Justice, Mercy, and Grace

By Justin Edwards
 
Justice is getting what you deserve, mercy is not getting what you deserve, and grace is getting what you don’t deserve.

When we are witnessing to the lost, it is oftentimes important to define the terms we are using to communicate the Gospel.  In one conversation last night during our weekly outreach, after one gentleman expressed he must prove that he was deserving of salvation, I quickly asked him what grace is.  He defined it as love, so I proceeded to explain to him what justice, mercy, and grace is as defined by Scripture.  These terms and their meanings seem to largely be lost among today’s society, so let’s briefly take a look at each in hopes they will help you better understand and communicate the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Justice is getting what you deserve.

When we hear of justice today, it’s usually in the form of its antonym, injustice.   We hear of social justice and perceived abuses of justice, but it is rare on the streets when someone can provide a correct definition of justice.  The best way to do this is to figuratively take the individual into the courtroom.

If we break the law, there is a consequence.  For example, if we get a ticket for going 55mph in a 35mph speed zone, the right or just thing for the judge of the court would be to fine us for our violation of the traffic law.  If 20 people showed up in the courtroom that day with traffic violations in the same speed zone, the judge should still fine every person for the violation against the law, regardless of “everybody else was doing it”.  We, individually, are responsible to obey the law, and when we violate the law, we each are responsible to pay the debt owed.  The judge is a good and just judge when he gives us what we deserve.

In the same way, we have all broken God’s law.  We have all lied, stolen, blasphemed God’s holy name, lusted and murdered in our heart, among many other offenses against Him.  Because God is a good and just judge, the Supreme Judge of the universe, He must punish the crimes committed against Him.  If He overlooked our crimes as if they never happened, or merely accepted an apology from us on the day of judgment and let us go free out of His holy courtroom, then He would be corrupt and unjust.  It is because of His goodness that our sin must be punished, and it is why we deserve His justice and death sentence to eternal hell.

See this article for more on the justice of God:  Jesus: Holy and Righteous God of Love and Wrath – Part 3

Mercy is not getting what you deserve.

Mercy is deliverance from the justice we deserve.  The Bible says that God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) and saves us not because of anything we have done, but because of His mercy alone (Titus 3:5).  We deserve His justice and His wrath against us in the eternal lake of fire because we have sinned against an infinitely holy God.  Even so, God has chosen according to the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 2:5) to be merciful to some (Romans 9:22-23) to forgive them their debts owed to Him.

It’s important to understand that God does not show mercy at the expense of His justice.  In fact, overlooking these crimes would be a great injustice as mentioned before.  The Bible says that God’s wrath must be satisfied (1 John 4:10), which means every sin, or crime, that has ever been committed against Him by any human that has ever walked the earth, whether thought, word, or deed, must be punished.  That’s why Christ had to die on the cross – to shed His blood to make atonement (to pay the debt) for these sins.  All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ by repentant faith had their sin transferred to Christ and their crimes were punished through Him.  The very wrath we deserved was poured out on God’s own Son – He bore our iniquities and took our punishment (Isaiah 53).

So though God shows mercy to His sheep, their sins do not go unpunished.  Justice is either served through the shed blood of Christ, or justice is served through the punishment of unrepentant sinners in hell for eternity.  Christ paid a debt He did not owe because we had a debt we could not pay.  Because God’s wrath was satisfied and justice served, His mercy abounds for those He saves.  That is justice and mercy working together.

Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.

The man we spoke with last night believed he had to prove himself worthy of salvation – that is what Catholics and Mormons believe.  Indeed, if we had to work for grace, then it would not be grace at all, it would be merited favor.  The Bible teaches that salvation is absolutely and completely of the Lord (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31).  Even our faith and repentance are gifts, otherwise they would be works (2 Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:1-10).

In the last moments of Christ’s crucifixion, as He hung there in spiritual agony as the result of the weight of sin of the world and God crushing His Son with His full wrath, Jesus said, “It is finished”, and then He gave up His spirit (John 19:30).  Not only was His work to save men from their sins completed, but He affirmed there is nothing left to be done.  No more work, no more sacrifice, nothing at all.  There is nothing any of us can do to add to the finished work of Christ.  It is finished!  The person who believes they have to prove themselves worthy of salvation does not understand the price paid for sin, nor do they understand grace and are still dead in their sins.

We are born spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), we are blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), and it is impossible for us as natural men to understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).  We are deserving of God’s justice, but according to His will (John 1:12-13) and the glorious riches of His mercy, He has chosen to deliver His people from His wrath and give them what they don’t deserve.

God’s justice and mercy are hinged upon the cross by His sovereign grace.  He gives us what we can never earn, namely eternal life, while meeting all the requirements to satisfy His justice.  Now that is amazing grace!

This article was originally posted at The Speak:Truth Project

The Rainbow Promise Fundraiser (Gospel Tract)

Originally posted at The Speak:Truth Project

The Gospel tract for the upcoming Pride Charlotte Festival August 27, 2011 has been finalized!  Josh Earl did an outstanding job with the art design and I’m so thankful that God has enabled us to produce our first customized Gospel tract for such a large event.

If the recent Pride Festivals that followed New York’s passing of a same-sex marriage law in June is any indication of the turnout to be expected in Charlotte (the Chicago Pride Festival estimates 750,000 attendees), then this is going to be a major opportunity to share the Gospel with thousands of people.

And this is where you come in!  Beginning today, we are asking you to join us in raising money to purchase 20,000 tracts (4×6″ postcard-size) from Custom Tract Source before August 12, 2011.  You can help us in the following three ways (MUCH thanks to those who have already contributed!):

1. Contributing financially (every $1 counts!)
2. Sharing this post with your social networks
3. Praying for this fundraiser and for the August 27th event

The Speak:Truth Project will post details for the Project Pride Charlotte event in the next week or so, but we encourage you to begin considering donating to this cause for Christ that at least 20,000 patrons of this festival will receive the Gospel.  These tracts will be accompanied by love and compassion for the lost, as such were some of us who were once dead in our trespasses and sins but by Grace have now been washed, sanctified, and  justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 2:1-10).

