READ, PROCESS, LINGER…
Christ propitiated the Father for you and for me (satisfied His justice). The grace of God depends on the works of Christ on the cross. This salvation does not depend on the merit a person achieves by doing something worthwhile. Salvation is a gift from God because Jesus Christ paid our sin debt on Calvary (Reference Ephesians 2:8,9; John 1:12,13). Just as humans cannot save themselves from their sin and their nature to sin, they, having trusted Christ, cannot lose their unearned salvation because it is a work of God and it cannot be overturned, annulled, or changed. Salvation is a new birth (John 3:7), a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), a new spiritual resurrection of the believer’s once dormant spirit. Praise to the Lord.
The forbidden tree of knowledge shows that wisdom is not for man, and history proves it.
Drink often from the fountain of God.
The wise man has contempt for money, therefore it avoids him and befriends the brash and the carefree.
Perhaps the truth spoken in humor will be well received, when with boldness it would be offensive.
It is far better to be humbled and saved than arrogant and lost.
The spiritually mature believer achieved maturity through the application of Bible doctrine to experience (testing). The mature believer exemplifies the fruits of the Spirit, as if their soul lives elsewhere.
Humanity is sunk in sin, shackled by corporeal bonds, clogged by the flesh, and cannot see things as they really are (the Kingdom of reality of God). As lawlessness increases, love grows colder (Matthew 24:12). There is eternal life with God for the believer, and eternal punishment (permanent separation from God), for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46).
Even Jesus himself in the garden of Gethsemane stated, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Satan’s method of temptation always revolves around the Word of God. Doubt is always outside of truth – there is no doubt when there is truth. Stay in God’s truth – His Word. When tempted, your resource is God’s Word stored in your memory bank for use in time of need. Christ himself when tempted by satan quoted God’s Word in Matthew 4:4,7,10.
If there is no absolute punishment for sin, then there is no reason not to sin and furthermore, there is no such thing as sin or right or wrong. This is satan’s strategy in history today. Questioning God’s Word is questioning God’s character.
It is interesting, since the fall we know good but cannot do it – we do not have the necessary power to do the good that we know. Likewise, we do not have the power to avoid evil. We are, by our fallen nature, powerless against the powers of evil. We are weak in our flesh against temptation and sin.
The Word of God is the believer’s power – the very power of the Holy Spirit who uses the Word of God against our enemies and to give us insight and power over temptation and evil. Knowing God’s Word is the most important learning in this life. God’s wisdom, that is His Word, gives us wisdom to know how to use knowledge appropriately – as God intended when He created us.
The power of God, in His wisdom in us under the control of the indwelling Holy Spirit, results in the filling of the Holy Spirit. Combined with God’s Word in our memory bank, we now have whatever power we need – we will not be tempted above that which we are able (1 Corinthians 10:13). So we have the tempter, but we also have the Holy Spirit who will help us by God’s Word to avoid temptation.
Our power source is God’s Word, available in us to be used by the Holy Spirit and against satan and the tremendous forces of evil, just as Christ used it in Matthew chapter 4. This simple instruction should be taught to every new believer in Christ as soon as he/she believes.
All of God’s eternal purpose revolves around the cross of Christ’s death and His resurrection. This truth is the most important doctrine in all of Scripture because it is the heart, soul, and spirit of all God’s purposes from the beginning of time and throughout history, and even for all eternity. Think about that for a moment. Christ, the cross, and the resurrection are the focal glory points of history and eternity. Nothing compares to the grace of God through Christ, nor ever will. Christ is all in all – King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen.
The precise fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, as recorded in the New Testament, is a marvelous testimony of the supernatural inspiration of Scripture and the deity of our savior Jesus Christ.
Is Catholicism anti-Protestant or is Protestantism anti-Catholic? Can both be Christian? Which defines Christianity, works or faith? Faith and works for salvation are mutually exclusive. So if works make one a Catholic and faith makes one a Christian, who is correct?
All quotes are by C. S. Craig unless otherwise noted.