Tag: Grace

  • How to Draw Nigh to God

    “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

    James 4:8

    Repentance before God is very important.

    From the call to Adam in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:8-10), God has called for man’s repentance. This call comes when one’s heart is convicted of sin (when one recognizes the sin in their life), understanding the need for repentance. Repentance means “compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision); it is the understanding that one is to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction).” This act is revealed when one asks God for forgiveness and then trusts in Jesus to take the sin away. “10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him” (Psalm 103:10-13). We call this salvation, or becoming a Christian. (See http://biblicalpath.com/index.php/how-to-be-saved/ for more information). One then proceeds by allowing God to change that heart and life.

    Nevertheless, because we still live in this world, all Christians sin. It is not right or good. However, it is important to turn from that sin immediately, asking God for forgiveness. Understanding that, a Christian should always live a life pleasing to the Lord. Right? More often than not, Christians harbor sin in their hearts. Sometimes unwittingly, sometimes on purpose, but all have sin that enters their hearts and lives (see Psalm 44:20-21). The important thing is to repent of that sin, asking God to cleanse that heart again. This should be a daily chore – to check one’s heart, making sure that sin is not hiding out there. But most Christians become so busy, they do not check their hearts daily. It is then that the sin begins to reside in the heart (most often unrecognized). This is dangerous because that Christian has allowed Satan to have influence in that life.

    You may not know what is wrong, but you feel that something is not right in your spirit. You acknowledge that you have not been acting right in your life. Things are not going well for you, you know there is something that is off, but you just do not know what it is. When you recognize that something is just not quite right, you should pray and ask the Lord what it is. “5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:5-6). When you do not know what you must do, read your Bible. It is then that God will reveal what the problem is and what must be done. When there is hidden sin in the heart, God will reveal it. It is then that one must repent. Yes, again! Repentance should be a constant in a Christian’s life – for we consistently fail to live a Christ-like life.

    How do we truly repent? There is an order of repentance, and God gives it to us in His Word. “6. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:6-8). It is at this point you ask the Lord what it is that you must do to correct the course of your life. How do you repent?

    There are four movements to repentance: Submit, cleanse your heart, resist the devil, and draw near to God.

    Understand that when God touches your heart, you need to submit unto Him. When you learn to submit to God, you are then able to submit to others. Until you submit to God, you will never submit to anyone else. God resists the proud. You then ask for forgiveness.

    It is then that you realize that you have been listening to the devil and living in the way of the world (of which Satan is the temporary ruler: see Ephesians 2:2-10). This is the point that one must resist the devil and his ways. This is the second step. It is at this point that the devil will flee from you. When you resist him, he has no power over you. The only power he ever had over mankind was death. Jesus took the sting of death from Satan (removing that power away from him) when Jesus rose from the dead (see 1 Corinthians 15:54-58). Remember the devil has come to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10). When one has Christ, the devil has no power over you – as long as you submit to the Lord. Therefore, we have no reason to fear the devil. However, one must remember that one cannot draw near to God unless you resist the devil. When one resists the devil, one is then able to draw near to God. That is the third thing one must do. It is then that God will draw near to you. What an encouraging promise!

    Finally, cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. This is a reminder that once one recognizes the need for repentance, one must remove the sin from that heart and life. Then allow God to change that heart and life. Do not enter into that sin again (“ye double minded”). “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).

    The call to repentance is throughout the Bible, even to the end in Revelation. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).  – if you are thirsty come.

    Do you check your heart, recognizing when you need to repent, enabling you to draw nigh to God?

  • Be not Troubled

    And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.

    2 Thessalonians 1:7

    The news today can at times be very troubling. Not only is there much insanity in the world, but sanity is becoming rare. This thought can be quite disconcerting. A great preacher once said, “There are three categories of people in the world today: those who are afraid, those who don’t know enough to be afraid, and those who know their Bible.” Once Christians are able to recognize this, the goal and aim should be to “know their Bible.” Christians are not to be discouraged or troubled in this world. God’s Word gives us much encouragement. Paul wrote words of encouragement to the church at Thessalonica when they were suffering actual tribulations. “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). What a comforting thought! Paul encouraged them to live worthy, commending them for their “patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure” (see 2 Thessalonians 1:4). Regardless of what happens, Christians are to rest with assurance in Jesus. He will deal with those who have rejected Him. This is a reminder that a Christian’s hope is not to be in this world. “1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). Christians are to rest in the comfort that because we are “risen with Christ”, when He “shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Then Jesus will come again to fix this broken mess of a world that we live in today.

