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.

Are You Preaching the Gospel?

Martin Lloyd-Jones On Preaching the Gospel:

If it is true that where sin abounded grace has much more abounded, well then, “shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound yet further?"

First of all, let me make a comment, to me a very important and vital comment. The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone always leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel. Let me show you what I mean.

If a man preaches justification by works, no one would ever raise this question. If a man’s preaching is, “If you want to be Christians, and if you want to go to heaven, you must stop committing sins, you must take up good works, and if you do so regularly and constantly, and do not fail to keep on at it, you will make yourselves. So that misunderstanding could never arise . . . . . .

Nobody has ever brought this charge against the Church of Rome, but it was brought frequently against Martin Luther; indeed that was precisely what the Church of Rome said about the preaching of Martin Luther. They said, “This man who was a priest has changed the doctrine in order to justify his own marriage and his own lust, and so on. This man, they said, “is an antinomian; and that is heresy. That is the very charge they brought against him. It was also brought George Whitfield two hundred years ago. It is the charge that formal dead Christianity if there is such a thing has always brought against this startling, staggering message, that God justifies the ungodly . . .

That is my comment and it is a very important comment for preachers. I would say to all preachers: If your preaching of salvation has not been misunderstood in that way, then you had better examine your sermons again, and you had better make sure that you are really preaching the salvation that is offered in the New Testament to the ungodly, the sinner, to those who are dead in trespasses and sins, to those who are enemies of God. There is this kind of dangerous element about the true presentation of the doctrine of salvation.

(HT: Adrian Warnock This is from Lloyd-Jones commentary on Romans 6, pp 8-9, and was quoted by Chuck Swindoll in his book The Grace Awakening, pp. 39-40.)

Are You Ready?

By Justin Edwards

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. - Luke 21:34-36

Are you ready? Don't just look over these words. Meditate on them. Are. You. Ready?

Is the life you are living one that is ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ? Should you die today, in the next few minutes, what would happen to you? Would you be embraced in the arms of Jesus, hearing the words "well done, faithful slave", or would you enter your destruction from the wrath of an angry God?

As is often proclaimed on this blog, Jesus is coming soon. This is not fantasy, nor conjecture. It is reality based on the sovereign truth of God's Word. God penned in Scripture thousands of years ago the very things we are witnessing today, yet most are not ready. Are you ready?

Yes, Jesus is coming. Soon. But He is only coming for those who are ready. He is only coming for those who love Him, who obey Him, and who live for Him. Is that your life? Can you honestly say you are a slave to the Master? Do you love His Word? Do you read it? Do you thirst for it? Are you submitted to His will? Are you surrendered to His Lordship? Do you long to see Him? Are you sick of this world? Do you anxiously await heaven? Do you hate sin?

Or do you merely give God lip service? Are you fearful of His return? You say you know Him, but does He know you? Do you hear His voice? Do you follow Him? Or do you follow the world? Do you follow your own will? Do you follow your flesh? Are you a slave to your sin? Do you love your sin? Do you love the world? Do you love yourself more than you love Jesus? How does your lifestyle answer that question?

Jesus is coming. Are you ready? Today is the day of salvation. There are no second chances. If you hear the pure Gospel truth now and disobey it, I don't believe it will be possible for you to be saved during the tribulation. God Himself will send you a strong delusion, and you will believe the lie of Satan. This will happen because you did not love the truth, you did not obey the Gospel, and because you took pleasure in your unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Please watch the following video from Loran Livingston from 2/13/11. Ask yourself, and be honest, are you ready? Is your sin worth an eternity in hell? Are you eady?

To love God is to obey Him.

Are. You. Ready?

Are You Ready mp3

Christ vs. Moralism

By John Hyndrex

Death is the wages of sin (Rom 6:23) and Jesus Christ had none (Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5; 2 Cor 5:21). Death, therefore, had no rightful claim on Him thus Jesus died an unnatural death. This means that Jesus, the true remnant of Israel, alone fulfilled the covenant from our side, pleasing God. And all who are united to Him share in His distinction that death has no rightful claim on them (6:23b). So Jesus alone is our focus, our religion, our righteousness. Yet we still, as Christians often get caught up in our own spirituality. That is, we focus incessantly on how we are doing, whether reading the Word, praying, involving myself in a body of like-minded believers, being a witness,. etc. We often do this in a way where we expect to win God's approval and somehow become more spiritual. While all these things are all good and helpful when done in the right spirit, it is not exactly what is meant by giving oneself fully to the Lord, or being spiritual.

To give oneself to the Lord means that you begin align yourself with God and his redemptive plan for the world. It means to lose all confidence in oneself and recognize Jesus as the all in all. The gospel remains our only hope as a Christian. All of these other activities don't make you in any way more pleasing to God. He is already pleased with you in Christ and the covenant he has made with you in Him. When we realize this, these other activities are overflow, not duty driven acts to put on our spiritual resumé. Our delight is in the Lord and the story of His redemptive activity through history culminating in his finished work in Christ on the cross. It is not about our piety ... instead we work out of salvation in fear and trembling before the Lord. The more we look at Him the more we are transformed into His likeness (2 Cor 2:18). As long as we view the core of spirituality as some morbid self-introspection and practice of disciplines then we fall into the danger of taking our eyes off of Jesus.

Sinclair Ferguson aptly said,

from the New Testament's point of view, those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about itself and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ.

So the question often arises to me about how much spiritual activity is enough? The answer is the same every time: what Jesus has accomplished for you is already sufficient. God is as pleased as He can be with you and could not be more pleased with you because of Jesus. Preach this gospel to yourself every day and you will begin to see a new world open before you. You will rest in Christ's completed work and out of the overflow of the new life you have in Him, you will do all things filled with the Holy Spirit. He becomes greater while you become less. The most mundane, banal activity then becomes spiritual ... not simply when you are reading your Bible. You don't curry God's favor or earn more points in heaven by your activities. God has set his affection on you. You are his son - this is a reality to those who are in Christ. Recall in the parable of the prodigal son where the older brother is angry with God because he said, "I have worked all my life for you and never given me a slaughtered calf." He saw his relationship with his father as a servant rather than a son. First, you must know that you are worse than could ever be imagined and are impotent to do anything on your own. Such despairing in oneself is necessary to true spirituality. Yet God is more gracious than you imagined and adopts you as his very own son. When you know you are thus loved then all of what you do will reflect that. You will forgive others, and delight in good works not because God needs to be appeased, but because you are loved by him and that overflows in your life to others. Oh, but how easy it is to forget this and slip back into perfectionism. The Apostle Paul waned against this tendency in Galatians 3:3 when he said, "having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Here we clearly see Paul's frustration in persons who think that we start with grace in the gospel but then move on to perfection through other means.

