Tag Archives: Ephesians

Before your head hits the pillow

Five Solas

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Five Solas

I have posted this in the past but some interesting recent theological discussions have stirred me to post it again tonight.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t contemplate long and hard before deciding to post this tonight. I don’t particularly like confrontation. That being said, I won’t run from it either. For those of you who have read my nightly posts for quite some time it should be evident that I hold to a reformed theology. I believe that we are saved by grace alone and that NOTHING we can do will contribute to our salvation, it is a gift from our Lord.

The Five Solas were at the heart of the 16th century reformation. These five solas are the bedrock of my personal faith. They precisely describe what I believe about salvation, the Holy Scriptures, and our God.

Solas is the Latin phrase for solo. When you sing a solo, you sing alone. When you fly solo, you fly alone. These five solas describe five solo truths of reformed Christianity.

The first is Sola Scriptura or Scripture alone. The Bible should be our sole authority on which we interpret everything else in our lives. How we behave with others, our political leanings, and the raising of our children all needs to be pressed against the scriptures to obtain truth. All 66 books of the Bible are the inspired Word of God through the work of the Holy Spirit given to those persons selected by God Himself.

2 Peter 3:16-17 tells us – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The second is Sola Fide or faith alone. We are saved by faith alone through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are not saved by our own good works but good works are demanded of those who are saved.

The thirds is Sola gratia or grace alone. We are saved ONLY by God’s grace. No matter how “good” a person is if they do not understand that the faith instilled in them is from God and the grace rendered to them is from God they will not be saved.

Ephesians 2:8 is a great verse to demonstrate saving faith by God’s grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is a gift from God, not a result of works, so that no one my boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Yes we are created for good works, but we are NOT saved by them.

Solus Christus or Christ alone. We can ONLY be saved by believing in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins. Nothing else can save us. There is no other. Paul told the jailer this in Acts 16:31 when he asked how he could be saved, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

And the last is Soli Deo Gloria or to the glory of God alone. We are here on earth to glorify God, not to heap praise and glory on ourselves, the newest American Idol, or the latest and greatest tele-evangelist. Our praise is to be reserved for God only. Our main mission in life should be to bring glory to God. We bring Him great glory by serving Him and serving our fellow mankind.

I Corinthians 10:31 states, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it to the Glory of God.” The Westminster Catechism says that the chief purpose of our lives is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

I am thankful for these five solas. I am thankful that my salvation does not rest on me being good enough for if it did, I would certainly be doomed. I am thankful that God has given us faith and the free gift of grace. I am thankful that He is a loving God who gives us the path to salvation in the Scriptures and I rejoice in the opportunity to glorify God and God alone. I hope you are thankful as well!

Before your head hits the pillow

Can we be completely assured of our salvation?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Can we be completely assured of our salvation?

I have spoken with people, Christian friends, who walk day to day with no assurance of their salvation. To be honest this saddens me. And recently I had someone ask me if a person could lose their salvation. I think this post might help give you my thoughts on this issue.

God wants us to be assured of our salvation. He wants us to live in His peace. To not know, day by day, whether we are truly saved, to worry about whether we will fall in and out of grace, brings no peace at all, and lays the responsibility of our salvation on our own actions and feelings.

Romans 10:9-10 tells us how to be saved: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” That is it. When Jesus died on the cross, His final words before committing Himself to His father were, “It is finished.” What was finished? His atonement for our sins. If we Jesus said it is finished and we believe that it is finished, then finished it is!

John 10:28 tells us about the assurance of our salvation. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” No one can take you away from the Lord, once you are His. He will not walk away from you. He will not forsake you!

We are not saved by what we do, but by God’s grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10. Do you really think that God would take his grace away? No, He is faithful.

If you have truly accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior you CAN and MUST be assured of your salvation. This does not mean that we will not sin, because we will. I John 1: 8,10 states, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us..if we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” But God says in Hebrews 10:7 this about the saved, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

So as a Christian, if you are worried about your salvation, remember the blessed words of Romans 8:38-39 – I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is finished. Jesus paid the price. If you believe and accept Him as your Savior, then NO ONE or NO THING can separate you from His love. His grace is irrevocable, His love is immeasurable, and your salvation is assured!

