Rahab's Bright Red Cord
Jos 2:18 If, when we come into the land, you put this cord of bright red thread in the window from which you let us down; and get your father and mother and your brothers and all your family into the house;
19 Then if anyone goes out of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, we will not be responsible; but if any damage comes to anyone in the house, his blood will be on our heads.
The land of Jericho was about to be judged by God through the nation Israel. But there was one person there who was promised deliverance from the judgment---the harlot Rahab.
The Israelite spies promised Rahab that she would be spared and everyone with her in the house where she would bind the bright red cord. They guaranteed her safety with their lives: "if any damage comes to anyone in the house, his blood will be on our heads."
All Jericho will be destroyed. But there was one place of safety and salvation in that place. And that is in the house of Rahab where the bright red cord was tied. Israel did come and destroy Jericho EXCEPT in that very place of safety.
In the same way, God is going to judge this place (the world). And there is only one place of safety. It is in the place where the Savior was "tied" and "bound," so to speak, to a cross where He shed His blood---the cross of Calvary.
Anyone who will hide himself by trusting in what Christ did on the Cross will be saved.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #152
Isa 64:6 "...all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags..."
The word "filthy rags" in the original Bible refers to a woman's blood-stained menstrual cloth. In God's eyes, the best that we can do are only used napkins. It is because sin has affected every part of our being---mind, desire, will, spirit, soul and body.
The clearest glass of water in the world is the most despicable of all if it has an HIV virus in it. Let's meditate on those words:
1. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, imagine how filthy must our sins be in His eyes.
2. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, then there is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. If we ever have a chance of saving ourselves, it must be by our righteous works, but if our righteous works and deeds are even filthy rags in His eyes, then we cannot do anything to save ourselves. We are helpless, powerless and hopeless in ourselves in saving ourselves.
3. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, then the idea that we can go to heaven if our good deeds outweigh our bad ones is an illusion.
4. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, then the idea that our righteous deeds cover and cancel out our bad deeds is false. In fact, it only compounds it. Covering an open sewer with used up, blood-stained napkins doesn't make it look good. It only makes it worse.
All these point to the fact that if we are to be saved, we will be saved not by what we do but by the work of Another. And that "Another" is Christ. We need another righteousness not our own. And that righteousness is Christ. Christ is the saved sinner's righteousness. In Jeremiah 23:6, He is called "THE LORD ***OUR*** RIGHTEOUSNESS."
And we can only have Him as our righteousness if we put our trust in Him and what He did on the cross.
The word "filthy rags" in the original Bible refers to a woman's blood-stained menstrual cloth. In God's eyes, the best that we can do are only used napkins. It is because sin has affected every part of our being---mind, desire, will, spirit, soul and body.
The clearest glass of water in the world is the most despicable of all if it has an HIV virus in it. Let's meditate on those words:
1. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, imagine how filthy must our sins be in His eyes.
2. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, then there is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. If we ever have a chance of saving ourselves, it must be by our righteous works, but if our righteous works and deeds are even filthy rags in His eyes, then we cannot do anything to save ourselves. We are helpless, powerless and hopeless in ourselves in saving ourselves.
3. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, then the idea that we can go to heaven if our good deeds outweigh our bad ones is an illusion.
4. If "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" in His eyes, then the idea that our righteous deeds cover and cancel out our bad deeds is false. In fact, it only compounds it. Covering an open sewer with used up, blood-stained napkins doesn't make it look good. It only makes it worse.
All these point to the fact that if we are to be saved, we will be saved not by what we do but by the work of Another. And that "Another" is Christ. We need another righteousness not our own. And that righteousness is Christ. Christ is the saved sinner's righteousness. In Jeremiah 23:6, He is called "THE LORD ***OUR*** RIGHTEOUSNESS."