A common religion of our time is one of moralism, and many evangelicals tend to moralism without even realizing they are. Moralism seeks to achieve perfection through behavior modification. It often accompanies the religion of "family values" that we hear about each day on the radio. This kind of religion risks self-righteously looking down on unbelievers by putting our supposed morality in a comparison with theirs. It is as if we believe our entrance into Christianity is by grace but that our lives in Christ are due to our maintained by some kind of moralism. Those who believe this fall into the trap of (at least subconsciously) believing that is not grace alone that make us to differ with others. But we must always remember that God's commands to us to be holy and love our neighbor etc. are not there to show our ability, but to reveal our inability (Rom 3:19, 20). So instead of spending our time gazing at our navels in the hope that we become more spiritual and can attain some kind of perfection, true Christianity recognizes and faces up to our sinful imperfection. We can never obey God's commands no matter how hard we try. Anyone who thinks that they could possibly live sinlessly for an hour or a day has not yet come face to face with God and his utter holiness. We flatter ourselves to think this way but the apostolic assertion is that if a man shall keep the whole law and yet offend at one point he is guilty of all.

The good news is that we do not need to ascend to God via human effort (an impossible supposition) because He has descended to us. The philosophy of the age, even among Christians who should know better, is to focus on what we human beings can do to be saved. True Christianity, I believe, teaches that there is nothing we can do... we must despair of ourselves, because what we could not do for ourselves, Christ has done for us. Unfortunately a large percentage of Christians think moralism, avoiding wrongdoing of every kind, is what Christianity is all about, (otherwise why so much effort to get our morals put into law) not realizing that we need to repent of trusting in our good deeds and bad ones. Paul, says to the Philippians that all his good works are but rubbish compared to Christ. But even though we know this, our remaining corruption still deceives us sometimes into thinking that God wants something from us other than Christ. It is easy to see that much of Christianity has slipped into this error because the barriers and differences with Roman Catholicism seem to be coming down everywhere I look. Even in Peter Jennings interview with member's of Ted Haggard's church people were saying that they don't see that much difference anymore. I am not saying that unity would not be a good thing, but this unity is not based on truth but on family values, political alliances and morality, all of which are not the gospel.

But none of us can live up to the high standards we impose upon ourselves and often hide it when we fail, thinking that we must put on a good face to other Christians. That is called hypocrisy. Our many attempts at perfection often lead to immoral behavior, especially when it makes us feel superior to others. Rather, we should lead with our weaknesses and admit our sinfulness which points each other and the world to Christ. The world would believe us much more if we simply stopped pretending and boasting about being so much more moral than we really are. Real humility would go a long way in opening eyes for the problem with humanity is not simply our committing various sins, but with our very natures which we desperately need to be delivered from, something only Christ can do, not only at the beginning of our salvation, but each day. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be good, it is God's command, but when we are honest, not one is able to even come close to achieving this goal.

All ways which consist of human effort to reach God, whether it be through the will, intellect or emotions, are futile. We have no hope to reach God this way, for not only do we utterly fail to live up to God's holy law, but we have no desire to do so, except by God's grace. True Christian piety begins with God's decent to us in Christ and our ascent to Him through Christ. This leaves zero room for human pride. It is all about what God does for us. Only Christ fulfilled the covenant and achieved the moral perfection that a holy God justly requires. And his death bore the punishment for our willful rebellion and sinful passions. The Scripture requires perfection of you, but you don't have the moral ability to do it. God commands us to be righteousness then turns around and says that we have none (Isaiah 64:6). All self-righteousness is, therefore, out the door. We are guilty of sin against a holy God and therefore, justly deserve God's wrath. Agreeing with this reveals that the Holy Spirit has begun doing a work of grace in you and is the first step in conversion. God law, therefore, must be preached to the proud but the gospel to the broken-hearted, as Martin Luther says. When the Law breaks our pride, autonomy, self-sufficiency and the belief in the utter impotence to save ourselves, then and only then does the gospel become good news (and understandable). Any pulpit or gospel presentation that leaves out God's wrath presents an incomplete and incomprehensible "gospel", but many are doing it. Only in Christ are God's holy demands toward us fully satisfied. The Scripture testifies that believing that this is accomplished, not by our will, but by the grace of God (Rom 9:16; John 6:65). The preachers job, therefore, is to continually place the law and the gospel before Christians.

May the Lord Jesus richly bless you.

(HT: Reformation Theology)

Obey God and Live

By Justin Edwards

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

Do You Know the Gospel?

By Justin Edwards

If you are unclear as to what exactly the Gospel is, please watch this proclamation by Tony Miano and post a comment with any questions or comments.

The Cost of Becoming a Disciple

By Dane Gardow

Because of horrible evangelism, religious lies, and itching ears, a majority of people have been led to believe that becoming a Christian is as easy as praying a simple prayer and requires very little cost or no cost at all. However, the Lord Jesus Christ has declared very clearly in the Bible that it will indeed cost you—it will cost you everything…

You will have to turn away from all your sins

Being a Christian will cost you your sins; you cannot be a Christian if you’re unwilling to forsake them. This is called repentance, and Jesus declared that unless you repent, you will perish in Hell. We are called by God to repent of our sins and turn to Him because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world. You don’t have to clean up your life before you come to Christ; no, my dear friend, come to Him now as you are. You just have to make up your mind about giving up your sins. You must stop, turn around from following after sinful lusts, and begin following after Christ, calling upon Him to help and He will remove sin from your life as you follow His lead and obey His word. James 2:19-20; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30-31; 26:20; Luke 13:3;Psalm 7:12; Revelation 2:16

You will have to forsake your desires & affections

Being a Christian will cost you all desires and affections which oppose the will and word of God. You will have to continually be on guard to rid your life of all the things that God hates and declares to be wicked. If you are unwilling to give up these unrighteous desires, you cannot be a Christian. God commands His people to hate evil and love good; to abstain from every form or appearance of evil; to flee from immorality, lust, idolatry, and greed. We are commanded to pursue righteousness, justice, and godliness. And this means all the things we fill our lives with will be determined by God’s word—the movies or television we watch, music we listen to, clothes we wear, and everything else on which we may set our affections. Psalm 97:10; Amos 5:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Ephesians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:22; Philippians 1:10;4:8; Psalm 119:97, 128

