Posts Tagged ‘God’
The Secret of Christmas
When you hear the word “Christmas”, what is it about Christmas that you think? Maybe it is about a lighted Christmas tree or it could be about a little baby lying quietly in a manger somewhere.
Of course, one could think of Santa, angels on high, wise men from the East, or even shepherds on a hillside with their sheep. And you know, in today’s world none of these would be a wrong answer. However, none of them tells about the real “Secret” of Christmas.
See, if you can see the secret in the following verses taken from the Gospel of John chapter 1:
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Do you see it? The secret of Christmas is that God lowered Himself to become a man, to be among us to show Himself that He is who He says He is. That by Him we can be forgiven for our sins and be given eternal life all because He has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
God became flesh and dwelt among us and to they who would receive Him (Jesus), to believe on Him and to submit to His will, they would find that God first had to give them the power to become one of His children in order to respond. This happened, not because we were born into a Christian family, not because we did something worthy of salvation, nor because we of our own will chose to receive Him. No, none of these can be true. Only because God has willed it is anyone born again into the family of God.
That is the Secret of Christmas; God coming down to earth, and as the God/man Christ Jesus, provided salvation for all who would be forgiven of their sins because of the atoning power of his birth, life, death, burial and resurrection all because we could not provide for ourselves what is needed for salvation.
If you can truthfully say that you have been born again by the Spirit of God, because it was God’s will to do so, then Christmas can be a most wondrous and Merry Christmas. For you truly know the “Secret of Christmas.”
The Verse That Brought Repentance
When I was just a young boy, I attended an Anglican church faithfully. I was an acolyte, president of the church youth program and a lay reader. I was a Christian; or so I thought. It seemed, as it turned out, that I was only a Christian in name only (a CINO).
You see, in being a Christian in name only can be very deceiving, and so many people today are doing the same as I, and are only CINO’s, and do not realize that they are “not” heading for Heaven. I hope you are not one of them.
Then, as an adult, one day came when I heard about two verses in Proverbs 3 that for the life of me I could not get them out of my mind. They bothered me to no end and I just had to find out how to do what they were saying, because I could not do so of my own will; and therein lay the answer.
The two verses to which I refer are these:
Proverbs 3: 5, 6
5. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.
6. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.
I tried and I tried and I just could not get myself to trust in the way that these verses wanted for me to do. No matter what I did I just could not trust in the Lord. Sounds terrible, does it not?
Then it hit me. How could I trust in someone who I do not know? Who was this Lord in whom I am to trust? Could it be this Jesus I kept hearing about? Oh, yeah, I heard about Jesus, and how they would call Him Lord every time I had gone to church, but I really did not know Him. I had to find out – who was this Jesus.
I knew that my bible was my only true source for learning about Jesus. I had some knowledge of the gospel of John, so I started my reading about Jesus with that book.
Admittedly, the first time through it I really did not get much understanding from it. So I began to read it again and each time I would read a chapter or two I would ask Jesus to give me understanding in these words that I might learn more about Him.
Little by little a verse or two would stand out and they would be quite interesting in little ways, and I realized that I began to trust more and more this Jesus about whom I was studying and to whom I was praying. Then one day it hit me about whom Jesus was – or is. Jesus is God!
By now, not only had I become more dependent on Jesus in giving me understanding in the bible but more importantly, unwittingly, I also became to trust in Him in helping me in my daily life.
I would ask Jesus with help at work, when I was driving and in just making daily decision. I was always, and still do, asking Jesus for guidance in making all kinds of decisions, and trusting in Him for the outcome, as well as trusting in Him to change my direction on anything, if I was going the wrong way.
Through hard times and good times I was looking to the Lord for guidance, even when I did not or could not understand why sometime was happening. Even when my wife was diagnosed with cancer, she is now cancer free. I found myself asking for stronger faith so that I would have deeper trust in the Lord for whatever would happen or in what would be His will.
That is when I realized that in turning from myself, from my self-will, and trusting in the will of the Lord, what I had done was to repent of my own sin of self-will.
This was something I had done all my life. I would look to myself to trust in my own understanding, in any situation for the answer, and to have the self-serving nerve to direct my own life.
It was these two verses from Proverbs 3: 5, 6 that led me to repent of the sin of trusting in myself and to turn to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness, and to come to an understanding of whom is Jesus.
It is in Him that we are to trust for the outcome for all circumstances and situations, and to submit to His Lordship over us in directing our life as He wills.
You see, we are to trust in the Lord Jesus on a daily basis, and to keep trusting in Him even when we do not understand what is happening or why.
In addition, when we acknowledge Him as being Lord of our lives, as God, Jesus has the right to take us down the path that He knows is best for us, and one that will glorify Him.
