Riff's Christian Journal

A Layman's View Of Christian Theology

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The What Why and How of Salvation


There are a number of Christian Religions but only two ways of salvation being preached.

The more popular one is a man-centered one where man must choose to be saved and then do or say something in order to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation.

The other, least popular, way is God-centered where He forgives and saves as He wills because man is unable to save himself.

The place to find the answers is in scripture; God’s holy word. We will look at the What the Why and the How of salvation as found in the Word. Then we will see what is the Response of the one that is saved when called by God.

The scriptures are all quoted within the context in which they were written, to understand better why God wrote them in the first place.

The What

2 Timothy 1:8-9 KJV – Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Here we see that the first thing God does is save us as He wills. Then He calls us. But why must He first save us? Read the following verses to see the Why.

The Why

Ephesians 2:1-5 KJV – And you hath he quickened , who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Twice in these verses we are told that man is dead ( spiritually ) because of our sinful condition and are children of wrath like everyone else. But God makes us alive which sets us free and It is by His Grace that we are made alive. So How does Grace save us?

The How

Titus 3:5-7 KJV – 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;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Being saved by Grace is simple. We see that it is not by our will that we are saved but by God’s Grace which is the washing of regeneration ( born-again) and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. We are forgiven, saved and made new by being born-again. We are justified – saved – by the Grace of God. Having been saved, what is the Response of those saved and called?

The Response of Those Saved and Called

Romans 10:8-10 KJV – But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

When we are Saved ( born-again ) we are made alive in the spirit and given a new heart. One filled with love and faith, having been given to us as a gift when we were saved, and with faith we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe that He was raised from the dead and is alive and watching over us.

Scripture clearly says that God ( The What ) saves us, ( The Why ) for we cannot save ourselves because of our sin nature, ( The How ) by grace which is the act of making us alive , born-again, then calls us. ( The Response ) with the faith given to us as a gift when we were born-again, we confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God has raised from the dead and we confess our salvation found only in Jesus.

So there you have it; The What, The Why, The How and The Response of God’s Salvation. What say you?

A synopsis

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 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; For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Written by Glenn C. Riffey

April 7, 2024 at 9:07 am

Saved By Grace – The Act of Being Born Again


Grace, salvation and born-again, many words being bandied about, what do they all mean anyway? Good question and one in which we will find out the answers but first, let us see some of the verses where these words are used in the Bible. To give us an idea of their meaning.


John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born-again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Titus 3:5 (KJV) 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;

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Now as to what these words mean here are their Biblical descriptions taken from the original text.

  1. Grace – the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
  2. Saved (salvation) – to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively)
  3. Born-Again – to regenerate: – be born from above; again,

Being born-again is the action done by the grace of God by which He saves people, and this action all takes place in one moment of time as described in this verse from Titus 3: 5:


Titus_3:5 (KJV) 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;


We know from Ephesians 2:5, 8 that salvation is by God’s grace and In these verses, we see God saving people through the act of regeneration, of being born-again, by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit all done by the grace of God.


Simply put, when we are born-again by grace we are saved for all eternity. All this is the work of God, done by His will as He chooses and when He chooses upon whom He chooses. That is why it is said that, “Salvation is all of God.”


God must do all that is involved in anyone’s salvation for no one will ever be saved otherwise. Man, being dead in his sin will never, of his own will, ever choose to proclaim Jesus to be Lord and believe on Him.


Only when anyone is saved by the grace of God will they be able cry out to God for forgiveness and to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe on Him that He lived, He died for sins, and He rose again from the dead to give us eternal life.


Salvation occurs by being born-again by the will of God on account of what Jesus has done for they who will be saved. For in Jesus, there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved, nor is there any other way of salvation. We must be saved by God’s grace – the act of being born-again – and by grace alone or we will not at all ever be saved.

Written by Glenn C. Riffey

February 4, 2024 at 6:00 am

For Whom Was The Law Made?


1Ti_1:9 (KJV) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane…..

Nothing could be clearer than this one scripture verse that the Law, better known as the Ten Commandments, is for anyone who are not Christians.