You will have to surrender over your dreams & aspirations

Being a Christian will cost you all dreams and aspirations you may have that do not align with the will of God for your life. If you’re unwilling to completely shift the focus of your life away from yourself and your previous aspirations and toward Christ and doing His will, you cannot be a Christian. We are commanded to do absolutely everything—down to something as small as taking a drink of water—with the focus of bringing God glory. We are even called to take every thought captive and make them obedient to the will of Christ. That means if you’re worrying about becoming rich, well-off, famous, or whatever, you’re going to have to cast this behind you. Jesus declared that our primary and preeminent focus is to be on His kingdom above all else. We serve the Lord, not vice versa; and He calls His people to carry out His will, not theirs; we pray for His kingdom come, His will be done, not ours. He is Lord over our life, and His disciples must live their lives accordingly. 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Matthew 6:10, 33

You will have to give up all your finances & possessions

Being a Christian will cost you all your finances and possessions. If you’re not willing to transfer all ownership of your money and possessions over to Jesus Christ, you cannot be His disciple. He owns everything in your life—including your life—and as a Christian you must acknowledge and submit to this. All that you have, you no longer use it for yourself but for Him—for His sake, His glory, His kingdom. And the things which cannot be used for these things must go. The money you have, which itself comes from God, you no longer use to buy foolish things for yourself but for the things which He approves and is glorified in. Christ commands us not to store up treasures on earth, but to store up treasure in Heaven. Your treasure will reveal your heart. If you’re all about money or heaping up this world’s goods, then your heart is with this world which will pass away. What will it profit you if you gain the whole world but lose your soul? If you seek to keep this world’s goods, you will lose both them and your soul. You cannot serve both God and wealth. Luke 9:23-25; 14:33; Matthew 6:19-21, 24

You will have to leave behind your family & friends

If you love your parents, siblings, spouse, children, family, friends, or even your own life more than Christ, you cannot be His disciple. Your love for Christ must be so extreme and preeminent that it makes your love for everyone else, in comparison, look like hatred. Jesus declared that He had not come to bring peace and tolerance amongst one another on the earth…He came, rather, to bring a sword of division, to set a person against the members of his own household for the sake of obedience and loyalty to Him. If your family criticizes you in regard to following Christ, or pressures you to go on a route that opposes the will of God, you will have oppose them for Christ’s sake. If you have friends who love to sin and could care less about Christ, you’re going to have to leave them behind…but if you are true to the Lord and serious about following Him, they’ll end up hating you eventually anyway. However, Jesus promises that whoever has left houses or parents or siblings or friends or spouses or children for His name’s sake will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 10:34-37; 19:27-29; Luke 14:26; 18:28-30; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 15:33

You will have to renounce your reputation & status

If you are unwilling to count as loss for Christ’s sake your reputation and status, and what people think of you, you cannot be a Christian. You must count all these things as rubbish in view of the surpassing value of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. You must cast off any false notion that you are someone important, someone of worth, one with wisdom and strength, and realize you indeed are one who is broken, lowly, foolish, and weak. The message of the cross is foolishness to the world, and in coming to Christ, believing His word, and obeying His commands, you will also be esteemed utterly foolish by them. But you must embrace the reproach of Christ that will come your way. If you hold faithfully to Christ, you will be ridiculed, despised, mocked, and slandered. Philippians 3:7-8; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21, 26-28; 3:18; 4:9-13; Luke 6:22-23

You will have to abandon your comforts & easy living

If you are unwilling to take on the demanding lifestyle of a disciple of Christ, you cannot be a Christian. Jesus declared that the vast majority of mankind will end up in Hell, and that there are many who desire to enter into eternal life but will not be able to. He exhorted His disciples to strive to enter into the kingdom of God, because only those who violently press into it will enter. The Christian life is not one of luxury or complacency, but one of self-denial and discipline, vigilance, always being on the alert, always taking heed and being careful, always striving, pursuing Christ, fighting the good fight of faith, and laying hold on eternal life. The Bible says we must enter the kingdom of God through many trials and tribulations, and all who desire to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution. You will be hated, excluded, insulted, scorned, slandered, and abused on account of Christ—you may even be killed—but be of good cheer, for these things you are blessed, and your reward will be great in Heaven. Luke 6:22-23; 13:23-24; Matthew 7:13-14; 11:12; John 15:19; 1 John 3:13;Acts 13:40; 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Timothy 6:12; Mark 13:33; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10:12

(Source: TruthSource)
(HT: Refocusing Our Eyes)

The Corruption of the Reformation

If we would be true to the Lord and to the Reformation heritage we embrace, we must take a strong stand against any ecumenical movement that is willing to compromise the biblical gospel for unity with Roman Catholicism. Rome claims that the sola fide teaching of the Reformation rejected all works of holiness and the need for moral transformation, and that its concept of forensic justification was a legal fiction which was antithetical to scripture. These accusations are false.


While it is true that the Reformers emphasized sola fide in their teaching on salvation it is also clear from their writings that in doing so, they did not exclude the necessity for regeneration, sanctification, adoption, repentance, and conversion. The Reformers did not reject the proper place of works in the overall scheme of salvation. They simply declared that justification was not based on the merit of sacraments or human works but exclusively on a relationship with Christ. Given the historical context in which the Reformers lived and taught and the errors of Rome with which they had to contend, it was necessary to focus on the biblical truth of justification. But as we have stated repeatedly, justification is just one aspect of the overall message of salvation proclaimed by them. Their teaching is an affirmation of and is in conformity with the teaching of scripture on salvation.

It is also important that we stand against the corruption of the Reformation gospel by the antinomian element within evangelicalism which corrupts the biblical meaning of saving faith by denying the necessity for commitment to Christ as Lord for salvation. This directly contradicts the teaching of Christ and scripture. As evangelicals, it is possible to rightly hold orthodox views on justification (in opposition to legalism), only to fall into the heresy of antinomianism. We can espouse scripturally accurate teachings on justification and be guilty of distorting the biblical teaching on saving faith. In so doing, while we claim the theological heritage of the Reformation, in practice we may embrace teachings which deny it.

We must maintain the distinction between justification and sanctification. Justification is based upon an imputed righteousness which completely delivers from the guilt and condemnation of sin. It is the only basis for our salvation. At the same time we must emphasize the necessity for repentance and submission to Christ as Lord in the application of that salvation. What profit is there if we rightly interpret the meaning of justification and pervert the meaning of saving faith? We must preach the whole counsel of God. Without a gospel call that includes repentance from sin and Christ’s call to discipleship, we will be guilty of proclaiming a false or incomplete gospel. The Christ who saves and justifies cannot be appropriated apart from a faith that commits to him.

