Romans 8:13

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

In verses 1-9 of this chapter, Paul makes it clear that those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the flesh, and to set the mind on the flesh is death. In addition, they are hostile to God, do not submit to God’s law, and indeed cannot please God. Here, in verse 13, this principle is repeated yet again. Paul has made it very clear that if you live according to the flesh you are not in Christ and you are under the condemnation of God. There is no wiggle room to claim Christ but live according to the flesh. It is the same message that is in James 2:14-26 where he asks the rhetorical question, “Can such a faith save him?” Paul is saying that you will die if you live according to the flesh. He has made it clear that one who lives according to the flesh does not have faith. They may profess and claim faith, but they do not have it. This death that Paul has carefully described in these verses is the eternal death that results from not being in Christ.

However, if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. A redeemed person is not a puppet that does nothing in putting to death the deeds of the body; but, he is enabled and encouraged by the Holy Spirit to respond to this divine grace and willingly participates in his own sanctification. Just as the window in the photo above is not perfect, and reflects some of the light rather than letting it through, a redeemed person does not perfectly live according to the Spirit; however, such a person is in Christ, and verse 1 affirms that there is now no condemnation of those that are in Christ. The victory is assured through the power of God the Holy Spirit.

Praise God for the enabling work of the Holy Spirit.

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Romans 8:12

Romans 8:12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

Unfortunately the thirst in America for gratification of the flesh through worldly goods has made millions of people debtors. The discipline of people living within their means has become a thing of the past in tens of millions of families. Items that were considered luxuries four or five decades ago are now considered necessities. Here in verse 12 Paul tells Christians that they are debtors but not to the flesh. Christians have no obligation to pursue worldly goods and pleasures of the flesh with reckless abandon because Christians have their minds on things above that are eternal. Those that believe you should go for the gusto because you only go around once are debtors to the flesh, but Christians are debtors to God for the great salvation they have through faith in Jesus Christ. They do not owe a debt to earn salvation as Jesus Christ paid for it on the cross. No, Christians owe a debt of gratitude, love, and praise for such an amazing grace.

Grace brings sinners to God and grace is with them for the entire journey.

Romans 8:11

Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

In verse ten Paul tells how spiritually dead people are quickened unto life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here in verse 11 he tells how the same Spirit that resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead will do the same thing for redeemed sinners that are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The photo above illustrates the power that a seed, that has been buried under two inches of asphalt, has in germinating and pushing it’s way through asphalt to become a thriving plant. However, this power pales in comparison to the power of the resurrection of the bodies of Christians that will occur when Jesus returns. What a glorious day that will be for all that are in Christ when the Holy Spirit gives life to the bodies of all the saints that are in graves around the world.

Praise God that his grace comes with awesome power.

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Romans 8:10

Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Because of sin, we are all dead men walking. The men in the Confederate cemetery above are dead men in the grave. Physical death is a universal condition of humanity. Everyone, whether they are in Christ or not in Christ, has this destiny. However, those that are in Christ have his righteousness imputed to them and their spirit and soul is life. They are no longer spiritually dead, but are alive for all eternity. They have been redeemed and will only die the one physical death due to the corruption of sin. Those not in Christ are dead men walking physically and spiritually.

Righteousness is a requirement of spiritual life. However, human beings do not have this righteousness, and they have no way achieve it by their own effort. There is one way and only one way to be counted as righteous in the sight of God. While we do not actually become righteous, we can be reckoned as righteous through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus obtained for us what we could not do for ourselves. It is provided to us as gift for all who accept it through faith. Those that accept this gift are spiritually alive and those that reject it remain spiritually dead. This rejection does not cause spiritual death in sinners, but leaves them in the same state they were born in.

Choose spiritual life by placing your faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:9

Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

This photo taken on the old Natchez Trace is a reminder of how the sinful nature of the flesh ruled the day in the 1800’s along this historic trail. Thieves and robbers thrived along this path that is sunken even to this day by the traffic of men and horses from over a century ago. Redemption from the flesh and sinful nature comes by regeneration to those who belong to Christ. They are redeemed by the blood of Christ and quickened to life by Holy Spirit. These and these only have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and they are Spiritually alive and no longer in the flesh. Saved sinners are in Christ and Christ is in them. Since believers are no longer in the flesh, they are no longer under the control of the flesh all day every day. Anyone who is under the control of the flesh does not have the Spirit and does not belong to Christ. In short they are not redeemed and are unsaved. This is yet another verse that leaves absolutely no possibility that a true Christian could reject following Christ in favor of worldly carnal living day in and day out. Christians sin and grieve the Holy Spirit, but they are convicted of sin by the Spirit, repent, pray, and are responsive to this grace which will win the day. In these first nine verses of Romans eight God through Paul has made it clear that a redeemed (saved) person has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them and they respond with a life, mind, and walk controlled by the Spirit.

Jesus is the light of the world and those that follow him are his. Those that don’t are not. This is sanctification and is a response to the justification that comes by faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Beware of false prophets that tell you that you can claim Christ but walk with the devil.

Romans 8:8

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

While the male peacock puts on a quite a show to please a mate, it is pure folly to believe that anyone in the flesh can please God. The best works of sinners that are not in Christ are but filthy rags. For one to imagine that he is right with God because of his high ethical standards or works of charity is an abomination to God. Also, this verse rules out the possibility of someone in the flesh coming to faith in and of themselves apart from a work of God in regeneration. If a person could come to faith while in the flesh, then this would please God; but then Romans 8:8 would be false. Therefore, since Romans 8:8 is not false, those who are in the flesh cannot come to faith unless God does something. This something he does is regenerate and give them a new heart that enables them to respond in faith. It is called grace and praise God that Jesus saves sinners completely.

Place your faith in Jesus Christ alone for the gift of eternal life and leave the shows of the flesh to the peacocks.