Below are the front and back of the Gospel tract (click image for closer view or see text at bottom of post for convenience):

Won’t you prayerfully consider contributing to this mission set before us?  Paypal has made fundraising quite easy – you don’t even need a Paypal account to donate! Just click on the image below to pay with your Paypal account or by other means.  If you’d like to send a check instead, please Contact us for mailing information.  And, of course, whether you can contribute financially or not, we greatly value your prayers for this fundraiser and the event to take place on August 27th.  May our great God and King be glorified in this endeavor, and may the Glorious Lamb receive the reward of His suffering – thank you for your support!

The Rainbow Promise

The rainbow is one of the most beautiful phenomena we have the privilege of sighting in nature. Under the right conditions, the human eye can see the majestic display of the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. While rainbows naturally occur in the sky when sunlight shines through droplets of moisture in earth’s atmosphere, they have much greater significance than merely being a meteorological occurrence. Many thousands of years ago, God promised He would never again destroy all living things by a global flood. God Himself said, “I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth…And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

God destroyed the earth because man had become so wicked that “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Though God promised to destroy all life on earth, He also promised to save Noah and his family – and God keeps His promises!

Yet another promise from God is that only the righteous will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Because God is fair, He has given us a way to know whether or not we are righteous – the 10 Commandments. Have you kept them? Let’s find out: Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen something? Have you used God’s name in vain? Have you looked with lust? If you are honest with yourself and before God, you would have to admit you have broken at least 4 of God’s commandments. This would make you a lying thief, a blasphemer, and an adulterer at heart. If you died a sinner today, God must give you what you deserve – eternal hell – because He is a good and just God. Does this concern you?

But God also promises He is rich in mercy! 2,000 years ago, God stepped off His throne in heaven to save His people from their sins. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a man and fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law by living a sinless life. Because of His great love for sinners, He shed His precious blood on the cross to satisfy God’s wrath against mankind. God punished, crushed, and killed His own Son so that all who believe in Him would be saved through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. After lying 3 days in the grave, Jesus conquered death and was raised from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God waiting to return to cast wickedness into the lake of fire once and for all.

God commands all people everywhere to repent (turn from a lifestyle of sin) and turn to Him to love Him and obey Him. He promises to all who place their full trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross to heal them from their sickness of sin. Jesus says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Call upon the name of the Lord to be saved from the bondage of sin, and He promises to give you eternal life and save you from God’s wrath to come. You can then walk in newness of life and you will be set free from the slavery of sin.

Just as the rainbow shines brightest against the backdrop of the darkest storm clouds, the Hope of Jesus Christ shines brightest in sinners most afflicted and destitute in the darkness of sin who have been saved by the glorious grace of God! Do you want to be set free and experience true love, peace, and hope in Jesus Christ?

For more information on how to receive the free offer of salvation and other resources, please visit http://thespeaktruthproject.com

Jesus Christ Is Your Only Hope

By Justin Edwards

Cast yourself upon Christ and flee from the wrath to come - He is your only Hope!

Why?

By Justin Edwards

Are you seeking the Savior, or stuff?  Are you seeking Life, or mere life enhancement?  Why exactly do you profess to know or follow Christ?

The Tale of a Good Person

A few weeks ago the Eternal Life page was completed at The Speak:Truth Project and I decided to include it here on airō's Eternal Life page as well.  It is also posted below for your convenience:

The Tale of a Good Person

John would be considered a model American citizen. As a 42 year old  paramedic, he was in the business of saving lives and received various  awards for his stellar character and work ethic including Paramedic of  the Year, Rookie Medic of the Year, Community Service Award, Mentor of  the Year, and the Above and Beyond Award. He was a loving husband and a  father of 3 boys, who were fortunate to have a dad so involved in their  education and extra-curricular activities. John served at the homeless  shelter once per month and volunteered his time at the free medical  clinic several times a year. He was loved by many and anyone he came in  contact with would have considered him to be a good person. John would  have considered himself to be a good person for it’s the very thing he  was striven to be.

During his last service as a paramedic, John was responding to a  multi-car pileup on a major interstate when a drunk driver swerved and  hit him from behind. He died instantly at the scene.

Sadly, John is in hell now. Why? Because he thought he was a good person. He thought he was good enough to go to heaven.

This is the mindset of most professing Christians in America today.  Many believe they are Christians by birthright, are Christians because  they have a good relationship with “the church”, or because they are  good people, especially compared to the likes of Adolph Hitler or  Charles Manson. In John’s case, he believed in God (as most Americans  do) and thought his heart for his community and devotion to his family  would earn him the right to go to heaven. But the one thing John never  came to grips with was his sin, especially his pride in thinking he was  good enough to go to heaven.

The Law of God

The Bible tells us that we were born into sin (Psalm 51:5) and there  is no one righteous (Romans 3:10). Righteousness simply means  perfection. Perfect in every way, including behavior, attribute,  attitude, and word. It is God’s standard that He requires of every human  in order for them to go to heaven. In other words, we must be perfect  (Matthew 5:20).

