WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, Pt. 2 of 2

Understanding The Nature of Salvation

3-13-16

Pastor George W. Black

Confession: I am a victorious believer, redeemed by the Lord, washed from my sins in the blood of Jesus my Savior, saved by grace through faith, filled with the powerful Holy Spirit, poised for God’s eternal purposes, and boldly sharing the joy of God’s love, with my world.

I am a faith walking, Word talking, over-comer in this life. I am a Victor, not a victim. I can do, all things through Christ. Today, my mind is open and alert, and my heart is good soil, for the seed of God’s Word.  I will be a diligent disciple, to apply its’ truths, for from this day forward, by the miracle of spiritual growth, I will never, ever, be the same again.

 

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

 Matthew 19:16-26  “Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” ¹⁷ “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ²⁰ “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” ²¹ Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. ²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. ²⁴ I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” ²⁵ The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. ²⁶ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

 

1. The nature of salvation is it is a free gift. We can’t earn it, but we do have to receive it.

To receive a gift from another person, we have to be willing to receive it. If I extend a gift to you and you don’t reach out and take it into your hands, you have chosen not to receive it. The same is true with salvation. If God offers us salvation, but we do nothing to reach out and welcome it into our lives, we have chosen not to receive it. A gift may be free, but it does not enter our life until we are willing to make it our own.

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8 NLV “For by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God.⁹ It is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud.”

 

2. Jesus wants to save all the lost places in our lives, not just take us to Heaven.

Jesus has come to seek and save the lost, and that which is lost in us. Every one of us bring a broken life to Christ when we are born-gain. Even after our sins are forgiven and we start living our new life in Christ, Jesus is working to heal our brokeness. We are like the clay on the potter’s wheel. He is molding and shaping us into His own image. This includes healing and deliverance where we need it.

Luke 19:9-10 NKJV “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

 

3. Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a part of your complete “salvation” package.

The Bible teaches that born-again believers were never meant to try to live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowerment or “endument” that is subsequent to being born-again and water baptized, and is promised to us. However many are not taught about this gift and live a life of repeated rededication seeking God’s fullness.

Acts 2:38-39 NKJV “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

 

4. Once I place my trust in Jesus Christ through repentance, faith, and obedience, I am a “forever” child of God.

Becoming a child of God does not make us perfect, but it does plant a perfect seed of the Father’s nature in us that begins a process of becoming like Christ. The direction of our life changes, and even when we make mistakes, we continue to seek God’s grace and strength to make changes and continue growing in our faith and obedience.

Hebrew 5:9 NKJV “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, ¹⁰ called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

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

Jn 5:24 NKJV “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

 

5. “Eternal Salvation” and “Eternal Security” do not mean the same thing. The first means we are saved forever as long as we want to be saved; the second means we can never be lost again no matter how we live our lives. The Bible does not teach “Eternal Security.”

There are no perfect Christians. But every truly born-again Christian has a new nature that wants to be like its Father. This means we have a deep conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgement. For a Christian to continue in habitual sin, there are only two possibilities: either we have never truly repented of our sins and had a spiritual new-birth, or we have consciously and knowingly rejected our salvation and thereby committed what is called “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.”

Let me be quick to state that if this latter explanation is possible, it would be very difficult. Before a person could ever walk away from and “lose” their salvation, the Holy Spirit will do everything in His power to prevent this from happening. But if we continually harden our hearts against Him, our conscience can become seared to the point we no longer feel conviction for our sins. At this point we will have crossed the line and “blasphemed” the Holy Spirit by our rejection of Him. It is this point that the following Scriptures seem to explain.

Hebrew 6:4-8 NLT “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— ⁶ and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame .⁷ When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. ⁸ But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.”

2 Peter 2:20-22 NLT “And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.²¹ It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. ²² They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

 

6. The nature of salvation is that we are saved for a grand and glorious purpose that only begins when we repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord (Leader, Boss, CEO) and Savior. This grand purpose has no end and is the reason we exist.

God has a GREAT BIG PLAN that begins with salvation through the new-birth. However, becoming a Christian so you can go to Heaven when you die is not the full spectrum of salvation. God wants to put Heaven into our lives right now through a rich and fulfilling plan. Jesus said He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Jn. 10:10. Your inheritance in Christ begins the day you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, not just when you die.

Ephesians 2:4-10 NLT “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. ⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

What Is The Nature of Salvation?  WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, Pt. 1 of 2

Understanding The Nature of Salvation

3-6-16

Pastor George W. Black

 

Confession: I am a victorious believer, redeemed by the Lord, washed from my sins in the blood of Jesus my Savior, saved by grace through faith, filled with the powerful Holy Spirit, poised for God’s eternal purposes, and boldly sharing the joy of God’s love, with my world.

