One of the paradoxes of salvation in Christ is that it is both vast and narrow at the same time. There is vastness in salvation by Christ. His blood cleanses the deepest stain. Christ saves sinners who are in the deepest depths of sin. Christ the Good Shepherd finds and brings home the lost sheep who is furthest away from Him. Christ saves sinners from every nation, every race, every language, and every walk of life. The obedience of Christ is vast enough to cover every requirement of God’s law. Yet at the same time, salvation in Christ is so narrow that only helpless, hopeless sinners, who bring no merit or deeds of their own, may enter.

MY EXAMPLE

If my children follow my example, what kind of people will they be? Will they be faithful or unfaithful? Generous or stingy? Content or complaining? If every marriage has mine as its example, will people be happily married? If every church member were just like me, what kind of church would this church be? If every employee were just like me…I could go on and on, but the point is, “Faith without works is dead.”

A faith that does not manifest itself in every area of my life is not saving faith. The first thing the Lord said to each of the seven churches in Asia was, “I know thy works.” It is our works that prove the reality of our faith. The example we give is what we really are!

Pastor Donnie Bell

Every time you insist that I am a sinner, you call me to remember the benefit of Christ my Redeemer, upon whose shoulders, and not mine, lie all my sins. So when you say I am a sinner, you do not terrify me, but comfort my immeasurably.

Martin Luther

NOTHING

Luke 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? and they said, Nothing.

So far from lacking anything, we live in luxuries’ lap and don’t know it. These disciples said "nothing" though they had no purse nor scrip. We have never lacked purse nor scrip (food pouch) yet we think of ourselves usually as being poor. I groan at my own ungratefulness when I look back on my years of plenty. Having a nice apartment, I lacked a house. Having a house, I lacked a new vehicle. Having a new vehicle, I lack a fishing boat.

I know that luxuries are not bad things and can be used, enjoyed and appreciated as the gifts of God that they are, but we tend to think of luxuries as necessities and this is dangerous. How we need to remember "we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Tim 6:7). Having known no lack but rather great wealth I wonder if we had nothing but food and raiment if we could be "therewith content" (I Tim 6:8).

The Lord sent these disciples forth with nothing but faith. How preferable this is to having purse and scrip yet no faith. Would we trade our savings account, stock shares and 401K for faith in Him whose the earth is and the fullness thereof and "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge"(Col. 2:3)? If these disciples lacked nothing then surely we who have like faith lack less than nothing. How grateful we ought to be and what givers we should be! If we ever have less than we do may this be our attitude: Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Hab 3:17, 18)

Pastor Chris Cunningham

Election is a blessed doctrine. It is the eternal expression of the love of God who has, by irresistible will, predestinated a people to the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself. Election is not the passing by of good people, people who want to be saved, or people who have some potential in them. This is a straw man built by ignorant men who refuse to submit themselves to the word of God. There is none good – none righteous.