    In the meantime, the world seems to become darker and darker every day.

    See that in the Old Testament, they wrote that one day Jesus would return (and that was written before He came the first time!). The description was as a “Sun of righteousness” as in a sunrise of a dawning new day. “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall” (Malachi 4:2). Have you ever heard that it is always darkest right before the sun rises? It will be the darkest time ever in history in the time before Jesus’ second coming. My greatest assurance is that I will escape the darkest days of history that appear to be coming very soon. This assurance only comes because I, personally, have trusted in Christ and have given my life to Him. I understand from reading God’s Word that He will gather His Believers unto Himself before that great and terrible time. Paul wrote about this time. A rumor had spread that Jesus had already returned, and Paul wanted them to understand it had not happened – yet. “1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). Paul understood that the day of Christ was still “at hand.” That was to let them know that it had not happened yet, but to be watching for it will happen. Just as the sun comes up on time (one cannot cause it to come earlier or cause it to wait until later), Jesus will return at His appointed time. However, Christians are looking forward to the day when we will be taken out of this world to be with Him.

    Read the words to a song written by Jim Hill in 1955:

    “What a day that will be
    When my Jesus I shall see
    And I look upon His face
    The one who saved me by His grace
    When He takes me by the hand
    And leads me through the Promised Land
    What a day, glorious day that will be.

    There’ll be no sorrows there
    No more burdens to bear
    No more sickness and no more pain
    No more parting over there
    But forever I will be
    With the One who died for me
    What a day, glorious day that will be.”

    In the meantime, I need to turn off the discouraging news and dig into my Bible. It is in God’s Word that I can be comforted and encouraged.

    Jesus told John of the things that would be in the end (as recorded in the book of Revelation). Read some of the final words recorded: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

    Jesus said He would “come quickly.” My prayer is, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

    Are you one saved by His grace, striving to be encouraged and comforted by knowing God’s Word?

    http://biblicalpath.com/index.php/how-to-be-saved/

  • Maintain Good Works

    This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
    Titus 3:8

    Paul won Titus to the Lord. Titus went with Paul on a missionary journey, and he left Titus in Crete to help organize the churches on that island. Paul wrote a letter to help Titus. Paul described the kind of behavior expected of Christians. He encouraged them to remember the importance of knowing that their salvation was a gift of God, and it was not something they could gain by doing works. Christians were to maintain good works, living a right life in Christ. Titus was to teach the basics of Christian living, and to beware of false teachers in the church.

    To understand good works, it is important to remember what Jesus taught. “28. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:28-29). The only work one can do to gain salvation is to believe in Jesus, whom God sent. Once Christians understand this, we can begin to understand just what “good works” a Christian is to maintain. Paul explained it well.

    Paul began his letter to Titus. “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness” (Titus 1:1).  

    • According means “… i.e.: the teaching that is directed toward godliness.”
    • Faith means “… the means of appropriating what God in Christ has for man that results in the transformation of man’s character and way of life; i.e.: Christian faith, or a firm and confiding belief in Jesus and His Gospel.”
    • Elect means “referring to those who are effectively called into salvation.”
    • Acknowledging means “the knowledge which very powerfully influences the form of religious life; a knowledge laying claim to personal involvement …” 

    Paul wanted Titus to understand this teaching of a lifestyle after godliness, which can only come to one who has trusted in Jesus by faith. “8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). When one has been saved because of this faith in Jesus, it is important to then appropriate that faith by allowing God to transform that life from the inside out: “that results in the transformation of man’s character and way of life.” Remember what Paul wrote in the book of Romans. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). Paul was encouraging a Believer (Christian) to be changed (transformed), becoming acceptable unto God and His will for that life. That life is now “powerfully influenced” to become more Christ-like (a life after godliness). These good works are not the basis of a Christian’s salvation, but the evidence of one’s salvation.

