“You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.“ (Ephesians 2:1)
Many people believe that most people are basically good. The Bible says that is incorrect. All people are born sinners. The Word of God says, without equivocation, that “wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature children of wrath, even as others”. (Ephesians 2:2-3) So all are sinners. All sinners are under the wrath of God. That’s what we need saving from! Of course, Ephesians echoes Isaiah which says that we have each individually sinned by choice. (Isaiah 53:6) However, when Adam disobeyed God and ate of the fruit of the tree in the garden of Eden, according to scripture ,he died. He died spiritually. Moreover, not only did Adam die, but all his posterity died in him. (Romans 5:12-21) This doctrine of original sin is not believed by all, but it is stated clearly in God’s word. It is sin, and therefore death, that is true of every one of Adam’s descendants. It is what all need to be saved from.
I. THE HOLINESS OF GOD
God states in His Word that He is holy and cannot tolerate sin. That is why He calls us to be holy, because He is holy. God is also majestic, omnipotent, omniscient, unchanging, omnipresent, merciful, and love. In Isaiah chapter one, God’s word describes that “The ox knows its owner but my children do not know me”. However, God calls his rebellious children to “Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”. Though God knows us and all that we have ever done or ever will do, He loves us and wants us to know Him, and He is merciful, and in the Lord Jesus Christ, God gives us His saving faith to all who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. more here
Well, I need a Sea of Mercy deeper than the Oceans and wider than the Heavens.
izlamo delenda est …
If it weren’t for God’s grace and mercy I wouldn’t be here or have had a blessed life like I have had since I first surrendered my life to Him in 1972 when I was 19. I don’t where I’d be or how my life would’ve turned out or if I would still be alive. Thank God that he saved a wretch like me.
Thank you for this. I have felt so tired and beaten down in the past year, and especially since November. I needed to be reminded of God’s mercy, and that Jesus has prepared a place for me far better than the place I am occupying here. My soul yearns for that rest.
Amen brother Geoff. I give thanks to Almighty God for the many, many blessings he has showered me with and being so merciful and patient with me throughout my life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
The most important passage in the Bible in understanding the depth of God’s love and the scope of His mercy.
” I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Philippians 4:13
Second most important thing to realize.
With the help and grace of the Lord, all things are possible.
geoff the ardvark. Hey! I was born again when I was 19 in the most peculiar of places. I’m no Moses but I totally believe. There’s a stat I once saw that the older you get, the less likely you are to become a born again Christian. Given the age range Christ revealed Himself to us, we are the 3%!
Thank you for posting this, MJA!
@Deb the Bee — I’m praying for you to experience the refreshing of the Holy Spirit. You also pray and ask God to renew that part of the triune God that was placed within you. The deciples of Christ prayed (and pray) for fresh annointing of the Spirit. It’s not that he has ever removed himself; no. It’s that we have removed ourselves and stopped relying on him. It’s our reliance on God, through the Holy Spirit, that brings us closer in our relationship and to where we can experience “They kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” The Lord’s prayer is not an empty chant for peace and rest in the hereafter; it is a restorative prayer for now — in our ordinary lives — on earth. Through the Holy Spirit we can experience the “peace that passes all understanding”, the joy that Paul felt even while imprisoned. Let the Holy Spirit guide your every step.
How do I know this? Through going back to the basics and to what God promised in his Word. It doesn’t help that the contemporary church has forgotten about the Holy Spirit and doesn’t teach about this essential link between us and God.
In Isaiah 9:6 6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
It is by the Holy Spirit that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor. That Spirit was poured out in you and me when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
It’s beyond amazing!
Excellent thanks! To any who may question God and biblical teaching I would encourage you to first pray even if you don’t have faith, pray that you would know the truth if there is ultimate truth asking God for guidance. I believe such a simple prayer can help you to a great blessing.
…and also…
“38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
Nothing can separate us from the love of the Lord…but ourselves.
…a Brother in my Church once said that the Lord gave him an answer in a dream once to the joke question asked by people who want to shut you up when you speak on the power of the Lord.
You know, “If God is all powerful, can He make something SO heavy that even He can’t move it?”
…and the answer he got from the Spirit was…
Yes.
HE can.
And He DID.
…it’s called free will.
HE made it. HE gave it to each of us. And His Spirit, being perfect and gentle, will NOT take if from us even if we choose to use it to REJECT Him.