Although in the eyes of men John would be considered a good person,  and rightfully so, he was not perfect. We know this from Scripture,  specifically according to the perfect standard for which God judges  righteousness. These are known as the 10 Commandments found in Exodus  20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, and God uses these to reveal our sin  (Romans 3:19-20). By going through these eternal laws of God, we can  easily see how none of us have hit the mark of perfection:

1. You shall have no other gods before me  – if you have ever worshiped a god other than the one true God, then  you have worshiped a false god and are guilty of breaking the 1st  commandment.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol  – if you have ever crafted a god to worship, you are guilty of breaking  the 2nd commandment. Furthermore, if you have created a god in your own  image to cater to your lifestyle, you have broken this commandment.  Most Americans are worshiping an idol god whom they have crafted in  their minds.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God  – this is known as blasphemy or using the name of the Lord in vain. We  are to treat the name of God with reverence. Any time we use His holy  name to express frustration, anger, flippancy, or disgust, we break this  commandment. This includes “omg”, etc.
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy  – if you have not perfectly set aside a day of rest and worship unto  the Lord each week all the days of your life, then you are guilty of  breaking this commandment.
5. Honor your father and your mother – if you have not perfectly honored your mother and father, then you are guilty of breaking the 5th commandment.
6. You shall not murder  – perhaps you have never committed premeditated murder, but Jesus said  in Matthew 5:21-22 that if you so much as call anyone a fool, then you  have already committed murder in your heart. This includes hatred,  unjust anger, or cursing someone. If you’ve done this one time, then you  have broken the 6th commandment.
7. You shall not commit adultery  – it does not take an unfaithful act of cheating on one’s spouse to be  considered adultery. Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 that if you lust in  your mind then you have committed adultery in your heart. This means any  premarital intimate or  sexual encounter you have had, any look at soft or hard pornography,  any sexual thought toward any person at all in person, by watching  movies, listening to music, or reading books, magazines, or online  material makes you guilty of breaking the 7th commandment.
8. You shall not steal  – that pencil you stole in elementary school, the pack of gum from your  childhood friend, cheating on a test, illegally downloading music from  the internet, petty theft, shoplifting, or grand larceny – it’s all  theft. If you have stolen anything regardless of its value, then you  have broken the 8th commandment.
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor – in other words, you shall not lie.  There is no such thing as a “white lie”. If you have ever told a  “non-truth”, stretched the truth, or given a false statement to anyone  for any reason, then you have broken the 9th commandment.
10. You shall not covet  – have you ever desired something that was not yours? Have you ever  said, “man, I wish I had that”, or “I wish I had him or her”? This shows  a lack of appreciation for the things you do have, and these wrong  desires could lead to other sins including murder, adultery, or theft.  If you have ever coveted material possessions or people, then you are  guilty of breaking the 10th commandment.

John thought the 10 commandments were a good moral code to live by.  Especially in his adult years, he tried to live with the utmost  integrity and did his best to never lie to anyone. He certainly did not  steal or hate anyone, and remained faithful to his wife during their 20  years of marriage. But John did not consider his secret thought life to  be a big deal. He assumed it was normal to admire pretty women in  bikinis, whether it was at the beach or on the grocery store magazine  rack. And although he was somewhat rebellious as a teenager and  dishonored his parents, he had incredible respect for them now.

John thought his outward actions of being a model citizen and family  guy would be his ticket to heaven. He thought God would approve of his  “goodness” and the scales would tip in his favor to give him access to  the streets of gold. But what John did not see in himself was that his  heart was deceitful and desperately wicked above all things (Jeremiah  17:9). His heart deceived him and he never knew the God of the Bible –  the One and Only True, Holy, Righteous, and Just God of all creation. He  was thus guilty of breaking the first two commandments.

The Problem of Sin

In James 2:10, we see that anyone who attempts to live by the law is  guilty of breaking every law when they break one law. To make matters  worse, any time we don’t do what we should, we are guilty of sinning  (James 4:17). And that’s our problem – sin. Sin is the breaking of the  Law of God, whether we do so willfully or unintentionally. If we sin  once in our entire lives, we are considered lawbreakers (1 John 3:4).

The penalty for breaking the Law of God one time is death (Romans  3:23). In fact, it was one single sin that made all of creation fall  when Adam chose to disobey God in the Garden  of Eden (Genesis 3). It is sin, therefore, that has separated us from a  right fellowship with God, and it is sin that has condemned us to an  eternal hell (John 3:18).

From the moment we were conceived, all of mankind was condemned,  including yourself. Each of us deserve the justice of a Holy God for  having failed to meet His perfect standard of good. If left to receive  the punishment for our crimes, God would be just to send every person to  everlasting hellfire. The consequence for our sin would be conscious  torment forever and ever because of Who we have offended (Matthew 25:41,  Revelation 14:9-11, Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 19:14-16, 2  Thessalonians 2:8-10, Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:48).

There Is Good News

But God is rich in mercy! His eternal plan before He created the  universe was to send His one and only Son to be the propitiation  (satisfaction) for sin’s punishment (1 John 4:10; 1 Peter 1:20-21). Over  2,000 years ago, a virgin Jewish teenager named Mary gave birth to the  Son of God (Luke 1-2). Jesus was 100% man and 100% God (John 1:1-18).  After walking a life of perfect obedience to His Father, Jesus of  Nazareth went up to a trash heap called Calvary to lay His life down for  His sheep (John 10:11).

No other sacrifice could appease God’s wrath against mankind. It  required the blood of an innocent, perfect sacrifice to be a substitute  for the sins of man (Hebrews 9). As the unblemished Lamb of God, Jesus  actually became sin and was punished by His own Father (2 Corinthians  5:21; Isaiah 53:3-6). God’s furious wrath poured out on His own Son as  if Jesus was sin personified. This atoning sacrifice has now made a way  for you to be forgiven of your sins. And why did He do this?

Love:

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – 1 John 4:9-10

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

To fulfill God’s promise to Himself to raise His Son from the dead,  after Christ had paid for our sins in full, God resurrected Him unto  life! (Matthew 28:5-6; 1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus now reigns in heaven  at the right hand of His Father (Hebrews 12:2), and is waiting to come  back again to establish His Kingdom on earth (Revelation 19:11-16;  20:4-6).

That is the good news, dear friend. Jesus Christ paid a debt He did  not owe because you have a debt you cannot pay. There is nothing that  you can do to add to the work that Christ has already done. That is why  He said,

It is finished. – John 19:30

If you try to be justified by your good deeds as John the Paramedic  did, you will surely experience the same judgment as John in the lake of  fire for all eternity (Galatians 3:11, 5:3-4).

