Friday, August 30, 2013

What is Sin Anyway?

Sin is:
* The evil and bitter nature within every man that hates the Creator.
* A secret pride in being successful.
* A violation of God's will and purpose.
* A wanton revolt against the Almighty who is full of goodness.
* Any transgression of God's divine law inwardly or outwardly.
* Pride in training, appearance, or intelligence.
* Feeling an important, independent spirit.
* Any thought that doesn't include God.
* What you are through and through without the Lord Jesus Christ.
* Feeling bitter over what someone has said about you.
* Having a sarcastic or unyielding spirit.
* To know to do good, and do it not.
* Having a bitter, peevish, sensitive, or "touchy" spirit.
* Saying and doing things to attract attention to yourself.
* Complaining, murmuring, and griping.
* The path to Hell.
* Pure selfishness.
* Thinking you're better than someone else.
* The knowing and willful choice of evil and a maliciousness against God.
* Loving yourself more than your neighbor.
* Speaking evil of another behind their back.
* A high look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked.
* A desire to quit trying to do right.
* Disobedience to God's command.
* A want of conformity to the will of God.
* A forgetfulness of your obligations to God, to be unthankful and not give God the glory.
* Any self-loving or self-honoring attitude whether covered or manifest.
* Finding flaws and criticizing others when you are set aside and unnoticed.
* A deceitful and evasive spirit.
* Whatsoever is not of faith.
* A transgression against God's way, a violation of the Law of right.
* Base ingratitude, spite against holiness, and a preference for that which is devilish.
* A choosing of evil and rejection of good.
* A wrong done against the LORD Himself.
* An assault upon the person of God.
* Unwillingness to put out for others unless personal advantage or gain is involved.
* Unnatural or abusive acts to yourself or others.
* Seeking to create false impressions.
* A bitter, malicious attack upon God's Son.
* A breach either in imagination, desire, attitude, word, or action, of the divine Law.
* Any common activity done where one trusts self and not God.
* An abominable thing which God hates.
* Lusting, roaming, wandering eyes.
* Taking a paycheck when you didn't earn it.
* An onslaught against God Himself.
* Evil imagination, dirty thought, lustful craving.
* An attack on God's goodness, an insult to God's wisdom, and an abuse of God's mercy.
* Shirking from duty or stinting (loafing) at work.
* A tendency to retaliate when "crossed."
* Permitting things in your life you would not permit in the lives of others.
* Being shallow or stingy or unclean in thought.
* Talking about someone behind their back.
* Being a joker or jester.
* A failure to perform at the highest possible level.
* Partiality in dealing with certain persons, denominations, classes, or races.
* Treating one person differently than another.
* Thinking of what might have happened if things hadn't happened the way they did.
* Being in constant fear of failure, or taking an unmerciful attitude towards those that fail.
* Being unthankful or unappreciative for the "lot" God gave you in life.
* Putting on a false or exaggerated humility.
* An "I-don't-care-attitude" towards being caught in sin or skipping responsibility.
* Imagining how others are praising you or speaking well of you.
* Straining at the truth.
* Having a feeling of nervousness when you see somebody doing something that you think you could do better.
* Anything that is not good and right and truth before the LORD God.

A little sin won't stay little (I Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9).

The Gospel of Christ is not Salvation in sin, but Salvation from sin, not a license to commit evil, but a deliverance from evil. The two-edged sword of the Gospel divides a man from his sins, and kills his self-righteousness and love for sinning against God. Deliverance from sin is not a work of a religious legal bondage, but the work of God's divine grace, the gracious work of the Holy Spirit. The forgiveness of sins always brings with it a ransom from the dominion of sin. Be honest with yourself, be honest with God, reason with God.

When you love Christ, you will hate your sins with a passion.  Your sin is your enemy and God's. From your very heart give up your sin, and follow after Christ's things. O Lord, please deliver me from every false way for Jesus' sake. The undying worm in hell fire is the love for sin. Your love for sin separates you from God. All are under sin, there is none righteous, no, not one. You must be good and lost, before you will ever sincerely ask Jesus to save you from sinning against God. You will have to get sad, before you get glad.

