Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
We've been saved by Grace through faith in Christ, why did God published the law in the Bible?
ROMANS 8:1 tells us "There is therefore no more condemnation to those who dwell in Christ Jesus because the law of the Spirit has set us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law couldn't achieve because of man's sinful nature, God did by sending His only Son (Jesus) in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He thus condemned sin in human nature so that the law's requirements may be achieved by us who behave not in a fleshly but spiritual way."
Some Christians contend that the law must not be preached because it contradicts God's very purpose of salvation by grace and not by law. But it was God Himself who placed the law in the Holy Scriptures and we cannot question His purpose for doing so. If God didn't want the law to be known, He shouldn't have published it in the first place. I believe in what the bible says that the law cannot save us. In fact it can only condemn us. Clearly, through the law, we can better appreciate the saving grace of God. That we need God's mercy and forgiveness because we cannot save ourselves by following the law which we cannot do to the letter in the first place.
Even if we have been saved by Grace, there was one "new commandment" which God wants us to follow. It is the commandment "to love one another." The Bible says "he who has love has obeyed all the commandments. Isn't that logical? If you love a person, you will never kill or hurt him or steel from him or covet his wife or do him any harm. We in the process obey all of God's 10 commandments and more. The Bible tells us also that He prefers obedience from his children and not sacrifice.
I see God's Grace therefore as the enablement for us to follow God's will. Following God's will without Grace is not possible.
Jesus Christ is the only way, and there is no other way to salvation. Even people without religion are capable of doing charitable works but all these endeavors amount to nothing without relations to the living God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said "I am the ressurection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies (physically); and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25-26.
Some Christians contend that the law must not be preached because it contradicts God's very purpose of salvation by grace and not by law. But it was God Himself who placed the law in the Holy Scriptures and we cannot question His purpose for doing so. If God didn't want the law to be known, He shouldn't have published it in the first place. I believe in what the bible says that the law cannot save us. In fact it can only condemn us. Clearly, through the law, we can better appreciate the saving grace of God. That we need God's mercy and forgiveness because we cannot save ourselves by following the law which we cannot do to the letter in the first place.
Even if we have been saved by Grace, there was one "new commandment" which God wants us to follow. It is the commandment "to love one another." The Bible says "he who has love has obeyed all the commandments. Isn't that logical? If you love a person, you will never kill or hurt him or steel from him or covet his wife or do him any harm. We in the process obey all of God's 10 commandments and more. The Bible tells us also that He prefers obedience from his children and not sacrifice.
I see God's Grace therefore as the enablement for us to follow God's will. Following God's will without Grace is not possible.
Jesus Christ is the only way, and there is no other way to salvation. Even people without religion are capable of doing charitable works but all these endeavors amount to nothing without relations to the living God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said "I am the ressurection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies (physically); and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25-26.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Amazing Christian!
I was greatly blest by the preaching of our Pastor at the Llano Christian Community last Sunday. He told the congregation of a touching story of another pastor who introduced a guest speaker in one of their Sunday services. He described the guest speaker as a person so close to him whom he regarded as his own father.
The guest speaker told a story of a father who went swimming with his son and his son's friend in a river one weekend. But a tragedy struck. By sheer coincidence, both his son and the friend started drowning and calling for help. His son was on one end and the friend was on the other. For a while, the father was confused as to who to save first. His son or his son's friend? Suddenly, the father called out loud: "Son, I love you" but he swam to the direction of the friend.
His son drowned but his friend was saved. When asked why he didn't save his son instead, the father replied "my son has already accepted Jesus as his savior while his friend has not." What a poignant story that happened in real life. The church congregation was more deeply touched when the guest speaker said "I was that father, and your pastor was my son's friend."
The guest speaker told a story of a father who went swimming with his son and his son's friend in a river one weekend. But a tragedy struck. By sheer coincidence, both his son and the friend started drowning and calling for help. His son was on one end and the friend was on the other. For a while, the father was confused as to who to save first. His son or his son's friend? Suddenly, the father called out loud: "Son, I love you" but he swam to the direction of the friend.
His son drowned but his friend was saved. When asked why he didn't save his son instead, the father replied "my son has already accepted Jesus as his savior while his friend has not." What a poignant story that happened in real life. The church congregation was more deeply touched when the guest speaker said "I was that father, and your pastor was my son's friend."
