the gospel revisited-biblical salvation

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The Gospel Revisited:

UnderstandingBiblical Salvation

By

Bobby Edward Long

A Dissertation Submitted in

Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree of

Doctorate of Philosophy

In

Theology

At

Northwestern Theological Seminary

2009


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments ---------------------------------------------------------------------- iv

Abstract ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

1. Introduction: Why the Gospel? ----------------------------------------------- 3

1.1 The Great Shepard Knowing You ------------------------------------- 4

1.2 Famine in the Land ------------------------------------------------------------- 6

1.3 False Gospels ------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

1.4 Spiritualism of the Age --------------------------------------------------------- 10

1.5 The Deserving Child ------------------------------------------------------------ 12

2. The Gospel:

2.1- Salvation by Grace Through Faith ------------------------------------- 14

2.2- The Gospel is Near: Romans 10: 8-13 ----------------------------------- 23

2.3- The Gospel Defined: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ------------------------------- 26

2.31- What Is the Gospel? --------------------------------------------- 31

2.32- Preaching the Word That Became Flesh --------------------------- 33

2.4- The Cross of Christ: The Atonement --------------------------- 37

3. Sin

3.9 - Sin, The Law, and The Resurrection of Christ ---------------------------- 47

3.6- Gods Desire Is To Kill You ------------------------------------------ 51

3.8- Gods Sovereignty, Mans Free Will, & the Faith Of Christ ------------ 54

4. Jesus The Most Unequal Swap of All Time4.1- Jesus Our Kinsmen Redeemer --------------------------------------- 60

4.2- Sacrifice Made: The Death of The Son ------------------------------------- 64

5. Regeneration: The Effect of the Gospel: Romans 5

5.1- Imputed Righteousness ------------------------------------------------------- 68

5.2- Being Born Again ------------------------------------------------------- 70

5.3- Whos Keeping Whom ------------------------------------------------------- 74

7. Results of the Gospel

7.1- Forgiveness --------------------------------------------------------------------- 78

7.2- Sealed by the Spirit ------------------------------------------------------------ 81

7.3- Heirs by Adoption ------------------------------------------------------------ 84

7.4- The Doctrine of Preservation ------------------------------------------------ 87

7.5- The Doctrine of Assurance ------------------------------------------------- 89

7.6- The Eternal Security Question ---------------------------------------------- 96


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8. CONCLUSION: Now What?

8.1- Baptism ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 105

8.2- Continue to Believe in Christ ---------------------------------------------------- 105

8.4- Examine Yourself ---------------------------------------------------------------- 106

8.5- Strive for Maturity ---------------------------------------------------------------- 106

8.6- Love the Lord and Your Neighbor --------------------------------------------- 107

References ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 109


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ACKNOWLEGMENTS

The work is dedicated to my loving wife whose sacrifices and encouragement has

helped bring me to this point. She is truly an inspiration to me and all who are privileged to

know her.

Along with my wife, I want to give honor to my mom and dad for raising me in the

fear and admonition of the Lord; and lastly, my two sons, Parker and Greyson. When I look

into their eyes, my resolve to teach the truth of the Word of God and to herald the gospel of

Jesus Christ in a world that is hostile to it, overwhelmingly galvanizes my fortitude and I

humbly fall at the feet of Jesus begging for strength, petitioning Holy Spirits power for the

work that lies ahead. In the words of Peter, where else can I go, only Christ has the words of

eternal life.

I give Glory to God the Father; worship and praise to the Son in the Holy Spirit for

allowing me the privilege of communicating this gospel of peace and reconciliation. I am

and always will be held ecstatically captive to the gospel of Jesus Christ who is the lover of

my soul and the forgiver of my sin.

I respectfully express my deepest appreciation to Northwestern Theological Seminary

and Dr. Galloza for making this experience a truly rewarding and enriching time in my life.


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ABSTRACT

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the worksthat I do shall he do also;and greater[works]thanthese shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12 KJV

The salvation of a soul; in many congregations, this supernatural work of God is

treated as a hindrance to the Sunday noon time meal. When the Gospel preacher has poured

out their heart to men and asks that all stand and pray, some find it an opportune time to

dismiss themselves from the congregation. The roast is burning, or the lines are going to

be outrageous at the restaurants, are the excuses.

The redemption and regeneration of the human soul is the reason Jesus came1

yet we

treat it as an occasion to excuse ourselves from the miracle of the moment. We sigh; look

around; and say to our self, how much longer is he going to drag this on instead of praying

that God would reveal Himself to those in need and draw men to repentance and belief.

Jesus said in John 14:12 that those that believe on Him would do greater works than

He did because He will go to the Father. Greater works than Jesus; He spoke and people

were healed. He called forth rotting Lazarus from the grave and he came. What did Jesus

mean by that statement?

When Jesus walked on the earth, He was the Son of God (John 10:362; Acts 3:26

3);

100% divine in nature, essence, and substance. Jesus was also 100% man (Isaiah. 7:14)4;

clothed in humanity in order to redeem mankind. No angel could redeem man; only a man

could pay the price mankind owed for his rebellion.

How can we do greater works than these? As one counted among those that

believe, we have within our regenerated soul, the very Holy Spirit of God tabernacling within

us. He testifies to the truth of scripture (Acts 5:32)5, convicts of sin (Heb. 3:7-8)

6, and leads

us into righteousness (Rev. 2:7)7.


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As a man, Christ denied Himself the right to act as deity; one being His

omnipresence; and another, certain aspects of His omniscience (Mark 13:32)8. Christ denied

Himself the ability to be all places at all times and the knowledge of certain things. It wasnt

that Christ couldnt, it was the fact that He didnt. Christ, who never stopped being God,

humiliated himself and took the form of a servant.

The Son did heal; He caused the blind to see, regenerated limbs and muscle, and even

raised the dead. He did it one person at a time, or at least, that is the way the scripture

reveals (Matt. 11:15)9. Christ even forgave sin; but He did it one person at a time.

Christ IN us is our Hope of Glory (Colossians 1:27)

10

. We are preachers of the

Gospel of Jesus Christ through the indwelling and power of Holy Spirit. This is the greater

work; as the disciples were scattered through out the nations, they preached the Gospel of

Jesus Christ under the power of Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:4911

; Matt. 5:1412

) Men came to true

repentance throughout the known world and continue to do so even today as the Word of

God and the truth of the gospel is shared (Matt. 28:19)13

. Christ no longer is confined to one

location; one person; or even one lifetime. Through the Holy Spirit, men and women of all

ages declare the truth of the gospel; and in doing so, men are offered eternal life through faith

in Jesus Christ.

It is with great hope and with great caution that the topics within this document are

discussed. To dwell on the gospel is to search the greatest mysteries and revelations the

universe holds. Within the gospel of Jesus lies the justice and holiness of the God of the

universe, the sinful acts of man, and the sacrifice of God himself in the incarnate Christ.


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INTRODUCTIONIn many Church circles today, the idea of study has been all but abandoned. We have

conceded to the lie that those who call themselves Christian will not take the time to study, so

pastors and teachers have conceded to study for them, spoon feeding them as if they are on

life support. We should be Bereans and receive the Word with openness, then search the

scripture to see if those things be so. So study and be a Berean. (Acts 17:11)14

Proverbs

says it is an honor and privilege to search the scripture. [It is] the glory of God to conceal a

thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.(Prov. 25:2 KJV) What must be

realized is that ALL we know of God has been revealed by God in His Word15

. How do we

know the things we know about God? We know them because the Word bears testimony of

that unfathomable truth. Derickson says that, I have gone through systematic theology in

four colleges and seminaries. I have taught through the entire ten sections twice in a Bible

Institute, yet I find that I am still playing with the surface of the topics involved.16

If our

experiential theology does not coincide with the truth of scripture, it is not scripture that is

wrong, but our theology. We can only scratch the surface of the vastness of Gods Word this

side of heaven; however, there is unspeakable humility when truth is revealed after hard

study.