    Paul wrote, not only as a Christian who served God, but also as one whose life had been so influenced by the truth of the Gospel of Jesus that it had changed his life – drastically. “5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us … 7. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men” (Titus 3:5-8). This is how each Christian is to live. One of the reasons the book of Titus was written was to encourage Christians to live godly lifestyles. It should be the desire of each Christian (as those who are “God’s elect”), to allow one’s faith in Christ to transform completely his or her way of living. It is then that a Christian’s life can be good and profitable, bringing others to Christ.

    Paul also gave a warning about the kind of men that were leading the churches in Crete. Titus was to correct them: “15. … unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:15-16).

    • Pure means “clean or pure in a spiritual sense from the pollution and guilt of sin.” 
    • Defiled means “to tinge; pollute; defile; to be polluted, corrupt.”
    • Unbelieving means “one who disbelieves the gospel of Christ; an unbeliever; an infidel.”
    • Abominable means “detestable; that which is an abomination to God.”
    • Disobedient means “unwilling to be persuaded; unbelieving.”
    • Reprobate means “unapproved; unworthy; spurious; worthless; in a passive sense meaning disapproved, rejected, cast away.”

    These claim to know God, but because of their disobedience to God’s Word (unbelief), they are considered “abominable, and disobedient,” and a “reprobate.” This kind of a leader, one who is unwilling to change, will have his “every good work” rejected or cast away. When one is unbelieving (in Christ through faith), and profess to know God, their “works” (lifestyle) reveals the truth. Paul wrote to correct this kind of leadership in the church at Crete.

    Do your good works reveal the evidence of your salvation?

    Or

    Do your works reveal you are a reprobate?

  • Mercy, Grace, Faith, and Love

    This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
    1 Timothy 1:15

    Paul wrote to Timothy, who was a leader at the church in Ephesus, giving him instructions and warnings. Some people had already begun not only to turn from God’s Word, but were leading others away from God’s Word as well. Those people were talking foolishly, babbling (called “vain jangling”), and yet they wanted to be teachers of God’s Law (see 1 Timothy 1:6-7). They had no idea what God’s Law was, what it meant, or what they really believed themselves. Paul warned that it was wrong to let people such as this become teachers. Because they did not know or understand God’s Law, they could not possibly convey the importance of why God had given the Law. “8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, 10. … and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust” (1 Timothy 1:8-11). We are to understand that the Law was given to reveal the sin in mankind so that they could recognize the glorious Gospel message (see Romans 3:20). Gospel means “the Gospel plan of salvation, its doctrines, declarations, precepts, promises; the Gospel of God of which God is the Author through Christ.” People who did not understand that God’s Law was given to reveal sin, thereby making known the need for salvation, could not be trusted as teachers of something they not only did not understand, but also had not experienced for themselves. These people have not received the gift of salvation offered, by grace, which frees one from the confines of the Law.  

    Paul never forgot from whence he had come. He understood and remembered that he was a sinful man whose sin was revealed by that Law. He was thankful that he had been forgiven and placed into the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel message. “12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13. Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:12-14). Just because one breaks God’s Law does not mean they will be condemned. Paul had once done it “ignorantly in unbelief.” Understand what he recognized.

    • Paul understood that he had obtained mercy. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4).
    • He recognized the abundant grace that God bestowed upon him. “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
    • God then extended the gift of faith, which must be received. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
    • Finally, Paul understood the love with which God loved him. “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” (John 3:16).

    Read what Paul then understood: “15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). There was a specific time in Paul’s life when he recognized that Jesus had come “to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” Note that Paul recognized that he was a sinner, but that he had obtained mercy from Jesus. After Paul received the gift of salvation by faith, he then understood that he was to be a “pattern.” Pattern means “a pattern or example.” Paul believed that if Jesus could save him, a chief sinner (remember he was complicit with murder; see Acts 7:58), Jesus could save anyone who would believe in Him by faith. It is this kind of person who can be entrusted to teach God’s Word. Teachers of God’s Word must remember they have been entrusted with the truth of the Gospel message. The salvation message cannot change. “10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead. … 12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” Acts 4:10, 12).  

