Jones on Penal Substitutionary Atonement

 Martyn Lloyd Jones Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

“It is therefore, quite fitting to say that no-one really begins to understand the love of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ who does not believe the substitutionary and penal doctrine of the Atonement.

Think it out. Where do you see the love of God, if God’s Son is simply suffering the cruelty and all that men are doing to Him, in a useless manner? What is the point of it? If it achieves nothing, if it is not substitutionary, if it is not penal, if He is not really dealing with sins, it is useless suffering. It is pointless, it is sheer cruelty, there is no love there. Oh, the tragedy, that men should think that they are exalting the love of God in that way, whereas in reality they are evacuating it of its real essence and of its endless and eternal profundities!

Here is where you see the love of God, that ‘God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all’! He did not spare Him anything; He poured upon Him the vials of His wrath against sin. He did not spare Him anything. And it was for us, and because of His love for us! Not what men did to Him, but what God did to Him as the Judge of the world, the righteous Judge eternal, the Holy Father—that is the supreme issue in the ‘death of the cross’! And the Son gave Himself willingly, there was no compulsion. He set His face steadfastly. His one desire was to do His Father’s will and thus to bring about our salvation.

And it is only as you see Him as the innocent Victim, the Substitute, who has voluntarily put Himself in our place to receive our punishment, that you even begin to understand and to measure the eternal love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Apostle Paul confirms all that we read elsewhere in Scripture—‘as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.’” “The Atoning Work of Christ”, Darkness and Light, An Exposition of Ephesians 4:17-5:17, 310-311.

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30 Reasons for a Christian's Joy.

 I asked chatgpt for 30 reasons why Christians are joyful. Here is the reply.

1. Salvation: Christians rejoice in the knowledge of their salvation through Jesus Christ.
2. Forgiveness: Experiencing God's forgiveness brings joy and relief from guilt.
3. God's love: Christians find joy in knowing they are deeply loved by God.
4. Eternal life: The hope of eternal life with God fills Christians with joy.
5. Peace: Trusting in God's sovereignty brings a sense of peace and joy.
6. Purpose: Christians find joy in knowing they have a divine purpose in life.
7. Prayer: The privilege of communicating with God brings joy to believers.
8. Community: Fellowshipping with other Christians brings joy and support.
9. Worship: Expressing love and adoration for God through worship brings joy.
10. God's presence: Experiencing God's presence fills Christians with joy and awe.
11. Answered prayers: Seeing prayers answered brings joy and strengthens faith.
12. God's faithfulness: Christians find joy in knowing that God is always faithful.
13. Hope: Christians find joy in the hope they have in God's promises.
14. Changed lives: Witnessing lives transformed by God's grace brings joy.
15. God's guidance: Trusting in God's guidance brings joy and assurance.
16. Miracles: Experiencing or witnessing miracles fills Christians with joy.
17. Serving others: Christians find joy in serving and making a positive impact.
18. Growth: Experiencing personal growth and transformation brings joy.
19. God's provision: Trusting in God's provision brings joy and contentment.
20. God's Word: Studying and meditating on the Bible brings joy and wisdom.
21. God's creation: Enjoying and marveling at God's creation brings joy.
22. Hope in difficult times: Christians find joy in knowing God is with them during trials.
23. God's strength: Relying on God's strength brings joy in times of weakness.
24. Spiritual gifts: Using and developing spiritual gifts brings joy and fulfillment.
25. God's grace: Experiencing God's grace and mercy brings joy and gratitude.
26. Sharing the gospel: Seeing others come to know Christ brings joy.
27. Unity: Christians find joy in the unity and fellowship of the body of Christ.
28. Freedom from sin: Experiencing freedom from the power of sin brings joy.
29. Assurance of salvation: Christians find joy in the assurance of their salvation.
30. Anticipation of heaven: The joy of looking forward to eternity with God.

Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of God

 According to God’s Word:

Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation.

- Martyn Lloyd-Jones

FAITH IS NOT OUR SAVIOR

 Christ is All in All, not His Gifts or Blessings. (They're wonderful but they flow from Jesus.)