There are many worthwhile studies to engage; many topics and questions that need

answering. There is, however, only one subject that has eternal consequences. One subject

that when heralded to the lost, can transform the soul and translate that person from the

kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. In an instant, the old retched man is dead and a

new creation is born. This message is the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are no greater truths

to be found, no higher subject to be expounded; no greater pursuit in life than that of the

gospel.


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Chapter 1

Why the Gospel?

1.1 The Great Shepard Knowing You

Our desire should be that people know the Good and Great Shepard (John 10:1)17

.

The late Adrian Rogers of Belleview Baptist Church in Memphis once told a story of a child

who correctly misquoted the 23rd

Psalm. She said, The Lord is my Shepard, I have all I

want. YAWEH is one God (Deut. 6:4)18

, who, seeing the depravity of man, clothed

Himself in humanity and bore our sin in our stead. He became our Provider (Gen. 22:14)19

,

our Banner (Exo. 17:15-16) 20, our Peace (Judges 6:24) 21, our Healer (Exo. 15:26) 22, and our

Righteousness (Jer. 33:16)23

; He is forever present with us. Man will have no peace, no

satisfaction, no healing, no righteousness, and no assurance outside a life IN Jesus Christ.

The satisfied life will only come as that life is given away in submission to this Great

Shepard.

A more important aspect is this; while it is good and necessary for one to know the

Good Shepard, it is more important that the Good Shepard know them. Matthew 7:21-23

says,

21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven,

but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day,

'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never

knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! Matt. 7:21-23. Matt. 7:

21-23 KJV

I never knew you. These words will ring in the ears of the lost for an eternity. I never

knew you. What horrible words to hear utter from the mouth of a holy God. I never knew

you; the undeniable truth that brings eternal consequences of holy justice toward sin. The


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tragedy of these verses is that those people thought they were pleasing the Lord; they felt

themselves secure in their own deeds. They were blinded and overtaken by their own

righteousness. It does a soul no good to rest in head knowledge of Christ but never meet the

Savior face to face and heart to heart. Satisfaction within ones own accumulation of facts

concerning the propitiation of sin does not equal salvation. One can knock on the gates of

the White House all day long and spew facts about the building and call the President by full

name proving they know him. However, entrance into the gates only comes when the owner

of the house calls them by name and allows them to enter because there is a bi-lateral

relationship there that goes beyond mere facts.

In the instance of Christ, this relationship is intimate because this Christ was

consumed by my sin and loves me all the same. I have shown up at His door naked, bruised,

and offering nothing but filthy rags and He has covered me with His robe of righteousness,

shod my feet with the gospel of Jesus, and has called me His own.

Derickson explains that,

God sent Christ, in love to a people that did not love Christ, or God. Herein islove, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the

propitiation for our sins.24

When we realize that our fleshly ideals of what makes us right or wrong, good or bad, moral

or immoral, is like used menstrual rags (Lev. 15:3325

; 20:1826

; Lam. 1:1727

) in the presence

of God. We get a glimpse of how horrid they are when compared to the holiness of God

(Isa.4:628

). The soul of man will spend an eternity either paying the penalty for his own sin,

or resting in the payment offer by Christ.


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1.2 Famine in the Land

The next reason for revisiting the Gospel is that famine is upon us. Behold, the days

come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famineintheland, not a famine of bread, nor a

thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: (Amos 8:11 KJV) The prophet of

God says some interesting things in the passage above. A Google search will yield website

after website of those encouraging people to prepare for the coming famine of the Word.

This, however, is not what Amos said. He is not prophesying a famine of the Word, but a

choice to ignore the Word.

The word forhear( ) isshama. It means to hear with attention or interest or to

listen to or obey.29

This is evident in the New Testament as 2 Timothy reads, And they

shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:4

KJV) Paul reiterates this in Romans when he states,

[21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither

were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart wasdarkened. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [ [25] Who

changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than

the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. [26] For this cause God gave them upunto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which

is against nature: Rom 1:18-22, 25-26 KJV)

Here Paul states that these people knew God and the truth, yet exchanged that truth for a lie.

It is not that they had never heard of God, or the truth was not there for their hearing. They

simple did not receive the truth after they heard it.


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Paul, in speaking to the Thessalonians, states a sobering thought in 2 Thessalonians when he

says,

[9] [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs

and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them thatperish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11]

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

[12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure inunrighteousness. (2Th 2:9-12 KJV)

The truth of the Gospel is love and it is this gospel of love and truth that can set men free.

The rejection of Gods truth has severe consequences. In essences, Holy Spirit is called a liar

when the truth of His Word is rejected. In the passage above, God sends a strong delusion to

those that not only rejected the truth of God, but takes pleasure in openly mocking God in the

process. This person seeks out the degradation and gutters of the age to willingly spite God

and lure all they can into the same lifestyle and sin.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of

old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (2 Peter 3:5 KJV) I heard a

preacher state this phrase willingly ignorant means dumb on purpose. I tend to agree.

The truth is heard and evaluated, then pride enters and the man falls. Mountains rise and

God says, Stop and they stop. He gives the oceans their boundaries and tells the sun when

to shine and they obey. He reveals himself to man only to see men shake their fist at God

and say, Who do you think you are? This leaves us with the haunting question posted by

Peter when he says, For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God:

and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of

God? (1 Peter 4:17 KJV).


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1.3 False Gospels

People are set back at the mention that there is another gospel, another Jesus, and

another spirit. In this age of seeker concern it is not hard to see what Paul was

communicating when he says,

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if]ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye

have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him]. (2 Corinthians11:4 KJV)

Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life and there is no other way to God other than by

grace through faith in Jesus Christ. When Paul says that there is another Jesus then a

parallel can be made that there will be another way to God preached and pedaled; another

truth other than that of holy writ, and another means to life presented and promoted. This is

evident in that the very core teachings of the faith are under attack today. From the virgin

birth to absolute truth, these are now becoming negotiable items within the belief system of

todays church members.

The fact of the matter is that sin has become an unpopular thing to talk about and the

impotence of man to be righteous in Gods eyes on his own merit is harmful to the ego.

Luther states,

Now the true Gospel has it that we are justified by faith alone, without the deeds ofthe Law. The false gospel has it that we are justified by faith, but not without the

deeds of the Law. The false apostles preached a conditional gospel.30

This false gospel Luther speaks of is a result of the serpents temptation of Eve in Chapter 3

of Genesis when the Devil tells Eve, she can be like God. The movement away from the

truth is something that does not take decades to see. It can happen with weeks if one is not

careful.


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Paul sees this and is taken back with the swiftness at which believers can move away from

the pure truth of the gospel.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of

Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you,and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (Gal. 1:6-7 KJV)

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they

are ravening wolves. (Matt. 7:15 KJV) This false gospel with its false Jesus and false spirit

has its false prophets. Those that spew death from their mouth by preaching a perverted

gospel are of great concern and many in number within the churches of today. Dagg speaks

to those that deny Christ when he says,

Those who deny the divinity of Christ, deny also the doctrine of his vicarious

sacrifice. When he is said in Scripture to die for us, they understand the import of the

language to be, that he died for our benefit; but they exclude the idea of his suffering

in our stead, bearing the penalty due to our sins, that we might be released from it.31

However, we must not feel defeated for Christ has overcome the world. Our

commitment to preaching the undiluted word of God to a lost and dying world is our

command. We are to hold ground until Christ comes. As we hold ground and overcome the

gates of Hell, we will grow in faith and maturity in Christ, transforming us more and more

into the image of Christ. So as to prove what the devil meant for our destruction, God will

turn and use it for our benefit.