Christians are no longer under the Law, but under Grace (Romans 6: 14), set free from the Law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and that Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13).

So, if Christians are no longer required to be obedient to the Law, then what is the purpose of the Law for the those described in the above scripture of 1 Timothy 1:9? In Galatians 3:24 we read, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

The Law is not for they who belong to Christ but for everyone else who are not Christians. Either they will be taught by the Law to repent of their sins and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus or it will be their judge to show them guilty of their disobedience to God and be thrown into the Lake of fire on judgement day.

As for Christians, they no longer are required to be obedient to the Law but neither does it give them free rein to sin all they want. It is God who works in each and everyone who are His children and He disciplines them as needed.

In doing so Christians will come to have a desire to be obedient to God in the framework of “love God and love your neighbor”. Anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian and is not bothered by doing sinful acts shows them not to be true Christians in the first place.

In short, the answer to the question of “For Whom Was The Law Made?” is very simple. If you are not a Christian, a true born-again disciple of Jesus, then it was made for you.

Will you not, by the grace of God, repent of your sins and bow before Jesus to confess Him to be Lord and believe that God has raised Him from the dead and be saved from facing the wrath of God because of your own sinfulness. I guarantee that you will not enjoy the alternative.

Why Christians Live By Faith


Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

There is nothing we have done to be found worthy of salvation or anything in which we can have faith to be declared righteous before God.

When we first believed in Jesus as Lord it was due to the fact that we were first born-again, not because we were born into a Christian family, nor because we had done good works, nor because of our own will, but by the will and Grace of God. It is at this point that the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us (covering us) so that when God would look at us He would see Jesus and not our unrighteousness. As we read in Romans 3:22…

Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.

Being justified, that is made righteous, is not because of any works of our own but by the righteousness of Christ. As we see in Galatians 2:16…

Gal 2:16 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.

We have no righteous works of our own upon which we can have faith for salvation and be found worthy of going to Heaven. It is by faith that we believe in Jesus that He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves, and that is to become righteous before God.

We can never be justified, or be found righteous, by our works for no one is justified before God by works of the Law. Jesus came and fulfilled the Law’s requirements for becoming righteous, and it is by the faith of Jesus, not ours, that we stand righteous before God.

Christ died for sins. His perfect obedience to the Father made Jesus the only righteous person who ever lived. His righteousness is given to all who believe in Him and proclaim Him Lord so that when God looks at us He sees, not our unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus.

It is for us to do nothing more than to trust in the works of Jesus the Son of God who loves us and gave His life for us, that Christians, who are made righteous by the death of Jesus, might live by faith and faith alone.

Written by Glenn C. Riffey

October 1, 2023 at 3:38 pm

Jesus Made An End To The Law And It Is Obsolete


Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.

Heb 8:13 In that he says, A new covenant, he has made the first obsolete. Now that which is declared obsolete and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

When one speaks of the Law the first thing that comes to mind is the Ten Commandments, and they would be right. For these commandments are the basis for all of the rules, regulations and causative laws of blessings and curses found in the first five books of the Old Testament.

For the most part, all Christian religions agree that these Laws have been done away. However, there are divisions on whether or not obedience to the Ten Commandments, here after known as The Law, is still required.

However if something ends and is now obsolete, how can one still be subject to that which no longer is here?

Here is the context in which the term “end of The Law” is used.

Rom 10:1  Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 

Rom 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 

Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 

Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

The Apostle Paul is saying that His people, Israel, tried to establish their own righteousness and they failed, and when Christ came He made an end to The Law by His obedience to The Law and fulfilled all the requirements that God had demanded of us. Because of what Jesus has done, we are no longer required to be obedient to The Law in order to be made righteous by The Law. By Christs’ obedience to the Law He made an end of The Law.

Now some will argue that in Matthew 5: 17, 18 where Jesus said He did not come to destroy The Law, that not one jot or tittle will pass away until heaven and earth passes away. Here is what He actually said:

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

You see, we must read these verses in complete context. Jesus came to fulfil The Law, even if it takes until the end of time, and that when it is fulfilled it will bring an end to The Law. These parts of the scriptures are always left alone and never mentioned.