"Faith is not our physician; it only brings us to the Physician. It is not even our medicine; it only administers the medicine, divinely prepared by Him who healeth all our diseases. In all our believing, let us remember God's word to Israel: I am Jehovah, that healeth thee (Exod. 14:26). Our faith is but our touching Jesus; and what is even this, in reality, but His touching us?" - Horatius Bonar

"Faith is not our saviour. It was not faith that was born at Bethlehem and died on Golgotha for us. It was not faith that loved us, and gave itself for us; that bore our sins in its own body on the tree; that died and rose again for our sins. Faith is one thing, the Saviour is another. Faith is one thing, and the cross is another. Let us not confound them, nor ascribe to a poor, imperfect act of man, that which belongs exclusively to the Son of the Living God." - Horatius Bonar

"...the cross saves completely, or not at all. Our faith does not divide the work of salvation between itself and the cross. It is the acknowledgment that the cross alone saves, and that it saves alone. Faith adds nothing to the cross, nor to its healing virtue." - Horatius Bonar

Justification Quotes from Ken Kovach

 “God shatters our self-confidence and self-righteousness, so that we will put our faith in Jesus Christ. Luther goes on to say that “hunger is the best cook. As the dry earth thirsts for rain, so the Law makes the troubled heart thirst for Christ. To such hearts Christ tastes sweetest, to them He is joy, comfort, and life. Only then are Christ and His work understood correctly.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

Justification is the very hinge and pillar of Christianity. An error about justification is dangerous, like a defect in a foundation. Justification by Christ is a spring of the water of life. To have the poison of corrupt doctrine cast into this spring is damnable. It was a saying of Luther, "that after his death, the doctrine of justification would be corrupted." In these latter times, the Arminians and Socinians have cast a dead fly into this box of precious ointment.

--Thomas Watson Justification is one of the central benefits of redemption that God applies to believers on the basis of Jesus’ sinless life, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead. In justification, ungodly and guilty men and women are counted righteous before God (Rom. 4:5). This means that God forgives their sins and accepts them as righteous in His sight on the basis of the saving work of Jesus alone (Rom. 4:6–8). Scripture is clear that individuals are justified by faith alone in Christ alone (Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9).

-- RC Sproul

Concise meaning of Justification

Justification is not something that occurs in man, nor is it a process. It refers to the legal, judicial and forensic declaration of God. “It is to declare forensically that the demands of the law as a condition of life are fully satisfied with regard to a person, Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:30-33; I Cor. 6:11; Gal. 2:16; 3:11.”2 The ground of justification is Christ’s sacrificial death and perfect obedience to the law (i.e., “the righteousness of God,” Rom. 3:21).

When a man by faith lays hold of Jesus Christ and His merits, God imputes that person’s guilt for sins past, present and future upon Christ on the cross. God also imputes Christ’s perfect righteousness to that sinner. The Father then declares that man righteous or just in the heavenly court. Because Christ has removed the guilt of that man’s sins past, present, and future legally before God, it is as though that man never committed sin. He is white as snow (Isa. 1:18). His record is perfect. Judicially, he is just as righteous and perfect as Jesus Christ. Since Christ’s perfect obedience is imputed to him, he has eternal life because Christ merited it for him."

Justification by Faith (Reformation Study Bible Notes.)

Martin Luther declared that justification by faith alone is the article upon which the church stands or falls. This cardinal doctrine of the Protestant Reformation was seen as the battleground for nothing less than the gospel itself.

Justification may be defined as that act by which unjust sinners are made right in the sight of a just and holy God. The supreme need of unjust persons is righteousness. It is this lack of righteousness that is supplied by Christ on behalf of the believing sinner.

Justification by faith alone means justification by the righteousness or merit of Christ alone, not by our goodness or good deeds.

The issue of justification focuses on the question of merit and grace. Justification by faith means that the works we do are not good enough to merit justification. As Paul puts it, “By works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20).

Justification is forensic. That is, we are declared, counted, or reckoned to be righteous when God imputes the righteousness of Christ to our account. The necessary condition for this is faith.

Protestant theology affirms that faith is the instrumental cause of justification in that faith is the means by which the merits of Christ are appropriated to us.

Roman Catholic theology teaches that baptism is the primary instrumental cause of justification and that the sacrament of penance is the secondary, restorative cause. (Roman Catholic theology views penance as the second plank of justification for those who have made shipwreck of their souls—those who have lost the grace of justification by committing a mortal sin.) The sacrament of penance requires works of satisfaction by which human beings achieve congruous merit for justification. The Roman Catholic view affirms that justification is by faith, but denies that it is by faith alone, adding good works as a necessary condition.

The faith that justifies is a living faith, not an empty profession of faith. Faith is a personal trust that clings to Christ alone for salvation. Saving faith is also a penitent faith that embraces Christ as both Savior and Lord.

