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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!
Come Unto Me and Rest
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (KJV)
On a given Sunday from the past, I gave a message on this verse. While it was well received, I always had this nagging feeling that there was something I was missing.
The title of that message was, “Finding rest in a busy world.” So, naturally my focus was on how coming to Jesus could give us rest, physical rest, from how we burden ourselves with our jobs and the worries of life, which can weigh heavy on our hearts.
Fast-forward a number of years…
For quite some time, I have been studying scriptures on the difference between the works-based man-centered religion of being under the Law of the Old Testament and the faith-based God-centered relationship of being under grace in the New Testament.
One verse I had read, in studying living under grace, had a clause in it that kept sticking in my mind. Found in Romans, Galatians and Hebrews, all it said was, “The Just shall live by faith.”, but how do the just live by faith. Faith in what?
Then I remembered the verse on which I had previously preached from Matthew and two words kept coming to mind; “labour” and “rest.” Then it hit me. I had considered Matthew 11: 28 all wrong from a Christian’s point of view.
You see, the word “labour” means – to feel fatigue, work hard, be wearied, and the word “rest” means – to refresh: – take ease, rest. However, I had been looking at this verse in a worldly way, in how works of any kind can be a heavy burden on us, not allowing for any rest.
Instead, I should have been looking in how this verse is related to salvation found only in Jesus, and how Christians should view this verse. Especially in how we need to cease from trying to be obedient to the works of the Law and just rest in our salvation, and live by faith in the works of Christ.
In Galatians 2: 16 we read:
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. (KJV)
And in Hebrews 4: 10 we read:
Heb_4:10 (KJV) For he that is entered into his(Jesus) rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (on the seventh day after creation).
Once a person is saved, we no longer need to keep on trying to be obedient to the Law for our salvation or even in keeping our salvation for we are no longer under the Law but under Grace.
The Law only serves to show us our sinfulness while grace shows how we are forgiven, saved and justified by the faith of Jesus and in His works in His perfect obedience in fulfilling the Law, and not by any works of righteousness, we may think we have done.
When Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” not only was He talking about salvation but also in how Christians can have rest living by the faith of Jesus. That is why it is said, “The just shall live by faith.”
We can rest in the finished work of Christ. Instead of doing any works of righteousness, we feel we must do.
So, go now dear Christian, believe in the love of our Lord Jesus, and live by His faith that was given to you with which to believe in Him when you were born-again and you will have the rest that He promised.
Believing What Christ Said About Eternal Life
If I were to ask you this question, “Do you believe Jesus when He speaks to us?”, most likely you would say “Yes, of course”. What if I were to ask you, “Did Jesus ever lie?”, again you might quickly answer “No, He never did.”, but is this something you really believe?
While there are many different Christian religions, for the most part, they all believe in Jesus for salvation. The problem, however, is that there are many who call themselves Christians that believe it is possible that one could lose their salvation.
If it were possible to lose one’s salvation, along with eternal life, would that not make Jesus a liar? I guess it would depend upon what Jesus has said about eternal life, and the best place to find out what He said is in the Scriptures.
There are three scripture references I would like for you to see. You can read them for yourself and decide what it is you want to believe.
The first scripture verses are from John 6: 37 – 40
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
John 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Here we see that Jesus said that He would lose none of all whom the Father gave to Him, and that they would have everlasting life.
The second scripture verses are from John 10: 25 – 29
John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
In speaking of His Sheep Jesus said that He gave them eternal life and that they will never perish, and that no one can take them from Him. In addition, He reminded everyone that the Father gave them to Him and that no one can take them out of His Father’s hand as well.
The last scripture verse I would like for you to see is this. From John 17: 2
John_17:2 (KJV) As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
God the Father has given to Jesus all power over all flesh, and that Jesus would give eternal life to all whom the Father has given Him.
So, now what is it that you believe? Do you still think that you can have eternal life taken from you? On the other hand, have you been given the assurance that, according to what you have just read, your salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven is secure in the words of Jesus.
These are but a few scripture verses that are quotes from Jesus, to say that one could lose eternal life is tantamount to calling Jesus a liar. If you still believe eternal life can be lost, you are saying that you do not believe what Christ said about eternal life. It is that simple.
Jesus said:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish…
A New Year and A Newness of Spirit
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
With the beginning of a new year, as Christians we should look to a “newness of spirit”, wherein we should practice walking in the Spirit and not according to the works of the Law.
By doing the works of the Law, we are unwittingly trying to be justified by our obedience to what the Law says, even though we have been delivered from the Law. For now, we are not under the Law but under grace.
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.
Gal_5:18 (KJV) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
By walking in a newness of spirit, we are led by the Spirit of God Who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). It is God who works in our spirit to guide us according to His will to do those things that he has ordained for us to do. In doing so, we walk according to the Spirit with the faith of Christ and not by the works of the flesh in trying to be obedient to the Law.
In walking in the spirit, we now serve God in a newness of Spirit, by looking to God to do His will and not by looking to ourselves in doing our will. By seeking to do things our way we will always fail. Walking in a newness of spirit, seeking to do God’s will, can we have any expectations of being successful in our walk with our Lord Jesus.