…so keep that in mind.
God will NEVER drop you from His Hand, NEVER.
…but He won’t stop you from choosing to jump out yourself…
…God is great, and I don’t have to bore everyone with all that He has done in my life, only a tiny bit of which, for all my writing here, I have actually been able to write about. Cradle to today, He has saved me from my own stupidly, physically and spiritually, time and again even when I denied him. He saved my life, my wife’s, my son’s, and poured out His grace on me when He called me to the altar one day. My small words do not do the Lord justice for all He HAS done, all He IS doing, and all He promises to do.
And I’m still a work in progress in the Master’s hand, still too given to anger and in the world to be worthy to hold His sandals, so MY words do not do Him justice at all.
That’s why I quote HIS.
The Bible IS The Word.
The Word IS the Lord.
The Lord IS good.
ALL THE TIME.
…study those three passages for the main message of God’s mercy and grace, and the rest of the Bible for what WAS, what IS, and what SHALL be, much of which we see fulfilled TODAY.
Get into His Word.
It’s going to get rough, no denying it.
But…SPOILER ALERT…He wins in the end…
God is Great.
God is Good.
God Bless,
SNS
“Ephesians echoes Isaiah which says that we have each individually sinned by choice.”
Being born in to sin, I wasn’t given a “choice.” No one had my permission to be born. However, I do believe that I have a redeemer, that Christ’s blood has covered my sins. If I trust in Him, believe his word, I will be saved. There’s no getting away from sin and death, but there’s a way to eternal life. I’m springing for that. The Gospel is simple, even a child understands what salvation means IF they are taught it. Christ will return, woe to the ones who scoff at that.
Jerry Manderin; You may be correct. My wife was born again in the late 70’s.
My wife, every Bible study group, Pastor, conference attendees and everyone my wife met, prayed for me for 32 years.
Every night when she thought I was asleep she laid her hands upon me and prayed. I was a hard case, spiritually, a millstone around her neck. Our Lord, my wife nor all those she met, never gave up on me.
To make a long, arduous journey short, in 2004 I was radically Saved at the age of 54. No one was more surprised than me. Unknown by me, God was preparing me for what was to come. My life did not become easier, but Faith, His Mercy, Love, Strength and Understanding allowed me to walk the path set before me.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit for guideance. Thank you to my Wife and the many Saints for their fervent prayers so many years ago.
BLESSINGS to ALL at IOTW.
Blessings.
The day came that David came into the temple and asked the high priest if he had any weapons. The priest brought forth the sword of Goliath covered in linen. You could not see what it was. Thus is the mercy of God. Many of you reading this today only see the covering of the mercy of God in my life. You cannot see what I was.
I pray everyday to Jesus that the Holy Spirit will help me to love him more so that I will do better at following his teachings/commandments.
I was raised in a Christian family and don’t remember a time when I didn’t attend church while growing up. Still, that did not make me a Christian. At nine years old, my older sister told me that I needed to accept the sacrifice that Jesus paid for me to be God’s child. I told Jesus that my life belonged to him and I renounced my claim to run my life and I would turn from my sin nature and follow him.
It has taken my whole life since then to learn just what that meant. I’ve had growth spurts as God has been patient with me and my stubbornness. I will always struggle with the ‘old me’ trying to have my way, but this last year has opened my eyes to the power of telling God, as Jesus prayed in the garden before his death, “Not my will, but yours”.
I’ve seen God move mightily in my life, but the peace he has given me over this year has me amazed. Giving him my most heartfelt desire that I’ve been holding onto since I was a teenager has been a monumental endeavor as I strive to give it to him, and then take it back. He has been patient, but it became clear to me last fall that any hope that I have is to let him keep it. At first is was hourly, but as I kept releasing it to him, he kept giving me his peace.
Thank you, God, for your love, joy and mercy.
I’m also one of the Christians who lurk here. I don’t have anything fancy to say though.
Cynic, you don’t need to say anything fancy, keep it simple. Just speak from your heart what God has done for you. You would be surprised how it can bless someone who might read your testimony.
…a testimony thread WOULD be interesting, if the Spirit so moved out hosts…
The greatest stumbling bock to God’s Grace is human Ego, pride, and “self centered Ness”
We don’t or won’t let God save us because we think we can do it on our own. That’s 35 years of Pastorly experience speaking.