I am a faith walking, Word talking, over-comer in this life. I am a Victor, not a victim. I can do, all things through Christ. Today, my mind is open and alert, and my heart is good soil, for the seed of God’s Word.  I will be a diligent disciple, to apply its’ truths, for from this day forward, by the miracle of spiritual growth, I will never, ever, be the same again.

 

 

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

 Matthew 19:16-26  “Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” ¹⁷ “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ²⁰ “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” ²¹ Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. ²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. ²⁴ I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” ²⁵ The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. ²⁶ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

 

1. The nature of salvation is that we can never save ourselves. It is a supernatural gift that we receive by faith.

Titus 3:5 NKJV “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”

A.  Salvation begins as a “seed” of new life that is planted in our lives by God.

 Peter 1:22 NKJV “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever”

B.  This “seed” of salvation is planted when we are born-again.

John 3:3-7, 9-10, 16 NKJV “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

 ⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

2. The nature of salvation is that it is a process, with a beginning and an end. This process begins in our spirit and travels outward, rather than the process of religion which starts on the outside and attempts to travel inward. This process is called the “Tenses Of Salvation.”

Matthew 13:33 NLT “Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

TENSES OF SALVATION

A.  We Have Been Saved – Justification.

This is spirit salvation when we are washed from our sins in the blood of Jesus and become born-again, or born anew, or born from above…a spiritual re-birth. As a legal matter, this is when all of our sins are expunged from our record. We are now “justified”, which means “just as if I never sinned.

B.  We Are Being Saved – Sanctification.

This is soul salvation, which is a process. We are being changed by the renewing of our minds, and continually being conformed to the image of Christ in thought, word, and deed. We go from faith to faith, and from glory to glory. Sanctified means “set apart” from our old life and way of living and thinking, and becoming holy. Holiness is the nature of God. It is through sanctification that we can have the mind of Christ.

C.  We Will Yet Be Saved – Glorification.

Glorification is the final salvation of our body when it is transformed from mortal to immortal, and from corruptible to incorruptible.  God has promised us that in the resurrection we will have a glorified body like that of Jesus Christ when he arose from the dead. This new body will never die, never grow old, and never be subject to sickness, disease or decay.

 

3. What must I do to be saved? We must do what the early Christians did when they repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Acts 16:29-33 NKJV “Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.”

The statement “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” meant something different to the people of Paul’s day than it does to us. Instead of adding faith in Christ to whatever other beliefs they may have already had, to them it meant “exchanging” their faith from other gods or religions, and placing it fully in Christ alone. Inherent in this process is that of repentance – a change of mind and direction. Jesus never said “only believe.” He said “repent and believe.”

Mark 1:14-15 NKJV “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

The Amplified Bible translates the original Greek text of “Repent, and believe” in this way:

“repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation].”   Mark 1:15 Amplified Bible

Acts 2:38 NKJV “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The Amplified Bible translates the original Greek text of “Repent” in this way:

“Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah]”   Acts 2:38a Amplified Bible

 

4. The nature of salvation is that we are saved for a grand and glorious purpose that only begins when we repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord (Leader, Boss, CEO) and Savior. This grand purpose has no end and is the reason we exist.

God has a GREAT BIG PLAN that begins with salvation through the new-birth. However, becoming a Christian so you can go to Heaven when you die is not the full spectrum of salvation. God wants to put Heaven into our lives right now through a rich and fulfilling plan. Jesus said He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Jn. 10:10. Your inheritance in Christ begins the day you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, not just when you die.

Ephesians 2:4-10 NLT “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. ⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

What Is The Nature of Salvation?  WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Entering God’s “Rest” Of Faith

2-21-16

Pastor George W. Black

 

Introduction: Current Events Are Robbing Our Peace

Pope floats idea of one world religion – I enjoyed the Pope’s comments this last week directed at Donald Trump, suggesting that anyone who only wants to build walls and not build bridges is not a Christian. It was entertaining. However, and more sobering, this world leading Pontiff recently called for all faiths to come together. In a video put together by the Jesuit Global Prayer Network, the Pope is shown requesting collaboration with “those who think differently, but meet God in different ways.” In the Bible, the Book of Revelation describes a ‘great harlot’ or a false one-world religion will be prominent during the end times, led by a false prophet.

https://www.trunews.com/pope-francis-calls-for-one-world-religion/

World War III Could Start This Month, 2/16/2016, Michael Snyder

Three-hundred fifty thousand soldiers, 20,000 tanks, 2,450 warplanes and 460 military helicopters are massing in northern Saudi Arabia for a military exercise that is being called “Northern Thunder. According to the official announcement, forces are being contributed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia and several other nations. This will be the largest military exercise in the history of the region, and it comes amid rumors that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are preparing for a massive ground invasion of Syria. But if Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their allies go in, they run the risk of a full-blown war with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/55194-world-war-3-could-start-this-month

World economy – A Global Recession Is More Likely Than Anyone Realizes

Countries now in recession include Greece, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Venezuela, Brazil, Russia, Taiwan, and, as of Feb. 1, Ireland.