All it takes is an understanding of who is Jesus, and repentance on your part. That is to turn from your own selfish ways of trusting in yourself, to submitting to the Lordship of Jesus over you.
Only then will you ever find true Godly direction for your life.
Jesus – Savior God or Both?
Ask any Christian, and not to few of non-Christians, if Jesus is a Savior and the answer would be yes. Ask any of these same people if Jesus is “the” Savior and the number of yeses would be far less. Ask all of the same people if Jesus is both Savior and God and the number of they who would say “yes” would be quite few in number.
So, the question is this – “Is Jesus Savior and God?”
To answer this question as simply and succinct as possible we are only going to look at three verses. Two verses actually bookmark a verse that many people know and use in explaining how anyone is saved from facing the wrath of God for their sins.
That verse, of which I speak, is found in Titus 3: 5
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
The two most important phrases are “His mercy” and “He saved us”. Why are these important? because we need to know about who it is that “His” and “He” is talking. This is where the two bookmark verses come into play.
The first one is verse 4:
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
The important phrase here is “God our Savior”. This verse calls God our Savior, and it talks about His kindness and love toward man. So we can thus read, in putting the two verses together, the following:
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
So we see that God our Savior saved us. It is that simple – God our Savior saved us. With that in mind let us look at the other bookend verse. In verse 6 we read this:
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
In this verse the important phrase to which we need to read says, “Jesus Christ our Savior,”. Let me say it again, “Jesus Christ our Savior!” In putting these three verses together – Titus 3: 4-6 we read this:
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
These three verses run together so that they are all talking about one person. In knowing that we can shorten these three verses this way:
“The love of God our Savior Jesus saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom was poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior and God.”
There is no way around it. In these three verses God is called Savior and that Savior is identified as Jesus, thus making Jesus both God and Savior. So, unless there is more than one God and more than one Savior the only explanation we have here is that God, Himself, is telling us that He is not only God but our Savior as well in the form of Jesus the man. Jesus is both God and Savior. These verses cannot be explained in any other way.
In order for us to be saved we must set aside our own righteousness, of which we have none, and to have faith in the righteousness of Jesus which is given to us when we are born again by the Holy Spirit Who is also God. In short it is by the grace of God poured out upon us because of His love that we are forgiven for our sins and saved from facing the wrath of God.
Jesus is our God and Savior. That is the very basis for the foundation upon which Christianity is built. If Jesus is not your God then He will not also be your Savior. It is that simple and it can become very real to you if you will just confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that He was raised from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart we believe unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, who is both God and Savior, will be saved. Will you not do so right now? Nothing can be more reassuring than to know that God is our Savior, that our Savior’s name is Jesus and that makes Jesus our God. Jesus is both God and Savior. That is why salvation is not found in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Will you not call upon Jesus, who is God our Savior, for salvation?
To Whom Do You Give Thanks?
When something good happens and you want to give thanks for what it is, who is it to whom you give thanks?
All that we have has not come from our own doing, nor has it come from what ever riches – though little or much – we may have at any given moment in our lives. If, then, what we have that is counted as something for which we give thanks, has not come from our own abilities or wealth, from where has it come? In 1 Timothy 6:17 we read:
“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”
In this verse, the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us that anything that we have that is considered good and is something in which we can enjoy has not come from anything we have done but from God. Even the wealth, no matter what level of wealth it is, also comes from God through what ever means that He chooses. In Deuteronomy 8: 11-14 & 17-18 we read this:
11 “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God…
17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…
It is not by your might or power by which you have all that you do. It is by God’s hand that you have what you do for it is from Him that we receive all things to enjoy. And since we receive these gifts from God is it not right to give Him thanks for what we have? In prayers always should we give thanks because it is pleasing to God so to do.
In 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 we read:
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
So, give thanks with a grateful heart, for all good things come from God and it is to God to Whom we should give thanks. Even if you are not a child of God, that is a disciple of Jesus – one who is called a Christian – you should also give thanks for God brings good on all people. However, if you want to feel the full “love” of God, to understand, know and be given forgiveness for our sins so that we can experience the love of God personally then you must become a child of God. Otherwise, you may receive from God but, without becoming a child of God, you will never know the why of God through His love.
In 1 John 3: 1 we read:
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
You may not be a child of God and you still may want to give God thanks, but what good is it to do so without knowing the love of God? As a child of God you can give thanks with love to the one who loves you as being one of His children. One who has believed in His Son Jesus and has submitted to Him not only as Lord but has received Him as Savior; being forgiven for your sins and given welcome access to knowing the love of God. Only then will you be able to know what manner of love God has bestowed upon you.
This then is the answer to the question of “To Whom Do You Give Thanks?” It is to God to whom we should give thanks. To God be the glory…
Do Not Say “God Loves You!” – Unless…..
