AS HE IS, SO ARE WE – I John 4:17

Scripture makes it plain that the believer in this world has been made just like Christ. The new man born of God is as holy, as righteous, as loved and as accepted as Christ is right now in glory. Union with Christ by faith makes the believer just like Christ. That union is much more than a legal standing before God. Believers have been born again with a new nature – the nature of Christ. That nature is seen in the believer being loving as Christ is loving, in being forgiving as Christ is forgiving, in being gracious as Christ is gracious, and being merciful to others as Christ has been merciful to us.

Pastor

Ps 119:49 “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.”

The word of God is the foundation of our hope in Christ. It is in His word that we find out who God is, who Christ is and who we are. It is through God’s word that we are brought to repentance and faith in Christ. This being so, let’s make much of God’s word.

Pastor John Chapman

MONSTROUS IMPLICATIONS

Let me say at the outset, the Bible does not teach or imply that Christ died for all men without exception. He died for the elect, His sheep, His church. Yet most of what goes on under the name of Christianity teaches He died for all men without exception. There are even men who say they believe in election who still believe His blood was shed for all men without exception. Such teaching and preaching has these six monstrous implications….

1. If Christ died for all men without exception and all men without exception are not saved, then He failed in His intentions. 2. If He died for all men without exception and some that He died for are not saved, His death does not save. 3. If He died for the sins of all men without exception and some of those men are still punished for their sins God is not just. He punishes the same sin twice! 4. If Christ died for men that God loved and they are not saved, God’s love is meaningless. He can love you and you can still be damned. 5. If God loves all men and Christ died for all, God is not immutable. He changes in His disposition toward the men that are under His wrath. 6. If Christ died for all men without exception and all without exception are not saved, salvation is by works. Christ’s death did not make the difference, but what the sinner does or fails to do.

Universal redemption is more than a mistake in theology. It is a denial of the Gospel and a message of salvation by works. The implications of such teaching are truly monstrous.

Pastor Todd Nibert

The Miracle of Hearing

God-called gospel preachers spend a lot of time in prayer and preparation of the Word. They are deeply concerned with being clear and faithful to preach Christ and Him crucified. “How shall they hear without a preacher” Rom. 10:14. Paul asked rhetorically, “who is sufficient for these things”? I Cor. 2:16. All that being so, the real miracle in preaching is in the hearing. The most well prepared and well delivered sermon can have no effect on the hearts of men, while a message labored through can be used of God to the glory of Christ and to saving of men’s souls. It is not the voice of a man that speaks to the heart. It is the voice of God. The real miracle in preaching is in the hearing. Let him who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.