Turn now from the love of sin and look to Christ Jesus Himself. Christ Jesus will love you out of your love for sin. His bleeding love will make sin nauseating to you (Isaiah 38:17). Sin and you must part. Sin bewitches you, the world enthralls you.  Jesus loved lost souls to death on Calvary. No man in his right mind would ask the surgeon to only take out 97% of a malignant tumor. No, you would want all of a deadly cancer to be removed. You must have the same mind set about your sins with the Great Physician - The Lord Jesus Christ.  Ask Christ to remove all your sins with His scalpel of Grace. Jesus is the Great Savior of unworthy sinners. Self-abhorrence makes Christ dearer to the heart.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Where Christ Is

Where Christ is loved, sin is hated;
Where Christ is sweet, sin is nauseating;
Where Christ is precious, sin is heinous;
Where Christ is lifted up, sin is detested;
Where Christ is enjoyed, sin is renounced;
Where Christ is dear, sin is hideous;
Where Christ is treasured, self is abased;
Where Christ is remembered, sin is revolting;
Where Christ is King, self is nothing.
Where Christ is Great, sin is disgusting;
Where Christ is esteemed, sin is loathsome;
Where Christ is received, sin is erased;
Where Christ is followed, self is denied;
Where Christ is Captain, sin is conquered;
Where Christ is needed, sin is felt;
Where Christ is regarded, self is disdained;
Where Christ is esteemed, sin is sickening;
Where Christ is cherished, sin is shocking;
Where Christ is wonderful, sin is repulsive;
Where Christ is highly prized, self is highly detested;
Where Christ is adored, sin is abhorred;
Where Christ is Savior, sin is pardoned;
Where Christ is exalted, pride is put down;
Where Christ is feared, sin is avoided;
Where Christ is reigning, sin is put down;
Where Christ is sought, sin is forsaken;
Where Christ is Peace, sin is disturbing;
Where Christ is appreciated, sin is refused;
Where Christ is All in All; sin is bitter;
Where Christ is lovely, sin is ugly;
Where Christ is preeminent, sin is insidious;
Where Christ is worshipped, sin is forsaken; and
Where Christ Is present, sin is gone.

Have you received Christ Jesus Himself into your heart by faith in His shed blood? *John 1:12*  Right after you receive Christ as your Sin-Bearer, you will begin to love God and to hate your sins.  When you love someone, you won't misrepresent, mistreat or misjudge them.  When you love someone, you want to spend time with them, you like to spend money on them, you like to think about them, and can't wait to talk to them again.  If you love someone, you stay away from their enemies, and you rejoice in their victories.  Do you love God?

Trust now in the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus Himself; trust Him to take your sins away, and blot them out forever with His own Blood.  O God, I am heartily sorry my sins and rejection of Christ which have offended You; I detest all my sins most of all because they offend You. O God, who are all Good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins and forsake them, and to love you sincerely for Christ's sake.  Christ died for the ungodly; the Just for the unjust; the Innocent for the guilty; the Worthy for the unworthy; the Sinless for the sinful; the Best for the worst.  Trust God Incarnate who was crucified for your sins and rose from the dead the third day to save your soul from the love of sin and the wrath of God.  Trust Christ's Precious Blood entirely, and you are freely forgiven this very instant. Part with your sins and self-righteousness; and trust Jesus' Blood Atonement now (Romans 5:8-9); Receive Christ Himself into your heart by faith (John 1:12; James 1:21; Romans 5:11; Ephesians 2:8-9).

Friday, August 16, 2013

Faith In His Blood

Hidden away in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible is the true power source for all things Christianity.  Those four little but powerful words are found in Romans 3:25 - Faith in His Blood.  Religionists and conviction-ites will never bring this up to you.  They will focus on and direct your attention to everything but these four monosyllable words - Faith in His Blood.  Because the religionist knows once you realize how simple and free Salvation really is through childlike trust in the Blood of Jesus, that you will leave them behind like a bad habit.  The religionist wants your attendance at his church building and your money most of all, not for your soul to be saved from the wrath to come and the love of sin. When you go to church the next few months, just make a note of how many times anyone mentions *Faith in His Blood*.  Trust to God Incarnate's Precious Blood.  Faith in His Blood is key to your eternal destiny; that is why it is never brought up.