So let go and let God take over.
bock should be block
ditto Cynic. God bless.
I’ve taken static here before for saying this but I’ll say it again.
God is not the author of confusion today. Satan and man are.
2,000 years of confused, contradictory gospels which cannot all be correct does NOT glorify God nor does it come from Him. That confusion means somebody’s wrong. A LOT of somebodies. Christendom has (at least) DOZENS of gospel variants to choose from, all of which have some commonality with the rest but are still exclusive from the rest. That means either they ALL are wrong, or only one is correct.
Question is, (a) which one is correct? and (b) how do you know?
Your answer to that question is what you’re betting your eternal, never-dying soul on.
BTW, the linked article has some good points but this:
“We have been placed in the Lord Jesus Christ, when we surrender our will to Him in true repentance, and He gives us saving faith.”
is a lie from a minister of Satan.
1. There is no such thing in the Bible as “surrendering our will” to Christ in order to be saved from sin. That would be salvation partly by our own work, which is expressly excluded by Paul as not possible.
2. God does not give anyone saving faith. Man already has, built in, both a conscience and the ability to believe God or not — precisely therein lies God’s just ground to condemn unbelief. To say God gives saving faith is the lie of Calvinism (keep reading)…
3. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul says it is SALVATION that is the gift of God and not of works, not saving faith. Nowhere in the entire Bible is there even a hint that anyone ever thought that faith comes from works. It’s salvation itself Paul is talking about.
4. But let’s chase that rabbit for a minute. If saving faith is exclusively from God, meaning man does not possess that capacity, then God is a lying corrupt judge when He damns for unbelief all who refuse to believe.
Yes, He is, and I’ll prove it.
The truth would be (if Calvinism is correct) that the only reason the lost don’t believe is because God did not elect them to receive saving faith (the non-elect are called Reprobates in the Calvinistic system). So when God damns Reprobates SPECIFICIALLY FOR THEIR UNBELIEF, He is lying: they didn’t believe because they COULDN’T, and the reason they couldn’t is because HE DIDN’T ELECT TO SAVE THEM. That is not the God of the Bible, that’s the false idol of Calvinism.
Don’t fall for the vile traditions of men. Study to show yourself approved.
Just trying to help.
Thank you Grool
Wow, grool. There’s a lot in your statements that would take a long time to unpack.
Yet…, here goes I’ll bite by making this comment – salvation is obtained through faith, as all things originates with God. A number of scripture verses in The Holy Bible support this point.
Oh, and I know you will probably go bananas if I mention predestination which you hinted at in your comments.
The following are scriptural references on the subject;
Romans 8:28-30 KJV
28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
John 15:16
16. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
John 6:44
44. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
BTW, Is there any place in your spiritual belief system for God’s grace and mercy? It is the theme of this post. Just curious.
Your wife did it right. I did not.
I grieve that my ex will spend eternity without God’s love because I didn’t exercise faith like your wife did.
I pray for her, but those years of opportunity are gone now.
I was selfish about the pain she caused instead of gracious.
“contradictory gospels”
Every time I hear this, it turns out the person saying this is not aware of the truth of the matter. They always want it to be contradictory instead of delving deeper into the matter and gaining understanding. They hear what they want to hear, not what was intended.
They want it to be right that the Word, as written, is wrong. That is a lack of faith, at the very least.
A simple illustration – It rained for 40 days and forty nights
From that it gets mis-construed about the physics of the event and argue there is no way the earth can be flooded from just 40 days of rain.
They always leave out that water issued from the earth itself and the waters “increased” for 6 months because of that.
The rain was from “the waters above” in creation. The waters above filtered out radiation and made the earth a Hyperbaric oxygen chamber. That’s one of the factors why people lived over 900 years and reptiles grew to massive sizes – I.E mega-ton dinosaurs.
You have to first believe the Word is true, then things like fossils all over the world make sense.
Dadof4
MAY 1, 2021 AT 7:10 PM
cato MAY 1, 2021 AT 9:51 AM
“…Your wife did it right. I did not.
I grieve that my ex will spend eternity without God’s love because I didn’t exercise faith like your wife did.
I pray for her, but those years of opportunity are gone now.”
…it is right to pray for others, and distance does not matter in prayer, but you can’t beat yourself up if someone else isn’t saved.