Romans 8:7

Romans 8:7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

The rattlesnake in the above photo is hostile to humans and does not submit to human ethics and in fact cannot. It is at enmity with mankind and would need an entirely different nature to act as a domesticated animal. In a similar manner, the person who is in the flesh cannot submit to God’s law. Such a person is hostile to God and lacks the ability to submit to God because of their slavery to the power of sin. Such a person is spiritually dead with no hope apart from God’s saving grace. Therefore, as verse 2 pointed out, God through the quickening power of the Holy Spirit sets sinners free from the slavery of sin. This regenerating work of the Holy Spirit imparts spiritual life and a new nature into a sinner that enables them to set their minds on the things of the Spirit. What cannot be done for the rattlesnake, God does for lost sinners. Praise God for this grace.

Photo by son of W.H. on hunting trip to N.M.

Romans 8:6

Romans 8:6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.


In verses 1-5 it is clear that there is only one important way to distinguish between people. They are either in Christ or not in Christ. In verse 5 Paul tells us what these two kinds of people set their minds on, and what they seek. Here in verse 6, Paul tells what the outcome is for these two kinds of people. Unregenerate man runs after and in fact is in bondage to sin and death. The world and temporal concerns are his focus and the object of his affections. This verse does not leave any wiggle room for the antinomian carnal Christian view that a person can have faith in Christ but be unchanged and continue to live with a mind totally set on the flesh. This is a false dead faith that does not save and this verse nails the lid shut on this false teaching.

In stark contrast the man regenerated by the Spirit of God has a new heart and a new attitude that is set on the Spirit and the things of God. He thinks in spiritual terms and is concerned with spiritual matters that bring life. Even in times of affliction and poverty, this man is at peace and will respond in Spiritual ways to whatever grief comes his way. While he may struggle with sin and his old nature, the spirit of God dwells in him and this is the victory that overcomes the world. In and of himself man would not overcome, but with the power of God at work in him, success is assured.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved from the eternal consequences and grip of sin.

Romans 8:5

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

A successful baseball pitcher must totally set his mind on delivering the ball to a specific point either with good velocity or with the changing in direction of a curve ball. As a pitcher progresses upward to the major leagues his ability to set his mind and concentrate on the task at hand becomes second nature. It becomes ingrained in his mind and motor skills. In a similar manner, man is born with mind that is totally controlled by the sinful nature. Due to the fall of Adam and original sin, man lives according to this nature (the flesh) and has his mind set on the things of the flesh. However, once God’s grace quickens a sinner and redeems him by setting him free from the law of sin and death, he lives according to this new ‘born again’ nature of the Spirit and has his mind set on the things of the Spirit. While he still struggles with sin and the old nature, his new nature will win the war, as we shall see later in this chapter. Spirit and life will win the war over sin and death. Praise God that he provides everything to win the war through this marvelous grace.

Brothers & sisters, if you want to win this war with the flesh, then place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to receive the free gift of eternal life.

Romans 8:4

Romans 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Jesus not only condemned sin by voluntarily dying on the cross as our substitute, he fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law for us. Jesus took our sins and paid the penalty required by God’s justice and imputed his righteousness to us that we might be found righteous on judgment day. We take hold of this grace through faith and are judged not guilty and are counted righteous because of Christ’s righteousness, not our own.

In this verse Paul gives a description of what God’s grace looks like in a redeemed sinner rather than simply saying, “by faith.” The bottom line is that grace not only saves, but it also changes the way a redeemed sinner lives. A redeemed sinner does not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Praise God that he not only saves sinners from their sin, but also enables them to overcome this sin with a new nature.

If you walk totally according to the flesh, pray that God will bring his Holy Spirit to enable you to walk according to the Spirit with faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:3

Romans 8:3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
Due to the sinful nature that mankind inherited from Adam, the law is powerless to save sinners. While the law is good, it is so weakened by the sin nature (flesh) that it has no strength to be effective. It is not the law that is weak, but the sinful nature of man that is incapable of fulfilling the law. The law accuses and condemns, but it cannot save. However, God has done what the law could not do. By sending his son, Jesus Christ, in the likeness of sinful flesh, he condemned sin. Jesus, being fully man and completely sinless was able to qualify as an acceptable substitute to pay the penalty for sin and thus condemn sin in fallen man. This satisfied God’s justice due to the infinite value that Jesus has by being fully God. The atonement was acceptable because of the human nature of Jesus and sufficient because of the infinite worth of his divine nature. Praise God that he provides everything that is needed to save sinners.

This salvation is given as a free gift for all that place their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:2

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

An airfoil is the reason a person can soar on a hang glider and be set free from gravity and the Holy Spirit is the reason that a person is set free in Christ Jesus. This is the gospel that saves sinners from the law of sin and death by setting them free from the grip and power of sin. The Holy Spirit regenerates sinners that are enslaved to the law of sin and death by setting them free and enabling them to seek refuge in Christ Jesus. This is the amazing grace that we rejoice in and sing about. It is the grace that sets sinners free from death and condemnation. This is a grace that does more than make salvation possible; it does the entire job by changing the heart and enabling a sinner to willingly come to Christ.

Without the person and work of Jesus Christ, a sinner is still under condemnation and still in their sin. Notice how this verse states the truth. It does not say that the Holy Spirit sets you free to be in a god of your own choosing or sets you free to be justified by your own effort. No, the verse says that the Holy Spirit sets you free in Christ Jesus. While it is popular in today’s American culture to be “politically correct” and “tolerant” by affirming many ways to God, the Bible does not offer but one way to be set free from sin and death. Praise God for this amazing grace.

Do not delay, avoid false gods and seek refuge in Jesus Christ!

Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

There is no exposure to the elements in the photo above because the photographer sought shelter and is protected in the glass enclosed observation deck. He is safe and secure and although the exposure is real and nearby, the inn provides a covering from the elements. In the same manner those that are in Christ Jesus are safe and secure due to the covering that is provided by Jesus Christ.