The Church and our culture are in great need of revival. If we long to see it happen we must stand against the legalism of Rome and the easy-believism of much of evangelicalism and return to the proclamation of the biblical and Reformation gospel. The Reformers preached the gospel. They were bold and uncompromising and witnessed the power of God in great revival. Wherever the true gospel is preached and given its place of primacy and priority, wonderful transformations occur in the lives of individuals. We need a new Reformation today — a return to the biblical gospel message and a commitment to its proclamation in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s words are as true today as when he first penned them: The Gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.

(Online source, bold his)
William Webster

(HT: Apprising Ministries)

Who Am I According to God? Who Are You?

By Justin Edwards

I am not good (Romans 3:12).

I was a sinner in rebellion against Almighty God (Romans 3:23; 1 John 3:4).

I loved my sin and I loved darkness (John 3:19 ; Psalm 36:1-4)

I was a mere hearer of the Word (James 1:22).

My righteous acts were filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

I was a thief, an adulterer, a murderer, an idolater, a blasphemer, a fornicator, a drunkard, and a liar (Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). 

I was a friend of the world and an enemy of God, in fact, I hated Him (James 4:4).

I was a slave to my sin and hostile to the Law of God (John 8:34; Romans 8:7)

The works of the flesh were manifest in me  (Galatians 5:19-21)

I loved the world and the things of the world, and the love of the Father was not in me (1 John 2:15).

The world loved me (John 15:19).

I was a child of wrath and lived to gratify the lusts of my flesh (Ephesians 2:3).

I followed the ways of the world and submitted to the god of this world (Ephesians 2:2).

I did not understand the things of God, nor could I (1 Corinthians 2:14).

I was a dead man walking (Ephesians 2:1).

I did not seek God (Romans 3:11).

I willfully lived in sin and was of the devil (1 John 3:8).

I hated the brethren (1 John 5:1-2). 

I walked in darkness (1 John 1:6).

I lived according to my sinful nature and had my mind on what that nature desired (Romans 8:5). 

I was born into sin (Psalm 51:5).

I lived as an enemy of the cross and my mind was set on earthly things (Philippians 3:18-19).

I was ashamed of the name of Jesus (Luke 9:26).

I stored treasures on the earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

I tried to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

I lived in worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10).

I claimed to know God but my actions denied Him (Titus 1:16).

I was on my way to hell, and deservedly so (Romans 6:23)

But God!

Snatched me out of the flames because of His grace and mercy! (Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 1:4-6)

I have been granted repentance (2 Timothy 2:25).

I have been adopted as a son according to the sovereignty of God and the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:4-11).

I have been washed, sanctified, and justified by faith alone (1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; Romans 3:24; Romans 5:1).

I am clothed with the righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9).

I have been made alive in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4). 

I am forgiven and redeemed (Ephesians 1:6).

I am born again of the Spirit of God (John 1:13; John 3:5-6; 1 Peter 1:23).

I am the prodigal son (Luke 15:24).

By God's grace, I am surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23; Luke 14:33; Luke 18:22).

I have God's seed planted in me and no longer live a habitual lifestyle of sin (1 John 3:9).

I have the yoke of Christ upon me so I may learn from Him (Matthew 11:3).

I am a sheep of the Good Shepherd, and nothing in all of creation can snatch me out of His hand (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38-39).

I have been chosen to bear fruit that will last (John 15:16).

I abide in Christ and He abides in me (John 15:4; 1 John 2:24-25, 28).

I have overcome the world (1 John 5:4-5).

I am purifying myself in cooperation with the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1). 

I love the commandments of God and they are not burdensome to me (1 John 5:3).

I desire to love the Lord my God will all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37-40).

I desire to love all of my enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27-28).

I have a passion to reach the lost (Mark 16:15).

I love God and am able to love God because He first loved me (1 John 4:10).

I am hated by the world because the world hated Christ first (1 John 3:13; John 15:18).

I am sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).

I am a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7).

My life is not my own because I have been bought at a great price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer my life but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

I have the Peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7; John 14:27).

I have the enduring Hope within me (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

I am covered by the blood of Christ and can boldly approach the throne of God (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 4:16).

I am dead to sin and can no longer live in it (Romans 6:2).

I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I have died to myself and am now free from sin (Romans 6:6-7).

I am a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1; Romans 6:22).

I am a slave to obedience (Romans 6:16-18).

Nothing good lives in my sinful nature, which is still in me, but does not have dominion over me (Romans 7:18; Romans 6:14)).

There is no condemnation in me for I am in Christ Jesus and have been set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1).

By the power of the Holy Spirit I now walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4-5; Galatians 5:16).

I have a Father in heaven by whom I call, "Abba", like a child who calls upon his daddy (Romans 8:15).

I share in the sufferings of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:5; 1 Peter 2:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:12).

I am most blessed through persecution and there is a great reward awaiting me in heaven (Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Peter 4:14-16).

I can count it all joy when I got through all kinds of trials (James 1:2-3).

I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

I offer my body as a living sacrifice to God because this is my reasonable service (Romans 12:1).

I am no longer conformed to the world but am being conformed to likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29).

I am being transformed by the renewing of mind (Romans 12:2).

I am storing my treasures in heaven, where I am an eternal citizen (Colossians 3:2; Philippians 3:20).

There is waiting for me a glorified body, which I will receive in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet call (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

I seek to not be yoked with unbelievers or anything of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14).

I hate sin and the things that God hates (Psalm 119:104).

I am blessed by the fruit of the Spirit within me (Galatians 5:22).

I have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).

I am a child of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)

I am called to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15; Hebrews 12:14).

I desire to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1).

I desire to conduct myself worthy of the Gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27).

My strength is in Christ (Philippians 4:13).

Christ is my life (Colossians 3:4).

I am not ashamed of the name of Jesus or the proclamation of the Gospel (Matthew 10:32; Romans 1:16).

I long for the appearing of Christ, and there is a award awaiting me in heaven (2 Timothy 4:8).

God works in me to do His will and act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

By God's grace, I am a doer of the Word (James 1:22).

I live for the will of God (1 Peter 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:3).

I love the brethren (1 John 4:7).

I am kept from the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10).

I have eternal life (1 John 5:11-12).

And I will reign with the King of kings and the Lord of lords forever and ever (Revelation 5:10). Amen!

