GOSPEL NUGGET #291

Dining In A Five-Star Restaurant, The Bill, Judgment And Salvation

The judgment of God and the realization of the enormity of sin for many people is often like eating in a restaurant.

We don't see the bill at the beginning. The bill comes at the end. We indulge, we eat whatever we please and act like we don't have to pay for it. Then the end comes and the bill is presented and we gasp:

"What?! Did we really eat that much?!"
"How much was that bottle of wine...and we had FIVE of them?!"
"We had FOUR dishes of caviar?! Really?!
"TEN dishes of lobster frittata!"
"EIGHT dishes of Swallows’ Nest Soup! Good night! "

You may indulge in sin right now with seeming impunity, but realize that the bill will surely come at the end, when it is over and too late to change everything. Then you will realize that sin is not cheap. It is the most expensive thing in the world.

The problem is made worse when you fish for your wallet and realize that you have nothing in you to pay the bill and get out of the mess you made. Nothing at all. Zero.

And that's who and what we are in the eyes of God---a bankrupt sinner indulging in sin in God's world. That's bad news.

But here's the good news. You see that Man on the cross? Yes, that Man with nailed-pierced hands. Your sin costs Him His life. He made a provisional payment at the cross of Calvary for your bill.

Will you accept, by faith in Him and what He did on the cross, the payment He made for you at Calvary?

GOSPEL NUGGET #290

Without throwing yourself in reliance upon the Savior for salvation, you may be polite, amiable, honored, beloved, wealthy, idolized, caressed, flattered, moral, affectionate, benevolent and a faithful churchgoer, but without Christ, you are still a lost soul bound for hell!

All these things could never pay the penalty of your sins. Here on earth, no amount of a virtuous life could cover or amend your crimes. No amount of good life afterwards can save the criminal from his crimes. The penalty must be paid nevertheless.

Could heaven's rule and standard be any different? Could it be any less? Could a just and holy God look away and ignore your sins at the expense of justice? Will Satan have a just grounds for pointing an accusing finger against God that He is unjust for not punishing and judging sin?

My friend, God will never ever save you or forgive you because of your pious life. To do that, He would be unjust.

The penalty must be paid. Justice must be upheld and satisfied. The Accuser's lips must be sealed. And so Christ, who is approved by the Offended One (God), came and died for our sins.

Relying upon Him and what He did on the cross God would "be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26).

GOSPEL NUGGET #289

The reason why I love Christianity is that it is the only "religion" that would accept someone like me. I blew it big time in life. I am such a spiritual loser. 

All other religions require winners in order to make it to glory. Five times a day, you have to do this and that. You have to reach a certain level etc.

In Christianity, God says in His holiness and righteous anger: "Look at you! You are such a spiritual loser!!!"

But then He says in His mercy and grace: "Come on in any way. I will adopt you as my son and will love you like My unique Son, since you trusted in Christ alone for salvation."

GOSPEL NUGGET #288

Jer 23:6 ...THE LORD (referring to the Lord Jesus) OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Picture this in your mind:

In front of us is a huge weighing scale. It is the weighing scale of God. God declares: "I will only accept people who will weigh a perfect 100." 
Righteousness means conformity to a standard. God's standard is a perfect 100. 

So we mounted the scale (you first) and then your heart sank when the scale returned a negative 30! I then followed and ascended the scale. To my dismay, it returned a negative 100! Yours is bad, but mine is worse.

As we were walking outside with our heads down, a Man named Jesus approached us and ask: "What's wrong?" With deep sadness and sorrow in our hearts, we replied: "God only accepts people who have a perfect 100. We cannot meet His standard. We are way down!"

Then He beckoned us to come and follow Him back to the house. He made His way to the weighing scale and stood there. To our awe and amazement, the scaled returned a perfect 100!

Then He turned around and said: "You know, I am your Substitute and Representative. My perfect 100 could be your perfect 100, if you trust and rely on Me."

And so trusting in Him, His perfect 100 became our perfect 100. And then God said: "I accept you because of Christ Jesus' perfect 100."