And the United States is closer than anyone realizes to joining them.

It appears that anyone drinking the Kool aid of this year’s state of the Union message about a growing economy isn’t willing to look at the real numbers on jobs, devaluation of the dollar, and economic recession. With a 19 trillion-dollar national debt, America is living on borrowed time.

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/a-global-recession-is-more-likely-than-anyone-realizes/

Movie release – “Deadpool” opened two weekends ago with a $135 million dollar record crushing “R” rated movie weekend, on Valentines weekend no less. Besides sex, nudity, violence and gore, movie goers got treated to about 84 F-words and its derivatives, 3 obscene hand gestures, 21 sexual references, 34 scatological terms, 19 anatomical terms, 8 mild obscenities, 2 religious profanities, and 9 religious exclamations. Does the success of this movie reflect the loss of morals in our society, or do movies of this nature condition us to tolerate and even accept todays anti-morals, anti-God, secular revolution? In both cases we are presented with a “state of our union” that must surely be what the Bible refers to as “perilous times.” Ps 101:3 “I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.” Check out www.MovieGuide.org to know before you go.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431045/parentalguide?ref_=tt_ql_7

Politics – For the first time in the history of the United States we have an avowed socialist not only running for POTUS, but having won the New Hampshire primary, and having come in a close second to a near-socialist in both Iowa and Nevada. Socialism is now the anti-capitalism doctrine being taught by the so-called elite in our Ivy League colleges, which has bred a generation of truly misguided millennials who are now asserting their influence. Socialism, as you may recall, is the economic doctrine used by Communism, and does not have one successful long-term experiment to show proof of concept in any country of the world, ever. It led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, has held Cuba in poverty for 70 years, and has Venezuela mirroring the failures of Cuba. In every instance that pure socialism is tried, it invariably requires a revolution and dictatorship to remain sustainable. There is no such thing as a free ride. The price of the ride is hidden in the surrender of personal rights and liberties until the state owns you.

Zika Virus – New Evidence Suggests Monsanto Larvicide Is To Blame For Birth Defects in Brazil

 Zika virus may not be the culprit in huge increase in microcephaly cases but, rather, Monsanto larvicide used in Brazilian water supply. The report from Argentine doctors noted that the Brazilian Ministry of Health, who has so far maintained that Zika is to blame, failed to recognize that “a chemical larvicide producing malformations in mosquitoes has been applied for 18 months, and that this poison (pyriproxyfen) is applied by the State on drinking water used by the affected population.” This suggests that the malformations that the larvicide causes in mosquitoes is also what is causing the malformations for the human babies that are affected. Since the larvicide is in the water supply, it is highly likely that the pregnant women with the microcephalic babies were exposed to the larvicide. 

http://www.trueactivist.com/new-evidence-suggests-monsanto-larvicide-is-to-blame-for-zika-virus-epidemic/

 In spite of all these harrowing reports, there is a place of rest in Christ.

 

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

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

Matthew 11:28-30 Message “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

 

1. Entering God’s rest by faith begins with staying focused on why we are here. We are all running a race given to us by God. Our life is not our plan, but His.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Hebrews 12:1,2a NKJV  “… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

 

2. Jesus is our example of how to endure the hardness of the race with a view to future victory…stop running for yourself and run for Him.

1 Corinthians 16:19-20 MEV “What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, and that you are not your own? You were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Romans 12:2b NKJV  “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

3. Sometimes the race gets hard to help us let go of whatever is holding us back, and refocus on our true source of our strength…God, not ourselves.

Philippians 4:13 MEV “I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me.”

Hebrews 12:3,4 “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. {4} You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”

 

4. No matter what you face in life, you must never give up, you must get up…after you have kneeled and surrendered everything to Him again.

The desire to quit is the last obstacle between you and what God has promised you.

Deuteronomy 33:25b NKJV  “…As your days, so shall your strength be.”

Galatians 6:9 NKJV  “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

 

5. In the final analysis, we must enter God’s rest of faith by trusting your Heavenly Father to know what is best for us.

Romans 8:28 NKJV  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; {6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. {7} Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. {8} It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”