There is exposure to the elements for anyone outside the inn in the photo above and there is condemnation for those that are not in Christ Jesus. However, through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ sinners are provided a covering and there is no condemnation for those protected by this covering. Being in Christ Jesus through faith means being covered by his righteousness and having him pay the penalty for the sins of the sinner. Being in Christ Jesus also means being justified and adopted as a son of God. It is effective at the moment of saving faith (now) and is permanent and irrevocable. It is a done deal. There are only two positions for mankind, in Christ and covered or not covered and under condemnation. Sincerity, good works, other religions, ancestors, or anything else that man may dream up to protect him from this condemnation is pure folly.

Seek the only covering for this exposure and do it today!

Victory! at Bluecollar Blog

Go to Bluecollar for post on the victory that overcomes the world....

Atheists belief system built on foundation of fantasy!

Atheists also live in fantasyland

Atheists assert that the universe came into being from nothing. In the beginning there was nothing and unintelligent matter/energy somehow popped into being from a state of non-being without any outside cause. They theorize that a point of singularity of this energy/matter all of a sudden without an outside cause exploded into a big bang giving birth to the universe. (Let me say that I do not deny a big bang as being a possible way that God began the process of creation. God would be a cause in that case.) They then assert that billions of years later all of the complicated requirements for life fell into place on planet earth, and although there was no life, it popped into being very much as matter/energy popped into being. Life one ideal and perhaps romantic night simply came into being from non-life. Then life evolved due to mutations and living organisms became more complicated. Incredibly, evolution holds that as life evolved, complicated organs also evolved slowly. Organs that are necessary for an organism to live took millions of years to evolve to a point of usefulness. Evolution somehow saw a need for an organ millions of years in advance and began the long process of developing that organ.

Certainly something coming from nothing is hard to fathom for the human mind, but asserting that an all-powerful super intelligent supreme being (God) is the cause of the universe introduces a logical reason that makes it comprehensible. The alternative that atheists offer is nonsense that asserts something coming from nothing without an outside cause. Yet, in spite of this kind of fantasy belief system, they mock and ridicule the belief in a supreme being in general and Christianity in particular.

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More to come

Something for agnostics, atheists, and other unbelievers to consider….

The truth of Christianity stands or falls on the physical resurrection of Christ. If Christ was not physically resurrected, then Christianity is a hoax. If he was resurrected, then Christianity is true and the Bible is proven true. If Jesus came forth from the grave, then the writers of Bible were certainly not lying about what they witnessed and observed. Paul made this point at the Areopagus when he told the men of Athens:

Acts 17:31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

God gave proof by raising Jesus from the dead is the message. Luke carefully investigated the events and said that Jesus was with his Apostles for forty days after the resurrections and before his ascension. Jesus gave them many convincing proofs that he was alive during this time and they also witnessed his ascension. It is either true or Jesus was not raised from the dead. If it is not true, I believe there are but two possibilities to consider:

(1) All of the Apostles and other eyewitnesses lied and went to great lengths to dispose of the body and establish a false religion…. For wealth, fame, and prosperity this would certainly be possible. Many false teachers have gained wealth and fame since Jesus walked on earth. However, the Apostles were persecuted, suffered, thrown in jail and most were killed for the gospel. Is it possible that people would go through this for a lie? Would a group of people suffer and die to promote something they knew to be a lie. There is zero chance of this being the case.

(2) All of the Apostles and other eyewitnesses were delusional….. They were so crazy that they all believed it were true and all of them promoted and suffered for a figment of their imagination. It is possible that one person or possibly even two or three could become so delusional, but to believe that many people were all out of their mind is absurd.

For the resurrection of Jesus to have not occurred requires many Apostles and disciples lying to bring suffering, persecution and death on themselves, or all of them being delusional. Neither of these possibilities make much sense; therefore, I would urge unbelievers to consider this carefully before dismissing the truth of Christianity.

Is the message ‘repent’ or ‘God loves you unconditionally’????

John the Baptist began his ministry by preaching in the wilderness the following message:

Matthew 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Jesus began his ministry with the following message:

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Peter’s sermon at Pentecost ended as follows:

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

At the Areopagus Paul told the men of Athens:

Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

The common message and theme in these evangelistic messages is unmistakable. However, in America today, we will most likely hear the following evangelistic message:

God loves you unconditionally.

I will affirm God's love, but somehow the message that God loves you unconditionally does not seem to offer any urgency or incentive for a lost sinner to repent, believe, and seek God. Rather, it seems to impart a sense of security and a message that it does not matter how you live or what you do. Is this the message that John, Jesus, Peter, and Paul gave?

See Jazzy at the Bluecollar Blog

Jazzycat has been honored by becoming a team member at the Bluecollar Blog. Go there to read the latest Jazzycat post on the "effectual calling of Jazzycat's servant W.H."

Grace is living water!

John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'
Near Glenwood Springs, Colorado torrents of water flow out of the side of a mountain as the above photo shows. This is an illustration of John 7:38 where Jesus says that rivers of living water will flow out of the hearts of the redeemed. He is referring to the fruit that flows from grace and he does not say ‘some’ or ‘most’ will show this fruit. The ‘whoever believes in me’ means all that believe will show this fruit that flows from grace like living water.

Grace, how sweet the sound! Grace is more than a mere offer of spiritual salvation that man chooses apart from God, and it is more than a one-time acceptance of this offer by “simple” faith. Grace secures salvation for lost sinners who have no hope apart from this grace. Grace is powerful and changes people through the work of the Holy Spirit by replacing their heart of stone and giving them a new heart of flesh. This grace does not wait on a human decision because that would never come from humans that are all born spiritually dead. This is why Jesus said that you must be born again. You must be born spiritually to even see the kingdom of God. This grace regenerates and quickens a sinner by giving them spiritual birth, which enables a willing response. The sinners so enabled gladly and thankfully respond in faith and repentance to saving grace. With a new attitude and new desires, redeemed sinners have new goals and desire different activities than before their re-birth. Such things as prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship, and love toward others are all part of the new Christian’s life and they all flow from grace. Jesus called this grace living water and it enables and motivates believers to produce good works that God planned that they should do. Grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone is what saves sinners and everything including the faith to believe comes from God. While some deny this power of grace and claim that a simple passive claim of faith without any repentance, change of heart or behavior is a saving faith, the Bible over and over again describes a grace that is life changing and like living water. This is not an addition of works or deeds to justification by faith alone. It is simply an affirmation that the grace of God saves people from their sins and does not leave them unchanged to wallow in their sins. Grace will fill them to overflowing with living water. The following list is a some of the characteristics of grace with supporting Scripture passages.