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1.4 Spiritualism of the Age

Another motivation for reiteration of the gospel is that we live in what seems like the

most spiritually attuned time in all of history. However, this spiritualism that is taking hold

of the minds of so many is not a spiritual mind set toward the heart of God, but a moving

toward further degradation into an abyss as dark as the recesses of hell itself. Now the

Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed

to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Tim. 4:1 KJV)

From churches that refuse to have crosses in their sanctuaries for fear it might offend

those seeking a church home to the lack of teaching on hell and the sinful nature of man, the

spirit of this age is the idea that man is a god or at minimum, man isnt all bad. It seems

all religions are accepted by the governments and establishments of men other than

Christianity; yet the Christian community expects something different? It is the teaching

that man is impotent in his ability to save himself that offends the sinful heart. It is the truth

that Jesus is the only way to be saved that chaps the hide of the unrepentant soul and says,

How dare you declare me lost and bent for hell!

The ecumenical postmodern double standard toward Christianity is outstanding.

All roads do not lead to God yet some compromise foundational principles in the name of

unity. As the postmodern thinker stands on the sandy foundation of refuting absolute truth,

relativism sets in and says truth has its own set of variables. The spirit then becomes one

that sees any declaration of possessing absolute truth as a means of control which leads to

distrust. When this spirit enters the church, absolute truth becomes a source of contention

and leaders buckle under the thought of loosing the dollar behind the smile on Sunday

mornings.


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This spiritism of this age is a calculated effort by Satan himself to deceive and distort

for a specific purpose and that is to turn people from the truth of the gospel to something

else; anything else. Paul writing to Timothy says,

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own

lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn

away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3KJV)

No longer will the wounds of a friend be endured but the kisses of the enemy will be sought.

These people who turn away from Christ will want to hear teaching and preaching that makes

them feel good, that has no mention of hell, judgment, sin, or the holiness of God and the

sinful nature of man. In a land where capitalism thrives and supply and demand is the

mainstay of the economy, the demand will surely produce the supply of these false teachers

and preachers. People who have turned their ears away from the truth will pull these

teachers to them like a mother suckling an infant.

It was once said that people will tend to believe a big lie more than a little lie. Now,

lying is a sin, but it seems that the bigger the lie the more apt people are to consider it to be

factual. Pauls words ring true when he indicates that in the last days there will be those that

accept fables and made up stories as truth. There, in essence, are two damning aspects of

this atrocity: 1) People are turning away from the true gospel, and 2) they are exchanging the

truth for an outright monstrous known fable or story. What people exchange for the truth

and believe is almost as bad as turning from the gospel, for what they are turning to is a made

up story with no foundation and no support. People will not embrace the truth because the

truth casts a spot light on their sin and frailty. When the truth is rejected, any alternative will

do; especially alternatives that condone the lifestyle they wish to wallow.


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1.5 The Deserving Child

I have twin boys. I look at mine and other children and purpose that they deserve to

hear the truth of the gospel. I pray their reliance on anything other than God (including my

wife and me) for salvation is utterly and without hope of resurrection; destroyed. In order for

Christ to be King of their life, they must die to self. Their sin must break their heart and

repentance must follow, leading to a life long belief in Christ as their Savior and provider.

Nothing else is acceptable. Without exception, all who believe have traveled down that road.

There is a legend of Helen of Constantine (250 330 A.D) that tells of her quest for

the cross of Christ. While there is no credence to the story and should be taken as mere

fiction, there is a lesson within fable that can be gleaned. The story goes that when the three

crosses were found, the issue then became one of determining which one was the true cross

of Christ. How this was determined was a simple matter. She found a woman with leprosy,

and contact with the wood healed the leprosy immediately.32

Now, biblical teaching is that it is Christ that heals not the wood. At the same time,

the parallel and teaching of the story is found in a question; What cross have you nailed

your eternity to? In other words, all must ask, Where is my hope of eternal life anchored;

To Christ, or something else?

Many anchor themselves to their own intellect believing they will one day be a god.

Some anchor themselves to their own knowledge of world religions. Others anchor

themselves to this world system and the money it produces. All these will perish and rot

away.


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Many anchor themselves to an unfinished cross. This cross requires good works to be

complete. This fragmentary cross may require membership in an organization or group.

This partial cross requires Christ plus ________. These are all false crosses because the

work Christ did on the cross requires no other supplement for satisfaction; no other

ingredient for wholeness. Martin Luther bluntly states that, They admit that faith is the

foundation of salvation. But they add the conditional clause that faith can save only when it

is furnished with good works. This is wrong.33

If the cross we preach does not declare one and only one Holy and Just God then it is

a false cross. If the cross does not paint man as degenerate, wicked, and impotent outside of

Christ; it is an idol cross. If the cross we preach does not hail Christ as our propitiation for

sin; it is a counterfeit cross. If the cross we preach does not depict the wrath of God being

poured out on His only Son in our place; it is a phony cross.

Our children deserve to be instructed in a way that will lead them to the true cross of

Christ and repentance. They deserve to be trained in a way that leads to a life of repentance

and believing in Jesus Christ. They deserve the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the

truth. We cannot make any decisions for them, but we can and should with all care, fear, and

trembling, present to them the awesomeness and astonishing work of the Savior sent by the

grace of God to a people in desperate need of mercy.


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Chapter 2

The Gospel

2.1- Salvation by Grace through Faith

Ephesians 2:8-9 says that it is by grace through faith and not by works that men are

saved.34

The basis is grace and the method is faith. What is meant by that is that grace is the

foundation by which all are saved. It is grace, or Gods unmerited favor, that provided His

Son to die for the sins of all. It is by grace that men take their next breath. Men deserve

death; it is Gods grace that allows an eternal alternative.

Faith is the method or mechanism of grace. The saving grace of God is applied to the

life of a sinner by faith in Christ as the propitiation whereby we are justified or deemed

legally righteous before God. Calvin writes,

Still, the Lord of mercy, who not only loves but is himself love and kindness, being

ready in his infinite goodness to love him who deserved no love, did not altogether

destroy men, or overwhelm them in the abyss of their iniquity.35

Many cults today such as the Jehovahs Witness and Mormons have made a fatal

mistake in that their basis is misplaced faith and their method is works. Anyone can be

sincere in their beliefs but if they have the wrong gospel of the wrong Christ, they are wrong

for eternity.

Faith in the wrong Christ is perpetually fatal (Gal 1:8-9)36

. As a matter of fact, faith

is only as good as the person or object in which it is put. For example, the Mormons will

say they believe in Jesus Christ. But the Christ they believe in is not the Biblical Christ.

They believe in a Christ that was Lucifers brother. They believe in a Christ that was a result

of sexual relations between Adam God and Mary. They believe salvation comes by works


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and inclusion in the Mormon Church. So, it is easy to see that the Mormon Christ is not the

Christ of the Bible.

Paul also states, in Galatians 1: 8-9 if any man or angel brings another gospel that he

should be accursed. It is well said that if you have the right Jesus, you are right for eternity.