Therefore, when did Jesus fulfill The Law. In John 19 we read:

Joh 19:28  After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 

Joh 19:29  Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 

Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

When Jesus said, “It is finished”, He knew that He had fulfilled what he said in Matthew 5: 17 and 18. The Law had been fulfilled and in doing so, He brought an end to The Law.

The Apostle Paul made mention of this in Colossians 2:

Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

The Law is now obsolete and we can read the full context of this in Hebrews 8:

Heb 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 

Heb 8:7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 

Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 

Heb 8:9  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 

Heb 8:11  And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 

Heb 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 

Heb 8:13 In that he says, A new covenant, he has made the first obsolete. Now that which is declared obsolete and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

For what, then, should The Law be used? The Law is not made for a righteous man but for sinners (1 Timothy 1: 9, 10). It is designed to show sin in man and to bring them to Jesus.

For the Christian, we are no longer under The Law, to be obedient to The Law, which was conditional on our works. As Christians under Grace we are to be obedient to Jesus to do His will, which is unconditional based on God’s love for us. For as God works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure we will find ourselves becoming more willing to have an ever increasing great desire to show our love for Jesus in doing as we have been told to do unconditionally; To love God and to love our neighbor.

As God said in Hebrews, “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor , and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

Jesus put an end to The Law and it is obsolete and has vanished away.

Being under Grace puts us under the authority of Jesus all because we are in the arms of God being forgiven and loved unconditionally for all eternity. How can we not want but to be obedient to Jesus.

To What Or Whom Are Christians Under Authority?


Rom 2:13  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 

Every time I hear someone say that Christians are to be obedient to the Law (Ten Commandments) I cringe. What they do not realize is that to be obedient to the Law puts one under the authority of the Law, and that makes that person a doer of the Law.

According to the Romans 2: 13 – above – anyone who becomes a doer to the Law, putting themselves under the authority of the Ten Commandments, will result in being justified by their obedience to the Law. Just the opposite of what we read in Galatians 2: 16…

Gal 2:16  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. 

What I do not understand is why would one want to be under the authority of the Ten Commandments and not, by God’s Grace, be under the authority of Jesus, to obey Him?

The Old Covenant is obsolete and is no longer in authority over man, as you can read for yourself in Hebrews 8: 7 – 13. It has been replaced by a new and a more excellent Covenant, one that is based on what Jesus has done for man.

Think of this, as a Christian, either you are under the authority of the Law to obey it, or you are under the authority of Jesus to obey Him.

Ummm, I know under whose authority I am. How about you?

Written by Glenn C. Riffey

August 6, 2023 at 2:23 pm

Living The Christian Life By Faith


Heb_10:38 (KJV) Now the just shall live by faith:(see also Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11)

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Now that you are a Christian, instead of living by faith are you still trying to please God by doing works – why? Did not Jesus promise in Matthew 11:28 that everyone who comes to Him He would give them rest? Do we not also read in Hebrews that they who enter into the rest offered by Jesus would cease from their own works?

So, what does it mean to rest in Jesus and to live by faith?

As was hinted at in Hebrews 4: 10, when God created the universe and all that is in it, He did so in six days and on the seventh day, since there was nothing else for Him to do, He rested.

You also can rest from your works and live by faith.

In the Gospel of John chapter 10, Jesus said:

Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 

Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any manpluck them out of my hand. 

Joh 10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck themout of my Father’s hand. 

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one.

In these four verses lies the work of salvation. Jesus calls us, saves us and we follow Him, He gives us eternal life and we will never perish. No one can take us from Him or the Father, for He and the Father are one.

Salvation is all of God. God saves us by grace – born-again – and having been regenerated by God He gives us the gift of faith, the faith of Jesus, by which we believe in Him to be Lord. He gives us eternal life and promises never to leave us nor forsake us and that He will lose none of all whom He saves.

God, having created our salvation from beginning to end, left nothing for us to do concerning our salvation, but to just sit back and rest. We can live our Christian life by faith in Jesus, for He has done it all for us, that which we could never do for ourselves; we now live by faith.