As Christians, we are dead to the Law and we no longer serve it, and as a new year begins, we can have a new beginning in serving God by serving in the newness of Spirit.
The Story Of The Coming Of Jesus You Never Hear
We all know the Christmas Story, about the baby in a manger, the shepherds, the wise men, angels praising God and the Star above. While this story is true, it is not the whole story of Who Jesus is or why He came.
The real problem about this story is that it has been appropriated to be a time of spending and making money, spending money by us and making money by retailers.
Look all around the stores and malls. The decorations are all about pretty lights and decorations reminding us that Christmas is coming, and we need to buy all of those gifts now, before they are all gone. There is nothing anywhere about what Christmas is all about – the birth of Jesus. You will never see that for someone might be offended.
Maybe it is time for us to read about the coming of Jesus in a completely new light, one that shows who Jesus is and why He came. There is such a story but one that is rarely told anytime of the year. It is a short story and it is taken from scripture verses written by the Apostle John, in his Gospel and from the 1st letter of John. Here they are without the verse numbers just as they may have been written in a letter
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. The light shined in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Jesus is the Word of God, born of a woman, divine in nature and human in flesh. He came into this sinful world to provide forgiveness of sins and eternal life for all who would believe in Him and confess Him to be Lord.
This is the true story of the coming of Jesus; who He is and why He came. This is the story that should be added to the traditional Christmas story as this completes what is left out.
Without knowing who Jesus is and why He came, the story of the baby born in a manger is meaningless, just a good human-interest story. Jesus is the Word of God, He was with God and He is God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
These things have been written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
He that believes on Jesus has everlasting life: and he that believes not Jesus shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Come; let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Giving Thanks To A Great God
When it comes to eating a most wonderful meal, November is the month for me.
This is a month for giving thanks and nothing says giving thanks more than Thanksgiving. The meals at this time of the year are fantastic. Especially the ones I remember as a kid from the late 1940’s to the early 1960’s.
From my Mom to my Grandmothers they all knew how to cook from scratch and using nothing but fresh – never frozen – meats and vegetables, mostly from their garden.
The fresh Turkey was always nicely brown, fork tender and juicy. Filled with wonderful stuffing that was moist and tasty. The “smashed”, yes smashed, potatoes were nothing like today’s “whipped” smooth and wimpy potatoes. Those potatoes, which I still make myself, where hardy, full of russet flavor, buttery and so wonderfully stiff with a thickness that it would hold up to any homemade gravy from the pan drippings of the Turkey. Add a side of corn and you have a fantastic meal. Except…
Except, it was even better when you had a side of homemade cranberry relish, made with real cranberries, apples and oranges with sugar for added sweetness.
We ran everything through an old style hand cranked food processor (grinder). Beginning with the cranberries dumped into the intake funnel, as you turned the hand crank to crush the berries out came the ground up berries and juice. Then the apples were added, peeling and all, along with the oranges just sliced with the rind still on, all through the same manual food processor.
Once the right amounts of fruits were added, all the ingredients were mixed with a big spoon while adding sugar to the mixture for the sweetness one wanted. Then it was finished… ummm, not quite.
For best results, the mixture was best made about two weeks before Thanksgiving so that it could sit and marinate, and the results were an added measure of taste that was out of this world. Not to mention, that whoever made this relish always filled a quart-canning jar with the relish, seal it with paraffin wax and a lid, and set it in the back of the refrigerator until…
Until Christmas!
At this point, after having sat for so long in a cold environment the result from the fermenting process gave the relish an extra added boost of extravagant flavor and a taste that no canned relish or sauce could ever duplicate. Can you say “ambrosia”?
Not to be outdone by the meal there was one last thing to have; either a big slice of homemade pumpkin pie topped with homemade whipped cream, or a big hunk of homemade thick apple pie topped with real homemade ice cream. What a way to finish a scrumptious meal.
However, before the meal, one thing was always done before any eating took place, and that was the saying of grace.
Now this was something that the kids always took turns in saying and it was very appropriate for little children to say as it was also the way Jesus wanted people to be in following Him – with the faith of a little child.
Our version went like this…
“God is great, God is good and we thank Him for our food. By His hands, we all are fed. Thank you Lord, for our daily bread. Amen.”
You see, food is a blessing. We do not need to ask God to bless it. It already is blessed because God has given it to us. All we need to do is to be grateful to God for our daily bread and just give Him heartfelt thanks in return.
Even Jesus gave thanks for food as He did at the last supper:
Luk_22:19 (KJV) And he took the bread, gave “thanks”, and gave it unto His disciples…
The food is the blessing…
“God is great, God is good and we thank Him for our food. Amen.”
What Does It Mean To Be “In Christ Jesus”?
What Does It Mean To Be “In Christ Jesus”?
Throughout the New Testament, numerous times there is mentioned the phrase “in Christ Jesus”, but have you ever looked into what it means to be “in Christ Jesus”?
