Tag Archives: Romans

Free Will and Sovereignty

03 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in Apologetics, Job, John, New Testament, Old Testament, Romans, THE WORD

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“Can you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
They are higher than heaven— what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol— what can you know?
Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.”
-Job 11:7-9

The western mind is one of analysis and trying to figure things out. Sir Isaac Newton had an apple fall on his head, and his thoughts were why and how. He then went on to discover the laws of gravity. The curious western mind has done much good in the world, but has also caused us to err at times.
One of the places it has caused us to err frequently is in our understanding of God. God says something to us, and we say why and how? I don’t believe God is angry at those questions, and in fact, invites them, but those questions should always come in light of the verses above. Yes, search out the things of God, but remember we are finite creature made of dust. The problem often arises when we elevate ourselves in the sight of God, and say if I cannot make sense of it, than it cannot be true. When we proudly and presumptuously, and often without knowing what we are doing, assume our intellect is capable of grasping all the facets of God we are prone to great err… and to our own hurt.
As we see here in the book of Job, very possibly the oldest book in the Bible, the eastern Hebrew mind had accepted one very important reality. God’s thoughts are higher above our own than the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55:9). We cannot even come close to completely understanding God. We are finite and can only understand a very little, while God is eternal and without limits in His understanding. To try and figure out the unrevealed ways of God is futile, and even blasphemous. As soon as we start figuring out God apart from His revelation we are guaranteed to err.
Why do I write all this? I think this is very important in the realm of predestination and the sovereignty of God. God says both a)that anyone can come, and b)that all were predestined and chosen. In fact, He often says them in close proximity to one another (John 3:16, 6:44, 15:16; Romans 8:29-30, 9:16, 10:13).
What does this mean for us? It means that both things are wonderful truths of God to be accepted and enjoyed for eternity. It also means to try and understand how God harmonizes the two seemingly incompatible concepts that are beyond our understanding is impossible, and that we do much better to humbly accept them. God distinctly says that man both has universal opportunity to come to Him and receive salvation, and that only those who are drawn and chosen will come.
Why?? How?? The western mind wonders, and that is good… but only if we have the correct view of God and man. Paul, a genius and former Hebrew rabbi who had excelled above all, ended his Romans discourse with this: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Rom 11:33)”
Our problem comes from a prideful heart that says I can systematize the unsearchable riches of God’s ways. Man says, if this statement is true, than this, this, and this must be true as well because that is what makes sense to my rational mind.
Have you noticed the general countenance of those who proclaim to have systemized God’s unrevealed ways?? There is undoubtedly an aloofness and pride that goes along with their theology. They have figured out what many cannot, or so they think. This is how God thinks when he makes this or that statement, and I have figured it out.
Beware, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
May we instead, rejoice in the goodness of God when He says WHOEVER calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Praise the Lord! God is long-suffering, not desiring anyone to perish. Praise the Lord! He loves all and deeply desires to save all, I serve a wonderful God!
Then, let us whole-heartedly thank God for His wisdom and strength. He chose me and predestined me before the foundation of the earth…?? WOW… Praise Him!! He will never leave me nor forsake me, I am completely secure in the strongest hands the universe could ever know! Wow… praise Him, my God is amazing!
In our infinite and limited minds we cannot reconcile every part of God, and we are not called to do so. We are called to know Him, His character, and His heart as He has revealed Himself to us. Then in humility follow the One who loved us and gave us life for us, loving others the way He loves us.
That is the commandment He gave us as He left this earth (John 13:34, 15:17), so let us not get distracted trying to figure out things we were never meant to fully understand, let us not get puffed up with pride in our minds as we elevate our understanding far above where it should rightly be, and may we not bite and devour one another as knowledge becomes more important than love. That would be very unfortunate, disobedient to the commands of Christ, destructive to the body of Christ, and definitely not glorifying to God.

His Salvation

17 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Devotional, New Testament, Romans, THE WORD

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“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
-Romans 4:7-8

This is the center of Christianity. Not that I am good or moral, but that I am forgiven and righteous because of what Jesus did at the cross. I love God’s salvation, and I am so thankful for it. It’s perfect.