And we humbly bowed our heads and confessed: "We are nothing but unworthy sinners. We don't have a righteousness of our own that God could accept. Our righteous deeds are filthy rags in His eyes. But we have Christ Jesus OUR righteousness. A righteousness that God will never ever reject."

Are you counting on who you are or are you counting on Christ Jesus for God to accept you? He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father (accepted by God) except through Him.

GOSPEL NUGGET #287

Who's The Savior? You Or Jesus?

So long as you don't humble yourself, to see yourself as a sinner, worthy of God's just judgment, helpless and unable to save yourself, you will never truly see your need of the Savior and appreciate what He did on the cross.

You will always turn inward and find satisfaction in yourself, in your religiosity, in your philanthropy, in your performance etc. Your reliance will always be in these things and not in the Savior and His mighty saving work on the cross.

The language of your heart will always be: "I will be saved and go to heaven because of the kind of person I am and the things that I did and am doing," instead of "I will be with God and enjoy Him forever because of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for me on the cross."

If you can save yourself, then you don't truly need a Savior. But if you can't save yourself at all, not even a slightest bit, then you do need the Savior 100%.

According to the Bible, our condition is the latter and not the former. We are in bad shape, we need the Savior. And so, I urge you to rely on Him and what He did and be saved.

GOSPEL NUGGET #286

A Devastated City And Salvation

You are in a devastated city, a virtual ghost town. Alone, afraid, helpless, weak and needy, you trudge your way wearily through its streets, with a biting hunger in your stomach and a drought inside your mouth.

Each step is a march towards the grave if no help comes. Suddenly, out from a clear blue sky, a chopper appears with a red cross on it. Help has come.

You frantically waved your hands with all the strength that's left in you. The helicopter descended in your direction and you are saved out of a sure death.

This is a picture of salvation. We are in this world, a spiritually devastated place, ravaged by the strong winds of sin and the surges of depravity. Spiritually, we can do nothing to save ourselves. Sure eternal death, separation from God forever, awaits us. Help must come.

But out from heaven, the Son of God came and died on the cross and resurrected, mighty to save anyone who will trust in Him and what He did on the cross.

The Bible says: "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:13

Whoever calls upon the Lord Jesus, trusting in Him alone and what He did on the cross, shall be saved. Will you call on Him?

GOSPEL NUGGET #285

The Coming Worldwide Super Typhoon

Jer 23:19 Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
Ps 55:8 I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.
Ps 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

There is a coming worldwide super typhoon! It is the typhoon of the wrath and judgment of God. It will fall against those who are unrepentant.

Hasten and escape from it! "Flee from the wrath to come!"

Our only hope is the Rock of salvation---the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sinner's only stable rock and salvation and the ever reliable defense against it. Those who trust in Him and what He did on the cross shall never be greatly moved. They will be saved and safe from it.

GOSPEL NUGGET #284

GOSPEL NUGGETS 

Aspects Of Salvation Forgiveness

* Its Basis: The blood of Christ shed on the cross. "…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Heb 9:22 

* Its Reception: It is received by faith, when we put our trust in Christ and what He did on the cross. “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who BELIEVES (trusts) in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43

* Its Extent: It encompasses all sins. "...forgiven us (those who have repented and trusted in Christ) ALL our transgressions..." Colossians 2:13

* Its Manner: It is done graciously and freely as an undeserved favor. “When they were unable to repay, he GRACIOUSLY forgave them both." Luke 7:42

* Its Certainty: How can we be sure that if we put our trust in Christ and what He did on the cross we will be forgiven? It is guaranteed by the surest thing in the world---the very Word of God Himself.

* Its Effects:

a) It produces happiness and joy. Psalm 32 speaks of the blessedness, the happiness and the joy of a man whose sins, transgressions and iniquity are forgiven.
b) It produces love towards God. Luke 7:40-43 illustrates the expected result in the one who has received forgiveness. It produces love towards the one whom we have received forgiveness from.
c) It produces reverence or fear towards God. "But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared." Psalm 130:4