As a refresher, here are several verses in which this phrase is stated:
Rom_8:1 (KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
Eph_1:1 (KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Php_4:21 (KJV) Salute every saint in Christ Jesus.
1Pe_5:14 (KJV) Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The little word “in” carries a big job in these verses for it is used to denote the following:
– A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), that is, a relation of rest… give self wholly to, –
You see, once a person is born again and, by the faith of Jesus given to us with which to believe in Him, we not only submit our will but our whole being to Him. In other words, we enter into a unity with Jesus and become one with Him, to do His will and to be obedient to his commands so that we may grow in His grace. Just like when we read what Jesus said to His followers in John 15: 4, 5.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
For without me you can do nothing…
In order for us to grow and bear fruit, we need to become closer to Jesus, to learn of Him. We must give up our will to do what we want, in order to do His will, so that we can be at one with Him; He in us and we in Him.
When we give ourselves wholly to Him that is when we become someone who is “in Christ Jesus”.
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 sort ‘a give us an idea of their meaning.
• 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;
• 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.
• 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 this one verse, 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.
It really is quite simple. There is no other way of salvation. We must be saved by grace – the act of being born-again
Irresistible Grace – Thank God For It
What does “Irresistible Grace” mean? In short it is, “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
Two verses out of many that use the word “grace” are in Ephesians 2. One is found in Ephesians 2: 8, 9, which most Christians know and reads:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
The other is found in Ephesians 2: 4, 5 that reads:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) “
Actually, verse 5 explains quite simply what the action and result is of “grace” being applied to whomever God chooses. It is God’s divine influence upon the heart of the person, who is dead in sins, and makes them alive in their spirit; it is the act of being “born again” by the Spirit of God.
Remember, we are all spiritually dead in our sins and we can do nothing to respond to any call to believe on Jesus. The New Birth must happen first before anyone by faith can believe on Jesus.
In John 6: 44 Jesus says this:
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:”
In addition in 1 Corinthians 2: 14 the Apostle Paul wrote this:
“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The Apostle John made things quite clear when he wrote this in 1 John 5:1
“Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:”
These verses by Jesus, Paul and John make it quite clear that regeneration, or the act of being born again by the “grace” of God, precedes and causes saving faith.
Therefore, by these few verses alone, if regeneration (being born again) had to result from believing faith of the unregenerate in order to be saved—then no one would ever be regenerated (born again) and saved.
This is why “grace” is the irresistible action first applied by God upon the heart of man so that the unbelieving and unregenerate man can, and will, believe on Jesus, and why we should give thanks to God. For it is by God’s “irresistible grace” that we are saved.
Thank God for His divine grace upon our unregenerate hearts, that we would first be born again to give us a new life, being made alive in our spirit, that we might now and forever believe on the Lord Jesus.
Assurance of Eternal Life Kept By God
Do you believe in eternal life? In the Scriptures, like John 10: 28, the word for eternal means, “perpetual(also used of past time, or past and future as well): – eternal, forever, everlasting,”
Here is what John 10: 18 says about eternal life in its context:
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep
Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
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.
If you read the bible at all, you will recognize that these verses are of the story of Jesus being the good shepherd. These words are the words of Jesus as He spoke them to the Pharisees. In these verses, we hear Jesus giving assurance to His Sheep that they have eternal life and that they will never perish nor will any of them be lost.
In fact, in another verse in the gospel of John chapter 6 Jesus again says that He will not lose any of all that the Father brings to Him. In John 6: 37 – 40 Jesus says the following:
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
These sayings by Jesus are very clear and specific that once a person is saved (born again), and given eternal life, they have the assurance of Jesus that they will “Never” be lost again. He says, “ALL that the Father gives to Him will come to Him and that He will lose “NONE” of them.”
Yet, there are some Christian religions that teach that you can lose your salvation based on what “you” do after you are born again. They are very much like what Paul says in Galatians 3: 2 – 3:
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?
Works of any kind do not save anyone nor do works of any kind after being born again keeps one saved, for we are not justified by any kind of work. As Paul says in Galatians 2: 16:
Gal_2:16 (KJV) 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.
For by grace are we saved through the faith of Jesus given to us by which we believe on Him and are justified by this same faith, the faith of Jesus, that is given to us as a gift as explained in Ephesians 2: 8, 9.
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
You see, we are not given the gift of eternal life by anything that we do, nor are we kept saved for eternal life by works of any kind on our part. Actually, we are kept by God as we see in 1 Peter 1: 3 – 5:
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Once one is born again by the Spirit of God, we are forgiven, Justified by the faith of Christ and kept by the power of God giving us all the assurance we need that eternal life is ours forever.
Any good work that one does after being saved is not done in order to keep our salvation. No, good works are done as evidence of our salvation. Faith in Christ proves one is saved and already has eternal life, given by Jesus and kept by God.
If you still believe that you can lose your salvation and suffer loss of eternal life, instead of what God tells us in Scripture, then maybe you are not yet one of the sheep that belongs to Jesus.
Would you rather trust in yourself, or in the power of God for assurance of eternal life!
Riff's Christian Journal 