How many times have you heard a well-meaning Christian – Pastor or not – tell someone “God Loves You!” ? Most likely it is said to someone who is not a disciple of Jesus. Someone who does not love God nor has submitted to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
However, you really should “not” say that to someone “UNLESS”… unless they are a disciple of Jesus. Here is why.
I am sure you have heard it said that God loves everyone and just about all of the time it is based on John 3:16 but, have we all mis-understood that scripture? To find out why John 3:16 is not talking about individuals please read the article at the following link:
Have We All Mis-Understood John 3:16…
In actuality God does love individuals but who are these people whom God loves?
Let me just list a few scripture verses and you should be able to figure out for yourself who it is whom God loves… and why.
John 13: 1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
John 14: 21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
John 14: 23
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
John 17: 20 – 23
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
In short, just look at these phrases…
having loved His own who were in the world,
he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him
that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
God loves only they who are disciples of Jesus; who are obedient to Him and love Him. You see, God does “not” love everyone, as you have been told so many times. His love is only for born again believers in Jesus. These verses are very clear in that point and if you still do not believe it is because you do not understand what God is saying in His Word, nor do you want to do so because it is against what you have been made to believe; believing in something that is not in the Bible.
Jesus loved His own who were in the world. Whoever loves Jesus will be loved by the Father and whoever the Father loves Jesus also will love. They who love Jesus and keeps His word will be loved by the Father. The thing is the world is supposed to know that the Father has sent Jesus and that only they who believe in Him is loved by the Father as the Father loves Jesus and Jesus, too, will love them… and only them. For they are His own who are in the world.
Are you loved by God? Do you believe in Jesus and are obedient to Him? Do you love and cherish the salvation that God has so graciously given to you? Then, do not say to any and everyone that God loves you. If they are “NOT” disciples of Jesus you are only deceiving them and are actually lying to them. Instead, tell them that they can “know” the love of God and feel the kind of sweet love that only Jesus can give, and then tell them how they, too, can receive this love of God by submitting to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
So, do not say that “God loves you” – unless … unless you know for sure that the one to whom you are talking is a true disciples of Jesus and are a child of God. You see, God does love, but He only loves they who love Jesus. We know He does because, in His Word, He has told us so…
I AM
Is This Something In Which You Should Believe?
What if Jesus were God? Would it make a difference in what you believe? What you believe now, and in the future determines your eternal destiny. Here is what you should know.
In the Book of Exodus, chapter 3, we are reading the story of when Moses was talking with God in the Burning Bush. God has told Moses to go back to Egypt and lead His people out of the land of Egypt, and to take them to a new and more promising land.
Then beginning in verse 13 we read the following:
13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
Here we read that God has given Himself the name of “I AM”. This is very important to know as we now jump forward to the time of Jesus.
It is early morning and we find Jesus in the temple. All the people has come to Him and He was teaching them; the scribes and the Pharisees were also there.
They begin to question Him and ridicule Him because he has told them that God was not their Father. The proof of that, He said, was that if God was their Father they would love Him, for He proceeded forth and came from God. Jesus tells them that He is telling the truth but they do not believe Him.
Then Jesus begins to lead the conversation to where He drops the bomb shell on them. He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
Had you heard that, what would you have said? Well, here’s what they said in John 8 beginning with verse 52:
52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’
53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
The Jews are now forcing the issue. They are trying to trap Jesus into saying something that they could use against Him. So, knowing what they are after He responds with this:
54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.
55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
At this the Jews are dumbfounded. They think Jesus is Crazy and:
57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Now, wait for it. Here it comes. This is the answer that Jesus gives:
58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
At this the Jews get very angry and yell curses at Jesus for what He just said and:
59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Did you see it? Most people now are wondering what was it that Jesus said that got the Jews to want to stone Him, and if you have read the Bible you know right away exactly what Jesus was saying. It is because of the name that God gave to Moses at the Burning Bush.
He said, “I AM”. You see, in plain language Jesus had just told the Jews, the scribes and the Pharisees, that He is God!
Imagine what you would have thought or felt at that point. Here they were questioning and ridiculing Jesus. They were calling Him names, saying He was lying and that He was demon possessed. Then all of a sudden He tells them that the person to whom they are speaking is God; the same God that spoke to Moses. To them that was blasphemous and that is why they were going to stone Him.
Jesus has now plainly said that He is God. He is the Creator and that is why He has been able to do all of the miracles that He has done up to this point.
He has calmed the seas and quieted the winds. He has given sight to those who had no eyes. He has opened tongues to speak where there had been no tongue. He has raised the dead, given the lame the ability to walk and restored a hand where there had been no hand. He has given hearing to the deaf, changed water to wine and He has known the thoughts and intents of people who were around Him. He has now plainly explained how He has been able to do all of these miracles, and more.