And we can only have Him as our righteousness if we put our trust in Him and what He did on the cross.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #151
Ro 10:13 ..."whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
We have here three things a) The Scope Of The Gospel b) The Simplicity Of The Gospel and c) The Salvation Of The Gospel
I. The Scope Of The Gospel: "whoever..."
The scope of the Gospel offer is for everyone
II. The Simplicity Of The Gospel: "whoever calls on the name of the LORD..."
The condition of the Gospel is simple. It is to call upon the name of the LORD in faith. We know that it refers to a call of faith because of the following verse. Look:
Ro 10:13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?...
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?...
It refers to anyone calling upon the the name of the LORD Jesus trusting that He alone is sufficient to save. It is an acknowledgement of helplessness and powerlessness to save oneself. You seek salvation in the Lord Jesus because you know you can't save your self.
The "name of the LORD" is who He is. His name describes who and what He is. Jesus means Savior. To call on His name is to call upon Him, acknowledging Him as the Savior of sinners.
You can call upon the name of the Lord Jesus while trusting in your heart your own religiosity, good works and morality to save you and you still will not be saved. Why? Because that is not what the verse is saying here. It refers to anyone calling upon the Lord Jesus Christ SOLELY trusting in Him that He ALONE can save.
It is not trusting in Christ PLUS our own personal goodness, moral character, religious achievement etc. for salvation, no, it is trusting Christ alone and what He did on the cross for salvation.
III. The Salvation Of The Gospel: "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
You shall be saved from the penalty of sin (wrath of God in hell), from the power of sin and eventually from the presence of sin.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #150
GOSPEL NUGGETS
2Pe 3:9 (God) "is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
True Story
An infidel stood in a park and announced to everybody that he would prove that God does not exists. He told everybody surrounding him that he would curse and blaspheme God for five straight minutes and if nothing happens to him after that, this would prove to everyone that God does not exists.
And so standing over a stool so that he would tower over everybody so that everyone can hear, he began his five minutes of tirade against God.
He hurled against God the foulest expletives that ever came out of man's mouth. One profanity after another was thrown against heaven. They were blasphemies so evil and insulting enough to make Satan and his demons look like choir boys in church.
Personally, I think, at that time, all the angels in heaven stood with righteous indignation and anger, gasping, holding their swords, ready to strike him dead waiting for their insulted Master to give the command.
But the last second came, the five minutes was over and nothing happened to him. He still breathed God's fresh air, life was still in him, God's birds perched on the trees were still singing and chirping to him. So he announced: "See, nothing bad has happened to me. I have proven to you that there is no God!"
Everyone was silent. They did not know what to say. Moments later, an elderly Christian stepped forward and said: "Sir, you have not proven to us that God does not exists. YOU ONLY PROVED TO US THAT GOD'S PATIENCE AND LONGSUFFERING IS NOT EXHAUSTED IN FIVE MINUTES."
My friend, "consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" (2Pe 3:15). That is, He is patient with us so that we might be given time to repent and be saved.
Repent and turn to Christ in faith.
Yes, five minutes is too short for God's patience to be exhausted. But remember too, that we will all (even repentant sinners) have to face eternity and your life is too fleeting that it could be over any moment. We will all have our last five minutes. Who knows eternity for you might be just five minutes away after reading this.
2Pe 3:9 (God) "is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
True Story
An infidel stood in a park and announced to everybody that he would prove that God does not exists. He told everybody surrounding him that he would curse and blaspheme God for five straight minutes and if nothing happens to him after that, this would prove to everyone that God does not exists.
And so standing over a stool so that he would tower over everybody so that everyone can hear, he began his five minutes of tirade against God.
He hurled against God the foulest expletives that ever came out of man's mouth. One profanity after another was thrown against heaven. They were blasphemies so evil and insulting enough to make Satan and his demons look like choir boys in church.
Personally, I think, at that time, all the angels in heaven stood with righteous indignation and anger, gasping, holding their swords, ready to strike him dead waiting for their insulted Master to give the command.
But the last second came, the five minutes was over and nothing happened to him. He still breathed God's fresh air, life was still in him, God's birds perched on the trees were still singing and chirping to him. So he announced: "See, nothing bad has happened to me. I have proven to you that there is no God!"