If you have the wrong Jesus, you are wrong for eternity. Only when the object of our faith is

the biblical Christ, can one be saved.

This Christian life started by the faith of Christ is sustained by the faith of Christ.

We could not muster enough faith by our own means to be saved and we cannot muster

enough faith to keep our self saved. It is solely by the grace and faith of Jesus Christ that the

converted soul lives and moves and has its being (Acts 17:28).37

The basis of our salvation is the unmerited grace of God. Archibald states that

Spiritual life is progressive in its nature. Habitual growth in grace is the best evidence of its

reality.38

The means or method of our salvation is faith. We are saved BY grace

THROUGH faith. I think of the story in Luke 5:4-939

. Peter had worked all night casting the

nets and caught nothing. Jesus tells Peter to cast his nets for a catch. Peter, being the

experienced fisherman he was, educated Jesus with the fact that they had caught no fish.

At the word of Christ, Peter let down the nets again and the haul of fish was enormous.

What was the difference? By grace, Jesus supplied the fish, but it was faith that cast

the net. This was not faith that Peter had, if it were then Peter would not have cast the net. It

was faith that Christ gave Peter. Within salvation by grace, God gives us the faith of Christ

to cast our net and take hold of the prize of eternal life.


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It has already been established that this saving faith given to us while we were yet

sinners, was not a product of our own devices nor was it a creation of our own will. It is the

faith of Christ given as a gift of God that resuscitates us by the hearing of the Word. In this

state, the soul accepts or rejects the cure which is the work of Jesus on the cross. Youngs

Literal Translation of Galatians 2:16 says,

having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not

through the faith of Jesus Christ, also we in Christ Jesus did believe, that we might be

declared righteous by the faith of Christ, and not by works of law, wherefore declaredrighteous by works of law shall be no flesh.' Gal. 2:16.

Now faithis the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

KJV. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. This word,substance is the Greek word

hypostasis. In this context, substance means the foundation of something which is real or

a reality. It also brings with it the idea of the nature or essence of a person. This

foundational faith is a reality. It is the very essence of divinity whose name is Jesus Christ.

This faith of Jesus creates within the believer a steadfast courage and resolution that

brings about fortitude and assurance that what we hope for will come to pass. According to

Hebrews 11:1, our Hope has a reality and foundation. This substance has a name; JESUS.

This hope that someday we will live in glory IS Christ IN us. Luther summarizes the

difference between faith and hope when he says,

Without hope faith cannot endure. On the other hand, hope without faith is blind

rashness and arrogance because it lacks knowledge. Before anything else a Christian

must have the insight of faith, so that the intellect may know its directions in the dayof trouble and the heart may hope for better things. By faith we begin, by hope we

continue.40

Without Christ in us, we have no hope of heaven. We have no hope of heaven, with out

FAITH. Even our works are void without FAITH (James 2:18).41


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It was said once and should be stated again, salvation does not begin with us, nor does

salvation end with us. God, through Christ, is THE Author and THE Finisher of our Faith. It

is not by anything we produce that declares the soul righteous. It is through exercising the

unfailing faith of Christ in the finished work of Christ given to us as an unmerited gift found

in the grace of God.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to

think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according

as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Rom. 12:3.

This measure of faith is given to every man. There is no such thing as limited

atonement. I cant explain how, but scripture is the infallible and absolute truth of God, and

Romans 12:3 stands as a testimony that every man will come face to face with the gospel of

Jesus Christ and this gospel will be accompanied by conviction brought on by the Holy Spirit

of God. This conviction will not be without sufficient measure of the divine faith of Christ

that will be handled by the hearer of the Word. Some will exercise this faith to repentance

and belief in the Gospel, and some will reject the faith of Christ and the Gospel of life for a

lie.

For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faithis made void, and the promise made

of none effect: Romans 4:14 KJV. We have said much about faith. Faith is the substance of

things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Anything added to faith is no longer

faith. Anything added to grace contaminates and the product is no longer grace; anything

added to the finished work of Jesus Christ is heresy and an abomination. Christ plus

anything else is no longer salvation but destruction and judgment on filthy rags.


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The good new is that if this faith is not a product of fallen men, but is the faith of

Christ, then we can have assurances that if the grace of God will not fail, neither will the faith

of Christ. Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and

upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: Rom. 3:22 KJV.

Our righteousness before God is based on the faith of Christ given to all, and applied

by those that chose to believe. It is impossible to believe unto salvation without having the

experiential faith of Christ operating in our life, or to please God without this faith of Christ

in our life. The Bible says, But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that

cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek

him. Hebrews 11:6 KJV

Just as impossible it is to please God outside of the faith of Christ, it is just as

impossible to displease God to the point of removing salvation having exercised the faith of

Christ. The sanctification process has been initiated by God and Christ CANNOT fail!

The Christian faith may waiver from time to time. Our faith may even falter in the

heat of battle, but the faith of Christ that produced belief in Christ will not and cannot fail on

an eternal scope. The faith of Christ that saves us will be the faith of Christ that sees us

through to eternity. One cannot have salvation repealed because of the failing of a faith

mustered in the flesh because salvation was not brought about by the faith of men but of

Christ. Therefore, all that is expected of the fleshly faith is failure.

We can see that grace is a total work of God and if anything is added to grace, it

ceases to be grace and is, from that point on, works. We are the recipients of grace with

every breath taken and with every step walked. This is the grace that is afforded every man,

woman, boy, and girl. There is a grace that is given to those that exercise the faith of Christ


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upon hearing the word of God. This grace shown by God removes sin and declares the

sinner righteous. This is saving grace; available to all; received by few.

Luther points out that our feelings have little to do with salvation by grace through

faith. He states that,

We possess Christ by faith and in the midst of our afflictions we hopefully wait forthe consummation of our righteousness. You may say, The trouble is I dont feel as

if I am righteous. You must not feel, but believe.42

Grace is defined as getting something that is undeserved. Grace is the basis by which

we are saved. It is the very foundation of our salvation. It is like the sole argument in a legal

case. Our argument for inclusion in to the presence of God and His kingdom is founded on

one thing; the grace and mercy of God.

This grace which is given is a mercy gift of God. Mankind deserved hell. Grace

cannot be bought, extorted, earned or learned. It is a gift of God and not of anything we

muster from our own being. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that, For by grace you have been saved

through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man

should boast. Eph. 2:8-9 KJV.

Mercy is at the other end of the spectrum. Mercy is NOT getting something that is

deserved. Grace is exhibited by God when salvation is granted to the repentant heart. Mercy

is experienced in the cry of that repentant heart that pleads with God to with hold a judging

hand and grant forgiveness. We are guilty and so we plead with the righteous Judge to not

give what is deserved; we plead for mercy.

Understanding this, we realize that if our good works cannot save us, then any works

under grace cannot condemn us. If our salvation is not dependent on the works of our hand,

then the works of our hand cannot remove salvation given by grace, once granted by God.


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This is freedom in the Christian life. We have the freedom to do the works of the Father

because we love Him not out of obligation or coercion. The saved soul strives toward

perfection knowing that the grace of God is sufficient for our life and cannot be deemed

insufficient by cause of our sin.

This sin occurring after salvation should break the heart of the believer, not because

there is a fear of God taking back the eternal life given, but because it is contrary to the life

and purpose that God deems for His own. If God gives everlasting life, then takes it back, is

it everlasting? The Christian will be drawn to repentance because we have hurt the heart of

the Father and our desire should be to turn from that which God hates and desire that which

God loves.

