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Showing posts from October, 2018

We do good by the power of Christ alone

Believers, preaching moral codes cannot help the world that God so loved attain salvation. Salvation is through preaching Christ who is Grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour)-personified. Titus 2:14 says of Him: " God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone." Many religious people think that those who are living in sins love what they do and are clueless about the consequences of their actions. Such believe that they are the only ones who want to do good and so have to tell " sinners " the "truth." This is the height of Pharisee-ism. The Pharisees wanted to stone the woman that was caught in adultery...until Christ showed them that they were no better than the woman that they had condemned. Everyone outside God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ has the same standing- Wicked . In Christ, having Him as our Righteousness, we all have the same standing in God's sight: Righteous by Faith.  The truth

Preach Christ to the world, not moral codes. When the believing is right, right living, including moral excellence, will follow.

Believer, the world already knows that sin is abhorrent to God and has dangerous consequences; this is why most sins/immoral acts are committed in secret. The law/moral codes for living is already emblazoned on the hearts of the world. Preaching morals or things like "stop fornicating or else there will be consequences" to the world that God so loved is not the message of Christ and cannot save the sinner. Paul said it well in Romans 7:18- "For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it." This doctrine of preaching moral codes and telling people to live by it is as ineffective for salvation as telling a helpless sheep that has gone astray (sinned) or has fallen into a pit (judgment):  " Don't go astray or fall into a pit." The sheep has already gone astray and/or fallen inside a pit.  The erring sheep (sinner) does

Never trust yourself. Trust in Christ.

Believer, can you imagine an air-conditioner that is not connected to electricity boasting to its maker that it can work by itself and all to prove that it loves its maker? No matter how much it tries, it cannot work unless its maker plugs it into electricity, services it and makes sure that it is in good working condition always. This is a picture of our salvation in Christ. But many of us do not know how fallen humanity is. Paul said it well in Romans 7:18-  “For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it.” Remember Peter seemed to be making good on his promise to not deny Jesus at first — he slashed off someone's ear when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane, ready to defend Christ. Then his circumstances changed and he sang a different tune…three times.  Jesus knew Peter's default mode from the start, the same as all mankind- to c

Is the keeping of the Ten Commandments required for salvation?

This question is based on the premise that a person can keep the Ten Commandments and overcome temptation by sheer determination and will-power. No one can keep even the tiniest bit of the Law by human effort. Whoever we are, the reason why we are not committing particular sins, have success over temptations that come our way and seem to be doing great at keeping the Ten Commandments is because God did not allow us to get tempted beyond what we can bear.  This reason why we are not wallowing in sins and why those who depend on their ability to obey the law think that they are doing good all by themselves is evident in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13: " 12 So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each tes

Jesus Christ the Tree of Life

Believers, remember Genesis 3:22- " And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” Notice the words " eat " and " live forever "? Now see what Christ says in John 6:51-58: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world...54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day...58...He who eats this bread will live forever .” Notice the number of times He says " eat " and live forever "? Because He loved us so, God Himself made provision for us to eat of the Tree of Life- Jesus Christ- and live forever (not perish as was our lot under law, but have everlasting life.) and we find this in the