So, who am I? I am nothing...apart from Christ (John 15:5).

How about you? 

Who are you according to the Word of God?

Is there anything in the second list you cannot identify with? Do you find yourself trapped among the things in the first list? What other things might be included in these lists pertaining to the old and new natures?

Let's talk about it - please post your questions or comments below.

On the Lordship of Christ - Lord Over All

By Justin Edwards

This blog's foundation rests upon the Lordship of Jesus Christ and its primary purpose serves to call the lost, unabashed nonbelievers and nominal "Christians" alike, to submit their lives to His Lordship through repentant faith. Tony Miano just posted an exceptional article at his Doulos Iesou Christo blog titled, "Jesus Christ is Lord...Of Everyone", and it's a must-read packed with Scripture proclaiming the Lordship of our God who reigns over all creation, His creation.

Although the modern message and its purveyors condemn what is known as "Lordship Salvation", the Word of God is clear that one must strive to enter through the narrow gate to receive eternal life (Luke 13:24). We must not shy away from this truth, which is offensive to the unregenerate heart, for we are called to preach the unadulterated Gospel and trust that God will spiritually awaken those He has called according to His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:4-6). If you have not submitted to Christ as your Lord, then you cannot receive Him as your Savior. He is already your Lord whether you submit to Him or not, but the kindness of the Savior will shower you with His infinite grace and mercy if you do. Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions if you desire to learn more about this saving faith.

I've posted Tony's closing remarks below, but I highly encourage you to read the whole article.

Jesus Christ is Lord...Of Everyone


God the Father is sovereign. God the Son is sovereign. God the Holy Spirit is sovereign. God is sovereign. He is Lord of all!

No one makes Jesus Christ Lord. He is Lord of all creation--including believing and unbelieving human being alike. He reigns with absolute authority over all His creation (see John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17). He did not simply create and then disengage and become disinterested. No. The Lord reigns (see 1 Chronicles 16:31; Psalm 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1). He has always reigned. He reigns, today. He will forever reign.

The issue is not the extent of Jesus Christ's lordship. The issue is one of submission to Christ's lordship. Therefore, as an evangelist, as a herald of Christ's glorious gospel, I should not call people to accept the lordship of Christ. I should, instead, call people to humble themselves (see 2 Chronicles 7:14; 12:6-7; James 4:8-10) in obedient submission to the lordship of Christ--sovereignty which is not contingent upon the creature's acceptance of the Creator's rule--His supreme and divine authority.

Yes, Christians must, as Scripture makes very clear, continue to call people to repent and believe the gospel (see Mark 1:15; Mark 6:12; Luke 5:32; 13:1-5; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:29-31; 20:21; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10); pleading with the lost to turn to Christ, by faith alone (Romans 1:17; 3:25, 28; 5:1-2; Galatians 2:16; 3:11; Ephesians 2:8-9), and receive the gift of eternal life that only He can give (see John 14:6; Acts 4:12). But we ought not, we must not leave the unbeliever with the impression that Jesus Christ is not Lord until they decide to make Him Lord.

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).

If God, by His grace and mercy, has caused you to be born again--extending to you the gifts of repentance and faith in the Jesus Christ, He is your Lord. But if you have not repented and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, if you even scoff at His gospel and deny His very existence, He is no less Lord--your Lord. Whether He saves you by His grace and mercy or justly punishes you for all eternity for your sins against Him, He is Lord--your Lord. The question is will He be your Savior, too. For the unbelievers who read this (and I know you're out there), I do hope and pray this will be the case--that you will come to know Jesus Christ as your Savior; because whether or not you accept this, He already is your Lord. He is Lord over all creation.

As a result of my study, from now on I will say something like this as I call the unsaved to repent and believe the gospel, as I plead with them to receive the free gift of eternal life given only by the Lord Jesus Christ:

"Jesus is your Lord, for He is Lord over all creation. You are in open and wanton rebellion against the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and you must repent. Turn to Christ by faith. Believe the gospel and live. Receive the gift of eternal life that only He can give. You will either be saved or judged by the same Lord who is Lord over all, including you, right now. Repent and believe the gospel while God has given you time."

I believe in doing so I will take yet one more step toward properly exalting Christ in my preaching. It is Him I proclaim (Colossians 1:28)!

Count It All Joy

By Justin Edwards

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. - James 1:2-4

As I was preparing last night for this morning's Scripture posting on facebook, I sat amazed the passage from James 1:2-4 was the very topic of Loran Livingston's message from last Sunday (which I watched yesterday) and the post from Friday titled, Do Not Be Anxious for Anything. When wondering what the Lord might want to say to someone through this "coincidence", I almost immediately realized He was likely speaking to me.

So dear brothers and sisters, I am continually reminded that we must count it all joy when we go through various trials, never being anxious for anything, but in all things, through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make our requests made known to God, who knows our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8), and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

So with that, I invite you to watch Pastor Livingston's message from last week, titled "Count It All Joy". I pray it blesses, comforts, and encourages you through any circumstance you may be going through:

Do Not Be Anxious for Anything

By Justin Edwards

As many Christians are going through difficult economic times these days, perhaps some reading this blog, I want to encourage you with the words of Jesus. God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6), He is sovereign over our lives and our circumstances (Romans 8:28), He is our peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7; John 14:27), He is our great provider (Matthew 6:8), and He will sustain us if we just cast our anxieties before Him (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22). He is our loving Father who has prepared for us that which no eye has seen nor hear heard nor has entered the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:9).

This is something my wife and I are really clinging to lately, so be encouraged my brethren. You are not alone in your struggles, and know that God will provide for you everything you need. Live each day as unto the Lord, and trust you will be cared for most abundantly. He is faithful to His promises, and in Christ we are most blessed through the riches of His infinite grace!

Do Not Worry

"Then [Jesus] said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Luke 12:22-34

"Slave" By John MacArthur - Book Recommendation

By Justin Edwards

Last night Tony Miano of Living Waters posted an excellent review of John MacAthur's new book titled, Slave - The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ. As I'm waiting for my free copy in the mail at the first of the year, Tony's review has stirred me with great anticipation. I trust the Lord will be glorified with MacArthur's efforts to edify the Body of Christ and illuminate each believer's rightful place as a slave to Christ.