This amazing grace given by God is one of the various attributes of God. This

expression of grace can be found throughout the scripture: Lot (Gen. 19:19)43

; Moses (Exo.

33:12)44

; Gideon (Judges 6:17)45

. We see God in the Old Testament as a God of grace.

Many times we see God withholding judgment. From the righteous preaching of Enoch to

Noah to the grace we experience today, God has always been slow to anger and quick to

show grace (Gen. 6:8)46

. Even Methuselahs name means, His death shall bring. He was

the oldest living person recorded in the Bible. 969 years, Methuselah walked the earth. With

each passing day, the thoughts of mankind grew increasingly wicked in the midst of a call to

righteousness. The longevity of Methuselahs life is a testimony to the grace of God.

There is grace that is given to all humanity in that it rains on the just and the unjust

(Matt. 5: 44-45)47

. It is astounding that the people who mock God and try their best to deny

His very existence are benefactors of his sustaining grace with each breath taken. Because


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of this grace, God gives man ample time to repent and turn to Him (2Peter3:9)48

Therefore, in

the day of reckoning, man will have no excuse.

Grace is the very well spring of righteousness. The book of Galatians identifies the

Law as a tutor that leads us to Christ (Gal. 3:24).49

Righteousness is defined by the Law.

Within the precepts of the Law, one can find no provision for grace; no provision for

compassion. What one does find is a straight path to the source of righteousness and grace

who is Jesus Christ. It is by the grace of God that the Holy Spirit convicts the unrepentant

(John 16:8)50

, pricksthe conscience (Acts 26:14)51

, pierces the soul (Acts 2:37)52

and even

opens the heart to respond to the Gospel (Acts 16:14).

53

There is no such thing as irresistible grace in that the person has no choice but to

believe due to the fact that God has pre-determined them to accept this gospel by the

implantation of a heart that can do no less. Some would say that one must be born again in

order to choose Christ. This is... Well silly. Why would one preach the gospel to those

already born again? Why would an evangelist plead for the soul to choose Christ if they had

already been born again by the spirit?

Note in the verse below, that man must first hear the Word and believe; THEN he is

sealed with the Holy Spirit and born again. In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard

the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were

sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Eph. 1:13

Some teach that God removes the old heart of stone and replaces it with one that can

do nothing but accept Christ as Savior and accept the gospel. In other words, man is placed

IN Christ then they are saved. This is not the case because one cannot be IN CHRIST


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and not be REDEEMED (Rom. 8:1). [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them

which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom. 8:1KJV

A person is not placed in Christ to be saved; a person is IN Christ because they have

already been saved. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature,

old things have passed away, behold all thing are new. 2 Cor. 5:17

It is true that man is spiritually blind. We must understand that no lost man seeks

God; God seeks man (Luke 19:10)54

. As the Holy Spirit testifies of the truth of the Gospel

and opens the heart to receive the truth (Acts 16:14)55

, Christ draws us (John 12:32)56

.

Although Revelation 3:20 is contextually speaking of the door of the church, the request is a

personal one to invite the Master in.57

Although prior to salvation, the spiritual eyes of a

blind man must be opened before the light of the gospel can be seen, it must be understood

that Christ called to dead Lazarus and the dead man stood up and walked out of the grave.

[That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

(John 1:9 KJV). According to John 1:9, every living breathing man upon the face of the

earth will experience the darkness lifted by the one true Light. This is the grace of God.

This is why we pray before we share the gospel. We pray that God would graciously open

their blinded eyes one more time in order to see the light of the Gospel.


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2.2- The Gospel is Near: Romans 10: 8-13

8But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;"that is, the word of faith, which we preach: 9. that if you will confess with your

mouth the Lord Yeshua, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

you will be saved. 10. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and withthe mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11. For the Scripture says, "Whoever

believes in him will not be disappointed." 12. For there is no distinction between Jew

and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. 13.

For, "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10: 8-13.

The first part of this is a direct quote from Deuteronomy which says, But the word

[is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. Deut. 30:14

KJV. Paul is saying that this justification is not so high in the heavens that it is not

attainable, nor is it so far below that it is unreachable. This justification is in the mouth when

the truths of the law are spoken, and is in the heart as God writes it on the heart. Paul is

reiterating that what justifies a man is not within him. If justification was something that

could be mustered within ones own being, there would be no need to go after it for it would

already be theirs. This justification is evidenced by what over flows from the heart.

In the book of Luke we read,

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good;

and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil:

for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45.

Paul then takes the contexts from Deuteronomy and brings it to that day and to our

day. This word of faith is as close to us as the words of the Gospel. That is, that

justification through faith in the gospel of Christ is as close as the gospel we preach.

Justification concerns none other save Jesus Christ.


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Luther reiterates this when he says,

When you argue about the nature of God apart from the question of justification,you may be as profound as you like. But when you deal with conscience and with

righteousness over against the law, sin, death, and the devil, you must close your

mind to all inquiries into the nature of God, and concentrate upon Jesus Christ, whosays, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you

rest.58

The confession of the mouth is the evidence of that that faith. Confession does not

save a person; faith in the work of Christ on the cross does. This type of confession is seen

in 1 John when he writes, Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God

dwelleth in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:15.KJVAfter faith is expressed by confession,

Paul tags it by saying, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed." This word

believes brings with it the understanding that the heart that believes will not flee in times of

distress or persecution. It will stand firm.

Just as John so eloquently puts it, They went out fromus,but theywerenot ofus;

for if they had been ofus, they would [no doubt] have continued withus:but [they went out],

that they might be made manifest that theywerenot all ofus. 1 John 2:19 KJV. This does

not mean that if we fall that we have no advocate with the Father. It is the SAVED

individual who has the advocate with the Father. There are only two kinds of people in the

world; Lost and Saved. Exclusion in one category is automatic inclusion in the other. Its

like being pregnant; either one is or one is not. Since the Advocate, or the one who is on our

side (Rom. 8:31)59

, performs that legal function for the saved, then He is not the advocate for

the unsaved. Christ cannot be the advocate for the lost and the saved.


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2.3- The Gospel Defined: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

1) Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also youreceived, in which also you stand, 2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word

which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3) For I delivered to you as of first

importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the

Scriptures, 5) and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6) After that He

appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now,

but some have fallen asleep; 7) then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8) andlast of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 1 Cor. 15: 1-8

In looking at this text, we can see the gospel laid out. The first thing that we need to

look at is the fact that Paul preached the gospel. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of

my mouth: it shall not returnunto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it

shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11KJV. As stated before, the

preaching of the gospel will not return void. However, one must understand that what comes

back does not have to be acceptance, but could be rejection. The gospel always demands a

response. We preach the gospel and the response can be acceptance to one and rejection

from the other. Either way, the preaching did not return void for the gospel was declared,

opportunity was given and the glory of God was affirmed.

Make no mistake; our lives should reflect a peace that is not of this world. Our lives

should be lived as a holy example of an ambassador of the Heavenly Kingdom. At the same

time, many have let anxiety take over to the point where they will not share the gospel to

others. Bringing the gospel of Jesus was of first importance to Paul and it should be to those

that believe as well. For if faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, those

who will be saved must have the gospel shared with them in order to believe. For how can

the people hear if there is not one speaking the words of truth? How can one hear if there is

no one sharing the good news? Blessed are the feet that bring good new (Isa. 52:7)61

.


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We also find that they received the Gospel. It is a great thing to see the broken life laid down

at the cross of Calvary then see the gracious and merciful arms of God pick this person up

and call the once enemy of God, an adopted son. At the same time, to see the truth of the

Gospel rejected for a lie is a travesty in a most eternal sense of the word (Rom. 1:25)62

.

