Category: salvation

God Is In Control

Copied from Josh Goodwin’s FB page.

God is in Control!
Pro 21:30-31 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. (31) The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
NOTE: This verse doesn’t speak against preparation, but rather puts our actions into perspective.
EXPLANATION: If we are against the Lord, there is no possibility of success. If we are with the Lord, he is where our safety ultimately lies.
This passage gives us a glimpse and reminder of God’s sovereignty. In a year of riots, killings, unrest, moral decay, and political madness we need to remember the almighty, imminent power of a good, wise, loving, holy God.
My personal note. Josh Goodwin is pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Sebring, FL, and I have often had the privilege of hearing him preach. He loves the Lord and he loves people. Though the world seems to be spinning out of control as chaos and violence become more and more prevalent in the news, God has not lost control. He is allowing all of this to get us to seek His face, His grace, His mercy, His protection, and His peace. None of these current events surprise true believers in Jesus the Christ. He said it would happen. He even said it will get worse as Satan realizes his time or rule is coming to an end.
God gives each of us a choice: accept His free gift of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, or reject Him. When we accept His sacrifice we are given eternal life, to spend eternity with the God of the universe, who created everything and everyone, and willingly came to suffer and die as no one has ever suffered before or since. He took our punishment. Romans 3:10 tells us that there is none righteous. None of us, not one single person, is good enough (nor can be) to enter God’s kingdom. We all fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Isa_64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Romans 6:23–For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:8–But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21–For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Ephesians 2:8, 9–For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 
Revelation 20:15–And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. If you don’t believe in hell, or if you think it’s a big party place, read the description in Luke 16:19-31–There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
Luke 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Luke 16:21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Luke 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
Luke 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luke 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. 
Romans 10:9–That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:13–For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Salvation (asking Jesus to save you from your sinful nature) is a free gift. You can’t earn it and once you have it, you can’t lose it. It is eternal. God created language. He has perfect understanding of every word so He says what He means, and means what He says. He is perfect and cannot lie. He is a God who can be trusted. He did not promise to keep us from tragedy or trials, or problems. Every person will go through hard times. It’s a part of life. The question is: do you want to be left on your own to deal with everything when life is at its worst, or do you want a comforter (the Holy Spirit of God) to be with you through everything? To comfort and strengthen you? To give you hope that even if you should lose a loved one, God will see you through the pain, help you heal, surround you with His peace and love? There is NO ONE that God hates. He hates sin. He hates some of the things we do. He hates some of the choices we make. He hates sin. He wants to deliver us from the bondage to sin. Rom_6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom_6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Almost But Lost

One of my favorite authors/preachers is Chuck Swindoll. I have a few of his books and the one I’m currently reading is Becoming God’s Masterpiece. Doesn’t that sound great? Who wouldn’t want to be valued as a masterpiece? But what does it take to get there?

The lesson this morning was about giving your best. How good is good enough? If we give 99.9% most of us would be satisfied with that. Due to copyright laws I can’t quote the statistics here, but he gathered statistics from someone named Natalie Gabal that shows what would happen to people and to our lives if things were only done until they were “good enough.” It isn’t a pretty picture.

We’ve seen some of the results in our lives. What happens when a surgeon hasn’t had enough sleep? How many times have we heard of implements being left inside the patient? How many times have we had automobile recalls? How many lawsuits over misdiagnosed patients, or people getting prescribed the wrong medication? How many times have we had recalls on some of the foods we eat?

It’s true; we’re human and we make mistakes. But I wonder how many times the mistakes are made because we gave almost 100%.

God gave us the very best He had. He gave 100% when He sent His only begotten Son to die on a cruel cross for our sins. If He had not given His best, we would have to earn salvation, which would be impossible because who can ever do enough good to deserve fellowship with a holy, perfect, righteous God? No, almost would mean we would still be forever lost.

Romans 4:4, 5 tells us that someone who works for their salvation does it out of a sense of duty, of owing God; while someone who realizes he could never work enough, lives under God’s grace. I do feel I owe God something. I owe Him my life, my all, my very best. I keep trying to give Him my best, and I often fail miserably, but He keeps loving me and giving me His best. He keeps showing me mercy, for which I am eternally grateful. I love Psalms 103, and in particular the verse that says, in part, “He remembers that we are dust.”