Because each person’s salvation is ultimately their OWN responsibility.
Not MY words.
God’s.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Phillipians 2:12
Whether someone goes to hell or to glory is ultimately up to them. God offers His salvation to all as a freely given gift, but not everyone will accept it.
We can and should pray for them, as you say you are doing now, but that’s all we can do.
I have to work out my own salvation.
So do you.
And so does she.
No person can bear that burden for another. You give it to Christ in prayer, and you’ve done what you can do. Unequally yoked couples can’t last forever, and everyone’s situation is different.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
2 Corinthians 6:14
We all have things we would have done differently in the past, but you can’t change that.
You need not condemn yourself for it now. The Lord has it in hand.
Love those in your life, pray for those who are not, but look to your own salvation as no other’s is ultimately in your control.
God Bless,
SNS
Thank you, SNS. You’re right, of course, but knowing I didn’t act in faith back then, hurts now.
I guess it’s one of those experiences we carry forward so we don’t drop the ball so regularly any more.
Dadof4, the following verse gives me peace and I’m repentant when I’ve missed an opportunity to share the Gospel, failed a spiritual test, or willfully done something sinful and stupid;
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
You’ve probably read that verse many times, but I suggest you read the whole chapter in context, especially Romans 8:9.
God’s Love, grace, mercy are so wonderful, because we need all He has to offer so much.
BTW, great, spot-on comments, SNS.
this is kinda bull-shit really. The Engineer created us in “his own image”. we can not be different as it want us to be right? I believe this entity Engineer kind is above us and everywhere, but really I think he tried to have some slaves for work at those times. the thing is that he found out some sort of monkeys in this dimension and voila: updated monkeys. If its so above everything and powerful as they say nothing as cruelty in this “world” should happened. I believe in a “God” who is smarter than me, my God gotta Love me and if it’s not that means we are all on our own. an angry “god”? a god of vengeance? would you ever be upset on ants? or bees? what kind of god is this? a jealous “god”. a criminal ? if he’s all that and it created us in “his own image” I don’t understand why are we the “sinners”?
99th SL, good morning,
Oh, and I know you will probably go bananas if I mention predestination which you hinted at in your comments.
The following are scriptural references on the subject;
Romans 8:28-30 KJV
28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
[Paul is not saying that God predestines anyone to believe and be saved…if He did, once again we’re left with the problem of why those who He damns *for unbelief* end up in Hell for doing only what He predeterimined for them. Rather, He predestines people to glory ONLY IF they first believe the saving Gospel and become part of the elect One, who is Christ. It’s these positions of glory which He predestined, not lost individuals. So everything you listed in Romans 8:28-30 is true, but only of those who are in Christ, and only because they are in Him by grace through faith, not because God individually singled them out in eternity past. For there is NO difference, ALL have sinned and fall short of His glory…meaning God does not play favorites.]
John 15:16
16. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
[This is Christ speaking of His disciples – and Israel’s – purpose as the priest nation established with Moses in (I believe) Exodus 20]
John 6:44
44. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
[God draws people via their God-given conscience and by the saving Gospel of grace, which itself is the power of God unto salvation.]
BTW, Is there any place in your spiritual belief system for God’s grace and mercy? It is the theme of this post. Just curious.
[God’s grace and mercy are what today is all about — it’s why God is not opening the ground beneath the feet of blasphemers. But His grace and mercy do not override or cancel out His coming wrath and judgment against all wickedness, which will fall upon the earth after this period of grace and mercy ends. See, the difference you aren’t seeing is that I preach the WHOLE counsel of God’s word, not just the half that I’m comfortable with or would prefer to be true.
Good morning to you.]
Dad of 4, good morning…
“contradictory gospels”
Every time I hear this, it turns out the person saying this is not aware of the truth of the matter. They always want it to be contradictory instead of delving deeper into the matter and gaining understanding. They hear what they want to hear, not what was intended.
[You are not making sense. God is not the author of Christendom’s 2,000 years of salvational confusion. Fact: there is ONE and ONLY ONE good news today which saves, while there are MANY “another gospels.” You can find the saving good news clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Most professing Christians would more or less agree with that but here’s the problem: Paul abundantly explains elsewhere that salvation today, being solely on the basis of God’s grace, expressly excludes ALL works (rites, rituals, behavior modification, ALL HUMAN EFFORT) in order to be saved or to stay saved…this was the error of the Galatians yet over 99% of Christendom says those who would get out of Hell have to do something at some point to help God save them; that simply trusting ONLY in what Christ did FOR US is not enough. Everyong who believes such has exchanged truth for a lie and believes a false gospel which WILL NOT SAVE THEM.]