Recommended Reading: "Slave" By John MacArthur

By Tony Miano

I have been a student of John MacArthur for almost twenty years. I've sat in the pew at his church and attended conferences to listen to him teach. I attended his seminary for a time. I've listened to him on the radio, and I've read many of his books. The first of MacArthur's books that I read was the first edition of "The Gospel According to Jesus." Again, that was almost twenty years ago. The Lord used this book to introduce me to the Doctrines of Grace--precious, biblical doctrines that have impacted every aspect of my life and my walk with Christ--from Bible study, to prayer, to handling life's trials, to evangelism. Next to the Bible, "The Gospel According to Jesus" has probably impacted my life more than any other book I have ever read.

John MacArthur's latest literary offering, "Slave," will, in all likelihood, send the same kind of theological shock-wave throughout modern evangelicalism that "The Gospel According To Jesus" did more than twenty years ago.

"The Gospel According To Jesus" upset the then evangelical status quo of inviting people to "accept Jesus" and encouraging them to "just come as you are" without submitting to Christ as Lord by asserting that unless you submit to the lordship of Christ, He is not and cannot be your Savior. While many within the Body of Christ found "The Gospel According To Jesus" to be both edifying and liberating, others went on the attack--assaulting what came to be known as "Lordship Salvation."  The attack against the lordship of Jesus Christ continues today through the dead and dying "seeker" and "emergent" church movements.

Whereas "The Gospel According To Jesus" focused on Christ's rightful place in the life of the believer, "Slave" focuses on the Christian's rightful place in relation to his or her King. And while "The Gospel According To The Apostles" was written as a sequel to "The Gospel According To Jesus," "Slave" also fits nicely as a sequel to the modern-day classic.

The etymological focus of the book centers on one Greek word--doulos, which is translated in most English versions of the Bible as the word "servant."  However, as MacArthur precisely shows, through sound historical-grammatical hermeneutics, doulos is properly translated as "slave," not "servant."

The book begins with a brief history lesson, which explains why translations as old as the King James Version and Geneva Bible improperly render the word doulos as "servant."  Although MacArthur does use the word "conspiracy" in relation to this discussion, he wastes no time delving into conspiratorial speculation.  Nor does he attack the integrity of Bible translators, past or present.  And, needless to say, there is nothing in the book that would leave any reasonable person--Christian or non-Christian--questioning the validity of the good Bible translations from today and antiquity, or questioning the infallibility or inerrancy of the Word of God.  Pastor MacArthur simply lays out the facts, focusing on both ancient and modern social mores and linguistic changes (i.e. Greek to Latin to English) over time that may have influenced translators regarding the word doulos.

What follows in the book is literally page after page of solid biblical study, which shows just how prevalent the Master/Slave paradigm is throughout the Scriptures--Old Testament, New Testament, the teachings of Jesus, and the teachings of the apostles. As he does so, Pastor MacArthur beautifully and biblically shows how important the Doctrines of Grace are to a proper understanding of the Master/Slave paradigm; and how a misunderstanding of these biblical doctrines can cause believers to misunderstand this all-important paradigm.

"Slave" also addresses the question some may have regarding the verses of Scripture that indicate the follower of Jesus Christ is His "friend, "co-heir," and "adopted child of God."  Pastor MacArthur closes Chapter Eleven with these words (pp. 175-76):

In Christ, we are no longer children of wrath and disobedience but are instead children of righteousness, submitting ourselves to our heavenly Father, whose holy character we are called and empowered to imitate.  Through Christ we have been set free.  We are no longer slaves to sin, to the fear of death, or to the condemnation of the law.  But we have been made slaves of God, for Christ, to righteousness.  Such is true freedom.  Thus, we are simultaneously sons and slaves.  The two realities are not mutually exclusive--even if the metaphors are different.  Forever we will be part of His family.  Forever we will be in His glorious servitude (Rev. 22:3).

As is the case with all of John MacArthur's books, the Gospel of Jesus Christ takes center stage in "Slave."  While the primary audience for this book is the Christian community, this is a book I would put into the hands of unbelievers as well.  While the provocative title and subject matter may draw the unbeliever's attention, the presence of the Law and the Gospel throughout the book can and will, I believe, be used by the Lord to draw the unbeliever to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

How often have I heard the angry argument that "the Bible teaches and condones slavery" from unbelievers who are merely trying to justify their unbelief, using their misunderstanding of Scripture to support their errant claims about the validity of the Bible and the Christian faith. "Slave" thoroughly answers this objection by showing the historical differences between First Century slavery and the slavery of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century America that is so rightly loathed by reasonable and caring people--Christians and non-Christians alike.  The only question is whether or not unbelievers who put their intellectual eggs into such flimsy baskets woven with objections like the "slavery argument" will have the intellectual integrity and courage to give the book an honest reading.  One can hope.

How often do you read the footnotes in a book?  Well, if you tend to overlook footnotes, you will not want to do that when reading "Slave."  The research compiled in this book, both biblical and extra-biblical, is outstanding.  And the footnotes provide not only supplementary data, but a treasure chest of information that enhances the reading experience.

While more than 200 pages in length, I read "Slave" in less than thirty hours (which included Christmas Day and all of the associated activities).  While scholarly to say the least, it proved to be a very readable volume for the layperson.  But beyond the book's readability, "Slave" is one of those books you will not want to put down. It was a joy to read.

I was both educated and edified as a result of reading this book.  I highly recommend "Slave" to any Christian who wants to grow in his or her faith and who wants to further establish a right understanding of the Christian's relationship to his or her Master.

I believe "Slave" could very well take its place alongside "The Gospel According To Jesus" as one of the most important works John MacArthur has ever written.  Assuming the Lord tarries, I believe its impact upon the Body of Christ will be felt for many years to come.

(HT: Doulos Iesou Christou)

Jesus Is Savior and Lord

From John MacArthur's Strength for Today

“God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name . . . that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”, Philippians 2:9, 11

The Jesus who is Savior cannot be separated from the Jesus who is Lord.
 
Scripture never speaks of any human being’s making Jesus Lord. It is God who made Him Lord (Acts 2:36). Yet we often read statements such as this: “It is imperative to trust Christ as personal Savior and be born again. But that is only the first decision. Trusting Christ as Savior and then making Him Lord are two separate and distinct decisions. The two decisions may be close or distant in time. Salvation must always precede lordship. But it is possible to be saved without ever making Christ Lord of your life.” In effect that is saying Christ isn’t Lord unless we give Him permission—a completely unbiblical assertion. To be saved you must confess Jesus as Lord.

Jesus is called Lord throughout the New Testament. To omit the lordship of Christ from invitations to salvation would result in the elimination of numerous passages of Scripture. Peter’s sermon in Acts 2—“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21)—would need to be modified. Paul and Silas’ method of presenting the gospel—“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31)—would need to be corrected.