However, now comes the part in which we play. We do not just sit around and do nothing or go out and have a good time doing the same things we did, said or thought before we were saved, as we will find ourselves being changed by God and it will give us some fear and we will tremble at the beginning when God starts to work in us.

I am sure you probably have heard the following verse from Philippians:

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Most likely, you have been told that you now must do this and that in order to stay saved, and that is why “you” must now work on keeping your salvation. They never seem to tell you the next verse that speaks of why you will find yourself with some fear and will tremble. Here is verse 13:

Php 2:13  For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

You see, the reason for the fear and trembling is the fact that God, having saved you, will now start to work in you not only to become willing to be obedient to Him but that you will find yourself wanting to do the good works that He has prepared in advance for you.

In Ephesians, after having saved you, we read this:

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

Seeing yourself starting to think, do and say things differently will at first scare you. For you will know not from where it comes, but when you realize it is God working in you to do His will, the fear will change to being exciting; wondering what will come next as you start to see how God is working in your life.

Yes, there are works involved in the life of a Christian. Good works you will want to do, not to keep your salvation or to receive anything from God, but to please God.

You will do these “works” in praise to God for He has made it possible for you not only to enter into His rest, in this life, but in Heaven as well for all eternity.

The fact is that in this life, God has given you the ability to live a life of freedom from works of the Law. You can just rest in the works of Jesus, which He did for your salvation, and do God’s plan as He works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. You can live your Christian life by faith, the faith of Jesus.

This is the faith by which we live…

Galatians 2:16 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. (KJV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourteen Years and 170 Essays Later


It is hard to believe that it has been fourteen years since Riff’s Christian Journal began.

During that time there have been 170 essays written with an average of a thousand words per each one. The longest was around 3000 words and the shortest was about 500 words. Of course, many of these words were actual scripture verses upon which the essays are written.

The first essay, written in June of 2009, is titled, “What I believe About Sin & Salvation”. Since then each entry into the journal has been on a different topic using scriptures for the basis of that entry. The scriptures used were done to support the thesis of the essay proving the premise that is the reason for the essay.

In short, these essays were, in some ways based on the “Five Solos” that came out of the Protestant Reformation movement. These are:

➢ Grace Alone

➢ Faith Alone

➢ Christ Alone

➢ Scripture Alone

➢ To The Glory of God Alone

In studying for these essays, a lot has been learned from the scriptures, especially the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Most notably were the facts that the Old Covenant is a man-centered works based system of religion under the Law and the New Covenant is a God-centered faith based system under Grace. Not the least is the fact that the Old Covenant is obsolete and fading away (see Hebrews 8: 7 – 13. To find out who is the Israel about which is mentioned in these verses read Romans 9: 6 – 8. Then read Galatians 4: 28 to find out who are the children of the promise mentioned in Romans 9.)

Only as the Holy Spirit has guided this writer have these essays been written. They came not from the one at the keyboard but from the Word itself to be used as an incentive for what was being written, and for the premise that was being put forth for the reader to consider.

The writer is totally convinced that if it were not for the Grace of God these essays would not have been written. It has been humbling, invigorating and quite a wonderful blessing, as well as educational, to be used by God in this manor, and I do give Him all the glory for all that has been written.

As God wills, I look forward to many more years of service in this capacity to the Glory of God.

I would like to leave with you a prayer, using scripture verses from Colossians to all of you for your future as a Christian. These are varied verses from Colossians chapter 1.

King James Version:

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints, 

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 

For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness;

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 

Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 

Amen

May God’s blessings be upon every one of you, and may God give you peace in living a life based on the faith of Jesus that has been given to all God’s children by which you believe in Jesus as Lord

Why Do Christians Embrace An Obsolete Covenant?


Heb 8:13

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first obsolete. Now that which is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

It is amazing how many Christians, Pastors and individuals, are enamored with the Old Testament Covenant. Listening to Pastors on radio and television, one hears more sermons on Old Testament scripture than on scripture from the New Testament.

The Old Testament Covenant was a man-centered works based system of religion. It was a cause and effect religion, as is the New Testament Covenant, the difference being who is the cause and who is the effect.

