GOSPEL NUGGET #447

When Morality Becomes A Highway To Hell

Morality becomes a way to hell when it becomes a substitute for the Savior and His work on the cross for one's salvation.

Satan will do anything to promote morality so long as it becomes one's reliance for salvation instead of the Savior. He's not against it but all for it.

In fact, that's what he is doing right now. In many churches today, morality is emphasized while the Savior and His work on the cross is de-emphasized, if not ignored and neglected altogether.

The first and foremost need of a sinner is to be saved, not moralized. A moralized sinner will still go to hell for morality never saved anyone for salvation is not found in anyone or anything else except in the Savior.

GOSPEL NUGGET #446

EX 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb.

EX 12:22 “You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

Notice that the availability of the blood of the Passover Lamb does no one any good if one does not apply it on one’s lintel and doorposts.

He must take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood of the lamb and apply it. Hyssop is a fluffy little plant that was used to apply or sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice.

Hyssop represents faith. We apply and avail ourselves of the benefits of the atonement of Christ by putting our trust in Him and what He did on the cross.

An available and yet untrusted Savior saves no one. He only saves those who put their trust in Him.

He died for your sins and rose again from the dead. Trust Him now for your salvation.     

GOSPEL NUGGET #445

Asking For Forgiveness Does Not Necessarily Mean Repentance

Pharaoh asked for forgiveness but later on revealed his true heart condition.

* Pharaoh asking for forgiveness: "Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that He may take away from me this death only." Exodus 10:17-18

* Pharaoh later on revealing his true heart condition: "Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!" Ex 10:28

Repentance is a change of heart attitude towards God, sin, self and Christ. It is taking God seriously, hating sin, realizing one's helplessness in saving oneself and trusting in Christ for salvation.

It is possible for our mouths to ask for forgiveness somewhat like Pharaoh's and yet, all the while, the heart remains unrepentant as ever. It is true that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, but it is also true that the mouth can profess what it does not have in the heart.

People put labels on a can because that's exactly what's inside of it. But it is also possible to put labels on a can without any substance at all on the inside.

Sadly, a lot of people only have the label in their mouths but never have the substance in their hearts. Are you one of them?

GOSPEL NUGGET #444

Miss Universe And Salvation

Miss Universe is an annual beauty pageant that seeks to award the Miss Universe crown on a lady contestant that shows herself to be beautiful, shapely and brainy to the whole world. The crown must be earned, given only to those who deserve it.

People think that God's salvation is like the Miss Universe beauty pageant. They are convinced that God bestows His salvation to those who are morally good and upright.

That salvation can be earned and awarded to people who show themselves deserving of it by their good works, religiosity and philanthropy.

But God be thanked and praised that salvation is not like that at all. He offers salvation to those who don't deserve it. We are all sinners---none of us is "Miss Universe" material spiritually speaking. If God should hold a contest called "Miss Heaven," none on earth will win it.

Salvation is by grace, given as an undeserved favor. It's a free gift offered to all. It was the Lord Jesus who won the "crown" at the cross when He died for us all.

Now, He offers it to anyone who would have it by faith in Him and what He did on the cross.

Ro 6:23 ... the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Eph 2:8 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.

GOSPEL NUGGET #443

Are You A Pharisee?

The Pharisees during the Lord Jesus' time were men who were extremely moral and religious. They were viewed as the men who raised the banner of orthodoxy in Israel. People looked up to them with respect.

The problem with them was that they were content with their own perceived goodness as their ticket to salvation. They believed that because they were good and righteous men (in their own standards) they earned the right to be saved by God.

Many people are like that today. You could even be one of them. Satisfied and content with your own goodness when you compare yourself to others, you think and believe that you have a good chance of making it to heaven.

The thing that you must realize is this---you are not good enough for God. None of us are. We all need to be saved.

And salvation does not come by trusting and being confident about who we are and what we did, but in trusting and relying in the Savior and what He did on the cross.

GOSPEL NUGGET #442

How A Legal Genius Came To Believe In The Resurrection Of Christ

Simon Greenleaf was one of the greatest legal minds the world has ever seen, if not the greatest. Mr. Greenleaf was the president of Harvard Law School for over 30 years.

He wrote a book called The Laws Of Legal Evidence. This is a book with many volumes. It was considered the standard book used by courts all over the world during his time and, probably, to a degree, still is today for evaluating evidence. It is considered by many as the greatest book in history when it comes to the laws and principles of evaluating evidence.

Mr. Greenleaf brought to bear his legal genius on the Gospels and was compelled to admit by the sheer force of the evidence that “The resurrection is established by better evidence than any fact of ancient history.” He wrote a book called The Testimony Of The Four Evangelist which examines and adjudged as historical the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If Christ resurrected, it means, among many other things, that He died for our sins. If He died for our sins, then all my debts against God are paid. Trusting in Him and what He did, I enter into the good of all that He did on the cross.

GOSPEL NUGGET #441

The Passover

The entire story of the Passover (Exodus 12) furnishes us an illustration of salvation. Death was about to roam the land of Egypt and slaughter every firstborn of the family whose doors were not sprinkled with the blood of the Passover Lamb. All Israel applied the blood and were delivered.

There are three things that we notice and observe in the story:
* First, there is the apprehension of their condition
* Second, there is the availability of salvation
* Third, there is the appropriation of the provision.

--- First, the Apprehension Of Their Condition

The Israelites realized their dangerous predicament and plight. They knew that the tenth plague would involve every firstborn in the land. And that’s the first step in salvation. You won’t see the importance and essentiality of salvation if you don’t see any need for it.

--- Second, the Availability Of Salvation

Salvation is possible because it is available. God made it so. In the case of the Israelites, their national deliverance from the tenth plague is possible because of the availability of the Passover Lamb. Their deliverance is not possible and available in themselves. No, their deliverance is possible and available only in the blood of the Passover Lamb.

In our case as sinners, our deliverance and salvation is possible because of the availability of the blood of the Savior shed on the cross. Our deliverance and salvation is not possible and available in ourselves. No, our deliverance and salvation is possible and available only in the blood of the true Passover Lamb---the Lord Jesus Christ.

--- Third, the Appropriation Of The Provision

The availability of salvation will do us no good if we don’t appropriate it personally to ourselves. Yes, you must realize your condition. Yes, you must know that salvation is available. But, ultimately, in the end, you must personally appropriate it to have it.

It’s not enough to know that we are sinners and that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son for us to be saved, no, each one of us, personally, must trust in Him for us not to perish and have eternal life.