The Bible says that we are not justified by our own good works, but by what is added to us by faith, namely the righteousness of Christ. In a synthesis, something new is added to something basic. Our justification is a synthesis because we have the righteousness of Christ added to us. Our justification is by imputation. God transfers to us, by faith, the righteousness of Christ. This is not a “legal fiction” because God ascribes to us the real merit of Christ, to whom we now belong. It is a real imputation. Galatians 3:2

"It is forgiveness that sets a man working for God. He does not work in order to be forgiven, but because he has been forgiven, and the consciousness of his sin being pardoned makes him grateful to God for his mercy and his love for him abounds.”

~ Horatius Bonar 1808-1889

"God chooses us, not because He foresees that we would choose Him, or that we would believe, but for the very opposite reason. He chooses us just because He foresees that we would neither choose Him nor believe in ourselves at all. Election proceeds not upon foreseen faith in us, but upon foreseen unbelief." -- HORATIUS BONAR

“Wherefore it ought to be the first concern of every Christian to lay aside all confidence in works and grow in the knowledge, not of works, but of Christ Jesus, who suffered and rose for him.” — ​Martin Luther”

“The Triune God was alone when He made His decrees, and His determinations were influenced by no external cause. He was free to decree or not to decree, and to decree one thing and not another. This liberty we must ascribe to Him who is Supreme, Independent, and Sovereign in all His doings.”

~ Arthur Pink, “The Attributes of God”

My trials increase with my years, they come from new and unexpected quarters, they often bewilder my mind, and harass my soul — but, "O Lord, You know" them! They do not come unobserved by You. May every trial drive me to the feet of Jesus — that I may soothe my troubled spirit with a view of His beauty and glory. "O Lord, You know" my TRIALS! In every trial, Lord, sympathize with me, give me special grace, and help me to endure temptation as a disciple of Jesus should.

James Smith

“Believers in Jesus Christ are “not guilty” by virtue of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Rom 4:25). Since they are “in Christ” (Eph 1:3 – 14) and united to him by faith, they are no longer in Adam (Rom 5:12 – 19; 1 Cor 15:21 – 22). Hence, Jesus’ vindication at his resurrection is their vindication, his status is their status. Believers, even now, enjoy by faith the status of the resurrected one.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

“We live by faith alone, casting ourselves entirely on the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is our righteousness; his cross is our only hope in the day of judgment.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner, Galatians

“We should not interpret this to mean that repentance is another thing a person has to do to receive salvation in addition to faith. Rather, genuine faith includes repentance. Faith that doesn’t include repentance is false faith, for those who truly believe turn away from evil.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

“O the sweet exchange, O the incomprehensible work of God, O the unexpected blessings, that the sinfulness of many should be hidden in one righteous man, while the righteousness of one should justify many sinners!”

― Thomas R. Schreiner, Faith Alone---The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters

When God works in us, the will, being changed and sweetly breathed upon by the Spirit of God, desire and acts, not from compulsion, but responsively.

-Martin Luther "God has surely promised His grace to the humbled: that is, to those who mourn over and despair of themselves. But a man cannot be thoroughly humbled till he realizes that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works, and depends absolutely on the will, counsel, pleasure and work of Another -- God alone. - Martin Luther

"As long as a man is persuaded that he can make even the smallest contribution to his salvation, he remains self-confident and does not utterly despair of himself, and so is not humbled before God. Such a man plans out for himself a position, an occasion, a work, which shall bring him final salvation, but which will not."

- Martin Luther How dangerous it is to join anything of our own to the righteousness of Christ, in pursuit of justification before God! Jesus Christ will never endure this; it reflects upon His work dishonorably. He will be all, or none, in our justification. If He has finished the work, what need is there of our additions? And if not, to what purpose are they? Can we finish that which Christ Himself could not complete? Did He finish the work, and will He ever divide the glory and praise of it with us? No, no; Christ is no half-Savior. It is a hard thing to bring proud hearts to rest upon Christ for righteousness. God humbles the proud by calling sinners wholly from their own righteousness to Christ for their justification. -John Flavel For Owen, the imputed perfect righteousness of Christ is the ground of the believer’s justification and salvation because imputation, not inherent righteousness, gives right and title unto eternal life.

Those whom God effectually calls, he also freely justifies, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believer, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ’s active obedience to the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God (emphasis).