You Must Repent and Believe

If you have yet to be made alive by the grace of God, then you are  still dead in your sins (Ephesians 2:1, 5) and the wrath of God hangs  over your head (Colossians 3:6; Ephesians 2:3). Yet, out of the infinite  mercy of God for His children, He has paved the way for His sheep to  receive eternal life – through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ  alone! God has called all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). God is  calling you to repent. He is calling you to turn away from the sin that  separates you from His holiness. He is calling you to turn from  your idols, to turn from the control of your life, to turn from serving  yourself, and to turn toward Him to receive His gift of grace through  faith. This type of faith is a repentant faith where you must give up on  yourself and your sinful lifestyle to trust in God to save you from His  wrath and the enslavement to your sin.

That is what you are – a slave. You are either a slave to your sin or  you are a slave to the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:16-18;  John 8:34), but you cannot be a slave to both (Matthew 6:24). Neither  can you love God and love the world and the things of this world (1 John  2:15). The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your  mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised  Him from the dead, you will be saved. You must call upon the name of the  Lord (Romans 10:13), but this is not mere lip service, dear friend.

It will cost you everything (Luke 14:33). Jesus has called His sheep  to deny themselves, pick up their crosses daily, and follow Him (Luke  9:23). He has called His sheep to forsake all for Him, and to value Him  and love Him more than their family, their friends, and even their own  lives (Luke 14:25-33; Matthew 10:37-39). Jesus has called you to lay  down your life for Him, to count it as nothing, and when you do by the  grace of God, He promises you eternal life!

The Promise of Eternal Life

This is what Jesus said of those who recognize their sins against God  and desperate need of a Savior. These are people who feel conviction  and sorrow, a godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10), for breaking God’s Law  and being the very reason for the crucifixion of the Son of God. If that  is you, He is speaking these words to you, dear friend:

I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. – John 6:35

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. – Matthew 11:28-30

Whoever drinks of the water that  I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him  will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting  life. – John 4:14

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. – John 17:3

Enter by the narrow gate. For  the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and  those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is  hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. – Matthew  7:13-14    

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and My Father are one. – John 10:27-30

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. – John 3:3

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ³⁸For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me  I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ⁴⁰  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son  and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up  at the last day. – John 6:37-40

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

I am the resurrection and the  life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and  everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe  this? – John 11:25-26

Do  you believe this, dear friend? Are you weary? Are you looking for rest  for your soul? Is the weight of your sin bearing down on you? Do you  feel the Spirit of God drawing you into His embrace? It does not matter  what you have done or who you have done it with, God has called you to  repent from your sins and throw yourself before the cross of the Lord  Jesus Christ. If you are one of His sheep, listen to the voice of the  Good Shepherd and follow Him. You must be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ so that God can declare you not guilty  of your crimes against Him. If you have been born again, then cry out  to God, turn away from the things that are separating you from Him,  trust that He is your Savior, and yield yourself to the Lordship of  Christ! Knowing this of Jesus:

there is salvation  in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men  by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12

If God has poured out His grace upon you (1 Peter 1:3) according to  the riches of His mercy (Ephesians 2:4-5; John 1:12-13), this is what He  promises:

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:11-12

He removes the sins from His children as if they never sinned and  sees them only as righteous, holy, and without blemish because they have  been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. The most marvelous thing  about this is you don’t have to wait for eternal life, and it may be  yours today – instantly!

New Life in Christ

Now friend, think on these things. Diligently seek after God in faith  and He will reward you (Hebrews 11:6). If you have believed on the Son  of God and trusted in Him alone as your Lord and your  Savior, He has planted His seed in you to empower you to hunger and  thirst for the things of God (1 John 3:9) that you should no longer walk  in darkness (1 John 1:5-10). Begin reading your Bible and obey what you  read. Spend time with God in prayer every day so that you will walk in  the Spirit and be prepared for whatever comes in your path. Surround  yourself with mature Christians so they can instruct you and encourage  you. Find a solid, Bible-believing church so you can be shepherded in  the faith, and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy  Spirit. Be submissive to the work of the Holy Spirit so

…by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which isyour reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. – Romans 12:1-2

We’d like to hear from you if the amazing grace of God has set you  free from the bondage of your sin (John 8:36) and saved you from the  fury of His wrath (Romans 2:5). If you have any questions about anything  you have read or are struggling in the assurance of your salvation,  please do not hesitate to contact us through our Contact page. You might also find our Resources page to be beneficial to you.

May our great God and Savior Jesus Christ be glorified in your life today and the life to come…Soli Deo Gloria!

We were buried  therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ  was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk  in newness of life. – Romans 6:4

Jesus Died for Me

By Justin Edwards

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:18

Jesus died for me.  A wretched sinner.  I lived as an enemy of the cross.  I loved the world.  I loved my sin.  Though I loved God with my lips, I hated Him with my lifestyle.  My mind was set on earthly things.  I pursued the riches of this world.  I was proud.  I wanted to control my life.  I wanted to do things my way.  I was a hypocrite.  Compared to others, I was a good person.  Compared to God, I was hopeless.  "Moral values" were my god.  As long as I didn't hurt others, it was ok for me to hurt myself through a reckless lifestyle.  I was a professing Christian.  I trampled on the blood of Christ.  I took pleasure in the sin that nailed Him to the cross.  I was religious.  I was lost.  But Jesus died for me.  For me!

What did I do to receive this greatest act of love where Jesus laid His life down for me?  Nothing, absolutely nothing.  What could I do?  There was nothing good in me.  There was nothing in me that God looked upon me favorably to say, "Ah yes, this one deserves My grace."  No, I did not deserve God's grace.  No one does.  The only thing any of us deserve is His justice and wrath - the due punishment for our crimes against an infinitely holy and righteous God.