Grace is applied by God and is not a decision made by man apart from God.
Romans 9:15-16 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
Also…. John 1:13, Eph. 2:5

Grace secures spiritual salvation for men by changing them from the inside.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
John 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Grace results in a new person.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Grace is powerful.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
Also…. Matthew 3:11, Hebrews 1:3, 2 Peter 1:3, 1 Thess. 1:5

Grace sanctifies through the Holy Spirit.
1 Peter 1:2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Also…. John 17:17, 2 Thess. 2:13

Grace gives the gift of faith.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Also….. 2 Peter 1:1, Eph. 2:5

Grace gives the gift of repentance.
2 Timothy 2:25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
Also Acts 5:31, Acts 11:18,

Grace is 100% effective.
John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Also..... John 6:39

Grace is applied by God.
John 6:65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
Also…. , Eph. 1:3-6, Romans 8:29-30, Romans 9:6-13

Grace makes spiritually dead people alive.
Eph. 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Also…… John 3:3

Grace chooses and calls out of darkness.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Also…. Eph. 1:4, 2 Thess. 2:13, 1 Thess. 4:7, Acts 2:39,

Grace gives eternal security by not losing any of those redeemed.
John 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
Also… Romans 8:29-30, Romans 8:38-39

Grace enables good works.
Eph. 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Also..... Galatians 5:21-24, Romans 8:1-17

Grace and Truth

On the river at Natchitoches, LA (DEC 06)

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

What does the Bible say about grace? What is grace? Is it more than an offer? Is it just a get out of hell free card that simple faith takes hold of? Does grace change a person? Does it continue past a moment of salvation? We will look at these things in a day or so and we will find that deep complicated discussions of what greek words mean are not needed to glean these truths from the Bible.

Faith has Action....

Many students in colleges and universities profess and claim they are going to work and study hard to achieve their degree. However, many fail to actually do what they claim and flunk out. Paul tells us in Titus that some profess to know God, BUT……
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

It is clear that Paul is linking how people behave or act to what they say. It is very close to what James says in James 2:14 (What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?). Paul is talking about people professing faith and James is talking about people saying they have faith. This is the same thing, and Paul and James also give the same bottom line. Paul says that their lack of works are a denial that they know God and James asks rhetorically is that kind of faith any good for salvation. They are not talking about a temporal salvation. They are talking about a faith that secures a spiritual salvation of eternal life. Paul and James are both affirming that this kind of faith is not implemented by claiming and professing, but by action. Sincere faith that saves will motivate a person to a response of action and works. This is action is not motivated to earn justification, but rather flows from the grace that brought about the justification. For example, a student in a college like the one shown in the photo above does not succeed by claiming and professing to his parents that he is going to study and apply himself to the work at hand. He succeeds in his course work by actually studying and working hard. When the semester grades are posted, it will be evident if the student has actually done the required study and work or if his claims and professions were worthless. It is the same with the faith that secures salvation. Saying, claiming, and professing faith does not save, but possessing faith will save and will result in works that were prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10). Therefore, do not kid yourself into believing teachers that say faith has no action (Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.).

Everything good is from above

1 Cor. 4:7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
From where did you receive your free will? There are some who believe that the free will that humans possess is independent of any and all causes. However, this is not true at all. The will in the human being can be traced to the brain. The workings of the brain can be categorized into things such as the conscience, the heart, the emotions, and such. We routinely trace all kinds of human attributes to genetics and ultimately back to God as the creator of the universe. Why is the will of human beings any different? The answer of course is that it is not any different. The will like all natural gifts such as athletic ability, intelligence, etc. are all from God. The Bible is clear in many places that this is fact. Paul in 1 Cor. 4:7 shown above asks three questions and the answers are simple and clear. The answer to question one is God, to question two is nothing, and to question three is pride.
Conclusion: Everything a human being has, including his will, can be traced to God. When a person says that they are so glad that they made this or that decision, they should thank God for the gift of their will that made the decision. For some reason people, that have no problem thanking God and giving him credit for all kinds of talents, think their decision-making ability is of their own creation. However, while human beings have a free will, every good decision that they make can be traced back to God. James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. For those that claim that their free will made the crucial and final decision in coming to faith in Jesus Christ, they should consider from whence their will came from. Salvation through grace alone by faith alone is from God any way you want to look at it.

Safely home

A lighthouse brings ships safely home and Jesus brings sinners safely home.
2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Not only does a lighthouse warn ships of danger, it also points the way for them to arrive safely home. What a joy it must be for the captain of a ship, on a dark, overcast, rainy night, to see a familiar light from a lighthouse to firmly fix his position and enable him to navigate safely into port. In a like manner, it is a joy for a Christian to be brought safely home by the light that entered the world in the person of Jesus Christ… When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Darkness is a characteristic of this world, and the people who follow the ways and wisdom of this world are blind to the light. They are deceived by the spirit of the age……..The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:4). Sinners are blind to the light that entered the world in the person of Jesus Christ and it takes the grace and mercy of God to open their eyes to the marvelous light…. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13-14). For a person to see the light from a lighthouse, he must have the gift of physical sight which gives him the ability to see light. For a person to see the spiritual light that Jesus Christ brought into the world, he must have spiritual sight. This comes from God and this is what Jesus meant in Matthew 11:5 when he said the ‘blind receive sight .’ This is grace and in grace God provides the lighthouse, the light, and the eyes to see the light. Praise God for his intervention into the darkness and his provision of everything needed for salvation. If you have not seen the light, pray that God will give you the eyes to see because he has promised that he will do it.