John Owen It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only-begotten Son, according to a covenant made between them both, to be the Mediator between God and man; the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of his church, the Heir of all things and Judge of the world; unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. -John Owen Now the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having proceeded from it as its firstfruit. It is the neck which joins the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head. -Spurgeon Without an understanding of justification by faith alone, we cannot truly perceive the glorious gift of grace—God’s “unmerited favor” becomes “merited” in our minds, and we begin to think we deserve salvation. The doctrine of justification by faith helps us maintain “pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Holding to justification by faith keeps us from falling for the lie that we can earn heaven. There is no ritual, no sacrament, no deed that can make us worthy of the righteousness of Christ. It is only by His grace, in response to our faith, that God has credited to us the holiness of His Son. Both Old and New Testaments say, “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). -Got Question's The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers so that their righteousness is not inherent but is theirs because they are united to Jesus Christ. ― Thomas R. Schreiner

Justification may be defined as that act by which unjust sinners are made right in the sight of a just and holy God. The supreme need of unjust persons is righteousness. It is this lack of righteousness that is supplied by Christ on behalf of the believing sinner.

Justification by faith alone means justification by the righteousness or merit of Christ alone, not by our goodness or good deeds. -RC Sproul

“When we trustfully resign ourselves, and all our affairs into God’s hands, fully persuaded of His love and faithfulness, the sooner shall we be satisfied with His providences and realize that “He doeth all things well.”

~ Arthur Pink, “The Attributes of God” The true Christian carries the cross in his heart. And a cross inside the heart is one of the sweetest cures for a cross on the back. If you have a cross in your heart—Christ cruci­fied in you—all the cross of this world's troubles will seem to you light enough, and you will easily be able to sustain it. -Spurgeon

CONVINCED OF OUR SALVATION

 Philaathus

Isn't it mere presumption and excessive self-trust to be convinced of our salvation?

Theolgus:

Not at all. The basis of this conviction does not lie within ourselves or anything within or outside of us, but solely in the righteousness of Christ and the merciful promises of God. Is it presumptuous for us to believe what God has promised, Christ has obtained, and the Holy Spirit has sealed? No, it is not presumption but a duty we are all bound to fulfill, as we will be held accountable on the dreadful day of judgment. As for ourselves, we freely admit that in God's sight we are nothing but sinful and miserable beings, incapable of doing anything to contribute to our own salvation. However, through faith, we are justified and find peace with God, fully persuaded of His love and favor towards us in Christ.

- Arthur Dent, The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven

Confession, What is.

 "One of the genuine marks of being a Christian is not sinless perfection. One of the greatest marks of Genuine Christianity is that when we sin we are sensitive to it, and that sensitivity leads us to contrition and brokenness and ultimately confession. Christians are confessional people, and that does not just mean that we confess Jesus as Lord, but we are constantly agreeing with the Lord about our selves. The word confession, homologeo means, “to speak the same thing.” That God speaks to you through His Word and says, “You have anger in your heart.” Confession is not “Lord forgive me for my sins.”

Confession is “Lord I hear you and I speak the same thing.” “You say I have anger in my heart. You say I was proud at that moment. Lord I speak back to you the same thing. I agree with you about me. I confess that what you tell me is right and I repent.”

~ Paul Washer

Thirteen Things the Unsaved Cannot Do

 13 THINGS AN UNSAVED PERSON CANNOT DO

1. HE CANNOT THINK AS GOD DOES:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

2. HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND GOD:
"You thought that I was just like you..." (Psalm 50:21). "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above--what can you do? They are deeper than Hell below--what can you know?" (Job 11:7-8)

3. HE CANNOT SEE SPIRITUAL THINGS:
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

4. HE CANNOT KNOW HIS OWN HEART:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

5. HE CANNOT PROPERLY DIRECT HIS OWN PATHS:
"I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps." (Jeremiah 10:23).
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12)

6. HE CANNOT FREE HIMSELF FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW:
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Galatians 3:10)

7. HE CANNOT RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT:
"...the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him." (John 14:17)

8. HE CANNOT HEAR (receive & understand) GOD'S WORDS:
"He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God." (John 8:47)
"The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

9. HE CANNOT BIRTH HIMSELF INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD:
"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God." (John 1:13)
"For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (Romans 9:15-16)

10. HE CANNOT PRODUCE REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN CHRIST:
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
". . . for all men have not faith." (2 Thessalonians 3:2)
"For unto you it is given . . . to believe on him . . ." (Philippians 1:29)
"...in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 2:25)

11. HE CANNOT COME TO CHRIST:
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him . . . Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." (John 6:44, 65)

12. HE CANNOT BELIEVE ON CHRIST:
"But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep." (John 10:26)

13. HE CANNOT PLEASE GOD:
"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires....Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God....if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:5, 8-9)

We are nothing.