He is able to do all of this because He is God. Jesus is the One Who calls Himself, “I AM”.
At this point you, too, now have to make a decision. You either have to agree with the Jews and claim that Jesus is a liar, a charlatan and the biggest deceiver that ever lived, or you have to believe He is God. There is no middle ground.
And here’s the importance of why you should believe that Jesus is God. Earlier in His conversation with the scribes and Pharisees Jesus had made the same claim in a different way. He put it this way:
23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”
25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.”
Where Jesus says, “I AM”, in some translations you will see that the interpreters had put in the word “he”. However, in the original language the word he is not there. It is simply “I am”.
So you see that here, Jesus begins to let them know Who He is. He gives them a plain hint and it just does not register. I can just picture one of the Jews, having picked up on what Jesus has said, leaning in closer to Him, eyes squinting a little and just saying loud enough for Jesus to hear, “Who are You?”
He knows what Jesus just said and he wants to hear Him say it again, but Jesus doesn’t answer the way he expected and just says, “Just what I have been saying from the beginning.”
Now, you too, must ask Jesus, “Who are You?”
His answer is the same. He is the great and almighty “I AM”. Simply put – Jesus is God. You either believe and submit to Him as Lord of your life, be forgiven for your sins and live forever with Him in Heaven. Or, if you decide not to believe, you will die in your sins and spend eternity in Hell.
What is your choice? Will you believe and live, or will you die and suffer the consequences? My prayer is that you will believe and live. You have no other choice.
What I Believe About Sin & Salvation
If one is to believe the Bible then one also has to believe that we are all dead (spiritually) in our sins. Being in this state one is also unable, in anyway, to not only save themselves, but to also do anything worthy of salvation. To carry this one step further, we are also unable to even admit our sinfulness and in need of salvation. There is none good, there is none who seek after God, no not one. Read Romans 3:10 – 18.
From what is it that we are in need of being saved? From facing the wrath of God. And let there be no mistake about it, there is a God and He is angry with the wicked everyday, and the day is coming when He will bring His wrath upon all mankind.
Basically all mankind is Totally Depraved and unable to do anything towards salvation.
Being that mankind is Totally Deparaved it further shows that if man is to be saved at all then it is only by the will of God that anyone is saved. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. John 5:21
No one has the ability to come to Jesus of their own will, because of their Total Depravity, so if one is to come to Jesus they must first be drawn by Him – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” John 6:44b
In addition to being drawn, all those who are drawn will come and be saved – “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” John 6:37
All who are drawn by the Father will come to Jesus and be saved. There will be none who will say No, I will not be saved. “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.”
Once one is drawn and have leaned by the Father, they will be saved and will remain saved for all eternity. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” John 6:47.
In other words, all mankind is dead in their trespasses and sins and are unable, of their own will, able to see their sinfulness, see a need for salvation, see the need to come to Jesus to be forgiven and given a new life, and be assured of living for all eternity with God in Heaven, or of seeing the need for repentance towards God and of having faith in Jesus that He did for them what they cannot do for themselves.
If man is left to his own will, when it comes to Jesus and salvation, he will never choose, of his own will, to come to Christ and so be saved. Remember, Jesus said that he can’t. John 6:44
In addition, Jesus said “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” John 6:63, and He also said “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” John 6:65.
Now, you don’t have to believe what I’ve said, but if you do believe in the Bible you have to believe what Jesus has said. Read for yourselves John chapter six, the whole chapter. Then read Ephesians chapter one and then Romans chapter nine.
If God did not choose to save anyone as He wills there would be no one saved.
Now, having said all this, I must also warn you that you are responsible for your sins and you will pay for those sins; that penalty is being cast into the lake of fire and there you will spend eternity; from which there is no escape.
The only possible chance you have of salvation, from facing the coming wrath of God, is by submitting to the Lordship of Jesus and by faith receiving Him as you Savior.
You must admit your sinfullness, of your living in disobedience towards God, and that you are in need of forgiveness for those sins, and that you cannot do anything to save yourself. If you will but just fall before Christ and submit your will to Him, admit your guilt and ask for forgiveness, and by faith believe that He has paid the penalty for your sins you will be saved.
If you refuse the offer of salvation, you stand condemned already before God because you have called Him a liar and you have denied Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your eternal soul.
Sin is real and Salvation is real. Jesus said, “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33
Can you do that? Can you forsake all for Christ? Will you submit your will to Jesus? Jesus will not be a Savior to anyone who will not bow in submission to Him as Lord.
You cannot save yourself. Your only hope is for Jesus to save you.
Riff's Christian Journal 