Ac 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
There are three things we can learn about the Lord Jesus here in this verse:
* First, He is an EXCLUSIVE Savior.
No one else in the entire universe can save sinners, except the Lord Jesus Christ. He is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life. No one comes to the Father EXCEPT through Him.
How about those who have never heard of the Lord Jesus Christ in certain parts of this world?
God has given each one of us light. If we are faithful to that light, He will make Himself responsible to lead us to the Light of the world, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
God knows that if you are faithful with little, you will be faithful with much. He knows how to guide repentant sinners to the saving knowledge of the Savior where ever they may be.
* Second, He is an ESTABLISHED Savior.
There is no other name "GIVEN" among men by which sinners might be saved.
"Given" implies that He was established and appointed by God to be the lone Savior of sinners. Find your stable salvation in God's appointed Savior alone.
* Third, He is an EFFICIENT Savior.
It is only through Him that sinners can be truly "SAVED." Salvation is not found in yourself, in what you do or in others. He alone can truly saved you.
He died for us and rose again that anyone among us who will repent and put their trust in Him shall be saved. Come to the exclusive, established and efficient Savior of sinners and be saved!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
GOSPEL NUGGET #329
The Piano Man And The Lord Jesus
In Billy Joel's hit song, The Piano Man, he portrays himself as the piano man serenading serenity, solace and sympathy into people's hearts. People from all walks of life come to him, pouring out their heartaches, disappointments and emptiness to him.
Somehow, at least for a night, because of him, they are able to shrug and shake off the drag in their lives for a while.
This somehow illustrates the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritually speaking, sin has turned off the melody and the music in people's lives. Men and women everywhere live in the cacophony, noise and disharmony of this world that has gone out of tune from God.
We see people with bleeding hearts and broken lives badly needing to hear a song from heaven. We have a greater "Piano Man" in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Come to Him in repentance and faith, trusting in what He did on the cross for salvation, and hear for yourself the soothing "songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7)" and salvation from the "Piano Man" Himself.
Friday, March 14, 2014
GOSPEL NUGGET #328
Do You Want To Be A Child Of God?
Joh 1:12 ...as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Not everybody is a child of God in a spiritual redemptive sense. In a Creator-Creature sense, yes. But in a spiritual redemptive sense, no.
Satan has his own "seed" (Gen. 3:15). He is called the "father" of a certain kind of people (John 8:44). He has his own "sons" (Mat. 13:38). He has his own "children" (1 John 3:10).
Being a child of God in a spiritual redemptive sense is by receiving the Lord Jesus. Receiving the Lord Jesus Christ is trusting in His person. His name is who He is.
* It is a present ("GAVE"). It is a gift freely given by God.
* It is a prerogative ("RIGHT"). It brings benefits, advantages and privileges you can expect from God as your Father.
* It is paranormal ("BECOME"). It is supernatural. It is not what you already are naturally. You don't become what you already are. It is something that you must become by the grace of God.
* It is not by physical descent ("NOT OF BLOOD"). It is not passed by birth. Even if your father was Abraham, it would not make you a child of God.
* It is not by personal determination ("NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH"). You don't grit your teeth and muster all your strength and become a child of God by sheer will power.
* It is not by people's decision (NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN). No human being can turn you into a child of God. They can dance the hoogie-boogie, turn around, perform rituals on you etc., it would not make you a child of God.
* It is by the Potentate's deed ("OF God"). Only God can make you a child of God, if you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for salvation.
Joh 1:12 ...as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Not everybody is a child of God in a spiritual redemptive sense. In a Creator-Creature sense, yes. But in a spiritual redemptive sense, no.
Satan has his own "seed" (Gen. 3:15). He is called the "father" of a certain kind of people (John 8:44). He has his own "sons" (Mat. 13:38). He has his own "children" (1 John 3:10).
Being a child of God in a spiritual redemptive sense is by receiving the Lord Jesus. Receiving the Lord Jesus Christ is trusting in His person. His name is who He is.
* It is a present ("GAVE"). It is a gift freely given by God.
* It is a prerogative ("RIGHT"). It brings benefits, advantages and privileges you can expect from God as your Father.
* It is paranormal ("BECOME"). It is supernatural. It is not what you already are naturally. You don't become what you already are. It is something that you must become by the grace of God.
* It is not by physical descent ("NOT OF BLOOD"). It is not passed by birth. Even if your father was Abraham, it would not make you a child of God.
* It is not by personal determination ("NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH"). You don't grit your teeth and muster all your strength and become a child of God by sheer will power.
* It is not by people's decision (NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN). No human being can turn you into a child of God. They can dance the hoogie-boogie, turn around, perform rituals on you etc., it would not make you a child of God.
* It is by the Potentate's deed ("OF God"). Only God can make you a child of God, if you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for salvation.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
GOSPEL NUGGET #327
Believes IN Him And Believe ON Him
Joh 3:15 "that whoever BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have eternal life.
1Ti 1:16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to BELIEVE ON HIM for everlasting life.
What is saving faith?
* It is CHRISTOCENTRIC --- Notice, the object of saving faith is "Him"
Saving faith in the Bible is not faith or trust in oneself. It always looks away from self to the Savior. You can't have eternal life and salvation by trusting in yourself.
* It is COMMITMENT --- Notice, it says: "Believes IN or INTO HIM."
If Christ were a chair, you just don't intellectually believe that the chair will hold you up. Mere intellectual head belief will not benefit you. You must move into the chair and commit and entrust yourself to it. "In" or "into" implies movement.
Saving faith is committing your soul's salvation to Christ.
* It is CONFIDENCE --- Notice, it also says: "Believe ON Him."