There was no amount of effort that could make me deserving of heaven.  There was no amount of good works to outweigh by bad works.  There was no amount of cleaning myself up that would warrant me worthy of salvation.  After all, it was actually impossible for me to clean myself up, and trust me, I tried many times.  The reality was that I was a slave to my sin.  I was in bondage to the works of the flesh, and the reckless and proud lifestyle I lived was merely an outward manifestation of the condition of my heart. And because I was "saved and baptized" when I was 8 years old and was taught "once saved always saved", it really didn't matter what kind of lifestyle I lived because I was forgiven and eternally secure.  Little did I know grace was not a license to sin, nor does a prayer or "decision for Christ" equal salvation.  Even so, my pride caused me to believe God would overlook my sin, even though my lifestyle was an abomination to Him.

So why did God save me 2 years ago?  I can tell you it had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with Him.  A secret only known to God, He chose me before the foundation of the world to lay His life down for me.  While I was dead in my sins and was an enemy of God, He chose to extend His mercy to me.  To bring glory to Himself, and for this reason alone, He chose to give me a new heart so that I could see exactly who I was, and more importantly, I could see Who He is.  I am nowhere in the equation, but solely for His glorious purposes, of which I know not, He chose to make me His son and a co-heir in the Kingdom of Christ.

That is grace, my friend.  There is no other way.

I deserved the punishment, but Christ took my punishment instead.  I deserved the wrath of God, but Christ bore this wrath for me.  Every single sin - whether thought, word, or deed - I deserved to recompense, but Christ paid my debt for me because I could not.  The perfect, spotless, Lamb of Almighty God took my hell, so that I could receive eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

That is love, my friend.  There is none greater.

It is for this reason I am able to love God.  If He had not loved me first, it would be impossible for me to love Him.  If He had not made me a new creation, it would be impossible for me to desire God.  If He had not given me a new heart, it would be impossible for me to serve and obey Him.  And if He had not shone His light through me, it would have been impossible for me to understand the Gospel.

But none of these things make any sense to those with hardened hearts.  As the Scripture at the top of this post indicates, the cross is utter foolishness to those who are perishing.  They think it folly that anyone can pay for their sin except for themselves.  They mock the blood of Christ and consider it disgusting to be covered by such a thing.  The god of this world, Satan, has blinded them so they cannot see the truth that is in the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), and in their natural state as children of wrath,

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. - 1 Corinthians 2:14

But when God saves sinners by His grace alone, He gives us eyes to see and a mind to discern the things of God.  Because of this, we are able to respond to Christ with a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and God enables us to pursue Him with a passion to love Him with all of our mind, heart, soul, and strength.  This causes us to depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19), deny worldliness and ungodliness (Titus 2:12), to flee from idolatry and sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 10:14; 6:18), and to come out from under the influence of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Believers understand just how costly it was for Christ to lay His life down for His sheep.  Jesus paid our fine so we would not receive our just and eternal punishment in hell, and for that we are eternally grateful.  It is now our reasonable service to offer our bodies to Him as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him (Romans 12:1).  Out of love for Him and love for His beautiful yet gut-wrenching sacrifice, we have no greater desire than to obey Him and flee from the things that crucified Him.  We are compelled to lay our lives down for Christ because we have been the benefactors of the riches of His grace and mercy. 

Christ is our Savior.  Christ is our Lord.  Christ is our King.  And me, a wretched sinner, He laid His life down.

Christ died for me.  Did He die for you?

Why the Resurrection of Christ Matters

By Justin Edwards

And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” - Mark 16:4-7

The very cornerstone of our Christian faith rests upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we approach the memorial day of our risen Lord, let us meditate on His resurrection and the price that He paid to redeem a people for Himself, which He set out to do before the foundations of the world (1 Peter 1:20).

The resurrection matters because:

Our Lord is the Resurrection (John 11:25).

Without Christ, no man shall see God (John 14:6).

If there be no resurrection, then we are the most pitiful of humans (1 Corinthians 15:19).

My brothers and sisters in Christ, our Lord has indeed risen from the dead!  His Spirit did not remain in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption or decay (Acts 2:31).  But He was given power over death and has destroyed the work of the devil! (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8).  In Him we have life, yet those apart from Him shall only see death. But,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1 Peter 1:3-5

If you are walking in the Spirit of the Lord this Resurrection Season, you have much for which to be grateful.  Although you cannot repay what Christ did for you, the least you can do is offer your body as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1).  Pray that God draws you into His grace more each day, that you will find out what is pleasing to Him so that you may cast off the works of the flesh and practically walk in newness of life.  Pray that He gives you a fire, hunger, and thirst for His righteousness through the Word of God, helping you prioritize your day to spend time with Him in prayer and study.  And pray that God gives you a passion for the lost, that they might know of the Resurrection through your obedience to

Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. - Mark 16:15

Let us make much of the resurrection of Christ, for through the blood our sins are washed away, and through His life we are given Life Everlasting!

Between now and this Sunday, I encourage you to take your time reading through 1 Corinthians 15:1-58.  It is one of the most beautiful portions of Scripture where we find that if we only have hope in Christ for this life, then we believe in vain; but since Christ has been raised from the dead, like the Apostle Paul, we may

be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. - Philippians 3:9-11

For your convenience, you can spend time with Him now in the chapter posted below.  May you be found in the riches of God's grace and mercy, dwelling in the glorious Hope of the Resurrection and the Life, holding fast to your First Love, that you would share in His inheritance as a co-heir of Christ on the throne of the Eternal Kingdom of God. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come!

(If you are unsure whether you will be resurrected with Christ, please see: Eternal Life)

The Resurrection of Christ

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Mystery and Victory

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.


Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

John 3:16 - "Whosoever" and "the World"

By Justin Edwards

Tradition tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever will believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. However, this is what the Scripture says:

KJV:  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


ESV:  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

If you are open to reconsider tradition and learn what this most popular Bible verse actually means, then please take a moment to watch the following videos from Jim McClarty and James White. You might be surprised that what you thought to be true is not, and this Scripture actually fits well in reformation theology. In short, John 3:16 speaks of those who believe or "all the believing ones" will not perish, not that anyone can believe.