This is what the slick religionist will not tell you plainly:  While you keep on neglecting and rejecting Jesus Christ, you are the object of the daily anger of God Himself.  God looks at you as a rebel, as one who revolts against Him, and defies Him to His face.  The holiness of God abhors your sins.  How can you continue to live on in enmity against the God who has been so gracious to you?  Free justification is now available to you by simple faith in the Blood of the crucified Incarnate God of Calvary's Cross.  Redemption, peace, pardon, reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, atonement, justification, and adoption are all available through Faith in the Blood of the Incarnate God.  The religionut will not tell you this:  Jesus' Blood is the divine Remedy for your sin problem.

Christ Jesus bore your sins in His own body, and then He suffered the everlasting punishment due to your sins, so you could be graciously rescued from the awful penalty you deserved. There is no escaping the penalty due to your sins without your implicit trust in the Blood of Jesus Christ.  The only safe way to face Eternity is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Exercise faith in Jesus' Blood. You must be a sinner saved by Blood alone.

Now understand - True Repentance is a result of your Faith in the Blood of Jesus; don't get the cart before the horse. Repentance is the gift and work of the Holy Spirit in you.  If you ever repent of any sin, God must get all the glory, not you.  There is no Salvation in you at all, only in Jesus' Blood.  After you truly trust in the Blood of Jesus, you will begin to hate your sins that nailed Him to the Cross.  Your sins must be taken away by the Blood of Christ alone (Revelation 1:5), not by your repentance.  

The forgiveness of sins, that is, all sin, of lip, life, secret and open, past, present and future comes through your reliance on the propitiatory, atoning Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  Sin has brought every man into captivity and slavery, and the only Person who can redeem (release) you from sin's tyrannical bondage is Christ Jesus. The Law's deadly sentence was carried out on Jesus at Calvary. You must be ransomed out of the hands of sin and Satan which are stronger than you.  Only the Blood of God can free you from the Law and its curse and condemnation.  Christ's sinless obedience and bloody death is your only hope of escaping the wrath to come.  Are you a sinner saved by Blood?  

The pardon of human sin can never be without Blood.  God is able to forgive human sin, because He has punished our sins on Christ. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God.  He to rescue me from danger interposed His Precious Blood.  My Substitute took my sins, and now He has released me, and I am clear before God forever. I have nothing else but the Blood of Jesus Christ to trust my defenseless soul to now. All the repentance, baptisms and good works put together in the whole world could not forgive the smallest sin, or rid you of any guilt.  The sinless life of Jesus is the life that God demanded as the penalty due for your sins, and nothing but His life blood will ever satisfy the holy demands of Almighty God.  God cannot save our souls apart from the soul-saving Blood of the Lamb of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, freely shed His own blood to pay the Ransom and Redemption price for all your sins. Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.  Remission is the putting away of a debt, that is, your sin debt that has been incurred to God's Justice up until now.  Only the Blood of God's own Son can cancel your sin debt.  Jesus doesn't forgive sins piecemeal; He forgives all your sins outright, once and for all.  Fix your faith entirely on Jesus' Atoning Blood.

We all deserve to die and go to Hell as the penalty for our sins against our Maker.  We justly deserve to bear God's wrath against our sins.  Sin has separated us from our Maker, and by nature we are in bondage to sin and to the kingdom of darkness (Satan).  The only way Reconciliation could ever happen is if God humbled Himself and reached down to sinners.  God did this when He became a sinless man and offered up Himself as an Atoning Sacrifice for human sin.  Reconciliation is a change in relationship from hostility to harmony, from conflict to peace.  It is not your works that reconciles you to God, but it is faith in the Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ that fully reconciles you to God.  The redemption price was paid by Jesus with His own blood to liberate us from our sins' bondage.  The Blood of Jesus paid the sin debt (remission), and wiped the slate clean.

When Jesus went to the Cross, it was God's divine plan to reconcile sinners back to Himself.  The Cross was God's way of atoning for human sin in order to satisfy the inflexible demands of His justice and to propitiate His wrath that was consistent with His holiness, love, grace and mercy. The Blood of Jesus Christ makes sinners who deserve Hell acceptable in God's sight and makes them fit to live eternally in God's presence.  Christ Jesus' atoning bloody death was a Substitution for guilty sinners; His Blood was the Propitiation to God, and the way of Reconciliation and Redemption between the Holy Creator and a sinful creature.

Jesus bore your sins and your sins' penalty on the Cross. Jesus bore your sins and died in the place of you, so He could turn the wrath of God you deserved away from your soul.  Jesus became Sin when He bore our sins on the Cross.  All of my sins was credited to Christ's account, and His spotless perfection (Righteousness) was credited to my account.  Jesus paid the full penalty for my sins, and God no longer holds them against me.  On Calvary's Cross, God the Father treated Jesus as if He has lived my life with all its sin, so that God could treat me as if I lived Christ's life of pure holiness.  My sinful life was legally charged to Jesus on the Cross as if He had live it, so that His Righteous life could be credited to me, as if I had lived it.

Whosoever believes in Jesus' Blood shall receive immediate forgiveness of sins and is not condemned. Ask Jesus now to forgive your sins through His Blood, and you are forgiven unreservedly and eternally. Immediate and present pardon of your sins is given to you freely in an instant the moment you believe in Jesus' Precious Blood.  You need to make an immediate decision for Christ, that is, a rejection of your self-righteousness and an implicit trusting to His Righteousness.  Consider your ways and turn at once to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Trust your soul with Him.  Your soul has nothing else to rest on but Christ's Blood and Righteousness. Receive Him by faith here and now.

I am guilty and hell-deserving, but I have believed in Jesus' Blood; I now know that my many sins are all freely forgiven for Jesus' sake; I am clothed in Christ's Righteousness, and accepted in the Beloved; there is now no condemnation to me in Christ Jesus. I am resting safely on the Great Atoning Sacrifice.  Only the Holy Spirit can convince a sinner of his evil sins of unbelief and rejection of Christ, and woo the sinner to repent and trust to Christ alone.  You are always prone to sin, but if you trust in Christ and give yourself up to Him, He will change your inward nature and cravings, and you will love Him, and not your sins. You need to be saved from the propensity and love to sin as well as the guilt and punishment due to sins. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you in particular.  The Lamb of God and the Cross are worthy of your careful observation.  The one God who made all the worlds died for you.

God Himself came into this world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth; the very one who was offended by human sin, He condescended to become the sinless, atoning Sacrifice to put away human sin.  The Invisible Creator put on a body of human flesh; He lived here as a Jewish man, yet He was God manifest in the flesh.  If you were stand before a prison full of criminals who were condemned to die, and informed that a free pardon for their crimes could be obtained in a certain way, there would be a hush and they would listen closely, they would not criticize the manner of pardon, because if they truly wanted pardon, they would be taken in the way of release from prison.  But sin-loving human nature will not have Christ's free pardon of sin, because the human heart insanely loves the sin that will inevitably damn it.  Mark it down, you must either be saved or lost; you must have your sins forgiven, or you will be damned forever, and the only way of the free forgiveness of sins is by simple trust and confidence in Jesus' blood.

Please God, not yourself.  You cannot afford to live in sin, or to die in your sin. Sin may have some temporal pleasure in it, but all sin end in eternal loss and ruin.  Look now to the Lamb of God who loved you to death; come to Him right now through Faith in His Blood.  Take care that your faith be simple and fixed solely on Jesus' Precious Blood.  Rest your soul only on Christ's Atoning Blood for all your Salvation.  Whatever you may do, always remember and cling to these four short words of Scripture with all your heart from Romans 3:25 - Faith in His Blood.  Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and has redeemed us to God by His Blood!

Monday, August 12, 2013

The Golden Sentences

Here are some Golden Sentences of the Gospel of the Grace of God:

The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. *Psalm 119:72*

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. *I Timothy 1:15*

Ye must be born again. *John 3:7*

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. *Revelation 22:17*

We love Him, because He first loved us. *I John 4:19*

He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.  *Matthew 28:6*

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:  Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:  Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree. *I Peter 2:22-24*

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. *I Corinthians 15:3-4*

For this He did once, when He offered up Himself. *Hebrews 7:27*

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. *John 1:29*

Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own Blood. *Revelation 1:5*

If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous:  and He is the Propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. *I John 2:1-2*

Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in His Blood, to declare His Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. *Romans 3:25*

Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. *John 14:6*

When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the Physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. *Mark 2:17*

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. *I Thessalonians 4:16-17*

For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due time. *I Timothy 2:5-6*

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:  And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. *Acts 13:38-39*

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. *Acts 4:12*

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. *John 3:16*

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. *Titus 3:5*

Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the Propitiation for our sins. *I John 4:10*

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ. *Ephesians 2:13*

Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. *I Peter 3:18*

In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. *Colossians 1:14*

And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith. *Philippians 3:9*

And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? *Luke 7:42*

For God hath made Jesus to be Sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Christ. *II Corinthians 5:21*

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. *Galatians 2:20*

All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. *John 6:37*

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. *Romans 11:6*

Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. *Matthew 11:28*

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for Righteousness. *Romans 4:5*

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. *Isaiah 55:1-2*

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  But with the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. *I Peter 1:18-19*

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. *I John 5:11-12*

For by Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast. *Ephesians 2:8-9*

For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. *I Corinthians 1:18*

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. *II Corinthians 8:9*

The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. *I John 1:7*

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. *Galatians 6:14*

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It Is Finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. *John 19:30*

He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. *Matthew 28:6*

How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? *Hebrews 9:14*

And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. *Philippians 2:8*

And, having made peace through the Blood of His Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself. *Colossians 1:20*

Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. *Romans 5:9*

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. *Acts 16:31*

Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. *Psalm 119:127*

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Lessons from the Limpet


Saving Faith is simply clinging to Christ Jesus Himself for safety from the wrath to come on sin:  True Faith is helpless dependence on the bleeding Savior for His free, eternal Salvation.

Whenever you are down by the seaside, most of the time you will see limpets (mollusks) sticking to a rock or a pier. You can walk up softly to the rock and with a stick strike the limpet quickly, and off he will come. But if you try to hit the next limpet the same way, you have given him warning; he heard the blow with which you struck his neighbor, and he will cling with all his might to the rock. You will never get him off the rock without destroying him. You may strike and strike him again, but you will break the rock before you get him off.  Jesus is my Rock in this weary land, I will stick with Him, no matter what. *Deuteronomy 32:4; I Samuel 2:2; Luke 6:48; I Corinthians 10:4; I Peter 2:8*

The limpet does not know much, but he knows how to cling. He cannot tell you much about what he is clinging to.  He is not acquainted with the geological formation of the rock, but he clings to it with all he has. Human nature clings to worldly filth and self-righteousness; but the divine nature clings to Christ's Purity and Righteousness. Nothing but the Atoning Sacrifice of the Lamb of God will appease divine vengeance - this is called Propitiation. *I John 2:2* The guilty, needy sinner has found out that he needs to cling to Someone besides himself who has a true Righteousness. That is the troubled sinner's little bit of knowledge, and he uses that knowledge by clinging to the Rock of His Salvation, Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh.  It is the limpet’s life to cling, and it is our life to cling to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  *John 14:6*

Have no more faith than this - Just know enough to cling to Jesus with all your heart and soul, and this will suffice. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Jesus Christ is the sinner's Substitute and Savior, He is strong and mighty, He is a Great Rock in a weary land; cleave to Him for dear life, and He will save your defenseless soul immediately.  Cling to Jesus even now; Hold fast to the Crucified Incarnate God; never let Him go; for that is real Faith. Believe in His Precious Blood, trust to His Atoning Sacrifice, depend on His Forgiving Blood, cling to His Soul-Saving Blood alway. Sinners who trust in the Blood are saved, those who don't are lost. As a drowning man would cling to a plank cast into the water to save him, even so trust in nothing but the Blood of the Incarnate God to hold you up in time and Eternity.

The limpet by the sea-shore can do little, but he can cling, and very firmly too. That is the one simple thing you can do too, poor sinner.  May the Holy Spirit lead you to cling to the Cross (Christ's Blood Atonement) at once.  Only Jesus' Blood can rescue you from God's divine justice. Jesus answered all the demands of divine justice with His obedience, sufferings, and blood.

God help you at this moment to cling to Christ, and if you do, you are saved, yes, saved at once. Cling to Christ, and you shall find free, rich Mercy. Jesus didn't come to save the righteous, moral, or good, for there are none. Jesus died for sinners, and especially you. Come on now to Jesus, and He will give your soul the Rest you need. Are you truly clinging to Christ? Is He your only Hope of Heaven? If so, then He is yours for sure. Just stick to the old truth that Christ died for sinners, and that He is your Substitute here in time and right on out into Eternity, just stick to Him like the limpet to the rock.

Is your very soul actually knit to the person of Jesus Christ by Faith in His Blood? When the tide of carnal security ebbs out in your life, and you begin to sense your sinfulness, danger, hopelessness and start to dread death, if you have any sense, you will cling to Christ Jesus for your soul's safety? Is Jesus' Atoning Sacrifice all your trust and confidence? Do you rest only on His Precious Blood? If you trust to anything else whatsoever, you will perish in your sins. If you are clinging to Christ with all your heart, then Christ is yours. Turn all your confidence away from yourself, and trust only to Jesus. Cease to have any reliance in anything you've ever done, or ever hope to do. Personally cleave to the living Savior. Cling closely to Jesus under temptation and during trials.

He that believeth in Jesus hath everlasting life: there is where I cling, like the helpless limpet to the rock. Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” If Jesus is the only hope that you have, and you simply cling to Him as the limpet clings to a rock, then all will be well with your soul forever. *Acts 11:23; Romans 12:9*  Cling to Jesus (God manifest in the flesh); cleave to His Blood and Righteousness alone. It is your life to do it. Trust to the Innocent Substitute who bled for your sins. Clinging to the Cross kills your love for sins.

When the limpet lives and feeds on a rock for a long time, he slowly begins to blend in and look exactly like the rock whereupon he lives. Stick to the Bible closely (Psalm 119:31). This is also what happens to the wise Christian who continually feeds and clings to the blessed Rock of Salvation. *II Samuel 22:2-3,47; Deut 4:4; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 62:2,6*

Savior, more than life to me,
I am clinging, clinging, close to Thee;
Let Thy precious blood applied,
Keep me ever, ever near Thy side.

Every day, every hour,
Let me feel Thy cleansing power;
May Thy tender love to me
Bind me closer, closer, Lord to Thee.

Through this changing world below,
Lead me gently, gently as I go;
Trusting Thee, I cannot stray,
I can never, never lose my way.

Let me love Thee more and more,
Till this fleeting, fleeting life is o’er;
Till my soul is lost in love,
In a brighter, brighter world above.

-Ms. Fanny Crosby

The Crucified Creator

The Mighty God who inhabits Eternity and reigns on high; He who makes the Heaven of heavens His throne came into this world to save sinners. *I Timothy 1:15* The Creator God stooped to see the things in Heaven, but He humbled Himself even lower still to visit the ungodly here below.  He laid aside His royal state and became a human being, so He could make poor sinners the sons of God, and pay the debt our sins owed to divine justice.  Jesus left the skies to come here and reconcile you back to God. He sighed and groaned beneath our load of sin, and willfully made our sorrows and wants His own.  Jesus bore all that an Incarnate God could bear.

The goodness of God's heart moved His infinite hand of Mercy to send Jesus to suffer the consequence due to our transgressions.  Divine vengeance pursued the sin-bearing Victim of Calvary.  Come now and adore the Incarnate God whose Precious Blood atones for human sin.  Now understand and hearken diligently, be wise and incline your ear - Christ Jesus, God Incarnate, still freely saves sinners from divine justice and the love of sin through faith in Blood Atonement.

Jesus' motive for dying for base, rebel sinners was all Bleeding Love.  The soldiers crowned His temples with thorns.  They lashed His back with knotted whips while His hands were tied.  They stretched Him out and nailed Him to the accursed tree; your sins also nailed Him there. Jesus hung there in naked shame bleeding, crying, groaning, gasping, slowly dying, suffering all the divine wrath of God in your place. The howling mob trampled on His precious blood around the Cross, they scoffed and railed on the Son of God, and sneered at the wounds of Incarnate God.  They gazed at His sufferings and were untouched; such were they all, and such are we.  Only the Blood of Jesus Christ can wipe your slate clean forever before God.

For love of my soul the Son of God shed every drop of His precious blood.  My God suffered and bled for my soul.  The Lord of Life experienced a bloody death for a sinful worm like me.  Jesus is the true Almighty God; He bought me from sin's bondage with the price of His own heart's blood.  Let Jesus make your peace with God through His atoning blood.  Trust in Jesus' atoning blood solely to clear your guilt before God.

You're a sinner, that's for sure, and someone must pay for all of your sins. You must have a Substitute to take your sin’s punishment before you die, or you must suffer for all your sins for eternity in Hell. You have an inward evil nature that is at full enmity to God and keeps you in Satan's captivity. You have offended God by your open and secret sins and rejection of Christ; God must punish sin, He could not be a just God unless He did; it is a fixed eternal law that all sin must be punished. Your own conscience tells you that God must punish your sins. You’re a sinner, the Bible says you are; you know it, and you feel it. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. There is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.  The Christ of God, the Son of the Blessed, suffered the punishment and wrath due to your iniquities. *Mark 14:61-62; Isaiah 53:5*

You’ve sinned and violated God’s laws and spurned God’s love and shed blood, you’re always sinning, and you must die an eternal death for it. All have sinned, and “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” There is but a step between you and death; and even if your life is prolonged for a little season, yet it will soon be over. You have ran the roads of sin and death in extreme ignorance and with insane haste.  Your filthiness and foolishness you have enjoyed.  You have believed the dangerous lies of Satan.

You will die physically before long – it is inescapable, but the second death is eternal death in Hell, separation from God forever and ever.  Mercy divine is only for the miserable; grace is for those who are guilty and no good; pity is for the poor in spirit; and lovingkindness is for the lost soul.  God's mercy is great, rich, abundant, plenteous, and everlasting toward the soul who comes to Jesus for rest. *Matthew 11:28* Without the Cross and the Blood Atonement of God manifest in the flesh, there is no mercy for sinners.  God will only forgive a sinner for the sake of Jesus Christ, on account the Lamb of God's perfect, finished Atonement (John 19:30) which He made to divine justice.

Human sin is a devilish and hateful thing, which God’s justice must punish. The penalty for sin is eternal death. Your lies, lusts, greediness, and envy transgress God’s law daily. Your obscene and filthy thoughts condemn you every day.  You are in a sinful state that is so sad.  Your sin is on your soul right now and the wrath of God abides on you – and unless you repent, you must die in your sins and perish forever. Be sure your sin will find you out – God will bring every secret work of yours into Judgment. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Christ is the Creator of the universe that was crucified in your place.

God Almighty in the person of Jesus Christ made a free way for you to escape the damnation of Hell. There is only one way – Substitution – that is the word! And there is only one Substitute for the ungodly sinner: The Lamb of God sent from Heaven is the only Substitute for sinners. God became a human being in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and suffered for sinners what they ought to have suffered. Christ Jesus came into the world to seek and save lost sinners just like you. He is the one and only Substitute for your guilt.  Jesus deserves all your attention and glory.

Jesus Christ, the God-Man, lived a sinless life and glorified the law of God. He kept the law of God perfectly for you; the law of God that you have broken all your life. Christ Jesus went to the Cross of Calvary, and offered up Himself as a sinless blood sacrifice in your place. “The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth us from all sin.” God laid your sin on Jesus, and He bled to death for you. Jesus Christ bore your sins in His own body and suffered the wrath of God in your place. Christ died for the ungodly, not the good and respectable. Your good works are good-for-nothing.