 

"We are nothing with all our gifts be they ever so great, except God assist us."  -- Martin Luther.

Both Limits

 "Unless one is a universalist, one’s doctrine of the atonement is "limited" either in intention (Christ died to save His elect) or in application (Christ died for all, yet not all are saved)."

Sinclair Ferguson

John Frame Eschatology

 I confess my disappointment that so much teaching about the last days is focused on the order of events. In my view, when Scripture tells us about the return of Christ, it doesn’t give us this information so that we can put it on a chart and watch the events as they pass by. That would be catering to our intellectual pride, among other things. Why, then, does Scripture have so much to say about the last days? So that we can reorder our lives in the light of Jesus’ coming.

So far as I can see, every Bible passage about the return of Christ is written for a practical purpose—not to help us to develop a theory of history, but to motivate our obedience. These doctrines motivate our obedience in several ways.

First, the coming of Christ should reorder our priorities. In 2 Peter 3:11–12, the apostle says:

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Cf. 1 Cor. 7:26. Since God is going to destroy the present earth and replace it with a new heavens and a new earth, what sort of people should we be? The implicit answer: not people who care a lot about material things, or the pleasures of this life, but people who are passionate about the kingdom of God, which will remain for all eternity. That’s not to say that there is something evil about material things, only that we should be using them for God’s purposes, not just our own.

Second, if we are eager for Christ to return, we should be purifying ourselves (2 Peter 3:11–12). Every Christian not only should believe in the return of Christ, but should be eager for it to come. At the end of the book of Revelation, the church prays, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20 KJV). But if we are really so eager for Jesus to return, so eager for the new heavens and new earth, we should be seeking to be as pure as we will one day be in God’s presence. First John 3:2–3 says:

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Another ethical implication of the return of Christ is its encouragement. It shows us that our labors for him today are not in vain. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” That’s a great comfort in the midst of difficulty. The things of this world are going to be burned up, but our labor for the Lord will bear fruit for eternity.

Fourth, our very ignorance of the time of Jesus’ return has ethical implications. For that ignorance implies that we must be ready at any time for his return (Matt. 24:44; 1 Thess. 5:1–10; 1 Peter 1:7; 2 Peter 3:14). When he comes, we want him to find us busy in our callings, in the work of the Great Commission.

Finally, when Jesus comes, we will receive a reward, and we should look forward to that reward in our labors here. That reward should motivate us to good works here and now. In chapter 50, I mentioned that biblical emphasis on rewards, and many Scripture texts emphasize this: Matt. 5:12, 46; 6:1–4; 10:41–42; Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:8–15; 9:17–18, 25; 2 Cor. 5:10; Eph. 6:7–8; Col. 3:23–25; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; 2 John 8; Rev. 11:18.

Again, God doesn’t expect us to do our duty merely for duty’s sake, but to do our duty with full understanding that our Father will reward his children, not only in this life (Mark 10:29–30), but in eternity as well.

From the biblical emphasis, I conclude that the main reason that God speaks so much in Scripture about the return of Jesus is that this doctrine purifies the hearts of his people. May he use it to purify you and me, as we continue on our journey to glory.

John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2013), 1094–1096.

usechatgpt init success

DO NOT MURMUR AT PROVIDENCE, HAVE FAITH

 Brilliant comments from Calvin on John 13:8:

“Now [Peter] errs more grievously, when he has been corrected, & yet does not yield.

“And, indeed, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘆.

“It is a plausible excuse, no doubt, that the refusal springs from reverence for Christ; but since he does not absolutely obey the injunction, the very desire of showing his respect for Christ loses all its gracefulness.

“The true wisdom of faith, therefore, is to approve and embrace with reverence whatever proceeds from God, as done with propriety and in good order; nor is there any other way, indeed, in which his name can be sanctified by us;

“for if we do not believe that whatever he does is done for a very good reason: our flesh, being naturally stubborn, will continually murmur, and will not render to God the honor due to him, unless by constraint.

“In short, until a man renounce the liberty of judging as to the works of God, whatever exertions he may make to honor God, still pride will always lurk under the garb of humility.”

(from Mike Riccardi). 

Jesus is the True and Better

 “Jesus is the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true life, the true bread.

“The Bible is not about you.”

* * * * * *

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.”

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible’s really not about you—it’s about him. -- this material has been quoted, but I do not see the need to cite the source since the observations are common knowledge to the Christian community.