TIMES ARE HARD...But Christians can rejoice!
I'm not kidding. Even if the world seems to be on the verge of damnation, a Bible-believing Christian can manage to be joyful knowing that the difficult period confronting the world is a clear indication of the biblical prophesies.
Sometimes, philosophizing non-believers argue that life is an irony because we are born to die. That from the moment of conception in the womb we already start dying as time ticks away because we are drawn closer and closer to our end. That may be true only if life on earth is the end all and be all of existence. But that isn't so. We are merely on a passage that leads to an eternal life. God's wants everlasting life for all of us because he loves us so much and would like to share His Glory with us.
While God desires a well-provided and happy life for His children, He doesn't promise a smooth-sailing and easy life on earth. Acts 14:22 of the Bible tells us that through many tribulations we shall enter the Kingdom of God. As the old song popularized by a great pop artist says "we're living in a material world" and this material world will end to usher in the spiritual phase of our existence. Our material bodies are predisposed to sickness and pains. We need to work to earn our keep. This all began when the original man fell from God's grace. Man who was originaly designed to be like God lost his God-likeness and succumbed to being corruptible. Hencefoth, man ages with time and his final destiny is physical death Still, God so love the world that He gave His only Son (Jesus Christ) so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life (John 3:16).
Whether we like it or not, all of us are destined to be immortals. We are all going to have bodies that will not die. However, those who have received God's grace by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will have the great privilege of inheriting God's Kingdom and enjoying the company of the Father eternally. Those who did not will have to be damned in Hell with Satan who was the primary cause of the fall of man and suffer through all eternity.
God desires everyone to be saved. He knew we cannot obey all the commandments he has set. To break just one of God's commandment is already a breach of all His statutes. That is why, He gave His saving Grace through Christ Jesus who became a sin sacrifice inorder to pay for mankind's transgression.
If you are troubled by the many turmoils of life, if you feel remorse for all the misdemeanors that you have been doing, if you desire to change your life so that you may feel the joy of living, turn to Jesus. Meditate for a while and be sorry for your sins and ask God to cleanse your heart, Acknowledge that the precious blood of Jesus has washed all your past, present and future sins through His death on the cross and that you have been restored as a new man by His ressurection. Yes, believe in this and a new and eternal life awaits you. Pray from your heart and God will listen.
Sometimes, philosophizing non-believers argue that life is an irony because we are born to die. That from the moment of conception in the womb we already start dying as time ticks away because we are drawn closer and closer to our end. That may be true only if life on earth is the end all and be all of existence. But that isn't so. We are merely on a passage that leads to an eternal life. God's wants everlasting life for all of us because he loves us so much and would like to share His Glory with us.
While God desires a well-provided and happy life for His children, He doesn't promise a smooth-sailing and easy life on earth. Acts 14:22 of the Bible tells us that through many tribulations we shall enter the Kingdom of God. As the old song popularized by a great pop artist says "we're living in a material world" and this material world will end to usher in the spiritual phase of our existence. Our material bodies are predisposed to sickness and pains. We need to work to earn our keep. This all began when the original man fell from God's grace. Man who was originaly designed to be like God lost his God-likeness and succumbed to being corruptible. Hencefoth, man ages with time and his final destiny is physical death Still, God so love the world that He gave His only Son (Jesus Christ) so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life (John 3:16).
Whether we like it or not, all of us are destined to be immortals. We are all going to have bodies that will not die. However, those who have received God's grace by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will have the great privilege of inheriting God's Kingdom and enjoying the company of the Father eternally. Those who did not will have to be damned in Hell with Satan who was the primary cause of the fall of man and suffer through all eternity.
God desires everyone to be saved. He knew we cannot obey all the commandments he has set. To break just one of God's commandment is already a breach of all His statutes. That is why, He gave His saving Grace through Christ Jesus who became a sin sacrifice inorder to pay for mankind's transgression.
If you are troubled by the many turmoils of life, if you feel remorse for all the misdemeanors that you have been doing, if you desire to change your life so that you may feel the joy of living, turn to Jesus. Meditate for a while and be sorry for your sins and ask God to cleanse your heart, Acknowledge that the precious blood of Jesus has washed all your past, present and future sins through His death on the cross and that you have been restored as a new man by His ressurection. Yes, believe in this and a new and eternal life awaits you. Pray from your heart and God will listen.
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