You may also find this brief article from John Samson also beneficial:  Understanding John 3:16

Hell Is Real, It's Forever, and It's No Party

By Justin Edwards

I have recently had a few conversations with folks who have 1 or more of the following beliefs:

1) Hell will not be all that bad because their friends will be there.

2) How could a good God send people to hell for eternity?

3) They would rather go to hell than receive God's gift of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ because they feel they should be punished for their sin instead of Christ.

These three belief systems have at least one thing in common: those who adhere to such a belief will perish in hell for eternity. Hell will be no party, my friend, and it will not be any easier for you with your friends there. In fact, you and your friends will suffer in fire and brimstone together with Satan and his angels as you are tormented day and night forever (Revelation 20:10).

Moreover, it is because of the goodness of God that you will go to hell if you continue down this path of denying Him. God is holy and righteous and just, and He demands perfection. Unfortunately for us, we have all broken God's Law, including you. As is the case in any criminal justice system, no crime may go unpunished. The perpetrators must pay the consequences of their crimes, lest the judge and the court system be corrupt. Just like a good judge would not let a murderer go free, neither can God just overlook your crimes and let you go free without the penalty of the crime being satisfied.

Lastly, if you think you are unworthy of receiving God's grace through the Lord Jesus Christ, well, you are. And so am I. But that's the beauty of grace - none of us deserve it. It is unmerited. That's why it is called grace. So, my friend, there is nothing you have ever done under the sun that cannot be forgiven, except, of course, the sin of denying the grace that is offered you. Before the foundation of the world, God chose a people for Himself, to be redeemed by His Son, and to be reconciled through the Holy Spirit. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent from your sins, you will be the lost sheep that was found! In store for you will be the riches of God's grace and you will be the co-heir with the King of kings for all eternity.

The love of God awaits you, dear reader. His call is for you to repent and believe in the Gospel. Do not let your pride of desiring to suffer for your own wrongdoing keep you from everlasting life. For I assure you, this pride you will remember for all eternity as you suffer under the righteous wrath of Almighty God.

Please read the words of John MacArthur as he explains the reality of hell:

Excerpt from Hell - the Furnace of Fire

"What is hell? Let me give you four truths about hell that I think will answer that question:


1. THE DISTRICT OF PUNISHMENT

"Hell is a place of unrelieved torment and horrible misery. The Bible defines it as outer darkness (Mt. 8:12; 22:13). It is a place of impenetrable darkness without light. Have you ever been in the darkness of night and longed for daylight, or been in a dark room and wanted light? Darkness will encompass those who will be in hell for eternity; there will be no hope of ever seeing light.

"The Bible also says that hell is a place of fire (Mt. 25:41). The fire in hell isn’t like the fire we use to burn something. God uses the word fire to describe hell as a place of torment–a place where there will be no relief from suffering. God uses both darkness and fire to describe the torment of the damned.

The Bible gives us two insights into how people will respond in hell. One is in a parable the Lord tells in Luke 16, where a man who went to hell cried, “…Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame” (v. 24). The other is a statement Jesus frequently made, saying that in hell “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk. 13:28). Hell is not going to be a place of fun; it is going to be a place of weeping, screaming, grinding of teeth, and unrelieved torment.

2. THE DETAILS OF PUNISHMENT

"Hell is a place of unrelieved torment for both body and soul. When a nonbeliever dies, his soul leaves the presence of God, and goes into hell. His soul probably doesn’t go into the lake of fire that all unbelievers will be thrown into after the Great White Throne Judgment (because a transcendent body would be required to endure the fire), but it still goes to a place of torment (as was illustrated by the rich man who died and went to hell in Luke 16).

"When an unsaved person dies, his soul descends into hell. In the future, there will be a resurrection of the bodies of the damned, and at that time the condemned will be given a transcendent body so they can be thrown into the lake of fire. Christians will also be resurrected at that time, and be given a transcendent, glorified body to enable them to live eternally in heaven. Those who are condemned to hell will be raised and given new bodies for the sole purpose of being punished forever in those bodies (Jn. 5:25-29; Rev. 20:11-15). That’s why Jesus said, “…fear not them who kill the body…but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28).

"Some people think that hell will only be experienced by the inner consciousness. But hell will be experienced by the body, too. Transcendent, eternal bodies are going to be given to the damned; they will suffer in those bodies forever.

3. THE DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT

"The unrelieved torment in hell will be experienced by different people in varying degrees. Hell will be horrible for everyone there, but some people will suffer more than others. Hebrews 10:29 says, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant...an unholy thing...." In other words, those who received full knowledge of what Christ did for them but still rejected Him will receive more severe punishment in hell.

"In Matthew 11, when Jesus condemned the people in the cities that rejected Him, He said, "...it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee" (v. 24). Hell won't be tolerable for anyone, but Jesus was saying that it will appear to be more tolerable for the people of Sodom (who hadn't seen Christ's miracles and heard His words) than for those who had witnessed His miracles and heard His words. In a parable about His Second Coming, Jesus said, "...that servant, who knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes" (Lk. 12:47-48a).

"So, hell will be a place of unrelieved torment of body and soul in varying degrees. John Gerstner said, "Hell will have such severe degrees that a sinner were he able would give the whole world if his sins could be one less."

4. THE DURATION OF PUNISHMENT

"Hell will be a place of unrelieved torment for body and soul in varying degrees, and it will be endless. The worms there will never die; the fire will never die out; light will never shine there, and the sweet relief of death will never come. The only reason some people are able to endure life with all of its suffering and diseases is because they believe that death will bring relief. But it won't. Because hell is eternal, the people there will go insane. You say, "Are you sure hell is everlasting?" Yes, because Jesus that the wicked "shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal" (Mt. 25:46). Both heaven and hell are eternal.

"God never meant for hell to be for people. He made it for the devil and his angels. But people choose to go to hell by rejecting Christ. Some souls are suffering that torment right now, and have been waiting for their resurrected bodies for thousands of years. But even after they receive their transcendent bodies, they will be no closer to the end of eternal punishment than when they first entered hell. No wonder Jesus had to teach about hell!