The Old Covenant was a system based on laws, commandments, rules, regulations, ordinances and rituals that man was to do in order to receive favor from God. It was a blessings and a curse system like what is found in Deuteronomy 28 where you have Blessings for Obedience and Curses for Disobedience.

In this system, the cause was Israel. By entering into a Covenant with God, and doing what God required, the effect was God giving blessings for obedience. The same worked if Israel was disobedient; a curse was brought by God because of their disobedience.

Therefore, in a man-centered works based system all Israel had to do was to prove that they could be obedient as God wanted. Israel tried and failed.

In Hebrews 8: 8, 9 we read this:

Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 

Heb 8:9  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

Do you see it? God said, “they continued not in my covenant and I regarded them not.” Because of their failure to be obedient, God dis-regarded Israel.

At this point God said that because of their failure to be obedient to the Old Covenant this is what He would do; continuing in Hebrews we read:

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 

Heb 8:11  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 

Heb 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 

Heb 8:13  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first obsolete. Now that which is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. 

(Note: to find out about whom is the Israel mentioned in verse 10, read Romans 9: 6, 7 and Galatians 4:28. The new Israel is Christians.)

God intended, from the beginning of time, to replace the Old Covenant with a New Covenant; a Covenant of Grace where God’s works would be the cause and man’s response would be the effect, just the opposite of the Old Covenant, a covenant of failure.

In the New Covenant, man is born again by the will of God, and man is kept saved by the will of God and man is given eternal life in Heaven by the will of God. 

No longer would God require man to be justified by his works of the Law as we read in Galatians 3: 11

Gal_3:11  (KJV)  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

We also read this in Galatians 2: 16

Gal 2:16  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.

However, as mentioned at the beginning, man still thinks he can be justified by his works and still tries to do what is in the Old Covenant. That is why many sermons are based on Old Testament scripture. It is amazing. Maybe that is why Paul wrote to the Galatians when some of them were trying to do this and he told them:

Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 

Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 

Verse 3 above is exactly what being justified by the Old Covenant was to do – being made perfect by works of the flesh.

Yes, one can find history in the Old Testament scriptures, also some promises of God looking ahead to the covenant of grace and not of works, as well as beautiful poetry of the English language. Other than that, Christians should be focusing on the New Testament scripture verses, learning from them like:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 

Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

2Ti_1:9 (KJV) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

These are but a few of the gems, the nuggets that can be found throughout the New Testament Covenant of grace.

As a Christian, you have but two choices when it comes to pleasing God. You can try to be obedient to the works of the Law found in the Old Covenant, which no one has ever been able to do, except for Jesus who did so for those who are saved, or you can do what the New Covenant of grace says in living by faith.

Gal_3:11  (KJV)  …no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

 

Remember…

Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first obsolete. Now that which is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Written by Glenn C. Riffey

May 7, 2023 at 3:14 pm

Christianity Stands or Falls On The Resurrection Of Jesus!


Have you ever given thought to the importance of the resurrection of Jesus from the grave?

If Christ were not raised from the dead, then His dying on the cross would be meaningless. He would just be another Jew put to death by Roman soldiers at the insistence of the Jewish religious leaders for His claim of being the Son of God.

The virgin birth of Jesus to Mary would not have occurred and Joseph would have been His real father and not God.

Christianity would be a false religion, meaningless and accomplishing nothing.

Paul the apostle put it best; of how important is the resurrection of Jesus, when he wrote to the Corinthian church the following information. Taken from 1 Corinthian 15 – various versus. (KJV)

1Co 15:14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 

1Co 15:15  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: 

1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 

1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 

1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead,

Having read these verses, you now see how important is the resurrection of Jesus. It cannot be said any better then what we read in verse 17 above in that. “if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.”

Without the resurrection of Jesus from the grave Christianity becomes a false religion, no different from any other religion, but thanks be to God that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

This allows us to confess that Jesus is Lord and we can say that we believe that God has raised Him from the dead to show the salvation, the forgiveness of sins, has been given to us by the grace of God.

Truly, Christianity does stand or fall on the resurrection Of Jesus!

Written by Glenn C. Riffey

April 9, 2023 at 6:00 am