The gift of the Gospel cannot be realized until the gift is fully acclimated to the

individual. Its like medicine. One can read all about the ingredients, the sacrifice made to

bring the medicine to them, and even the effect the medicine has had in the lives of those

who have taken the medicine. But, until the sick person believes the medicine can cure them,

and the person by faith, ingests the medicine, the cure cannot take effect. Once the

commitment is made by faith and the medicine taken in, can the curing process start.

In scripture, Christ is called the Great Physician. Our cure was His shed blood. It

stands as a cure for the terminal disease of every man; SIN. This cure is mighty to save. The

price has been paid by the Father. The remedy is available for those that will faithfully take

it in.

They now stand in the truth of this Gospel. This means they hold firm in the truth of

that Gospel. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed:

for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have

committed unto him against that day. 2 Timothy 1:12 KJV.

Just as a Roman soldier was virtually immovable except by death, due to the metal

spikes in the soles of their shoots, our hope in Christ and eternal life is grounded not in a

thing, but a person; the person of Jesus Christ. Death to the Christian is not the end, it truly

is the beginning.


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Our faith will not fail because Christs faith will not fail. If our hope is in Christ,

then our hope is as sure as the sunrise and seasons. Jesus says emphatically that,Heaven

and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matt. 24:3 KJV. Paul points

out that it is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves. (Romans 1:16)63

. In the grand

scheme of things, our responsibility is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ who gives the

faith to believe; Holy Spirits job to testify to the truth of the Gospel and draw men to the

Father (1 John 5:6)64

. The Father hears the cry for mercy and forgiveness from the repentant

heart and grants salvation based on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is this

work that we claim hold to as Christians.

This work encompasses the virgin birth of Christ, the sinless life of Christ, the

complete obedience of Christ to the Father, the undeniable fulfillment of prophecy in Christ,

the death of the sinless Christ for the transgression of the sinful, and the pleased Father as

demonstrated by the resurrection and ascension of Christ. Easton quotes Hodges as to the

basis by which Christ can be both faithful and just to forgive sin when he says,

It is the plain doctrine of Scripture that Christ saves us neither by the mere exerciseof power, nor by his doctrine, nor by his example, nor by the moral influence which

he exerted, nor by any subjective influence on his people, whether natural or mystical,

but as a satisfaction to divine justice, as an expiation for sin, and as a ransom from the

curse and authority of the law, thus reconciling us to God by making it consistentwith his perfection to exercise mercy toward sinners (Hodges Systematic

Theology).65

It is a conceited man that thinks himself something when a soul is given to the Lord.

Pride enters and the man falls (Prov. 16:18) 66. It is not us who give them the power to

become the very sons of God. This is Gods work at the time of believing in the resurrected

Christ (John 1:12).67

Men are not born sons of God. Men are born sons of Adam; fallen

and wicked from the days of our youth. We are given the power to become sons of God by


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adoption when we are given the faith of Christ. When we receive Christ as our Savior by

repentance and believing, the old man dies and we are a new creation; (2 Cor. 5:1768

; Gal.

6:1569

) not just a revamped or reconstructed life. We are a totally new, undeniably polar

opposite of the person we were before (1 John 1:6)70

. J.L. Dagg states that,

This change, it is the office of the Holy Spirit to effect. Pardon, justification, andadoption, are changes in a man's condition; but if no other change were wrought, the

man would remain a slave to sin, and unfit for the service and enjoyment of God.

Grace, therefore, does not stop with a mere change of condition, but it effects also

that change in the character, without which the individual could not participate in theholy enjoyments of heaven, or be fitted for the society of the blessed.

71

We can look at our flesh and see no change; we do not get skinny if we are fat and

dont get fat if we are skinny; our eyes are the same color, we are still the same height. How

can we be brand new? This flesh we see is not the ultimate reality of our being. The part

that becomes new is the part that it eternal. Our spirit is revived and quickened with the

Spirit of God. Throughout our lifetime, our transformed spirit will struggle with the fallen

flesh of our dirt suit. Know this, in the Christian life, there will be victory and there can be,

and should be, a lifestyle of living for God through the power of God.

Does this mean we will never sin; NO. Scripture teaches that, If we say that we

have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:10 KJV. What

this means is that if someone were to follow a person around with a video camera for a

month, the film would testify to a lifestyle of living for Christ. Yes, it would capture the sin;

it would also capture the repentance and brokenness brought on by that sin and the worship

that overflowed because of the grace and forgiveness given by God.


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In Calvin: Commentaries we read,

We know God, not to use him, but to worship and obey him. Therefore we know,not Gods essence (as we know the essence of an object), but his grace and will by

and for worship and obedience.72

It is not a snapshot photo of a second in time, but an overall view of the life.

Someone can take a picture of a person in sin and give that one picture as testimony of a

person bent for hell. This is not the teaching of scripture. However, if this snapshot is

supported by a video in which sin is the lead man in the production, then the man has a

reason to be very afraid.

What was received was also delivered. 3) For I delivered to you as of first

importance what I also received, 1 Cor. 15:3a KJV.We see here that this saving gospel is

not of Pauls own intellect. For who would image or even contemplate God clothing Himself

in human flesh to die a death, even a death on a cross, for those who were, and are, at enmity

with Him (Rom. 5:10)73

. Our minds cannot fathom the depth and breathe of the love of

God. (Rom. 8:39)74

Christ came for a cross not a crib.

This delivered message is of first importance to Paul. It is the first thing on the

agenda. When we are saved, the most important thing on our agenda should be to share the

gift that we have been given. In love, we testify to the realization of our shortcomings and to

the death those shortcomings declared on our life when placed in view of the holiness of

God. We can then provide THE way of escaping this death in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The old saying is true, Born once, Die Twice -- Born Twice, Die Once.


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2.31- What Is the Gospel?

Many want to go down the Roman road and that is fine. Many have memorized the

four spiritual laws; thats fine. Scripture is scripture, but do not fall into a trap of presenting

a gospel that asks a few yes / no questions then ends is a canned prayer resulting in an

arrogant declaration of salvation and another name on a church role. You, I, nor any person

should think them selves high enough to declare someone saved. It is the Word of God that

affirms the soul saved! It is the Word of God that gives us assurance! The Word of God is

our lifes test to know we have a guarantee of everlasting life.

The Bible is plain in the fact that we are to test ourselves to see if what our mouth is

declaring is the true condition of our heart. We cannot trust our heart of hearts, because if

lost, our heart will deceive us. Jeremiah say that, The heart [is] deceitful above all [things],

And desperately wicked; Whocanknowit?Jer. 17:9.

It is not a burning in the bosom as the Mormons would have you believe, it is an

examination of ones spiritual condition revealed by their lifestyle as compared to Holy

Scripture, testing our selves in the light of that scripture to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor.

13:5). We are not to look for assurance of our salvation in the words of a pastor, youth

leader, or anyone else (1 John 5:13)75

. We are to look for that assurance in the Word of God,

for only it ALONE is true and trustworthy.

Just a note to those in leadership roles within the church or anyone that has the

privilege of leading someone to Christ; realize all that is being done is LEADING someone

TO Christ. The question, Am I truly saved? should be answered in the same way if asked

by someone who just got off their knees or if they have professed salvation for decades. The

answer is this, I dont know Lets go the Bible to shed some light on that question. Take


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them to 1 John and read the first 5 chapters and allow Holy Spirit to work as they read what

God says concerning what a transformed life should desire and what the true pursuit of their

life.