    Has your life become a pattern, revealing the mercy, grace, faith, and love bestowed upon you through salvation by Jesus?

  • Iniquity Separates

    But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
    Isaiah 59:2

    Excerpt from Year Two Quarter Three, Lesson 3: Isaiah 40-66: Grace and Salvation

    “This section begins with a pointing out of the people’s sin. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). Especially notice what the people had been doing. “Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God” (Isaiah 58:2). They had been seeking God and His ways – daily. Moreover, they were going to the Temple when required and performing their duties. We can understand that outwardly it appeared they were doing everything right: they were seeking after God, wanting to know His ways, going to the Temple, and doing what they were supposed to do. However, from God’s perspective, they were sinners who needed their sin declared aloud. Knowing what sin is was not enough. Going through the motions of religion was not enough. There was a serious problem! God was not pleased. “4b. … ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?” (Isaiah 58:4b-5)…

    “God wanted to see a people humbled before Him, seeking forgiveness for their sins. This would change their whole outlook. “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward” (Isaiah 58:8). Then God would hear them and answer them (see Isaiah 58:9-14).

    “God’s people had not yet learned how to do it correctly. Nevertheless, that could not stop God from doing all he planned. “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). It was God’s people in the error. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). They were a sinful people, and everything they tried to do to become a righteous people failed. God was warning them again that because of their sinfulness, the enemy would come in and take them away from their homeland. But one day, in the distant future, God gives hope again, of one who can take their sin from them. “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 59:20). And this verse introduces us to what the rest of the book of Isaiah is all about.

    “Remember back for a minute. We read that God’s glory filled the Tabernacle when Moses completed it in the wilderness (see Exodus 40:34). God’s glory also filled the Temple that King Solomon built (see 2 Chronicles 5:14). We will read in Ezekiel how God’s glory departed before the coming invasion of the Babylonians to carry God’s people out of the land. Do you remember why the glory of the Lord departed? The people sought idols instead of watching for Jesus to come. Remember what we can read in John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Jesus came. He was God’s glory. Nevertheless, the world (as a whole) rejected Him. As we read Isaiah chapter sixty, we find a promise. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1). One day, Jesus will come again. And at that time, God will turn His attention back to His people, the Israelites. However, before that day comes, see what will happen. “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:2). The world will become a very dark place before the Lord returns to rule and reign. At that time, God will make Jerusalem what He had always intended for it to be – and the whole world will want to come and see it! (“… And they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel” Isaiah 60:14b.)” 

    Remember why it was that Jesus sent Paul to proclaim the message of salvation to all: “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18).

    Have you turned from darkness to Light (Jesus), from the power of Satan unto God, receiving forgiveness of sin?

  • Lesson 3: Isaiah 40-66: Grace and Salvation

    Key Verse

    I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

    —Romans 11:11

    Key Verse Thought: Read the key verse for this lesson. We learned in our last lesson that God’s people, as a whole, failed miserably at keeping God’s Law. Because of that, there would be judgment. However, in this lesson, we will find that because they failed to be the people God intended for them to be (“they stumbled”), which allowed a time where God opened the gift of salvation to the Gentile people. Understand that this was to show the Israelite people what God had intended for them – so that they would become jealous of Christians today! We will learn in our lesson today just what it was that the Israelite people missed.

    Emphasis: We are to understand that even though Israel failed in being a light to the world, this became an opportunity for Gentiles to become Christians. Christians must be the light to the world to show them Jesus!

    Lesson Summary: Remember what we have learned so far: Isaiah examined the sins of Judah, speaking to the kings in their courts. He spoke during the days of Uzziah (Azariah, a good king), Jotham (a good king), and during the days of King Ahaz (a very bad king). He also strongly influenced King Hezekiah, a very good king.

    In our last lesson, we saw the reality of a world apart from God, all those who do not obey God’s Law. There were ten burdens of destruction upon the nations, and six woes upon Jerusalem and Judah. Nevertheless, even with the words of destruction, there was a hope of restoration for God’s people. 