"The great saint John Bunyan wrote, "In hell thou shalt have none but a company of damned souls, with an innumerable company of devils, to keep company with thee. While thou art in this world, the very thought of the devil's appearing to thee, makes thy flesh to tremble, and thine hair ready to stand upright on thy head. But, oh, what wilt thou do when not only the supposition of the devil's appearing, but the real society of all the devils of hell will be with thee, howling, roaring and screeching in such a hideous manner that thou wilt be even at thy wits' end, and be ready to run stark mad again for anguish and torments. If after ten thousand years, an end should come, there would be comfort. But here is thy misery, here thou must be forever. When thou seest what an innumerable company of howling devils thou art amongst, thou shalt think this again, This is my portion forever. When thou hast been in hell so many thousand years as there are stars in the firmament, or drops in the sea, or sands on the seashore, yet thou hast to lie there forever. Oh, this one word ever, how will it torment thy soul!"

"Many people are in the net and moving toward that inevitable furnace of fire."

(HT: Apprising Ministries)

God Saves Bad People

By Justin Edwards

Did you know that God saves bad people? He saves sinners, that is, He saves sinners who recognize themselves as such. It doesn't matter what you've done, or who you did it with, there's nothing in your past or present that God will not forgive. He calls you to repent and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and He promises to save all who lay their life down before Him. Call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and submit to His rule and reign in your life, and the gift you receive will be Life Eternal.

Transcript below:

 God Saves Bad People

God loves to save the most despicable kinds of people. And that's certainly true in my case. In getting me God wasn't getting something good. In getting me God wasn't getting anything special, in getting me God wasn't getting anything that would add to Him or benefit Him in any way, shape, or form. Have you forgotten by any chance the sewer out of which God rescued you? Which means, dear friends that our hope, our joy is grounded in this: that our God is absolutely relentless in his passionate pursuit to save sinners, not good people. God doesn't save good people; good people don't need to be saved. God saves bad people! Are you a bad person today? Then I am exceedingly glad that you are here, because that's what this congregation is, a congregation of bad people. Why do you come to this place? So that you can hear of the God Who saves bad people, Who loves bad people, Who rescues and delivers and extends mercy to bad people. Why bad people? Because doing so reveals the glory of His grace and the expansive boundaries of His love. Because doing so exposes the true potency of His saving accomplishments in His Son Jesus Christ. God loves to save bad people.

We raise our fist in God's face and we say, "Why do You save some and not others?" And it makes us mad. In our arrogance it makes us mad. As the pot, we think we have rights to the Potter. "Why do You save some and not others?" And you understand of course the predisposition that's behind all of that: the assumption that we're all innocent. But when you understand as Rahab does that we are all guilty, then suddenly the amazing thing is not that God saves some and not others, the amazing thing is that God saves any! When you understand that we're all guilty, suddenly saving any becomes the most amazing display of the grace of God.

This is the Christian God. The God Who saves bad people. The God Who has revealed Himself to you most fully in Jesus Christ. The gracious God, the generous God, the warm-hearted God, the open-armed God, the God Who is for sinners! Are you a sinner? A sinner like Rahab, dominated by sin because of your enslavement to sin? The God of the Bible is full of power and full of love and eager to save. And He does so, dear friends, by the One Who is now come to us through the redeemed womanhood of Rahab, God's Own Son Jesus Christ. You are not beyond the reach of God's grace. It makes no difference, dear friend, how scandalous your sin may be; even if it's as ugly as that of Rahab's. Like Rahab, ask God to save you from death, and He will in ways far greater than you could ever begin to imagine. Ask God, like Rahab, to save you from death. Because of the One Who has come to us from the lineage of Rahab, because of Jesus Christ, God will give you life.

(HT to Greis Vllahu for transcript)

"Are You Ready?" mp3 - Second Service Now Available

By Justin Edwards

If you had a chance to watch Loran Livingston's "Are You Ready?" message from 2/13/11, then you know how great and urgent a message it was. The video in that post was from the 8:30am service, but I am pleased to announce the audio to the 10:30am service is now available and "stickied" to the top of the blog permanently.

Having less time restraints in the 10:30am service, Pastor Livingston was able to take his time with the message and elaborate on a few points. I highly recommend listening to the 10:30 message and encourage you to download and/or share the link with friends.

The Day of the Lord is rapidly approaching, so the question remains - are you ready?

For convenience, you can download the message here: Are You Ready? mp3

Heart Inventory - do you serve god or God?

By Justin Edwards

Please take inventory of your heart as you read this post, and know that these things as described below are the overall markings of an unbeliever or false convert, and a child of God saved by repentant faith. We are all at different levels of maturity, but rest assured, those who are redeemed children of God possess sovereign grace,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.- Titus 2:11-14

Whether by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ or by death, our days are numbered. The question is, are you ready?  Please contact me or comment below with any questions or concerns.

Do you serve the god of this world, or the One True God of the Bible?

If you serve the god of this world (Satan), the world will love you. If you serve God, the world will hate you (John 15:18-19; 1 John 3:13).

If you serve Satan, you try to serve two masters. You may profess to know God, but He takes a back seat in your priorities. Your money, your will, your control, your desires - they are your master. If you serve God, you serve Him alone (Matthew 6:24).

If you serve Satan, the idea of submitting to the lordship of Christ is repulsive to you. You desire to hold on to your sin, while receiving the benefits of salvation. You think you can receive Christ as Savior, but not as Lord. You are proud, and God resists you. If you serve God, you humble yourself before the Lord, donning the yoke of Christ, and with meekness, you commit to serving Him all the days of your life (James 4:6-10; Matthew 5:5; 11:29-30).

If you serve Satan, you love the world and the things of this world. If you love the world, the love of God is not in you. If you serve God, you hate the things of the world because you love God and His love abides in you (1 John 2:15).