Why is it we think we must have all the answers? It is ok to say, I dont know if

youre saved. It is ok to leave a lost person ALONE with God at the altar. It is ok to allow

God to break the heart of sinful man. Why do we feel the need to console and mend the

stony heart God is in the process of removing? It is ok for God to convict a child of sin and

draw them to repentance. We must realize that most of the time it is good to leave people at

the altar with God so God can speak to their life or situation. WE DONT HAVE TO BE

THERE. Many time all we do is get in the way.

The true Gospel is confrontational. The true Gospel is cutting; it breaks hearts and

pierces the consciousness (Heb.4:12)76

. It floods the wickedness of mens lives with the holy

light of the righteousness of Gods law that was willingly broken by every man. The death,

burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our propitiation for this sin is offensive to the lost.

How dare condemn us or call us sinners says the lost soul. To make it any other thing is

NOT the gospel. Paul was aware of this every time he preached to the Jew or the Gentile of

that culture in that time for the gospel was offensive to both sects. It is a supernatural work

of God brought about by the hearing of the Word of God moving the faith of Christ in the

believer to a CHOICE. The right choice will result in repentance and belief as the

regeneration of the soul by the Holy Spirit of God takes place. The wrong choice calls the

Holy Spirit a liar and the wrath of God abides on that life.


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2.32- Preaching the Word That Became Flesh Gospel

And the Word was made flesh, and dweltamongus, (and we beheld his glory, the

glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14 KJV. If we

could only get a mere glimpse of what really happened outside the obvious when the Word

became flesh and dwelt among us. If we could only realize the sacrifice inherent in those

seven words, we would understand the heart of the Father as demonstrated in and through the

Son. The shocking reality is the cross is not only a symbol of the love of God, but also the

impotence and utter wickedness of man. As this light is revealed, mens wickedness is

exposed causing a reaction (Rom. 5:20)

77

; they will fall on their face and repent or harden

their heart toward God and His gospel.

All the goodness of man is only by the Spirit of God living in us by the grace of God

(James 1:17)78

. All that is eternal, holy, good and just comes from the Spirit of God living in

us. If we say we have love, and the spirit of God is not in us, we are a sounding brass (1 Cor.

13:1)79

. However, if we preach through the power of the Holy Spirit, there will be fruit.

(Matt. 13:880; Mar. 4:2081; John 15:2-482; Rom. 7:483; Eph. 5:9-1084).

When we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, (1Cor. 15: 1-4)85

men are cut to the core

being convicted of sin by the Spirit of God (Acts 2:37)86

. Thomas Watson says that,

Ministers are but the pipes and organs. It is the Holy Ghost breathing in them that makes their

words effectual:87 Through the preaching of the Word, men are given the faith of Jesus

Christ to repent and believe the Gospel unto salvation (Gal. 2:20)88

. All believers are

brought face to face with the reality of the Holy God, the wickedness of their existence, and

the due penalty of their sin.


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To leave the condition of men in this state would be utter suicide. But God, through

the death of His Son, offers grace to the humble and mercy to the undeserving (James 4:689

;

Matt. 18:490

). In Acts chapter 2, Peter preached the gospel under the power of Holy Spirit,

and the response was, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2:37b KJV). Peters

response is the same response we must have; Repent, and be baptized every one of you in

the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy

Ghost. (Acts 2:38 KJV).

Peter is implying that in light of the Gospel, our sin is exposed as it really is; putrid to

God. By acting on the faith of Christ, we believe the gospel and forsake our sinful life.

Through faith, we repent and receive forgiveness from God. We accept the mercy gift of

grace purchased by Christ on the cross. Forgiveness is possible only by the sacrifice of the

Son. As a response to our redemption and the salvation granted, we are to be baptized, first

as an act of obedience to God, second, as a symbol of what has taken place in our spirit and

our dedication to Christ as our for-runner of the resurrection. Salvation comes by

repentance and belief brought on by faith, baptism is an act of obedience in light of what has

already occurred. Baptism does not save and has no part in salvation.

This forgiveness cannot be seen, it cannot be earned, and there is no documentation

on paper of this forgiveness other than scripture telling us so. It is solely by faith

(Heb.11:1)91

. The Holy Spirit of God regenerates the dead spirit and starts a transforming

work in the repentant life that God Himself has promised to complete (John 17:19)92

. This

sanctifying process is marked from that point on by a lifestyle of good fruit (Matt. 7:1893

;

12:3394

; John 15:595

), repentance and believing in Jesus Christ as the Author and Finisher of

that faith (Heb. 12:2)96

.


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As one is confronted with the gospel, they realize the helplessness of their own will

and power to save their own soul. Man is extended the call to come and dine with the King.

He is given the never failing and sure faith of Christ to exercise and believe the Gospel. This

faith will never fail. The faith of Christ that called Lazarus forth from the grave is the same

faith that is given to each one that believes (John 11:43-44)97

. This faith that caused the

storms to cease is the same faith that is given to every soul that is drawn to repentance (Mar.

4:39)98

. This is the faith ofChrist that leads to a beliefin Christ that ends in eternal life with

Christ when we become apart of the body ofChrist. (Rom. 3:2299

; Gal 2:16100

; 3:22101

; Phil.

3:9

102

)

This summit between man and the gospel will result in a choice. There is no reprieve

in this encounter; there are no time-outs in this meeting. A choice is made to reject Christ or

to receive Him. There is no middle ground and no negotiating of terms. We come to God by

His stipulations not ours. To negotiate mean one has something of value to offer. All we

bring to the table is failure and filthy rags. We are at the complete mercy of God. Conviction

may last for days until repentance and surrender comes or total rejection is conceded. Take

heed though, there is no guarantee that conviction will ever come again. (Joshua 24:15)103

Those that reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ call the true testimony of the Holy Spirit a

liar (Matt. 12:31)104

. To choose not to exercise the faith of Christ and believe could bring

upon the heart a hardening in the destructive direction they are headed (Rom. 1:28)105

. An

example of this would be Pharaoh. God hardened Pharaohs heart (Exo. 7:3)106

only after

Pharaoh hardened his own heart against God and Moses pleas to release the nation Israel

(Exo 8:15)107

. God gave Pharaoh exactly what he wanted and solidified his heart in that

direction.


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I ask; if God were to harden your heart in the direction it is heading right now, where

would it take you; toward God or away from God. Hearing the Gospel is a sobering thing.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Once ears have heard the gospel,

they are responsible for the truth of the Gospel. The Gospel that is preached must be the

Biblical gospel or the words of Paul written under the power of the Holy Spirit will ring out

for an eternity.

In Galatians, Paul says those that come with another Gospel other than what he

preached should be accursed or anathema; meaning worthy of the divine curse.108

So

please realize, preaching the gospel is serious and worthy of great study and preparation.

Paul says it like this:

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than

that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so

say I now again, if any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have

received, let him be accursed. Galatians1:8-9KJV

The words of the gospel are life, light, and salvation. Within Scripture is the

revelation of God Himself; His mercy; His grace; and His judgment. The Gospel is good

new to those that will receive it and allow it to change their life, grafting them in the body of

Christ. The Gospel also strikes fear and conviction in the unsaved and rejoicing in the life of

the believer. It should permeate our being to the point where every piece of our fiber

declares the grace and glory of God in our life and our lips proclaim, pronounce, and present

the true gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world.