God's Workmanship

God in his providence and workmanship brought a New England fall to Mississippi in 2006 as leaves turned gold, red, and orange instead of the normal brown. God also speaks of his workmanship in Ephesians 2:10.

Eph. 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Paul tells us that we are saved by grace alone by the gift of faith in Eph. 2:8-9. Since the faith to believe is a gift from God this eliminates all boasting by the redeemed. God does everything in salvation as v. 4-5 makes clear. But then we get to verse 10 as shown above. In this verse Paul makes the following points:
(1) The believer is the work of God and not a self made work.
(2) The believer is Created in Christ Jesus.
(3) For a purpose of good works.
(4) God prepared these works.
(5) God did it in advance.
(6) God wants believers to do them.

The question arises are these works that God prepared for us to do something he hopes or desires that believers do or are they something that he has ordained that believers will do. Do good works flow from God’s sovereign powerful work of regeneration or does he withdraw his grace and leave the new believer on his own to produce works by himself. Yet another possibility is that God continues giving grace through the power of the Holy Spirit but it fails to produce any good works in the believer who simply resists the Holy Spirit with a greater power. In other words God’s sanctifying grace fails.

I think the conclusive evidence in verse 10 is shown in point 4 above. God prepared these works. He planned them and accomplishes all that he pleases (Isaiah 46:10). God does have a perceptive will that he allows to be disobeyed, but when God prepares something to be done, that indicates that he has ordained it to be done. That means that verse 10 is speaking of God’s decretive will (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and this will of decree is one hundred per cent successful (Isaiah 14:27). This means that God’s power expressed through his grace and implemented by the Holy Spirit will always result in the good works that God has prepared for a believer to do. They may be great and many or ordinary and few, but God will accomplish all that he has ordained.

Matthew's clever question of false premise....

Matthew know as Dyspraxic Fundamentalist asked me the following question in a comment on the Gojira's Stomping Ground blog:

If a person does not persevere in the Christian faith and walk, will she go to heaven?

This is an interesting question because Matthew asked for a simple yes or no answer. It is interesting because under his “Free Grace” belief system it is a valid question, but under my reformed belief system it assumes a false premise and bases the question on that false assumption. For example if I asked the following question: Could an airline pilot that new nothing about flying successfully land a jumbo jet? The false premise would be that someone that knew nothing about flying could be a pilot. Therefore, a yes answer would be incorrect and absurd, while a no answer would be correct, but would affirm the error that someone who knew nothing about flying could be an airline pilot.

So it is with Matthew’s question. Only he has loaded up with two false premises. The one that is implied is that perseverance is a work that is required for salvation. The other false premise is that it is possible for a Christian to not persevere. Therefore, if I gave a yes answer, I would be affirming the free grace theological position and if I gave a no answer then Matthew could assert that I held to a faith plus works salvation which is not true. Matthew would obviously be a good lawyer and I might add that he is extremely bright.

The question correctly framed is who is a Christian and will he persevere?
THE ANSWER: Eternal life (heaven) is assured once a person has been born again by the power of God. Faith follows shortly after this and a person becomes a ‘Christian’ at this moment. This is when his Christian walk begins and through the power of God’s grace he will persevere in this walk. (Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.)

Antonio has punted on first down!

It has been nearly a week now since I issued a challenge to Antonio in particular and no-lordship free grace proponents in general. It is spelled out in the post prior to this one. The challenge was in response to a comment that Antonio left on my Tuesday, Nov. 21 post titled “Warning”. Antonio was alerted on his blog of the challenge and has apparently punted without running a play as he has offered no response. If there is even a sliver of truth in his crusade of labeling Calvinists as affirming a works righteousness, then this challenge would have been duck soup as they say. One challenge came from Bobby Grow who sought to bypass the challenge by having me accept and defend his negative perception of Calvinism that he asserts I affirm but don’t understand. That is bottom line of what I think he is attempting to do. He certainly fails to debate what I actually believe that I always defend with Biblical passages and not some ‘scholarly work’. He failed to meet the challenge as defined. I will keep the challenge open but the score (1 point per photo meditation) as of now is Jazzycat 60 no-lordship 0. The following is a list of quotes from some of my Photo Meditations that clearly show my beliefs on this doctrine:

(1) From #3 Grace I say, “Eternal life is a free gift from God that is not earned or deserved.”

(2) From #9 Atonement “Salvation is from God and is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.”

(3) From #10 righteousness “The righteousness required to stand justified before God does not come from anything that man can do.” and also “Therefore, the righteousness required to stand before God comes through faith in Jesus Christ.”

(4) From #15 Justification “Justification is a free gift of God’s grace received by faith and not good works (Eph. 2:8-9).”

(5) From #16 Sanctification “The Bible is full of warnings of things to avoid (Rom 12) and things to do such as love, forgive, serve, give, etc. These Biblical exhortations to good works are sometimes mistakenly thought to be the means to be justified by God. In reality, good works are the fruit of the justification by God that comes from faith in Jesus Christ.”

(6) From #20 Jesus Christ “Following the moral and ethical teachings of Jesus is the goal of every Christian, but that cannot save anyone. Trusting, through faith alone in the atonement that Christ made for our sins, has the power to save and is the infinitely most important thing Jesus did while on earth.”

(7) From #24 Legalism “Once led to Christ, a sinner understands that he is justified by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”

(8) From #26 Good Works “One, we are saved by grace alone. Two, faith alone in Christ alone is the way to take hold of this salvation, and it is a gift of God and not generated by human effort. Three, there is no human effort of works or even producing one’s own faith since the faith to believe is also a gift.”

Challenge to no-lordship proponents!