    In this lesson, we understand that there is a hope of Grace and Salvation pictured in the book of Isaiah. We discovered that the first thirty-nine books deal mainly with the judgments of God and the history of His people (remember this is the theme of the Old Testament). In this lesson, we will look at the last twenty-seven chapters understanding they deal with the grace of God as it is extended through His Messiah, and the promise of restoration (much like the theme of the New Testament). Not only this, but we understand that because Israel would never fully commit to God, God set them aside for a period of time. However, during that period of time, God opened the door for the Gentile people (an extension of grace) to have an opportunity to believe in Jesus (Salvation) – if only they would believe. Isaiah chapters 40-66 can easily be divided into three sections. Interestingly enough, right in the middle of the second section is Isaiah chapter 53. This chapter deals with the Messiah, Jesus. It is a vivid description of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross.

    Y2Q3 – Lesson 3 Questions

    Y2Q3 – Lesson 3 Student Worksheets

    If you are teaching this to younger children, the following is a craft idea to go with this lesson.

    We made footprints and glued them to construction paper (you could also trace the child’s foot onto the paper) along with Isaiah 52:7.
  • Humbled Before God

    Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
    2 Timothy 3:5

    Jesus told a parable in the book of Luke. Read why He told this parable to the people. “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” (Luke 19:9). We can understand that Jesus was dealing with people who thought they were righteous and others were not. Thinking one is righteous, when they really are not, would be a very scary place in which to be. Jesus wanted them to understand righteousness.

    Jesus told the parable of two men who went up into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee (a very religious person – a religious leader) and the other a publican (a tax collector). Read what Jesus said about the Pharisee: “11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11-12). Now read what Jesus said about the publican: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

    Compare the two. The Pharisee was proud of all of his good deeds and thought he was fine in his religion. The publican on the other hand, humbled himself and asked God to forgive him – for he knew he was a sinner.

    What did Jesus say about the two men? He began by telling of the publican. “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

    Read what Jesus had previously said to the Pharisees: “14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15. And he [Jesus] said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:14-15). They did not understand that God looks upon the heart.

    See the following verses:

    • Understand the wicked: “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).
    • Understand the religious: “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (James 1:26).
    • How is one justified? “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
    • Can “good works” make anyone righteous? “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).
    • What does this help us understand? “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work” (Romans 11:6).
    • How can one be righteous in God’s eyes? “8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
    • Understanding all of the above, what is a Christian to do when faced with one who thinks he is righteous? “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5).

    The Pharisee (who had a “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”) will one day be abased. The publican, who humbled his heart, will one day be exalted. 

    Have you exalted yourself, or have you humbled your heart before God?

  • The Choice

    The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
    2 Peter 3:9

    Why do some people believe in Jesus, becoming a Christian, and others do not?

    God gives each person the choice to believe or not.

    One cannot help but remember the brothers Esau and Jacob from the Old Testament book of Genesis. They were twin brothers, yet they were very different. From the events in their lives and the choices they made, one can see that Jacob chose better, for he chose the things of God. Esau on the other hand, chose the things of this world and the satisfaction of his flesh. After hunting one day, Esau came home where Jacob was making some pottage. Esau was willing to sell his birthright for a bowl of pottage – just to satisfy his immediate hunger. After this, Esau took wives of the Hittite’s, not God’s people. Read what his parents thought of this in Genesis 26:35: “Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

    A short time later, Jacob received the blessing instead of Esau. Afterward, see the obedience of one brother, and the disobedience of the other. “6. When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; 7. And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram; 8. And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; 9. Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife” (Genesis 28:6-9). Jacob continued to please his parents (thus pleasing God), and Esau continued to please himself (thus displeasing God).

