always uses one man to communicate the gospel to another? Would He not be more glorified by using a more miraculous and unaided means to accomplish His purpose? Is God dependent on men to perform His will? Let me try to illustrate the answer to these questions. I am currently in the process of building a boathouse in my yard. I am no professional carpenter and possess no unusual skills. What I do have (borrowed mostly) is all the best tools money can buy. I have a skill saw, a saw zaw, a jig saw, a chain saw, an air compressor, nail guns, and more. If you came to my work site you would be impressed, not with my vast collection of high quality tools. There would be no way for me to accomplish my job without them. Oh yea, all the wood was given to me also. I can’t even take pride in how much money I spent on this project. Now, compare that to the way the Amish would construct a barn. No power tools. No modern technology. From the cutting down of the trees and hewing out the timbers, to boring the holes for perfectly fit wooden pegs, the entire job is done with archaic hand tools that would be worse than useless in my hands. If you visited that work site you would say, ‘wow, what craftsman, what skill, all that beauty and look what they used to build it’. The more backward and broken an instrument is, the more glory goes to the builder for being able to use it. If God ever in ever uses you or me in any way, it will be categorically in spite of us. The greatest miracle of all is that God can and does take an instrument that is nothing in itself but sinful defilement and uses it to produce a new creature that is perfectly holy. 1 Cor 1:27-29 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” Do you qualify?

“…saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”
Jer.6:14

“from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” Jer.6:14

Nothing has changed. The false prophets are still declaring peace when there is no peace. Notice they heal the hurt of the people `slightly’. Can you think of one time the Lord Jesus performed a miracle of healing that was anything less than total? No. When Christ speaks peace there is reason for rejoicing. `My peace I leave you’. Why do people so gladly listen to a message of false peace? For the same reason people take pain medicine rather than undergo radical surgery. They want to just feel better rather than be put under the care of the Physician. Doctors who freely pass out anesthetics and placebos become popular and wealthy… but their patients die.

Where Does Grace Lead?

Some people would have us believe that if we preach pure grace it will lead people to licentious living. They say if we remove the law as a guide or motivation for Christian living, people will have nothing to keep them holy. They say to tell a person to just follow Christ doesn’t provide enough structure and will lead people to careless living. Is that where the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus leads? Grace preachers have always been, and always will be, falsely accused of this devilish lie. The apostle Paul spent most of his time defending the gospel of grace against this lawmongers view of serf-righteousness. “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Rom 6:15 No, grace does not lead to sin, grace leads to Christ. He is able by the law of love and faith to restrain our flesh and make us His workmanship.