| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net For instance; If your pilot came on the speaker of your imminent flight and said: "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. The weather in Honolulu is clear and 71 degrees. Our flight time is approximately four hours. We require 28,000 lbs of fuel for our trip, but I think we can make it with 15,000. Sit back and enjoy the flight". Few if any would remain on the plane. Still, with moral issues, it has evolved to - "Whatever is good for you". Recently, President Elect Trump appointed a person to the EPA who seems very controversial to his opposition. He said (and I absolutely agree) there is broad and destructive overreach of authority within the EPA and or the ESA (endangered species act). The Left's reaction (since it's all or nothing) was: "Well, now we'll see what it's like without any regulation". No one ever said no regulation. Anyway, Let's turn the Spiritual Switch. There is an Absolute Moral Authority. There is Objective Truth, and it's found in the person of Jesus Christ. The same folks who claim their right to decide what is right and wrong for themselves will get a great shock when they learn that God determines truth. God determines right or wrong. It is His Spirit who will "convict the world w/regard to sin and righteousness". We are who and what God says we are in spite of what the world tells us. For those who have assumed God's role in the decision making areas of your life, here are a couple of absolutes for you. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but the that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 3:18 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12 Nugget: Nowhere in any of these verses does it make even a vague reference to How Good or How Bad you have been, what denomination you are affiliated with (if that were the case, I could spend enough nights in the garage, and become a Subaru), How much I give, How much time I donate, How many mission trips I've been on, but conversely - "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." Eph. 2:8-9 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20 Do you think you are somehow Good enough? And please, don't say: "I'm at least as good as half of those goodie-two-shoes in the church". You may be even better, but by Whose Standard? "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Romans 3:23. ".........There is none righteous, no, not one:" 3:10 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6 Extra Credit: On Whom did He lay all of our iniquity? What's the point? God loves us all. All of us have sinned. God prescribed the remedy for/of reconciliation in the person of Jesus Christ and His Redemptive/Substitutionary work on the Cross. We don't get to find our own way to God. Jesus is - "The Way, The Truth and The Life, and no one comes to the Father except by (through) Him" John 14:6 Salvation is exclusive. It's absolutely available to everyone, but is exclusive to those who Savingly Believe on His Name. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of The Lord - Shall Be Saved" or, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:15 This is the ultimate Gift of Christmas. "Why so blunt preacher?" You can't have the Good News until you first comprehend the Bad News. "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;......." 2nd Cor. 5:11 |
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