How Many Galaxies are there?

 1. How many stars in our Galaxy?

The Milky Way galaxy is estimated to contain anywhere from 100 billion to 400 billion stars. However, it is difficult to determine an exact number as many stars are too faint to be detected with current technology, and the exact size and structure of the galaxy is still not fully known.

2. What Galaxy has the most stars?

The galaxy with the most number of stars currently known is the IC 1101 galaxy, which is located about 1.04 billion light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo. IC 1101 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy, and it is estimated to contain around 100 trillion stars, which is several times more than the number of stars in our Milky Way galaxy. However, it is important to note that our knowledge of the universe is constantly evolving, and new discoveries may reveal even more star-rich galaxies in the future.

3. How many Galaxies are there?

The exact number of galaxies in the observable universe is not known, but it is estimated to be in the range of 100 billion to 2 trillion galaxies. This wide range of estimates is due to the fact that we can only observe a small fraction of the universe, and our methods for detecting galaxies are limited by factors such as distance and the amount of light emitted by the galaxy. Additionally, the definition of what constitutes a "galaxy" can vary depending on the context and the specific criteria used for classification. Nevertheless, current observations and theoretical models suggest that there are likely many more galaxies in the universe than we can currently observe.

Total Depravity, Boettner

 "Man is a free agent but he cannot originate the love of God in his heart. His will is free in the sense that it is not controlled by any force outside of himself. As the “bird” with a broken wing is “free” to fly but not able, so the natural man is free to come to God but not able. How can he repent of his sin when he loves it? How can he come to God when he hates him? This is the inability of the will under which man labors.”

~ Lorraine Boettner 1901-1990, "Total Depravity"

Buildings and Websites

 


The best Christian websites are like the best Christian buildings. You can build it, but it doesn't mean the unbeliever is going to visit. And perhaps an unbeliever will visit, but without the Holy Spirit they will leave as bored as they came. God has provided great Christian websites and great buildings for the benefit of His people, but until the Holy Spirit gives the new birth they are powerless to change minds and hearts.

Institutes 3.4.3 Repentance

 

Monergism Article on Repentance

 Do you think repentance means we simply stop sinning?

Repentance does not mean to simply stop sinning. Instead, it involves the grace-enabled act of turning to the sole Person with the capacity to empower an individual to overcome sin—namely, Christ. Being a Christian is not a self-salvation project, but rather an appeal to the divine grace of God in Jesus Christ as the sole hope for redemption. Bereft of this divine intervention, human beings would remain perpetually incapable of change, irrespective of therapeutic interventions or the exertion of willpower. Prior to Christ's opening of the heart to the gospel, every individual remains ensnared in inescapable bondage. The necessity of Christ's intervention underscores the futility of attempting self-salvation. Part of the problem is that people are still stuck on trying, at least partly, to save themselves. As articulated in Luke 18:27, what is impossible for humanity—faith and repentance—is possible with God.

Here is an analogy that helps us further understand the nature of repentance:

Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Just as you don't need a doctor unless you are sick, similarly, you don't need a Savior unless you are a sinner. Christ's mission is to save those who recognize themselves as sinners in need of redemption. By nature, humans are inclined toward pride, resisting the admission of their status as rebellious sinners who require rescue. In the context of the aforementioned quotation, the Pharisees interrogate Jesus about his association with tax collectors and sinners, believing themselves to be more righteous. However, this self-righteousness ultimately exposes them as individuals who fail to recognize their own sinfulness and need for grace. Instead, they remain trapped in a cycle of pride, erroneously believing that they merit God's favor.

Thus, the call to repentance commences with the acknowledgment of one's entrapment in sin, the recognition of one's incapacity to escape its grasp, and the appeal to Christ as the sole means of deliverance from both the guilt and power of sin. In this way, repentance transcends the mere cessation of sinful actions (an impossible supposition) and encompasses a profound, grace-facilitated transformation in the individual's relationship with God, enabled by Jesus Christ.

Life is Short, Eternity is Long

 Reality, as described by the Bible, is mind-boggling, when I stop to think about it. People are born in remote jungles, and serve in grueling slave labor jobs for the Aztecs, Incas, or Mayans for what 40 years? and then die as rebels to God and then will suffer eternity which is over 40 quadrillion years in eternal torment. Even their earthly life which had some blessings and mercies where still hard, difficult, and toilsome....on top of that so very short compared to eternity. I live with air conditioning, indoor plumbing, hot water, clean water, a car, and loaded grocery stores, and most importantly God's Word, Spirit, and grace.

