GOSPEL LIGHT #694

 
The standard required to be justified by works is perfection. The sacrifice required to be justified by faith is that of the Savior. If you are confident enough to achieve perfection then, by all means, work your way to justification. However, if you are convicted enough to realize that you are a sinner who just can't do it then your only chance is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for all your sins. Trust in it! 

GOSPEL LIGHT #693

Come Before Winter 

2TI 4:21 Make every effort to come before winter.

We have Paul here the prisoner writing with urgency that Timothy should make every effort to come before winter.

The apostle Paul was in Rome about to be killed and martyred for Christ. To go to Rome, Timothy would have to pass through the Mediterranean Sea. But, during winter time, travel by ship would be difficult, if not impossible. By then, large bodies of water would have turned to ice along with violent winter storms that would threaten ships.

So, if Timothy fails to come before winter, all may be too late; Paul would probably be dead by that time. Hence, Timothy should do his utmost best to come before winter.

Let’s apply this to salvation:

If you are still unsaved right now, and you sense the need to repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, don’t put it off.

Come today! Come now! Come this moment! Be urgent in coming to Him! Come now while God has granted the warmth of spiritual summer to your soul.

Don’t delay! The spiritual warmth of your spiritual summer could give way to the chilling cold of spiritual winter; when your heart is freezing cold --- when it is just all too late and impossible to come.

Come! Come before winter!

GOSPEL LIGHT #692

 
Question: "Why doesn't God just save everybody?"

Reply:

Closely related to salvation is also man's need to be reconciled to God. You get one you get the other. Reconciliations are not forced. They are offered. A forced reconciliation is no reconciliation at all. Genuine reconciliations are freely entered into by both parties. In His sovereignty, He allowed man to make a free choice made possible by His enabling grace.

On God's part, God is calling everyone to be reconciled to Him. The problem is --- not everyone wants to repent and be reconciled to God.

2Co 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

How about you? Have you repented and trusted in Christ for salvation and reconciliation with God?

GOSPEL LIGHT #691

Job 35:6 If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? 7 If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man.

A lot of people think that we scratch God's back if we do good and righteous things; that we are doing Him a favor. Now, He owes us and must repay us with salvation. 

Nope. God is not injured or lessened by man's sins. Nor does He profit or become greater by our righteousness. These only affect our fellowman. Salvation is not a divine payment issued to us for doing God a favor. Salvation is by grace (Eph 2:8, Romans 6:23). Grace means favor granted to those who deserve the opposite. 

In salvation, it is God who scratches our back even though we deserve to be pushed and kicked around with divine judgment. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #690

The Gospel According To My Electric Fan 

Standing a few feet from me is an electric fan. It's not only a device for creating currents of air, he's also a great preacher of the gospel. 

Every day He reminds me of the great spiritual facts that death means disconnection and that plugging into life is as essential as the provision of life.    

* Death means disconnection --- Just as the fan would eventually die out when unplugged from the power source so man will eventually physically die because he has spiritually plugged out from God through sin. 

* Plugging into life is as essential as the provision of life --- Just as an unplugged fan remains dead no matter how nigh it is to the power source so a sinner remains spiritually dead if he is not connected to the death of Christ through faith. After all, what's an available life source if you are not plugged to it? 

May I add? My fan looks sleek, shiny and all, but, to me, it's completely useless without the currents of life flowing through it. In the same way, we may look winsome and charming to people but if we don't have the currents of eternal life in us we are still dead as dead can be in the sight of God.

GOSPEL LIGHT #689

 Why Do Unbelievers Go To Hell?

Reply:

"Believing" as required in the Bible is not mere mental assent. To be precise, "believing" in the Bible means trusting, relying and leaning on what Christ did on the cross for our sins. It's the spiritual hand that makes use of the atonement that God provided on Calvary's cross.

The same way a critically ill and infirm man will not be healed if he doesn't avail of the only medicine that could cure him, so a sinner will not be saved if he doesn't appropriate by faith the only atonement for sin that the Savior provided on the cross. What's crucial and critical is the payment for sin and our connection to it. And believing or faith is that saving linkup.

GOSPEL LIGHT #688

The Loneliest Man Who Ever Lived On Earth 

Mr 15:34 "...Jesus cried out..'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'"

The loneliest Man who ever lived on earth was a Man named Jesus Christ. When He needed help the most, there was no one. He was completely alone...forsaken, abandoned and alienated from God.

The only thing He had with Him was all the sins of the world laid on Him. No man who ever lived on earth was ever forsaken by God in the level and degree which God forsook the Lord Jesus Christ here. 

Why? God forsook Him so that you would not be forsaken. 

Make good use of what He did for you at the cross. Don't waste it. Trust in His death on the cross for your sins and enjoy eternal union with God.