If your feet are tired and screaming for rest, having a chair beside you will do you no good. Yes, a chair is necessary, but the mere presence of the chair means nothing if you don't use it.
You must sit ON it. Rely on it. Put your whole weight onto it. Saving faith confides and relies on Christ for salvation.
Come to Him! Rely on Him for salvation. He died for sinners and rose again that any sinner who commits his salvation to Him and relies on Him alone and what He did on the cross will have eternal life.
Joh 3:15 "that whoever BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have eternal life.
1Ti 1:16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to BELIEVE ON HIM for everlasting life.
What is saving faith?
* It is CHRISTOCENTRIC --- Notice, the object of saving faith is "Him"
Saving faith in the Bible is not faith or trust in oneself. It always looks away from self to the Savior. You can't have eternal life and salvation by trusting in yourself.
* It is COMMITMENT --- Notice, it says: "Believes IN or INTO HIM."
If Christ were a chair, you just don't intellectually believe that the chair will hold you up. Mere intellectual head belief will not benefit you. You must move into the chair and commit and entrust yourself to it. "In" or "into" implies movement.
Saving faith is committing your soul's salvation to Christ.
* It is CONFIDENCE --- Notice, it also says: "Believe ON Him."
If your feet are tired and screaming for rest, having a chair beside you will do you no good. Yes, a chair is necessary, but the mere presence of the chair means nothing if you don't use it.
You must sit ON it. Rely on it. Put your whole weight onto it. Saving faith confides and relies on Christ for salvation.
Come to Him! Rely on Him for salvation. He died for sinners and rose again that any sinner who commits his salvation to Him and relies on Him alone and what He did on the cross will have eternal life.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
GOSPEL NUGGET #326
Condemned Already
Joh 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
As sinners, we are condemned already. We are only awaiting the execution of our sentence in the future Great White Throne judgment, when the righteous Judge will finally deal with us accordingly.
Take note of those words: "Condemned ALREADY." If you move down to the last verse of the same chapter we read these words:
Joh 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDES ON HIM."
The wrath of God is already on us, we are condemned already, but it will abide and remain upon us if we don't come to the Savior, trusting in Him and what He did on the cross for salvation. As sinners, the wrath of God is upon us, but God loves us so much that He would have us saved and delivered out of it.
Many believe that they are in a state of spiritual equilibrium, standing between a possible condemnation on one hand, and a possible salvation, on the other, if only they live a good life.
Not so. We already fell into sin. And as such, we are condemned already. We are already helplessly in the mire and we must be pulled out of it. The Lord Jesus came offering pardon to sinners like us awaiting execution.
If we trust in Him and what He did on the cross we will be saved out from our standing condemnation, out from the wrath of God and delivered from future execution.
Monday, March 10, 2014
GOSPEL NUGGET #325
Ge 41:57 So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.
Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt. Through his God-given wisdom and managerial skills, he made Egypt the richest country in the world.
Joseph is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as all must come to Joseph to buy grain and survive, so all must come to the Lord Jesus Christ for the bread of life.
The difference is that while Joseph's grain was for sale, the Lord Jesus' bread of life is not; His offer of eternal life is for free. He paid for it with His life when He died on the cross for you.
A scourge of a severe and fatal spiritual famine has smitten the earth because of man's sin. Men and women everywhere are spiritually
perishing.
Has God opened your eyes to see your desperate condition? Or are you, in pride, still resisting the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51), insisting that you are fine and good and therefore see no need to come to Christ for the bread of life?
Humble yourself, realize and acknowledge your need and come to Christ for eternal life that's free.
Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt. Through his God-given wisdom and managerial skills, he made Egypt the richest country in the world.
Joseph is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as all must come to Joseph to buy grain and survive, so all must come to the Lord Jesus Christ for the bread of life.
The difference is that while Joseph's grain was for sale, the Lord Jesus' bread of life is not; His offer of eternal life is for free. He paid for it with His life when He died on the cross for you.
A scourge of a severe and fatal spiritual famine has smitten the earth because of man's sin. Men and women everywhere are spiritually
perishing.
Has God opened your eyes to see your desperate condition? Or are you, in pride, still resisting the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51), insisting that you are fine and good and therefore see no need to come to Christ for the bread of life?
Humble yourself, realize and acknowledge your need and come to Christ for eternal life that's free.
Monday, March 3, 2014
GOSPEL NUGGET #324
Isa 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Re 7:14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Many are brought to despair over their sins. They say: "Can my sins be removed? Can it be taken away? Can I really be forgiven? I feel that I have stained myself permanently."
Many feel that their sins are so inseparably attached to them, they feel like a cloth doubled-dyed with a scarlet and red hue, no matter how they wash it clean, the stain remains and the color never fades.
No man-made religious detergent can bleach our sins away. Not our good works, not our good character, not our benevolence. Sin's stain is so deep-seated that only the precious blood of the Son of God can wash it away.
Come to Christ in faith. Trust what He did on the cross for cleasing. It's the only fountain that can wash and cleanse you from the stain of sin.
It's because of what He did on the cross that "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
---From a famous hymn
Re 7:14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Many are brought to despair over their sins. They say: "Can my sins be removed? Can it be taken away? Can I really be forgiven? I feel that I have stained myself permanently."
Many feel that their sins are so inseparably attached to them, they feel like a cloth doubled-dyed with a scarlet and red hue, no matter how they wash it clean, the stain remains and the color never fades.
No man-made religious detergent can bleach our sins away. Not our good works, not our good character, not our benevolence. Sin's stain is so deep-seated that only the precious blood of the Son of God can wash it away.
Come to Christ in faith. Trust what He did on the cross for cleasing. It's the only fountain that can wash and cleanse you from the stain of sin.
It's because of what He did on the cross that "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
---From a famous hymn
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