    Although Esau had many great possessions on this earth (see Genesis 33) and lived in the land of Seir, there is insight given to us in the New Testament. See what God recorded in His Word. “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:13). We can better understand these words many consider harsh as we read the following verses. “15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Hebrews 12:15-17). The condition of Esau seems to be the same condition as one who rejects God and His Word, choosing to please self. Note that this kind of person is one who sins against God (in rejecting the gift of His Son, Jesus). Esau made his choice. Esau gave himself over to the world and its’ ways. When Esau “failed of the grace of God” in this choice, he became a profane person. Esau so hardened his heart “he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

    Before you harden your heart, rejecting God, read the following encouraging words. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God is not willing that any should perish. No one should harden their heart and not receive the Gospel message of Jesus.

    For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth …” (Romans 1:16).

    Choose to please yourself, and in doing so fail of the grace of God, or

    Choose to believe in the Gospel of Christ unto Salvation.

    It is your choice!

  • Examine Yourself

    8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
    Ephesians 2:8-9

    There was a man who was instructed in the ways of the Lord. He knew the Bible. He was a great speaker when he taught things from the Bible. He instructed many people of the correct ways to live according to the principles laid out in God’s Word. This man spoke boldly in the synagogues. He taught the people about the Lord. These were all great things. However, he only taught what he knew and understood. His name was Apollos. When he arrived in Ephesus, teaching good things from the Bible, a couple recognized something. They understood from his teachings that he knew a great deal about God and His Word, but this man did not know Jesus. Apollos had heard of the repentance preached by John the Baptist, but he had not learned that Jesus was the only way for one to receive actual forgiveness of sin. The couple who heard him preach was Aquila and Priscilla. They had previously worked with Paul and had learned much about Jesus and the Salvation that only Jesus could give. They understood the following verses: “8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). It did not matter what one knew or what one did (works), it only mattered that one received the gift of God through faith in Jesus.

    Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos aside and taught him the way of God “more perfectly” (see Acts 18:26). They explained Jesus’ death for man’s sin, His burial, and His resurrection. Apollos then had a choice to make. Would he hear “the rest of the story” that salvation is only through faith? Would he believe in Jesus? The next verse helps us understand that Apollos believed through grace (grace means “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.”) The next thing we read is that Apollos immediately began to show others (through God’s Word that he already knew) that Jesus was the Christ (the one promised in the Old Testament Scriptures), who came to set men free from the bondage of sin.

    The world today is saturated with examples found in the Bible of good principles of living. There are many “teachers” sharing ways to live better lives. One cannot depend upon good living to receive eternal salvation. Today we have God’s Word to read for ourselves. Many have friends who can share the message of salvation that is only found by grace through faith in Jesus.

    The most important thing one must do: Examine yourself to see if you know Jesus. Have you ever come to the place where you recognized that you need a Saviour? Or, are you one who has gone to church, lived a pretty good life, and don’t really recognize you have never actually received Jesus into your heart and life by faith? “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Reprobates means “unapproved, rejected, by implication, worthless; castaway.” Unless one has believed in Jesus, by faith, receiving Him into one’s heart and life, they are considered a reprobate. That verse (2 Corinthians 13:5) encourages one to “prove” your own self. Prove means “to test; examine; prove.” Only you know your heart – if you have truly believed upon Jesus by faith.

    Have you examined your heart to know if you are in the faith (have Jesus in your heart)?

  • Good Work

    The only good work one can do in and of themselves is explained simply by Jesus, Himself, when He was asked by the people. “28. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:28-29). So the only good work anyone can do is to believe on Jesus. And when someone believes on Jesus, their life is forever changed. A new life in Christ begins. One begins to learn what the Bible teaches and applies those things to their life. Titus chapters two and three are a great place to read to understand some of the ways a Christian is to live. And as we choose to life a life pleasing to Jesus, we are to watch for His coming. “11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14). Notice that not only did Jesus come to redeem us, but we are to be zealous of good works. Remember what the only good work is that we can do? Believe upon Jesus, God’s Son. Any other good we do is because we have done that – for it is an outflow of appropriating our faith in Jesus into every aspect of our lives.

    God sent Jesus into the world to “seek and to save that which is lost” (see Luke 19:10). Who is lost? Anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh to pay the penalty for man’s sin with His death on the cross. Why is this so hard for people to believe? “3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

    The grace of God that brings salvation is available to anyone.

    The invitation is simple. But it must be received.

    Are you ready to do the work of God?