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2.4- The Cross of Christ The Atonement

3), that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 1 Cor. 15:3bWithin this one

verse we find a doctrine of the church that is almost non-existent in both teaching and

understanding. This teaching is of Atonement. Isaiah 53:10a- Yet it was the will of the

Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin. Isa.

53:10a KJV. Paul says, 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we

might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Cor. 5:21KJV;this is atonement.

It is a humbling thing to be wrapped in a perfect love that willingly became sin so that

we could be righteous in Gods eyes. By this substitutionary act, the sinless Christ became

sin. As a result of this act, Christ, Gods own Son, became the target and focus of the

undiluted wrath of Almighty God. To the lost world, the cross is nothing; to the repentant

heart, it is everything. To the believing heart, it is life. In short, the work of Christ on the

Cross made the way for mankind to escape the eternal wrath of God that is upon all who have

not accepted this work by faith.

To understand the cross of Christ is to be near to salvation. There at that tree some

2000 years ago is the full measure of the nature of God as exhibited by Christ on the cross.

For there on that hill we see the justice, holiness, mercy, grace, wrath, and love of the one

true God. We see Old Testament prophecies fulfill in the giving of a perfect life; Christs

life. To merely proclaim that Christ died is doing a severe injustice to the events of

Golgotha.


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To get a clearer understanding of what actually happened at the cross, we need to

look closer at the following scripture as listed earlier: 21 For He made Him who knew no

sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor.

5:12KJV. He became sin... Christs own words give insight into this phrase when He said,

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?

which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mark 15:34KJV

Even on the cross, Christ was teaching. As he quotes the opening phrase of the

prophetic Psalm 22, he brings to recollection the ancient writings of David as he describes

the events as if he were there. Within these verses, we see the forsaking of a Son; for this

Son was now a worm to be trodden. When the scripture says that, He became sin it means

that some how, some way, Christ not only bore the sin of the world for all time past, present,

and future, but He embodied and internalized that sin in His flesh. Gods focused wrath was

poured out on what Jesus willingly became; SIN.

David writes in Ps. 22:

1My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me,And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do

not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. 3But You are holy, Enthroned

in the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered

them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were notashamed.

6But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head,

saying, 8 "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since

He delights in Him!"

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My

mother's breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You

have been My God. 11Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none tohelp.


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12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13

They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. 14I am poured

out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has meltedwithin Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My

jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.

They pierced My hands and My feet; 17I can count all My bones. They look and stare

at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

19But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

20Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.

21 Save Me from the lion's mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! And at theninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which

is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mark 15:34

It is interesting that this is the only phrase that Matthew and Mark record as being a

direct quote from Christ from the cross. Marks gospel portrays Jesus as the suffering

servant. In Mark we find no lineage and no genealogy, for who is concerned with the

genealogy of a servant? Mark focuses on the suffering of the One who came to serve not to

be served. As Mark records these words, I recall the upper room experience when Jesus took

the basin and the towel and God incarnate washed the feet of men. Now as Christ hung on

the cross, Mark sees and hears the voice of a Son calling to His Father and there is no reply.

John and Luke record the crucifixion in their gospels but do not record this phrase,

but focus on other utterances of Jesus. John portrays Jesus as the incarnate God in human

flesh. Luke paints the picture of Christ as the Son of Man. There are two quotes from Christ

that draw Lukes attention. These quotes surround Christs position on the cross as being

between two thieves, and Christs interaction with those thieves.


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Luke records Christ as saying, Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do

not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. Luke23:24 KJV.

These were not just words. These words are the foundation by which Christ keeps us safe in

Him.

When Jesus pronounced from the Cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what

they do." He was pronouncing, in our defense, our status as being unintentional murderers in

the second degree and therefore granting us the ability to run to Him and be safe. He is our

strong tower.

Christ speaks first to the Father allowing us the ability to run to Christ as our City of

Refuge. A wonderful picture of God's longsuffering with mankind in ancient Israel is found

in the provision by the Lord of six special Cities of Refuge where those who had

unintentionally killed another, might flee for temporary safety from the Goel or the Avenger

of Blood.

The accused remained safe within the city walls until the death of the current high

priest. Only those guilty of what we would call "murder in the second degree" were granted

safe haven. A deliberate murderer was banished outside the walls only to be met by the man

whose obligation it was to avenge the death of the murdered relative. Thus Jesus is the

Christian's City of Refuge for those that believe. Jesus is our Great High Priest, whose

physical death releases us from the blood-guilt of sin. Isnt it awesome that our defense

counsel is also the Judge?

As the narrative continues, we see Jesus being spoken to by both thieves but He only

responds to one. The Bible says the first thief railed on Jesus. The word used here is

blasphme or to blaspheme. The words spoken by the thief were not the issue for the thiefs


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request was, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. If taken at face value with no other

inference, this was a valid request from a desperate man. However, Christ did not reply to

the mocking words of this selfish, hard heart. Christ was rejected and mocked by both the

religious leaders and the worst thief, yet He hung for both.

The heart of the other thief can be heard as he responds to the evil spoken to our Lord

by the first thief as he says, But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear

God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due

reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. Luke 23: 40- 41 KJV.

The second thief realizes the penalty is fitting for his actions and does not try to

alleviate or forgo the punishment. He is coming to the realization that he will soon face God

a condemned man. He realizes if He enters eternity without an advocate, he will face a

punishment far greater that the cross on which he hung.

In that hour he realized that the one hanging in the middle is who He said He was and

the thief is trusting Christ. This thief must have been familiar with the words and deeds of

Christ for he knew that Christ was being punished for crimes He did not commit. He may

have heard his teachings and his claims to be the Messiah. He may have seen the miracles

and events of the past week. For the repentant thief humbled himself and made the request

that produced a response from the Savior. The words from the heart of the thief filled Christ

with compassion and this compassion led to the salvation of the thief. These simple words

were, And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Luke 23:42KJV


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This man acknowledged Christ as Lord. The word used here is kyrios which is a

title is given to God, the Messiah. These words were uttered in reverence and respect

recognizing Christ as the sovereign disposer of the souls of men. To this thief, Christ was his

only hope from the wrath of God that awaited him. This thief realized something that Judas

Iscariot did not.

In Matthews gospel we find the disciples contemplating over Jesus revelation that

one of them would betray him. The other disciples called Jesus Lord or Master, yet Judas

says, Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?" He said to

him, "You have said it." Matt. 26:25 KJV. In these words, we see Judas calling Jesus

Rabbi which means honorable siror teacher. Judas was as close to salvation as one

could get yet was a million miles away. He saw the miracles; he witnessed the healings; he

heard the words of life; he walked with the creator of the universe. Yet in all this, the most

potent response the heart of Judas could muster was honorable sir. Pride would not allow

him to call Jesus Messiah for he felt not the need for being saved. Arrogance could not bring

him to declare Christ Lord of all. Satanic pride and greed filled Judas to betrayal.

Yet, unlike Judas, this lowly thief who would soon become a king and a priest

recognizes Jesus for who He really is. This condemned man found himself hanging beside

the sinless Son of God. As Jesus hung on the cross, He identified with the thief. As Jesus

paid for the sins of both men; of all men; only one accepted the reality of their situation,

understood the disparity of the actions, and understood the consequences. Within the shock

of true eternal reality, the thief cries for mercy and God replies, "Assuredly, I say to you,

today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43bKJV)


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Christ only responded to the thief that engaged Him as who He is. Jesus engages the

world even today by the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The cross of

Christ testifies even today. However, only those that respond to the truth will Christ utter

the words, enter in my good and faithful servant.

The cross stood pleading all to come. The

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