The centrality of the lordship of Christ is clear in the New Testament gospel. The Jesus who is Savior cannot be separated from the Jesus who is Lord. God cannot be separated from His authority, dominion, rulership, and right to command. When we acknowledge that Jesus is God, we mean He is all that God is.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Worship the Lord Jesus Christ, using Psalm 8, a Messianic psalm, as the basis of your prayer.

For Further Study:

Jesus is called Lord over 700 times in the New Testament. Use a Bible concordance as a handy way to check some of these many references to Christ as Lord.

95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church

By Justin Edwards

Just as Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to the Wittenburg Church Door in 1517 to dispute the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, Sermonindex founder Greg Gordon has posted 95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church to the proverbial door of the internet to dispute the corruption in the [post]modern evangelical church.

In a day where the church continues down the road of apostasy with many returning to the religious bondage of Rome; where false teachers are leading God's sheep astray; where people have heaped up teachers for themselves to tickle their itching ears; where God's Word is abused and twisted to fit liberal agendas; where God's love is overemphasized at the expense of His other attributes such as His holiness, righteousness, and justness; where relativism is more popular and accepted than God's absolute truth; where the visible church has conformed to the ways of the world to appease unregenerate people; where sin is tolerated and holiness is mocked; where the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is mutilated and watered down in order to fill CEO-led mega churches; where repentance is lost and easy-believism is hailed; where sanctification and discipleship is an option for the "believer"; where potential false converts are forbidden by "mature" Christians to examine themselves; and where the grace of our Lord is turned into lasciviousness, these 95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church could not have been more timely.

As Greg Gordon so gracefully said in opening his theses,

May God in His mercy come and revive North American Christianity for His glory alone. “May the Lamb of God receive the reward of His sufferings in our lives today!”

Indeed, and may these be received in the same humility as they were written, and may there be a remnant in the visible church who boldly rises up as the unashamed and true Body of Christ to flee from these houses of idolatry and zealously return to her first love through repentance. Soli deo Gloria!

1. The “church” at large has forgotten that the chief end of man is to glorify God. (Rom 16:27; 1Cor 6:20; Mt 6:9; 1Cor 10:31)

2. Christians ignore most of the methods, practices and principles found in the book of Acts. (Acts 2:42,44; Acts 2:46; Acts 2:38)

3. Many treat “church” like any other social club or sports event that they might attend. (Acts 2:46; Heb 10:25; Acts 1:14)

4. We’ve made Christianity about the individual rather than the community of believers. (Rom 12:5; 1Cor 12:12; 2Tim 4:16)

5. In most “churches” the priesthood of all believers isn’t acknowledged and the role of pastor is abused. (1Pt 2:9; 1Cor 12:12; Eph 4:11-13)

6. The “church” as a whole has lost the concept of their being grafted into the promises given to Israel. (Rom 11:15, 17-18, 20, 25)

7. There needs to be a recovery of teaching the whole counsel of God, especially in expository form. (Acts 20:27; 1Tim 4:6, 2Tim 2:15)

8. We take it too lightly that we have the blessing and honor of having God’s Scriptures in our possession. (Ps 119:16; Acts 13:44; Neh 8:9)

9. There has never been more access to the Word of God, yet so little reading of it. (1Tim 4:13; Neh 8:1-3; Ps 119:59)

10. Some read the Scriptures to attain knowledge, but do not practice what they read. (Ja 1:22; Mt 7:21; 3Jn 4)

11. Worship has become an idol in many “churches.” The music often resembles that of the world. (Amos 5:23; Phil 4:8; 1Jn 5:21)

12. The world is shaping the views of the “church” more than the “church” shaping the world. (Rom 12:2; Mt 5:13; 1Cor 1:22-23)

The Great White Throne Judgment

By Justin Edwards

‘ Their worm does not die

       And the fire is not quenched.’ - Mark 9:48

We are clearly living in perilous times. With the threat of terrorism and war looming around the globe and economies on the verge of collapse, with the fallen state of the church and the vast push toward global religious unity, and with Israel facing elimination by the impending nuclear build-up of Iran, no doubt the world is on the brink of the end of the age. We are rapidly approaching the end of God's purpose for the human race. So what does that mean for you? Do you think about eternity?

At the 2008 Resolved Conference, Dr. Steven Lawson delivered a terrifying depiction of what Scripture calls the "judgment of great day" (Jude 1:6). This day is just on the horizon and is known as the Great White Throne Judgment (mp3 and video found at the end of this post). Revelation 20:11-15 tells us of that great and terrible day of the Lord: 

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God,  and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

This is the same lake of fire that will be the final abode of Satan and his angels, where 

they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. - Revelation 20:10

All the world will be on trial at this final judgment. The perfect justice of Holy God will be realized for every hardened and impenitent heart who has stored up the wrath of God their whole life (Romans 2:5). Every unrepentant sinner who refused to kneel at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ will be condemned to an eternal hell because they loved darkness rather than light (John 3:18-19). This is the highest court of the universe and there will be no court of appeals. If you find yourself before this pure and powerful throne of terrifying purpose, you will be faced with no sympathetic judge, you will never see one drop of mercy, there will be no grace, you will have no advocate, there will be no mistrial, no sentence overturned, verdicts are final, there will be no parole, and there will be no escape. You will be facing none other than the Lord Jesus Christ whose eyes of flaming fire will pierce the darkness of your soul. The day you thought would never come will be the realest day you will have ever lived. You will be facing absolute holiness and inflexible justice, and when it is over, you will face absolute judgment.

The very Righteousness you refused to yield to will be the very standard by which you are condemned. You ignored Christ, cursed Christ, blasphemed Christ, put off Christ, or played games with Christ, and you will face not a gentle, lowly, and merciful God who will overlook your sin, but you will find yourself in the hands of an angry God who will unleash the fury of His wrath upon you (Zephaniah 1:15). People from all backgrounds will face this judgment, whether they be Hitler, Stalin, or the most notorious sinners you can imagine, but likewise your regular Joe American - your neighbor, your coworker, whose life amounted to very little in the big scheme of things. Or Joe might be the successful business executive, doctor, or lawyer, or your friendly firemen, policemen, or medic. You might ask what could Joe possibly have in common with Adolf Hitler? Sin. The sin of unbelief. The sin of pride. The sin of rebellion. All of which will keep both Hitler and Joe from the grips of a merciful God.

Dr. Lawson details five groups of people who will stand before the Great White Throne. Are you one of these?