[If I ask anyone here, “Be very specific: tell me what must a lost, convicted sinner must do to be saved?” your answer to that question is what YOU are betting eternity on for yourself. Anything in addition to 1 Cor 15:3-4 tries to add your own righteousness to the Gospel, which will damn you. Sorry if you don’t like it but when God says “NOT OF WORKS,” He means BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH ALONE.]
Sic Semper Tyranis, good morning…
“if he’s all that and it created us in “his own image” I don’t understand why are we the “sinners”?”
***EXCELLENT QUESTION!***
The short answer is, Man went from this:
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
…to this…
Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his [Adam’s] own likeness, after his [Adam’s] image; and called his name Seth”
Our race’s tie to God was severed by Eve and Adam’s sin. From that point on, all born of Adam’s seed — which means us — has been born a sinner because we’re all no longer of God’s image but of ADAM’S.
But here’s the good news: the way to be restored to what we originally were is to be made a new creation in the second Adam, which is Christ, by believing 1 Cor 15:3-4…that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for your justification:
“[Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:25).
Believe that and be saved!
Remember, everyone:
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”
Any one of us could stroke out ten seconds from now, or get hit by a semi on the way to work in the morning, or be shot by a sniper at the mall. ANY MINUTE OF ANY HOUR, God could say, Your soul is required of thee. Happens to thousands around the world, every day, day in, day out, dropping into eternity with little or no warning.
If you are not 100% sure of where you’ll go when you die (there’s only two choices) then you very likely are lost because you haven’t rested in the simple trust that Christ the Son did 100% of what was required to forgive all your sins and justify you from the coming wrath of the Father. Any uncertainty on your part is a part of you that has not trusted Him…meaning you haven’t taken God at his word and don’t believe Him. That’s probably because you’re still trusting in yourself…but be honest, you know full well that you can’t be trusted.
Stop trusting in what you hope you can do to please God — you can’t. No one can.
Trust solely in what Christ did at the cross and the tomb. He left nothing undone to bring us to God.
https://youtu.be/KNkUSbAbv28
Jump to 19:00 to see just how stupidly confused Christendom is–and that’s just on the one issue of baptism.
Dear grool, Greetings.
Thank you for your polite and considerate response. Please forgive me if my response seems a bit personal. I have no intention to offend. Just expressing my observations.
“…See, the difference you aren’t seeing is that I preach the WHOLE counsel of God’s word, not just the half that I’m comfortable with or would prefer to be true.”
I know you sincerely believe that, yet based on some of you responses; “…,just the half that I’m comfortable with or would prefer to be true.” seems to be exactly what is in play.
Most of your comments I agree with because they follow scripture.
It’s wonderful you have a grasp of a detailed understanding of scripture in The Holy Bible. You’re well versed in the Word, yet there seems to be a lack of the deeper interpretation of scripture given by the Holy Spirit.
If there is no reliance on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the tendency is to depend on personal understanding/conditions(bias)/beliefs to fill in the gaps. Understandable, it just confirms God’s generosity in giving man free will – to make decisions, create, be curious and question.
However, as Christians we should ask the Holy Spirit for the true meaning of scripture. He guides and ministers to us by the Word of God.
Scriptures in The Holy Bible supports that God knows those who will reject him even before they do – predestined. The story of Esau (Ishmael) and Jacob (Israel) is a good example;
Malachi 1:2-3.
God has preferences.
This may be difficult for some to accept but, God already knows who will go to Hell and Heaven. He knows all things. He is sovereign;
Isaiah 45:7
King James Version
“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.”
Thankfully, in Love, grace and mercy God provided salvation through the sacrifice of Christ, even though there are some who will not accept God’s gift of redemption.
Please note that I have a personal relationship with Christ and a solid foundation in the Word of God.
The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit reign in authority over me.
I’m well aware of God’s judgement and His grace. Also, I’m knowledgeable about the historical as well as spiritual aspects of The Holy Bible.
Thanks again for your consideration, grool. It’s great to reasonably discuss doctrine with fellow Christians.