Everyone was silent. They did not know what to say. Moments later, an elderly Christian stepped forward and said: "Sir, you have not proven to us that God does not exists. YOU ONLY PROVED TO US THAT GOD'S PATIENCE AND LONGSUFFERING IS NOT EXHAUSTED IN FIVE MINUTES."
My friend, "consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" (2Pe 3:15). That is, He is patient with us so that we might be given time to repent and be saved.
Repent and turn to Christ in faith.
Yes, five minutes is too short for God's patience to be exhausted. But remember too, that we will all (even repentant sinners) have to face eternity and your life is too fleeting that it could be over any moment. We will all have our last five minutes. Who knows eternity for you might be just five minutes away after reading this.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #149
Disobeying The Gospel
1Pe 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, WHAT WILL BE THE END OF THOSE WHO DO NOT *OBEY* THE GOSPEL OF GOD?
The Gospel is the Good News that Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead. But tagged behind the Gospel is the command to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for salvation.
Ac 16:30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 So they said, "Believe/trust on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."
Not to trust and rely on the Lord Jesus for salvation is disobedience to the Gospel. This is the first and foremost command that God wants a sinner to do before he obeys any other command of God in the Bible.
Let's answer the question: "WHAT WILL BE THE END OF THOSE WHO DO NOT *OBEY* THE GOSPEL OF GOD?"
2Th 1:8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power
Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation is not a suggestion and advice from God. No, it is His primary across the board command.
Have you obeyed the Gospel?
Monday, August 6, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #148
The Old Roman Road To Salvation
Ro 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;
Ro 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Ro 6:23 ...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ro 10:13 ..."whoever calls on the name of the LORD (in faith, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross) shall be saved."
GOSPEL NUGGET #147
Misconceptions About Salvation
#9 "We are all saved since Christ died for us."
The cause of this misconception is the failure to realize the difference between Redemption Accomplished and Redemption Applied. It is a failure to realize that Christ's death on the cross was provisional.
It is true that Christ died for every single sinner. He said that the work of redemption is "finished". But it does not mean that every single sinner is therefore saved. No, there is a condition to be fulfilled. One must trust in what He did on the cross in order for that accomplished redemption to be applied to him.
What is an available free water if you don't drink it? Will it quench your thirst? No.
What is an available free medication if you don't take it? Will it cure you of your disease? No.
What is an available free lifebuoy if you don't cling to it? Will it save you from drowning? No.
What is an available toll-free bridge if you don't cross it? Will it convey you across the other side just by its mere existence? No.
What is an open door if you don't enter? Will it get you inside? No.
In the same way, Christ accomplished redemption for us all but that accomplished redemption must be personally received and accepted by faith. At the moment of faith, God applies redemption to us.
Redemption Accomplished must be Redemption Appropriated in order for it to be Redemption Applied.
Wrong---"For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son that everyone is now saved automatically.
Right---"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that WHOEVER BELIEVES/TRUSTS in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
#9 "We are all saved since Christ died for us."
The cause of this misconception is the failure to realize the difference between Redemption Accomplished and Redemption Applied. It is a failure to realize that Christ's death on the cross was provisional.
It is true that Christ died for every single sinner. He said that the work of redemption is "finished". But it does not mean that every single sinner is therefore saved. No, there is a condition to be fulfilled. One must trust in what He did on the cross in order for that accomplished redemption to be applied to him.
What is an available free water if you don't drink it? Will it quench your thirst? No.
What is an available free medication if you don't take it? Will it cure you of your disease? No.
What is an available free lifebuoy if you don't cling to it? Will it save you from drowning? No.
What is an available toll-free bridge if you don't cross it? Will it convey you across the other side just by its mere existence? No.
What is an open door if you don't enter? Will it get you inside? No.
In the same way, Christ accomplished redemption for us all but that accomplished redemption must be personally received and accepted by faith. At the moment of faith, God applies redemption to us.
Redemption Accomplished must be Redemption Appropriated in order for it to be Redemption Applied.
Wrong---"For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son that everyone is now saved automatically.
Right---"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that WHOEVER BELIEVES/TRUSTS in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
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