Out and Out Sinner. This person sinned violently against God and all but spat on the face of Christ. He hated God, church, and the Bible. This person hated any form of morality and lived a life of open, shameless sin. We see these types of people in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Of course, ever born again believer used to be among the unrighteous, but according to verse 11, we have been washed, justified, and sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God. Yet, your hatred for God affords you the eternal wrath of God.

Self Righteous. This person believes they are so good and so moral, that the Gospel is only for the thief and the prostitute, but "not me". You are "good enough" in your own morality. You are a Pharisee and you think you are better than others. Luke 18:9-14 might be your life's story. And because of your moralistic self-righteousness, you cannot see that you too fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). You hope your self-righteousness will be good enough to enter heaven, but you will be found wanting as

   There is a way that seems right to a man,
      But its end is the way of death._ Proverbs 14:12

Religious Cult Members.  These are men who followed other men or women such as Mohammed, the Dali Llama, Joseph Smith, Sun Myung Moon, the Virgin Mary, or any other religious leader instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. They failed to recognize and affirm that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no man goes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). There is only one road, one narrow gate, one God and one Mediator. Because you denied the name of Christ (Acts 4:12), you will find yourself as an enemy under His feet for

at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:10-11

Procrastinator.  This person acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God and even knows they are living a lifestyle of sin, but they have yet to submit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. They have merely believed in a list of facts about the Savior, but the pride of life, their love for the world, and delight in the works of the flesh is too much for them to give up (Galatians 5:19-21). They might say, "one day I'll make things right" because they are having too much fun and taking too much pleasure in living a rebellious lifestyle against a holy God (1 John 3:4-9). They are not willing to forsake everything to be the disciple of Christ (Luke 14:33) because that would mean they would have to give up their sin, their money, their material possessions, and their worldly lifestyle (1 John 2:15-17). But they say "one day I'll live for Christ", "one day I'll accept Him as Lord," but sadly, that day never comes.

Do not boast about tomorrow,
      For you do not know what a day may bring forth.- Proverbs 27:1

Do you not know that now is the acceptable time and today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)? Should you continue to put salvation off, you will find yourself before a God who

is a just judge,
         And God is angry with the wicked every day.
 ¹² If he does not turn back,
         He will sharpen His sword;
         He bends His bow and makes it ready.
 ¹³ He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
         He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.- Psalm 7:11-12

Lost Church Members. These may be the greatest tragedy of all. These folks are they whose names are in the member roles of the local church, they pay their tithes, and they give to the poor. They never miss a Sunday or the Sunday lunch that follows. They are attached to church but not Christ. They profess to know Him, but they do not possess Him. They have a form of godliness, but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). They also

profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

They will hear on that terrible day, "Depart from Me, I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23). They never took the time to examine themselves to see if their faith was genuine (2 Corinthians 13:5), they are lukewarm and have need of nothing (Revelation 3:17), they have created a god in their own image and are false converts trying to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and because they merely went along with the crowd and never experienced a unique and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they will perish at the wave of His hand.

Might you be in any of these categories? Is there a chance you, as the reader, might see the righteous judgment of God?  Does your lifestyle bear the fruit of faith, or does it bear the fruit of unrighteousness? Rest assured, God has been keeping an accurate and precise record of every action, thought, word, and deed of every unsaved person from the beginning of mankind. Nothing will be hidden on that day, for

      God will bring every work into judgment,
      Including every secret thing,
      Whether good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:14

There is no fooling God. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:35-37

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Do you now stand justified, or will you stand condemned? Are you trying to hide from God?

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:13

You must know that God demands justice for every single sin ever committed by every single person who has walked the earth. God will overlook no sin, and your sin will either be punished and pardoned in Christ or you will be punished for your sin in hell for all the ages to come. Do you not know the reality of your sin? Your sin is killing you now, and it will be the cause of eternal death and separation from the grace and mercy of God forever (Romans 6:23).

If you die unrepentant, there are no second chances and there will be no hope for you. Jesus will tell you,

‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. - Matthew 25:41

If you do not humble yourself before the Lord and recognize and confess your sinful condition before Holy God, if your heart does not grieve of your offenses against God and lead you to repentance, and if you never find yourself thirsting for the righteousness of Jesus Christ, woe unto you for that Great Day will come upon you like a thief in the night ready to devour you by fire (Matthew 5:22). In truth, you should have "a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries" (Hebrews 10:27). You will be separated from the just and be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50). You will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 1:7). You will be cast alive into the lake of  fire burning with sulfur and brimstone (Revelation 19:20). You will find yourself in an unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12), the Lord's vengeance will be upon you for not obeying His Gospel, and you be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

On that day, every soul who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and thought hell to be a place for parties and reunions, who thought God would not be there and believed hell to be owned by Satan, will realize Hollywood lied to them. Hell is not hell because God is not there, hell is hell because God is there. Matthew 10:28,

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Dear friend, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God (Hebrews 10:31). While you hope that God will just overlook your sin on that day, the very sin that nailed Jesus to that old rugged cross and the very sin that stirred the cup of wrath God Himself poured out on His own Son (Isaiah 53:4-10), do not be so foolish to believe God will simply dismiss your case. Should you not repent and submit your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only thing you should expect is to stand hopelessly naked before the righteous throne of a just Judge. Your sentence of death will never end and you will be the object of God's wrath forever and ever. 

By the grace of God I pray that you are trembling at the holiness of the resurrected Lamb of God who sits at the right hand of His Father in heaven, glorified in majesty waiting to unleash His judgment upon the earth (Revelation 5:1-14). Know that

  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
      And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. - Proverbs 9:10

Should you be asking how might you avoid this great and terrible day in the Court of Divine Justice, Jesus Christ is calling you to walk through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). You must humble yourself before God (James 4:10) and pray for mercy (Luke 18:13). Recognizing your wretched condition, cry out to God to save you from your sin (2 Corinthians 7:10) and to give you a new heart that desires to serve Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Be willing to forsake everything for the Lord Jesus Christ, even your own life (Luke 14:26), and call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10, 13). Now should you be given new life by faith and repentance, you will find yourself resting in the grace of God for all eternity. You will be a joint heir with Christ, for

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. - Ephesians 1:13-14

But should you delay and fail to go through that narrow gate, your conscious will not fade as you remember every time you refused to repent, including the day you read this letter. Do not delay any longer, lest God be glorified in your destruction.

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:3

Please watch or listen and pass these critical messages to your loved ones:

The Great White Throne Judgment mp3