If you serve Satan, you are friends of the world. This makes you an enemy of God. If you serve God, you are not conformed to this world (James 4:4; Romans 12:2).

If you serve Satan, your closest friends are of the world and they corrupt you. If you serve God, you are not yoked to unbelievers, rather, your closest friends are born again believers (1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14).

If you serve Satan, you take pleasure in unrighteousness. You love fornication and idolatry. If you serve God, you flee sexual immorality and idolatry and you hunger and thirst for righteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; Matthew 5:6).

If you serve Satan, you do not obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve God, you obey the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).

If you serve Satan, your mind is set on earthly things. If you serve God, your mind is set on heavenly things (Philippians 3:18-19; Colossians 3:1-2).

If you serve Satan, you are a slave to sin. If you serve God, you are slave to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

If you serve Satan, you are most concerned with the affairs and cares of this world, you seek to fulfill your fleshly desires, you love money, fornication, and drunkenness. If you serve God, you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (1 John 2:16; Galatians 5:24).

If you serve Satan, you walk in the flesh and are controlled by the works of the flesh. If you serve God, you walk in the Spirit and are controlled by the things of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23).

If you serve Satan, you stand condemned as you have from the beginning. If you serve God, there is no condemnation in  you (John 3:18; Romans 8:1).

If you serve Satan, you are controlled by him and he has dominion over you. If you serve God, you have been freed (2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:2; Colossians 1:13; John 8:36).

If you serve Satan, you are blinded by him. If you serve God, He has shined His light through you (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).

If you serve Satan, you justify and/or deny your sin. You give yourself excuses to live any way you want to, and expect God to just forgive you. You call God a liar, and the truth is not in you. If you serve God, you confess your sins and He cleanses you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-10).

If you serve Satan, you profess to know God but you still walk in darkness. You claim to have fellowship with God, but your lifestyle confirms otherwise. You do not practice the truth, and you are not saved, although you think you are. If you walk in the light, however, you are a child of God and have fellowship with the brethren, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:5-7).

If you serve Satan, you do not keep the commandments of God or the teachings of Jesus. If you serve God, you love Him, which means you obey His commandments and teachings (John 14:15; 2 John 1:6; 1 John 2:3-5).

If you serve Satan, you hate the brethren. You have no fellowship with the brethren, for you'd rather hang out with your worldly friends. You have no actionable desire to fellowship. If you serve God, you love the brethren and seek fellowship with them (Hebrews 13:1; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 3:14-15; 4:20-21).

If you serve Satan, you rely on your self-righteousness to get you to heaven. You believe good works, church attendance, tithes, and being "good enough" will ensure your eternity in heaven. If you serve God, you realize there is nothing in you that is good, no amount of good deeds can save you, and it is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone that you are saved (Romans 3:10; Revelation 3:14-22; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you serve Satan, you call Jesus Lord but you do not do what He says. If you serve God, you confess Christ as Lord and you do the will of His Father (Luke 6:46-49; Matthew 7:21-23; 12:50).

If you serve Satan, you practice sin as a lifestyle. If you serve God, you practice righteousness as a lifestyle (1 John 3:4-9).

If you serve Satan, you cannot please God and you walk in the flesh. If you serve God, you walk as Jesus walked (Romans 8:6-8; Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 2:6).

If you serve Satan, you wallow in your sin and you love your sin. If you serve God, you purify yourself as He is pure, and you become holy as He is holy (1 John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:15-16).

If you serve Satan, the commands of God are burdensome to you. His expectations are just to high for you. If you serve God, you love His commandments and they are not burdensome (1 John 5:2-3).

If you serve Satan, you follow his voice as a false shepherd. If you serve God, you do not follow strange voices, but you hear and know the voice of your Shepherd, and you follow Him (John 10:1-30).

If you serve Satan, you are still dead in your trespasses. If you serve God, you have been made a new creation in Christ (Ephesians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you serve Satan, you may have received the Gospel with joy and continued for a time, but when trials and tribulations came, or when you desired the cares of the world, you fell away and were choked out by the pleasures of life. If you serve God, you received the Gospel with a noble and good heart, and go on to produce fruit (Luke 8:11-15).

If you serve Satan, your idea of repentance is being sorry because you got caught. Your sorrow is of your flesh, and the guilt you feel is that of feeling guilty of the consequences. If you serve God, the repentance you know is wrought from godly sorrow, for you are sorry for offending God. This causes you to hate the sin that offended Him, and by His grace, you turn from it, which leads to salvation (Matthew 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 7:10).

If you serve Satan, you refuse to forgive those who offend you. If you serve God, you forgive everyone, no matter what they have done to you (Matthew 6:14-15; Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:12-13).

If you serve Satan, you hate your enemies. If you serve God, you love your enemies and bless those who persecute you (Matthew 5:21-23; 44).

If you serve Satan, you create a god in your own image, one that is not holy, just, or righteous, and one you believe is only love and will forgive you no matter what kind of lifestyle you live. This gives you license to sin and you trample on the grace of God. There is no actionable desire in you to love and serve the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. If you serve God, you know the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God, and because He loved you first, you can love Him. You yearn to serve and love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Jude 1:4; Exodus 20:3-4; Psalm 45:7; Deuteronomy 10:12; 30:6; Mark 12:30; 1 John 4:17-19).

If you serve Satan, you will perish in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. If you serve God, you have eternal life (Revelation 21:8; John 17:3).

Sudden Death

By Justin Edwards

Two tragic deaths in town gives us opportunity to think about eternal matters. Should death visit you today, are you sure you will find your expected destination?

Please follow link for story and some important questions to ask oneself: Tragic Death Strikes Charlotte Family

Obey God and Live

By Justin Edwards

     Your word is a lamp to my feet
         And a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105

A New Heaven and New Earth

By Justin Edwards

Oh Christian, make your calling and election sure so you may be guaranteed the inheritance of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Revelation 21:1-27

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 22:1-21

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
A Warning

18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.