In spite of redundant and clear explanations that the lordship position does not add works to justification in any shape form or fashion, I am flabbergasted that some of the no-lordship proponents will not accept repeated affirmations that this is the case. For the antinomian gospel to grow, I believe the no-lordship proponents must discredit lordship salvation. The only way to do this is to misrepresent the lordship position and thus claim to be the only ones holding the ‘faith alone’ position. The dangerous thing for the church is that the evidence of the last few weeks indicates that some are so committed to discrediting the lordship view, out of delusion, blindness, or perhaps disingenuousness, that they have no problem with proceeding full steam ahead at misconstruing the lordship view to their advantage. To promote their view is one thing, but to distort what they oppose is quite another. It is sad if their distortion is motivated by blindness or delusion, but if it is out of dishonesty to win converts to their view, then their spiritual problem is indeed great.

I do not know what is in the hearts of those that continually distort the lordship view into a justification of faith with works added. However, I issue the following challenge to anyone who wants to assert that my doctrinal position adds works to justification. I have written approximately 60 photo meditations that are brief, not complicated and illustrate basic doctrinal points. Fifty-two of them were written before I ever had a blog or knew anything about FG theology. I say this to point out that there have been no revisions to prepare for issuing this challenge.

THE CHALLENGE………… Search the Jazzy cat blog and all of these photo meditations and copy and paste a direct quote in context showing where I present justification (eternal life) as requiring works or deeds. I will defend this blog and my Photo Meditations only. I am not interested in quotes from books or reformed theologians or paraphrasing of what someone may have said in a comment.
Since I am a proponent of the theological position that is being accused of this position, it should be an easy task for some of you to search my blog and through my own quotes show where I have affirmed that works are meritorious toward justification. If no one can do it, then I will consider it a total victory in showing that all of the accusations that have been made and are continuing to be made against my theological position (reformed, Calvinist, lordship) are pure folly!

Warning

Galatians 5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Lighthouses warn ships so they can avoid the rocky New England coast. Ships are warned that disaster is near with a light at night and with a fog horn in fog. Scripture also warns sinners, who live a life dominated by the acts of the sinful nature, they will not inherit the kingdom of God. The warning is for both non-Christians and false professing Christians. A person will either be controlled by his sinful nature or by the Spirit. Paul makes this point in Galatians and he also makes it in Romans where he states…. Romans 8:6-7 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. This does not mean that a person will be sinless, but it does mean that his new heart, attitude and mindset will enable him with the grace of God to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit with a mind controlled by the Spirit. Galatians 5:21 above does not warn that a Christian can lose his salvation, but it does warn that a professing Christian that continually lives this way has not been born again by the Spirit of God. Such a person has and may continue to give a false profession of faith, but his actions show that he is honoring God with his lips only and his claim is worthless. Later in Galatians Paul says….Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone and not by any merit that comes from living according to the Spirit, but a saved person will through regeneration and the Spirit of God be enabled to show the fruit of the Spirit. That is why Paul says that anyone wallowing in the acts of the sinful nature will not receive eternal life. Scripture passages such as this are found throughout the Bible and serve as a warning for sinners in the same way that lighthouses warn ships. One warning is about physical disaster and the other warning is of spiritual disaster. Heed the warning!

Be ready

Matthew 25:11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

When midnight came, in the parable of the ten virgins, five were ready and five were not ready. Jesus is the bridegroom, and midnight symbolizes the time of death when judgment will be rendered. The five that were ready not only had a professed faith that is illustrated by their lamps but they also had a heart full of the fruit of the Spirit as illustrated by the jars full of oil. In short, they had a true active faith. When the cry rang out that the bridegroom was coming, the five that were not ready realized that their lights were going out because their oil was insufficient and more was needed. In short their faith was an insincere shallow faith of profession only. They went to buy more oil since the wise virgins did not have enough to give them any. However, while they were on their away to buy more oil, the bridegroom came and the wise virgins went into the wedding hall with him and the door was shut. The foolish ones arrived later and requested to be let in but the bridegroom replied…. “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ (Matthew 25:12) No one knows the day or the hour when death will come or Jesus will return. Therefore, be prepared and ready because when that day comes there will be a great wedding banquet for the sons of God, and those that are not prepared will be left outside and the door will be shut. To be prepared, sinners have to accept the free gift of eternal life by placing their faith and trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ to pay their sin debt. This faith will result in an invitation to the wedding banquet of the bridegroom on that great day. There is no other way and there is no neutral position. A person either accepts the free invitation or not. A person who is considering, but undecided, is not invited. Do not wait too long to decide to accept and be ready.

Captive

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
In the blink of an eye, the fish in this photo became a captive to this pelican. The period of captivity for this fish was very short as death followed very soon after its being taken captive. Human beings are also captives. We are born captive to sin and in great need of being freed from its darkness and power or we, also, shall perish. Isaiah 61:1 above is a messianic prophecy about the ministry of Jesus approximately 600 years prior to his incarnation. In Luke 4:18-20, Jesus confirmed this when he spoke in Nazareth and quoted this verse and said…. “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Freedom from the captivity of sin and death came to fallen humanity in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus sets sinners free…. John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. There is no other way to escape this captivity and there is no neutral position. There is not a probationary period while a person considers to believe Jesus and accept the freedom he offers. No, humans are born captive and remain captive until they are freed by Jesus Christ. Jesus, and Jesus alone, frees the prisoners and he did it by paying their sin debt on the cross of Calvary. Being a ‘good person’ or sincerely following other religious faiths will not obtain release from captivity. Belief and trust in Jesus for his atoning sacrifice as our substitute is the only way that is available for our captivity to end in the freedom of eternal life rather than to perish like the unfortunate fish above. Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, says it best….. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Faith in Jesus secures eternal life. Everything else leads to perishing. Let us thank God that he has provided a way rather than complain that he does not accept mankind’s invented ways.

