May 25, 2014

Salvation is of the Lord
Jonah 2:9

He is the Lord of glory; the Lord of earth and sea.
He is Lord eternally; the Lord who alone frees.
All creation shall surely before Him bow the knee.
He is the Lord most Holy who gave Himself for me.

The Lord, our God, is one Lord. He is the Lord alone.
He, crucified, was made Lord and Christ upon His throne.
We worship the Living Lord. We praise His Sov'reign name,
Who called us by His sure word, and when He called, we came.

He is Christ Jesus, the Lord, who made Himself surety,
For sheep redeemed by His blood, from sin He chose to free.
And this is the Lord's doing; marvelous in our eyes:
His Sov'reign grace redeeming a sinful soul as I.

By Gary Spreacker, Tune: The Church's One Foundation, #186

~~~ O ~~~

My view of the way in which I became a Christian must satisfy the test that it promotes and gives all glory to God. Salvation comes to us in spite of ourselves; we are nothing. We are not Christians because of our particular character or because of anything that we have done. It is all of God. “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” Eph. 2:8 There is to be no self - glorying, no man must glory in himself.

- Martyn Lloyd-Jones

GRACE OR LAW? YOU CHOOSE

Human nature desires to be saved by our obedience to the law. God’s Word says salvation must be by grace (Eph 2:5 and 8). Would you rather be saved by God’s grace or by your obedience to the law? Consider this:

The law tells us what we must do. Grace tells us what Christ has done.

The law requires you to be righteous. Grace makes a sinner righteous.

The law curses. Grace redeems from the curse of the law. The law brings condemnation. Grace brings salvation.

The law ministers to death. Grace ministers to life.

The law produces fear. Grace produces a good hope.

The law tells us to consider ourselves. Grace tells us to consider Christ. The law tells us that God is a consuming fire. Grace tells us that God is merciful.

The law tells us that we are unable and unwilling to keep the law. Grace tells us what God is both willing and able to do for His people in Christ.

“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law” (Gal 4:21)? If you would be saved, quit your relationship with the law and flee to Christ. By the grace of God, salvation is in Christ!

- Pastor Frank Tate

~~~ O ~~~

I have no claim to mercy and grace

I am just a sinner, my brother.

If God hears my plea, and His face I do see

It will be thru the grace of another!

NOT EVEN AN ACCUSATION
Romans 8:33

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." Romans 8:33

Believers know and that by Christ they are justified from ALL things, from which they could not be justified by the law, (Acts 13:39). Justification is that act whereby God declares His elect righteous, by the perfect obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Representative. Because of Him, their sins are forgiven, and God the Father looks on them as if they had always obeyed. All this being true, consider further how in ALL things, the believer in Christ is justified before God. No one can even bring an accusation against the believer which God will hear or consider. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" Literally means "to call in." None can call in the believer before God with any charge against him, without the Lord Jesus Christ taking his defense. Believers are "blameless" before Him (I Corinthians 1:8) or "above reproach" (Colossians 1:22).

The believer's hope and assurance is that this standing is not affected by what he or she does or doesn't do. God's attitude toward believers is not based upon any goodness or weakness in them. Because of the Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator and High Priest, the believer has a permanent standing in the love, grace, and mercy of the Father. At no time will any believer ever be called into God's court of justice to defend his position, because that position is always one of "blamelessness" because of the Lord Jesus. It is because of this that all who are in Christ will be found blameless before Him at His coming, 1 Corinthians 1:8. The believer in Christ, according to God's Word, enjoys this 3-fold blessing.

· NO CONDEMNATION– Romans 8:1
· NO SEPARATION– Romans 8:38,39
· NO ACCUSATION– Romans 8:33

Do believers abuse this privilege as a cover for their sin? God forbid! Hear the Word of the Lord. "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 2 Timothy 2:19