All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
For a Christian the title of this posting has got to be the understatement of the year. Never-the-less I am thankful for His so great salvation. I could not save myself and neither could you. No, we cannot save ourselves. When I pastored in Tigard, Oregon, I remember asking the church if any wanted to go to heaven. Every hand went up. A foolish question you say. My next question to them was how did they think they were going to get there? They were only going to get to heaven if the Lord Jesus would get them there. We were all sinners when Jesus found us. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We all, "were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." It was the richness of God's, "mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins..." that Jesus Christ gave us hope. (See Ephesians 2:1-5)
There may be those who take the mercy of God for granted. He wasn't obligated to us. Yes He came into this world to save us because He loves us. John 3:16 probably the best known and loved Scripture among Christians says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." That isn't all that the Scripture says though. Remember that the Lord was talking to Nicodemus a Jewish leader who could not understand the concept, that he "must be born again." (See John 3:3-5) The Lord ended His conversation with Nicodemus with these words in John 3:19-21, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." So just because God loves us doesn't mean that we are saved.
The Lord Jesus said in Mark 13:19-20, "For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days." Was the Lord speaking of Israel Here? Or was he speaking of the church? In about 70 AD the Romans attacked and defeated the Jewish nation. But the Lord spoke in Mark 13:22 of the rise of false prophets and false Christs, and in Matthew 24:24 said, "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." I don't know who was intended here but it seems that along with other passages we could include the church in the elect of God. If the church is meant here, what the Lord was saying, was, that those who put their trust in Jesus Christ could be deceived as the elect of God, "if it were possible."
Friend, I would suggest that you not take the Scriptures too lightly. The Apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 10:12, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." I don't believe that any of these things were said to frighten us but rather to make us, "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." I for one don't intend to give in to the wiles of Satan, but as I told the Lord Jesus the day He saved me, and I quote, "Lord Jesus if you will help me, I will serve you from this day to the day I die." (See Ephesians 6:10-11) How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment