Tag Archives: Salvation

Before your head hits the pillow

Is There Judgment for the Saved?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

There will come a day of judgment, of that you can be sure.  God will come to judge the living and the dead.  Acts 17:31 tells us, “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”  The person who will do the judging at the end of time is Jesus, the one who was raised from the dead.

Many are aware of final judgment.  They know that all those who have not believed in Jesus Christ will be condemned but those who have will live eternally with God.

I also believe that once you are saved, NOTHING can snatch you from God’s hands.  You may stray and you may wander, but you will never fall out of grace.  But what about the people who accept Jesus as their Savior but have little to show for that commitment?  Will they still enter heaven?  Don’t we need to do more than just say we believe?

The Bible says that there will be two separate judgments.  Believers will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Romans 14:12 tells us that everyone will give an account of himself to God. I Corinthians 3:11-15 speaks of giving account.  The works that we do on this earth will either be pure and good, they will be either gold and silver. Or what we do on this earth will be like hay or stubble.  The fine things we do are compared to gold and silver that could withstand a fire, these good deeds will withstand the fire and will show of the man or woman’s work on behalf of God.

Other’s works on earth will be like hay and stubble and will be consumed by the fire.  Their works were not good enough to endure the fire.  So why is this important?  It is important because it tells us that what we do here on earth DOES matter to our heavenly Father.  We can either work diligently for God each day or we can coast by.  But know this, if you coast by, you will not only be losing blessings here on earth, but you will be forfeiting heavenly rewards.

There will be judgment for the saved.  It will NOT be a judgment to determine salvation, for if you believe in Christ as you Savior, you will be saved.  But this will be a judgment of our deeds and our thoughts while living on this earth.  I Corinthians 4:5 says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”  Yes God will bring to light EVERYTHING we have said and done.  I don’t believe that God will bring our sins in front of everyone, but I do believe that He will make them all real in our own hearts so that we can fully understand the blessing of His sacrifice.

Then Jesus will look at those things we have done for Him.  He will look at our thoughts, at our words, at our actions.  He will look at everything that we have done for Him.  And then believers will be rewarded based on the good works they have done.

I will never do good works to achieve reward, but understanding that our good works are important enough for Jesus to judge at the end of time makes me want to please Him all the more.  It DOES matter what I do.  It DOES matter who I care for and how I spend my life.  It DOES matter if I take the time to visit the elderly woman at the nursing home who gets no visitors. It DOES matter if I try to make the Christmas of those in need a bit brighter.  It DOES matter if I remember to pray for those in need.

Each of these things matter not only to the person I am helping, but they matter to God.  He wants to see us in service.  He tells us in Matthew 25:37-40   “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Yes, the saved will be judged.  We will be judged on our obedience and service, and we will be rewarded accordingly.    Remember that while we are here we are laborers together with God.  We are actually His field and His building (I Corinthians 3:9).  We are not working alone, we are working WITH God.  What a great thought.  What we do here we don’t do alone, we do this WITH God.  He is our foreman!

Let’s spend our time here on earth faithfully serving Him.  Let’s be hard working laborers.   Let’s work so that what it is that we do will be like fine silver and gold.  Let us work to make sure that what we do has lasting impact!  And then let’s be eager to hear those words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Before your head hits the pillow

Don’t Be Deceived Part 2

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Don’t Be Deceived Part 2

Last night I wrote about not being deceived about where our salvation comes from.  There is NO salvation apart from believing faith in Jesus Christ. NONE!  We cannot be deceived by the world who wants to say that as long as we live a “good” life we will go to heaven.

Our salvation does not come from anything we do, it only comes from the grace of God.  But let’s not be deceived about this either.  Once we come to the Lord, we do not have credence to live in any way we wish.  We cannot merely say, “I am saved and nothing can separate me from God so I can live any way that I wish.”  When we come to know Christ our lives and our actions must show that transformation.

The book of James is very convicting.  It says in James 2:14-17 that our faith cannot be divorced from good works, “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.”

If your life is not showing good works then is your faith real?  That is a question each person must ask.

James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”  A person who professes belief in Christ but continues in his ungodly ways deceives his heart about his true conversion.

In Matthew 12:33-37 Jesus warns with these words, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

God expects transformation when He gives grace.  He expects action. He expects compassion for those in need and He expects us to alter our sinful ways.  James 3:11 tells us, “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?”

If you are truly saved you will WANT to do good works.  You will want to bridle your tongue!  Your life must be a testament of your redemption.  Your life must become each day more and more like Christ.

If you believe you are saved but continue in unrepentant sin, you are deceiving yourself.  How can you be thankful for the sacrifice of Christ and continue using profane language?  How can you be overjoyed about your redemption and continue doing things that you know are wrong?

Let’s not be deceived.  Good works will not save us, but a lack of good works testifies to our salvation or our attitude about our salvation.  This does not mean that we will not slip, because we will.  This does not mean that sin might creep into a corner of our life, because it could.  But this does mean that every day we must work to become more and more like Jesus.

We must desire to care for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  We must look for opportunities to put our faith into action.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  James 1:27.

So don’t be deceived in this either.  A true believing faith will be followed by good works.  A true believing faith will be followed by a transformed life.  Don’t be deceived.

 

Before your head hits the pillow

Don’t Be Deceived

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Don’t Be Deceived

We live in a world thheaven6at is controlled by emotion. We have talk show hosts who talk about feeling good about ourselves. We buy things to make us feel good. We hang out with people who make us feel like we are good people. Many attend what I would call feel good churches.

I cannot tell you how many times I have had a “Christian” tell me that a loving God would not allow someone to go to hell. They want to believe that Jesus died for everyone no matter what decisions people have made about following Him. Their emotions tell them that God is good, so therefore He would not punish a person who denies Him, He would just forgive and accept.

Jesus Christ said this in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” What He didn’t say is I am A way. He said I am THE way. Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father. Jesus is the ONLY way to redemption. Jesus is the ONLY way to be saved from our sins. Jesus is the ONLY way to redemption.

Jesus was and IS God and the only way to be confident that you will live an eternity with Him is by acknowledging you are a sinner worthy of death and condemnation, accepting His sacrifice on the cross, and knowing that He was raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the Father.

C.S. Lewis once wrote this about Jesus, “”A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher; he’d either be a lunatic — on a level with a man who says he’s a poached egg — or else he’d be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse.”

“You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Yes, Jesus was and IS God. He is the ONLY way! Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us this about salvation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” And who is our faith to be in? Acts 16:31 says, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”

Jesus again says in John 11:25 he says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”

Acts 4:12 instructs us with these words, “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 don’t be deceived by the emotions and things of this world. No one is good enough to gain their own salvation. That can only be accomplished through belief in the redemptive power of Christ. If a person does not believe in Jesus, they cannot spend eternity in heaven no matter how much our emotions want to think otherwise.

Just as we believe that Jesus was and IS God, we must also believe His words and the inspired words of the Bible. There is only ONE way to the Father. There is only ONE way to live eternally with God in heaven, and that is by proclaiming the name of Jesus as our Savior. Don’t be deceived.

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

Is There Really Power in the Name of Jesus?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Is There Really Power in the Name of Jesus?

More than once today I heard a song by 7eventh Time Down called, “Just Say Jesus.” I heard it on my way to work and then again on my way home. As I listened to that song I began thinking about the importance of the name of Jesus.

Philippians 2:9-11 tells us, Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and game Him the name that is above every name, and that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When this Jesus, our Savior, returns EVERY knee will bow. Those who have known Him and loved Him will bow a bow of awe and respect. We will be excited and joyful. But those who have mocked Him on this earth, those who have taken His name in vain or have laughed at the devotion of His followers will also bow. They will bow in fear. They will now know that all they have thought and believed about this Jesus has been wrong. They will finally acknowledge that He truly is the Son of God, a redeemer. But it will be too late. Their fear and their dread will be unfathomable!

But in that name of Jesus we are told there is power. There was power when He walked this earth and that same power now resides within us. John 14:13-14 says, “And whatever you ask in My [Jesus’] name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” We should not look at the name of Jesus like a genie in a bottle, say the word and poof things come true. No we must ask in the name of Jesus as if we are representing Him. We must ask in His name according to the will of the Father.

That name possesses the ability to do great signs and wonders. Acts 4:29-30 states, “And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching. Send you healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” The power that is given to us through the name of Jesus is a power meant to glorify God. If anything we are asking is not done to glorify God then we are calling on the power in the name of Jesus in a wrong headed way.

Healing can be found in the name of Jesus. In Acts 3:6 Peter says, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Peter did not have wealth or money to give this poor lame man but He had something much greater. He had the power of Jesus residing in His very being, a power great enough to make a lame man walk! This man didn’t just walk, he started leaping and he praised God. Once again the name of Jesus was used to glorify God the Father!

Some people think that demonic possession and oppression no longer exists. I am not one of those people. I am buoyed by the knowledge that the name of Jesus can cast out evil spirits. In Acts 16:18 Paul cast a demon out of a young girl who had been annoying him, by saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” The girl’s masters were so angry that Jesus had cast out her fortune-telling demon that Paul and his preaching partner Silas were severely beaten and thrown into the innermost part of the dungeon so they could not escape. But as Paul and Silas were singing songs in praise to God their chains fell off and the dungeon doors flung open. But Paul and Silas didn’t leave and soon after the jailer and all his household came to know Jesus as their personal Savior. Once again, God was glorified!

But more important than answers to prayer, or the ability to do signs and wonders, or even to heal the sick or cast out demons, the name of Jesus has the ability to save! Acts 4:12 say, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Only by believing in Jesus, in professing His name as the name above all names, as our everlasting Savior can we be saved! And with that salvation we are united with God our Father. We are now adopted into the family of the Creator of the universe. We can call God our Father. We can call out to Him at any time. We can rest safely in His arms. We can speak with Him at any time, and in any circumstance. All because of the name of Jesus!

So yes, there is AMAZING power in the name of Jesus. Jesus’ power is amazingly potent, more powerful than we will ever fully understand. He still answers requests prayed in His name, He still heals, and He still shows His majesty in amazing signs and wonders. And yes, He still saves. There is power in the name of Jesus; There is hope, there is strength, and victory to claim. There is healing in His holy presence;
There is power in His name.

From Our Readers, Links

God is Love!

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Our reader Katie Wong writes:

God is love! He loves everyone and waiting for everyone to accept him so that man can be saved by Him. God doesn’t hope anyone walk toward darkness and death, nor does He want to punish and destroy the world. God is still waiting for everyone who is truly seek for the salvation more.

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!