Repentance is not something we do

 “We should not interpret this to mean that repentance is another thing a person has to do to receive salvation in addition to faith. Rather, genuine faith includes repentance. Faith that doesn’t include repentance is false faith, for those who truly believe turn away from evil.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

Eight Ounces of Steak

 Just because 8 ounces of steak is good for our bodies, it doesn't mean we can take in 80 ounces in one day. And just because one sermon is good, it doesn't mean we can take in 10 sermons a week. While personal daily devotions is a means for daily nourishment, it doesn't mean God has designed us to take in 8 hours of bible reading each day. He has designed us to work and create, to labor and contribute, to serve and to give-- to live out what we have been given in Christ.

Unity of the Law

1st Tweet: As a Christian would you vote to pass a law for a day of rest on Sundays (Sabbath law)?

2nd Tweet: How would our Sunday’s be different if nothing was open? A mandatory day of rest by law shouldn’t be seen as wrong by anyone.

MY RESPONSES:

Should someone (we) see it as wrong to: "put to death all those who break a mandatory day of rest." How should our enforcement of Sunday be any different. If we cite the existence of the day from the OT, should we not also cite the enforcement of the day from the OT as well? I'm just trying to be consistent. How can I (you) cite OT law for making the Lord's Day rest mandatory, but then I (you) abandon the OT law for making the enforcement of Lord's Day law (punishment/death). I don't so how I (anyone) can pick, then abandon. If we break civil laws today as members or as elders/mayors (in society, in a local congregation) are we immoral? If we are not immoral for violating OT civil law, which is no longer binding, how can we be immoral for violating a civil law that God never inspired?

 2nd, God gave us a civil law, saying we want one is saying we want God's civil law. If the moral law is not up for discussion, and the civil law is "supposed to be" the same as God's, then I don't suddenly see the freedom to say, the judicial law is "whatever man decides"

3rd, If a female "preaches" and the elders do not enact church discipline. We cannot say, civil laws allow her to preach, judicial laws do not enact punishment, so both the lady and elders were "moral", since civil and judicial laws were kept. Both Violations were immoral.

Does Rom. 13 say Rome is bound to OT Civil law? Paul wasn't trying to get'em to adopt it. Why should I submit to your personal desire to impose a civil law on Rome, that God/Paul doesn't impose, nor Rome has on their civil law books. YOU can't pick-n-choose what parts of OT civil law "you'd" like to vote in.

You "propose legislation." On what basis should I align to your proposal. God's law is abrogated. Rome's Law is "already" THE Law. If Rome isn't bound to all God's civil law, then they're not bound to your proposed portion of civil law; I'm not bound by your proposals either.

I said "citizens...want to" (meaning their proposals cannot bind my conscience._ Citizens...want to...impose higher taxes, that aren't law yet. Must I align with their proposals? No. Why must I align with you proposals?

You: Rome and Todd, I ask you to align with my proposals for altering Rome's Civll-Judicial laws.

Me and Rome: Why.

You: Because God's Moral law requires obeying the Lord's Day.

Me and Rome: Does God's Moral require obeying "the Civil Laws of God".

You: No.

Me: Then we shall not adhere to either God's Civil law or your proposal.

<unfinished>

Howl, Howl (by Spurgeon)

 “Not one drop of Jesus’ blood-bought ones was ever lost yet. Howl, howl, O hell, but howl you cannot over the damnation of a redeemed soul.

“Out with the horrid doctrine that men are bought with blood and yet are damned! It is too diabolical for me to believe.

“What! Did Christ at one tremendous draft of love drink my damnation dry? and shall I be damned after that? God forbid!

“What! shall God be unrighteous to forget the Redeemer’s work for us, and let the Savior’s blood be shed in vain? Not hell itself has ever indulged the thought.”

— Charles Spurgeon

Bed of Roses

 When chained to the stake he embraced the flames, and said, "Oh, ye papists, behold! ye look for miracles; here now may you see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in bed; for it is as sweet to me as a bed of roses."

Protestant James Baynham, 1532

God uses Means

God does not save people in a vacuum, apart from means, but through the preaching of the gospel. That is the means He uses to gather His elect. A farmer cannot hope to harvest a crop if he sits around and does nothing. He must plant seed. But the reverse is also true. He can work till he's blue in the face, he can cast seed in the ground he plows up, but unless the blessing of rain falls from heaven, the seed will remain dormant and all his work will be in vain. Similarly when we cast the seed of the gospel, we must also pray to to our Heavenly Father that He would send His Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the hearers … for, apart from His blessing the seed will fall on deaf ears. 