Sins covered

A bridge that has it’s superstructure covered is protected from rotting. A sinner that has his sins covered is protected from eternal damnation.
In the parable about the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus tells about a rich man who was exceedingly blessed during his life and about a beggar that suffered much misery while on earth. However, after death came to both, the beggar was in heaven at Abraham’s side while the rich man went to hell where he was in agony. One had his sins covered and one did not (Luke 16:19-31). God makes it clear in the Bible that he is a holy, loving God that does not want to punish sinners. But, he is also a God of justice and must punish the sin that all human beings commit. Even the sins that are covered must be, and in fact have already been, punished by God. Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the cross of Calvary so that those who place their faith and trust in him have their sins covered by his atonement. Therefore, there are two ways for human beings to deal with their sins. One way requires that humans pay the sin debt themselves, which requires an infinite duration of time, and the other way is through Jesus who did it for a finite time but with an infinite worth. Jesus is worthy and able to justify all that place their faith and trust in his perfect sacrifice… (God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood…..Romans 3:25). The gift of eternal life is given as a free gift to all that have this saving faith. What amazing grace that the creator of the universe would suffer and die to cover the sins of the many that come with nothing to offer but faith in his perfect atonement. The Holy God of the universe is true to his word and requires an infinite payment for sin. Humans can pay the debt themselves with an infinite amount of time or they can accept, as a free gift by faith, the payment accomplished by the infinite worth of Jesus Christ. Choose wisely.

Power of God

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
With the rapid advances in technology, humans have reached a point where they can produce some awesome displays of power. Atomic bombs, space travel, the internet, and medical advances are just some of the impressive achievements that have been accomplished. However, these human works of power are not even worth comparing to the awesome power of God. In chapters 38-41 of Job, God explains to Job in very graphic language what real power looks like. The Apostle Paul confronted the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Athens Greece and explained to them the characteristics of almighty God (Acts 17:16-34). Earlier, when Paul was known as Saul, he was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians when he experienced, up close and personal, the power of God….. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me (Acts 9:3-4)?” In today’s culture, it seems that man has attempted to discard or minimize some of God’s basic characteristics such as his attribute of power. His attributes of love, mercy, and forgiveness are given such attention that other attributes are ignored or even denied so that the human perception of his love, mercy, and forgiveness are protected. Sovereignty, providence, and power must be replaced so that bad things, such as evil and natural disasters, are thought to be beyond his control. This thinking is called open theism, which holds that God does not foresee events and is powerless to prevent them from happening. Thus, God’s power, sovereignty, and providence are denied to preserve the false human perception of God’s love, etc. When properly interpreted, The Holy Bible allows for all of God’s attributes to complement each other and include his wonderful majestic power.

Handwriting on the wall

In our culture today you will hear people say, “I saw the handwriting on the wall.” When they use this phrase, they mean not only that they see what is going to happen in a certain situation, but that it is inevitable and is usually a bad outcome for them.
When King Belshazzar saw the fingers of a hand write on the plaster wall, he called for the prophet Daniel to interpret the meaning of the words. Daniel gave the king the bad news….. “This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:26-28).” This is exactly the situation that all human beings are in with God. God, in his sovereignty and providence, has numbered the exact time that we have on earth (Acts 17:26). All human beings are found wanting when God measures our lives and deeds on his scales (Romans 3:10). No matter how much success, fame, wealth, and possessions humans may have acquired, it will all be divided and transferred to someone else when death comes. The wealthiest person alive will not take anything more from this world than the most poverty stricken person on the planet. However, there is good news for both the rich and the poor. There has been one who has been weighed on the scales and not found wanting. Jesus Christ is He and He has provided a way that all sinners can be weighed and not be found wanting. By trusting through faith in his atonement and perfect righteousness, sinners can climb up on those scales, clothed in his righteousness, and be found not wanting. This verdict of not guilty is one hundred percent due to what Jesus Christ did for sinners and zero percent for what sinners accomplished. Just as King Belshazzar reached the time when he had to face the handwriting on the wall, there is a day appointed for all human beings to face the handwriting on the wall. Human beings can either face that day alone and be found wanting or cling to the cross of Jesus, secure for all eternity.

Gift of God

The clock on top of the Lamar Life Building has been recording time for well over sixty years or approximately one lifetime. The concept of time never ending is difficult to imagine. The gift of eternal life will never end!

As the previous meditation revealed, the first part of Romans 6:23 tells the extremely bad news of the condition of human beings at birth. However, the last part of Romans 6:23 is packed with great news for those redeemed by God’s grace. Gift, God, eternal life, Christ Jesus, and Lord are words that explain the bottom line of Christianity. God is the giver of the gift. By definition, gifts require nothing from the recipient but acceptance. The gift that God is giving is eternal life. This life of happiness, worship, bliss, peace, joy and love will never end. This eternal life is in Christ Jesus. He made it possible by his perfect life of obedience and his sacrificial atoning death. There is no other way to receive this gift but through him. Human beings can sincerely follow other religions and be extremely moral and good by human standards, but this will not result in eternal life. Believing, accepting, trusting, and submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is being in Christ Jesus. This is a relationship of love that is initiated by God….We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:16). This process is not like applying for social security where you sign up and return to your normal life style. It is a gift from God in which God, the Holy Spirit, applies a new heart in the recipient and enables him to willingly come and trust in Christ Jesus…..I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36-26). The only thing that man brings to the table is the sin. God, through his word and the preaching of his word, quickens sinners with his power…. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). As the old hymn so beautifully states, “There is power in the blood.” Praise God for this most amazing gift.

