Wednesday, June 21, 2017, 7:20 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Songs in the Night.” Speak, Lord, your
words to my heart. I read various scriptures on the subject of the gospel of God’s
grace (NASB).
The Gospel Message (Acts 26:16-18)
But get up and stand on your feet; for this
purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a
witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things
in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the
Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they
may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to
God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance
among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
Paul was called of God to be
an apostle of Jesus Christ and a minister of the gospel of Christ (of our
salvation from sin). This is the call he was given by Jesus Christ, which
embodies the message of the gospel of our salvation.
When we are born into this
world, we are born with sin natures and we come up short of attaining God’s
divine approval (his glory). We are bound in slavery to sin, without the hope
of eternity with God. So, by God’s grace, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on a
cross, putting our sins to death, and he was resurrected from the dead,
victorious over sin. He did this so that we could have our spiritually blinded
eyes opened, be turned from darkness (sin) to light (his righteousness), be
delivered from the power of Satan, and be turned to God, to follow (obey) him. When
this takes place in our lives, we receive forgiveness of sins, and we are given
an inheritance among others who have been sanctified (purified) by faith in
Jesus Christ. Amen!
Instructing Us
(Titus 2:11-14)
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly
desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present
age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our
great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to
redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people
for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
While it is true that we are
saved by God’s grace, through faith, and that this is not of ourselves, not of
works lest anyone of us should boast, but it is the gift of God, this does not
mean we do nothing, or that nothing is required of us (See: Eph. 2:8-10). God’s
grace is not a “do nothing” gospel. It instructs (commands) us to deny (reject,
refuse) ungodliness and worldly desires. The main reason Jesus died on the
cross was not just to give us the hope of heaven when we leave this earth, or
to give us an escape from hell, but it was that we might die with him to sin
and be resurrected with him to newness of life to be lived to him and to his
righteousness (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Pet.
2:24; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).
In other words, this also
fits with Paul’s calling to the gospel, to turn people from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins,
and so they might have an inheritance among the saints of God. God’s grace is
not just that he took our place on a cross so that we would be free of the
punishment of sin (eternal damnation). It is for the purpose that we might die
to sin and live to righteousness, that sin would no longer be our master, but
that we would now be bond-slaves of Christ’s righteousness. Therefore, faith in
Jesus Christ means turning from our sins (repentance) and turning to our Lord
to follow (obey) him. Instead of now living for sin and self, we now live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the power of God’s Spirit now
living within us, and for God’s glory.
A False Grace
(Jude 1:3-4)
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about
our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that
you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed
down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in
unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this
condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness
and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
There are many people today,
including many who call themselves ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who
are turning God’s grace into a free license for immorality (for continuing in
willful sin against God). Some of these people even used to preach the full
gospel message, but have since wandered off from their pure devotion to Jesus
Christ to become followers of men, and to market the church to the world, much
like they would any other business. Since the world is their target customers,
they now dilute the gospel of our salvation in order to make it more acceptable
and appealing to the world, and to the worldly church. Thus, they have turned
God’s grace into licentiousness and they deny our ONLY MASTER AND LORD, JESUS
CHRIST, by the very messages they proclaim.
Basically, what they do is
teach a half-truth (false) gospel. Most of them do teach that we are sinners at
birth, and that we can’t earn or deserve our own salvation. They teach that we
are saved by God’s grace, through faith, and not by works, lest any of us
should boast. And, they do preach that it is only by Jesus’ sacrifice for sins
that any of us can be saved from our sins, escape the fires of hell (if they
even mention that), and have the hope of eternal life with God.
All this is true, but it is
only half the truth. They leave out the other half which is that Jesus died
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer
live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. They strip the
gospel message of the cross of Christ in the life of the believer, which is
death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness and holiness. They fail
to proclaim that if we walk (in lifestyle) in our flesh (in sin, in darkness),
we will die in our sins, not live eternally (Ro. 8:1-14).
And, they tell their
adherents that God requires nothing of them – no repentance, no obedience, and
no submission to Christ and to his cross. Not only that, but they tell them
that God is pleased with them no matter what they do, even when they are
engrossed in willful sin against God. So, the way they teach the gospel is more
like the broad road that leads to destruction, rather than as the narrow road,
that few find, which leads to eternal life with God. They turn faith in Christ
into nothing more than a mere acknowledgment of who Christ is or of what he did
for us in dying for our sins, and as a mere acceptance of that fact. But, there
is no death to sin or living to righteousness in their gospel message, thus
there is no new birth of the Spirit of God, and no promise of eternal life with
God, either.
Be Holy (1
Pet. 1:13-16)
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep
sober in spirit, fix your hope
completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to
the former lusts which were yours in
your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be
holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because
it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Another factor that many of
them fail to mention, as well, is that our salvation is not a one-time event,
after which we live however we want, and that one day we get to go to heaven.
That is hogwash! Scripture disputes that notion all throughout the New
Testament! Our salvation is progressive, i.e. we are saved (past), we are being
saved (present and continuous), and we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ
returns and our salvation is complete. It is not just our initial faith which
saves us, but it is us continuing and walking in that faith which secures our
eternal salvation (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Jn. 8:31-32; Ro. 8:1-14; Ro. 11:17-24; 1
Jn. 1:5-9; Jn. 6:35-66; etc.).
Here again is the message
which says we must not only obey our Lord, but that we must forsake our former
way of living for sin and self. This is what it means to be “born again.” And,
this is what it means to walk in the Spirit and no longer according to the
flesh, for if we walk (conduct our lives), according to the flesh, we will die
in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the
flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity (See: Ro. 8:1-14; cf. Lu.
9:23-25). Instead of living for self and for sensual pleasure, we are to be
holy. To be holy means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world of
sin, because we are being made into the likeness of God/Christ. And, we are to
do this in all our behavior. Amen!
Songs in the Night / An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God,
And the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts
16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You
forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all
You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry
won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m
free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving
me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with
Him.
Tender mercies now flow
within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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