 Although we may intellectually understand this truth, it is easy to forget its significance in our daily lives. All too often we affirm this truth and then put it away in a file cabinet in some dark basement. It is easy to be tempted to rely on our own persuasive arguments to change the hearts of others, but we must remember that only God can transform a person's heart. Therefore, we must consistently pray before and after we share the gospel with others. We must plead with God to disarm the natural hostility of their hearts and open their minds to the truth. We must also pray for ourselves, that we may be gentle and wise in our approach, and that our defense of the Bible may be both cogent and compassionate. But how often do we forget to pray when sharing the gospel? Let us never forget the importance of seeking God's intervention as we share the good news of salvation. 

 (1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Acts 16:14, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, James 1:18, John 15:5, Romans 10:14, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 1 Peter 3:15, Colossians 4:6)

Goodness of God Song

 

Animal Laws

 Animals do not make laws. Animals do not force clothing, literacy, taxes, speeding, honesty, fidelity, property rights, punishments for murder, or trial by jury-- for billions of years across 1.7 million species.

Atheist begins: "Let me Introduce you"

Evolution does not provide the framework for:

1, binding imperatives/ mandatory actions, emotions, opinions

2. shame, remorse,

3. respect, empathy.

You can post commands and opinions, but for billions of years 1.7 million species will entirely ignore and defy your commands and opinions-- just as they do to this day. Humans as animals are not bound to any imperative, opinion, goal. purpose.

Whatever actions, responses, behaviors, traits you do cite in an animal it is still not "objectively good", as if jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing are objectively good/ bad.

Violence happens in the animal world, but so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing, nudity, illiteracy, infidelity. You either embrace all traits, or renounce all traits; But all traits are equal though different. A brown cow is not better than a violent cow. A peaceful cow is not better than a red cow.

Nugget on Atheism

Evolution allows for no binding imperatives. Things happen.

There are no "goals" (for life to exist, improve, cooperate, be sustained, or continue.)

Life happens, but so does death. Cooperation happens but so does violence. If empathy happens so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing in the ground.

Offspring are born, but not always. Mates are found, but not always. Life is not an imperative. Health is not an imperative.

In Evolution no "is" or "are" is an "ought" or a "must". In Evolution no "does, do, did, has" is an "ought" or a "must". Examples. 1. Termites are cooperative. But this does not mean that "ought" to cooperate or "must" cooperate. Bears do not cooperate. 2. Humans "do" show empathy. Insects do not show empathy, animals only operate on instinct. No animal says that humans "ought" or "must" show empathy.

The feelings of shame, remorse, empathy, cooperation are all traits that are never required responses, just like "jumping" is not a required response. Some animals jump, some don't. Humans may have remorse, humans may not. Evolution does not care if life exists, improves, thrives, survives, or ends. There is no goal, intentionality, purpose in evolution. Death is fine, shame is fine, selfishness if fine.

Atheists say, "But cooperation, morality, empathy improves and extends life." Improvement and comfort are subjective. A pig fines comfort in mud, should humans wallow in mud? Bears hibernate, should humans hibernate? Sharks can live 300-500 years without reading, writing, waring clothes, or leaving the ocean; should humans imitate sharks to extend their life? Atheists tell me "you ought to read more." I tell them to tell that to a Shark. A shark will ignore them as 1.7 million species will, and thus so will I ignore their commands. 1.7 million species don't read and in evolution that is okay, so I won't read either. They say we came from animals, but then ditch the entire framework that animals operate under. 

Agreed Behavior

 An atheist has defined morality as "agreed behavior in a community."

I responded, "If we came from animals who have existed and evolved over 2 billion years, then nothing in evolution "requires" agreement. A cat can climb a tree or avoid a tree, neither is right or wrong, neither is required. You cannot praise conformity nor shame non-conformity. Even praise and shame are decisions that are meaningless like having wings or not having wings. If an animal or human derived from animals has no shame, it is irrelevant as an animal having no wings. No trait is mandatory, required, or essential. Even survival is not mandatory, required or essential. Plenty of species are extinct and that is just fine. There are no goals and no purpose or objective in the outcome of an explosion."

Habakkuk 3:17

 Habakkuk 3:17-19  For though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:  (18)  Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation.        (19)  Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength; And he maketh my feet like hinds' feet, And will make me to walk upon my high places. For the Chief Musician, on my stringed instruments.