The myth of the carnal Christian

Does God hope, wish, and keep his fingers crossed wanting things to happen or does he ordain and cause things he decrees to happen? Does he regenerate and sanctify with power or does he hope believers will become disciples? Is it possible for a genuine Christian to reject following Christ and be all carnal all the time? Connect the dots……………

Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Isaiah 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Romans 8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I believe sanctification is fueled by grace from God that man is active in and responsive to. The N.T. is packed full of passages exhorting us to be involved in sanctification such as Rom. 8:9-17. Upon connecting these dots with the passages such as Phil. 1:6 and John 6:37 we learn that God does not fail in sanctifying true believers. He is 100% successful and will lose none who are his. In John 17 Jesus prayed to God that he would sanctify his disciples. It is inconceivable that God would not answer this prayer. To believe that it is possible for a true believer not to experience any sanctification defies Scripture, insults the power of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, and means that the high priestly prayer of Jesus went unanswered. Anyone professing faith in Jesus who totally rejects being obedient, loving, and following Christ has not been regenerated and is in need of genuine faith. If they are all carnal all of the time (Rom. 8:8) then they are not saved period. True Christians may be carnal at times, slip, fall, sin and are not perfect, but they are not controlled by the sinful nature although the 'old man' is still causing problems in their lives. The will feel convicted when they sin and will experience true repentance because of the new nature they received at regeneration.

Wages of sin

A group of buzzards wait in an old dead tree to scavenge a meal made possible by death.
Adam was created by God and placed in the garden of Eden where he was given a covenant of works to obey. This covenant had but one simple requirement…… And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Gen 2:16-17).” The consequences of disobeying this covenant was physical and spiritual death. Romans 6:23 above states that death is earned by sin. Sin is disobeying God. The nature and traits of God are revealed in his word, the Holy Bible. Among many characteristics, God is pure, holy, just, and absolutely true to his word and when he says death is the result of sin, it has to be that way. Since the result of Adam’s sin (original sin) is that all men are born sinners, physical and spiritual death is the inevitable consequence for all of mankind…..Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12). Physically, man is born alive and remains alive until death. But spiritually, man is DOA (dead on arrival). Just as a physically dead man cannot make himself alive, a spiritually dead man has no hope in and of himself of making himself spiritually alive ….As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:1-2). Although man does not have the power to become spiritually alive, in the next photo meditation we will look at how God can and does breathe spiritual life into sinners as the second half of Romans 6:23 is considered.

Natural Disasters

God controls and directs everything in the universe and nature. He decrees whatever comes to pass in this world including natural disasters.
Before the fall, God, man and nature lived in harmony in the Garden of Eden. Man, due to his sin of disobedience, brought a multitude of problems upon himself, including difficulties with nature. God, in his mercy and grace, chose to redeem many from the spiritual death that resulted from the fall. God’s plan of redemption involves saving men from this spiritual death for eternal bliss in heaven where there will be unbelievable joy with no pain, suffering, or death. However, in this fallen world, God has not said that pain, suffering, death, tragedy and natural disasters will not occur. In fact, He has said the opposite….. The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away (Psalm 90:10). Jesus said …..“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Quite simply, peace comes from Jesus and trouble will come from the world. Scripture reveals in many places that God has ordained all that comes to pass…. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please (Isaiah 46:10). Noah’s flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are just some of the disasters decreed by God that are recorded in the Bible. The book of Revelation has prophecies about future natural disasters that have been decreed by God. While it is beyond human understanding, The tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 were also part of God’s purpose and plan. Though death and destruction are terrible in this world, they have no effect on the spiritual eternal destination of the redeemed. Paul even referred to dying as gain….. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). His point was that death was but a doorway to eternal glory. If people are searching and expecting health, wealth, fulfillment, physical and emotional happiness in this world, they are searching in vain and in the wrong place. However, if they are seeking these things in heaven, they will be fulfilled even if death in this fallen world comes from a natural disaster. (Matthew 6:19-21, Colossians 3:1-4)

Deer from bedroom window!

Psalm 42:1-2 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When shall I come and appear before God?

What a beautiful thing it is to see God's creation and glory from your bedroom window. The view of a mother deer and her offspring is quite a touching sight. Perhaps that is why Scripture uses deer to illustrate some wonderful truths. Psalm 42 paints a picture of a sinner desiring and wanting to be near God. This is a characteristic of those that God has redeemed. Their hearts will yearn for fellowship and closeness to God.

Excuse me, but I don't get it!

I can hardly turn on a Christian radio station without hearing someone proclaim without any elaboration, “God loves you unconditionally.” Is this the message an unbeliever needs to hear? Is this the message of salvation that we get from the Bible? This message of unconditional love implies that your sins of all kind are no problem whatsoever to a loving God who has no other attributes of consequence. Whether you are stealing or selling drugs to children remember now that ‘God loves you unconditionally’. Is that Biblical? What does the Bible have to say about God’s love and his message to a lost sinner? Is it to tell them of his love and to tell them to proceed full steam ahead in sin because his love is unconditional or is it possibly another kind of message? Perhaps we should do something controversial and look to the Bible for answers. Very early in the first book of the New Testament we read the following:

Matthew 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

These are clear words from John the Baptist and from Jesus. Repent! This certainly indicates that ‘Houston we have a problem’. Yet, we not only have Churches proclaiming unconditional love from God, we also have no-lordship proponents proclaiming that repentance is not a part of the gospel message and a changed life is really not necessary for salvation. Excuse me but I just don’t get it. It seems to me that we should read a little further and find out why Jesus thinks we need to repent, or would that make make a ‘sensitive seeker’ too uncomfortable.

Encouragement

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
This old abandoned church near Port Gibson was certainly well built. It still stands as a reminder of a church congregation that no longer meets together. While the history of this church is unknown to me, there are churches that do give up meeting together because of dwindling resources and attendance. The Christian life is one of endurance and encouragement where believers need to encourage each other and worship together…. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). Meeting together as a body, whether in public places or in homes, is an encouragement to all believers…. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, (Acts 2:46). Jesus encouraged as few as two people to meet together in his name…. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20). Thus, it is apparent that the body of Christ should meet together and encourage each other even if their congregation should shrink to as few as two people. The Bible speaks of encouragement as a necessity and not an option …. Therefore encourage each other with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18).