Before your head hits the pillow

Are You Heaven Bound?

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Early this morning I posted a meme that made comments about what would NOT get you into heaven and what WOULD get you into heaven.  The comments that ensued were interesting.  Very rarely have I posted anything that caused this much conversation.

First let me say that no meme or no single post that I place on this page will contain in it all of Biblical doctrine.  I post memes and writings that I hope will challenge you, encourage you, teach you, bring your joy, or make you think.  This one certainly did many of those things.

But since this little meme caused such a stir, I thought that I should write about this topic tonight.  So here goes.

Good works will NOT get you into heaven.  You can be the best philanthropist who ever lived and it will not help you walk through the gates of heaven.  Only trust in Jesus as your Savior will do that.  But we must know that good works are a requirement in the life of a Christian. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And James 2:14-17 says, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Faith and trust in Jesus DEMANDS good works, for to this we were created.

Merely being baptized will not get you into heaven.  Many are baptized as children.  Just because your parents baptized you does not mean you gain automatic entrance into heaven.  Others were baptized as adults and I would say it is fair to assume that even some who are baptized as adults do not really know Jesus as their Savior.  So baptism in and of itself will NOT get you into heaven.  But that does not mean that baptism is unimportant. Mark 16:16 says,”Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  Baptism or profession of one’s faith is an outward expression of an inward commitment to the Lord.  This passage however, should not be construed to say that if a person is not physically baptized that they cannot be saved.  The second part of Mark 16:16 says that whoever does not BELIEVE will be condemned.  If you are a true believe then you have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and it is this baptism that is necessary for salvation.  No one can believe without the Holy Spirit working in their lives.

Attending church, mass, or Sunday school will not get us into heaven.  For many people sit in church pews or at mass every week who have not met and believed in their hearts in the risen Savior.  But does that mean that worshiping together is not important?  Quite the contrary.  Hebrew 10:24-25 speaks of this when it tells us this, “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  So, although going to church will not save us, we are instructed to assemble together to stimulate one another to love each other and to reach out to those in need.

Giving money and doing charity work will not get us into heaven.  No matter how much you do or how much you give you will never be able to give enough to gain entrance into heaven.   Only trust in Jesus as your Savior will do that.  But does that mean tithing and charity work are unimportant.  No, not at all!  2 Corinthians 9:7 instructs us, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” That is giving of our time, our treasure, and our talents.

Will taking communion get you to heaven? NO!  Only believing in Jesus as your Savior can do that!  But I Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” So although taking communion will not save us it does play a vital part in reminding us of the immense sacrifice that was given to pay the debt for our sins.

Will belonging to a particular denomination or political party get you into heaven?  Absolutely NOT!!  No denomination, political party, or friendship is without stain, without sin.  Each party has its flaws and each denomination has its flaws.  Let’s not get so high and mighty about our affiliations that we start feeling better of ourselves just because of who we associate with.  Only faith and trust in Jesus Christ can bring about salvation which gives us the reward of eternity in heaven.

And positive thinking will not get us into heaven.  Many of today’s modern churches will teach and preach the power of positive thinking.  This positive thinking can NEVER get us into heaven.  But God loves us and God created us in His image so we should not fail to see ourselves in that way.  If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are not only created in the image of the Almighty God, but we are also now called children of God!  What a blessing that is.

So nothing listed in the grouping of what will get you into heaven is bad, but rather most are good, and even commanded.  But none of them alone with get you into heaven.

There is ONLY ONE WAY to heaven.  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31.  John 14:6 further states, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

And Acts 4:12 says this about Jesus, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

So what will get you into heaven?  Only faith and trust that Jesus Christ, God Himself, came to earth, lived among men, never sinned, was tortured and sent to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, for the sins of all who believe in Him.  And that three days later, He rose from the grave and smashed death to smithereens.  He now reigns at the right hand of God the Father and will one day return to earth to bring about a new heaven and a new earth where we will live eternally with Him in Glory!  WOW!! What a Savior!!