My relationship with God is based on love. His love. He loved me so much He came and did what I could never do: pay the price for my sins and make me righteous before God. I know people don’t like the word sin, but it simply means to miss God’s standard. The standard our conscious speaks of when we lie, or do something we inherently know to be wrong. We have all sinned and fall short of the standard of God, and King David knew that no man could be blessed by his own efforts. Those efforts are always stained by gross sin. No, David knew the only way to blessing was receiving God’s mercy and grace, which God is so ready and willing to give to any who come to Him in humility and faith. We are to humble ourselves before God, admit the obvious, and receive His grace, kindness, mercy, and love. God wants to give, but we accept reality, and trust in God.

I also love God’s salvation because it is sure and secure. Because my relationship with God is not based on my works, but on God’s love and work. My salvation never moves. I don’t have to wonder day-by-day if I have done enough, or if I am good enough. I just accept that I have sinned, and receive God’s gift of forgiveness and life through faith. I can trust His salvation, lean my entire self on it, and build my entire life on it. There is nothing else like it in this crazy, ever-changing world we live in. I can know the truly safe place to invest my entire being, and not have to worry what will come of me. That is peace and joy. I used to look around this world and think what option will work out for me best? What is the meaning of life? I don’t have to worry about that anymore because I have found the meaning of life, the only truth, and I can trust in it.

Christianity is also so different than other religions in that respect. Whether it be Islam, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. all of those religions are based on what man can do, how good can he be. Then after life is over, people are left wondering if they have done enough. The confidence of these religions is then subject to change day-by-day. One day you were relatively moral and kind, and feel confident that you will make it to heaven, or whatever goal that has been set in that religion. Then next day you yell at you wife, tear down a friend, get road rage, or simply get depressed because of your inadequacies and are now sure you won’t make it. There is no peace there.

That is where Christianity is different. God says, I know who you are, and I now you can’t attain to a truly “good” standing, but I love you and I have come to redeem you. God says I will do the work you cannot, and if you will only accept me and trust my salvation, then I will forgive you and you will become my son or daughter.

There is nothing better than the Father/Child love relationship with God through Jesus. There is nothing this world can offer that even compares to Jesus Christ, and His salvation. For that, I am truly thankful.

Believe in Your Heart

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Charles Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, Quote for the Day, Romans

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As I was studying Romans 10 to teach the young adult group at my church I came upon verse 9, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is God’s simple way to be saved from His wrath on the basis of God freely giving life and forgiveness through putting one’s faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, is it enough to just believe that Jesus existed? Or is it enough to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the world in your head?

I have had a family member that does not  know Jesus look me straight in the eye and say I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Yet, there is no fruit at all in their life regarding being born-again, being a new creation in Christ, or having a relationship with the living God. So what gives? They said they believe, didn’t God say whoever believes in Jesus will be saved? I think C.H. Spurgeon helps with the confusion,

“We believe everything which the Lord Jesus has taught, but we must go a step further, and trust him. It is not even enough to believe in him, as being the Son of God, and the anointed of the Lord; but we must believe on him . . . The faith that saves is not believing certain truths, nor even believing that Jesus is a Savior; but it is resting on him, depending on him, lying with all your weight on Christ as the foundation of your hope. Believe that he can save you; believe that he will save you; at any rate leave the whole matter of your salvation with him in unquestioning confidence. Depend upon him without fear as to your present and eternal salvation. This is the faith which saves the soul.”

Ah, this helps me so much. I have tried to clearly communicate what believing really means to several, but Spurgeon does a masterful job here. Someone can’t just acknowledge Jesus’ existence or who He was, but a person must trust in Him alone as their only hope for salvation. I hope this will help someone else who has battled the same problem I have encountered, and that we would be mutually encouraged to continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ with more and more people because it is the Gospel of Christ that is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. If you have not trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, than you can do that right now and be forgiven and saved. I pray that you would even now. God bless you.

*** This is something I found written by G. Campbell Morgan that I thought was extremely helpful,

“As a matter of fact, we never really believe anything until we surrender ourselves to it. It is possible to say, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” Do we? Saying it in the sanctuary does not prove it. The life through the week proves the reality of the faith affirmed, or disproves it. Intellectual conviction is not saving faith; but apart from it there can be no saving faith. We must have the facts, grasp them intellectually, and then yield to them”

I would add to this that the last phrase is the most important part of what Morgan is saying. We must yield to the truth of Jesus, and come to a humble turning away from our old ways, and turn to Jesus alone for our salvation, trusting only in Him , and yielding completely to Him.