This is the most beautiful thing you’ll ever hear: One day 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem’s manager, God became a Jewish man, Christ Jesus was His name. He died to save sinful men just like you. He was bruised, beaten, spit upon, and then spilt His blood for your sins. Judas Iscariot betrayed Him; Pontius Pilate falsely condemned Him. On His precious head was placed the crown of thorns you deserved, and the lips of the angry mob cursed Him and cried out in their scorn as He bore the Cross. JESUS was the Holy Sacrifice required for your sins.  Only by faith in Jesus' blood can a sinner be rescued from the danger of sin; no other Sacrifice for sin will God accept but the wounds of His dear Son.  No one else deserves esteem but Jesus, I value nothing but Him.  God's stern justice was all inflicted on Jesus for my sake.

Immanuel's Divine Blood Sacrifice alone pleased the justice and vengeance of God. The weight of your sin bowed Him down on Calvary's tree. Your sins were the nails in His hands and feet. The unbelief of your vile heart was the spear in His side. Christ cried out in anguish as He bled there for you. The wrath of Almighty God was poured out that day on the Sinless Lamb of God, God's dear Son. God the Father turned His face away and forsook Jesus that day because of your sins. Christ was made SIN for you, and suffered untold agony in your place - He was God's Sacrifice of Love for you personally. Then He was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Ye must be born again.

If you take Christ, He’ll take you. Your human goodness and morals can never save you. You have transgressed God’s law – you need the Substitute. Don’t toy with sin – repent and trust Christ’s precious blood before it’s too late. You must have the Substitute before you die – nothing else will do. Jesus is God, but He is man, He is the Substitute for real sinners; He is willing to receive all who trust Him. He will save you right now, if you will simply rely on Him. Now, you can never be saved from your sins until first you come to the Cross, and see Jesus Christ dying there for you, as your Substitute.

You must trust to Jesus alone — the moment you do, all your sins are laid on Him, you are eternally saved and clear of the penalty for your sin. The sinner who rejects the Bleeding Substitute who died upon the Cross will bring eternal ruin to his soul. Please don’t reject the Bleeding Substitute, for if you do, you must perish in your sins without hope.  Poor dejected sinner, come to Jesus for the free forgiveness of sins; He fully satisfies and joy He supplies.  This brief earthly life is worthless without Him.  Only Jesus can destroy the power that sin has over you now in your thoughts, habits, words and deeds.  Jesus the perfect Savior is the Source of all that is Good.  Ask Jesus for true Repentance and genuine Faith; ask Him for pure affections and clean desires.

You can only come to know Christ personally through trusting to His blood, or simply believing like a little child. Simply rest on Christ’s Blood Atonement alone. Stake your soul's eternal destiny on Christ's finished work; leave your sins with Him for time and Eternity. God’s way of Salvation is for you to rest and rely on Christ alone. The Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself to God as your Substitute: through faith you receive Him: and from that moment on God accepts you. Believe in the finished work of Christ alone for yourself.

The Blood of God will certainly save you if you place a simple childlike trust in the Substitute for sinners. Come now and believe on God’s precious blood! You have God’s word on it; He will save you freely now by His grace.  Don't die in your sins when you don't have to.  If your sins are distressing you, come now and sincerely confide in the blood of the Lamb of God.  Trust His gracious promises to save sinners. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. God be merciful to me a sinner for Jesus’ sake!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

It's All About *Him*

The Lord Jesus Christ (God manifest in the flesh) came into this dark world to save sinners just like you through His sinless Blood Atonement. He died on Calvary's Cross for His enemies - lost and undeserving sinners. His blood is able to save you now from your sin's penalty and power. But you must go to directly to Him for help. The work of the Holy Spirit (God's grace) is your soul's only hope. Forsake your self-efforts and man-made religiousness.  Cast your soul entirely at the feet of Jesus down at the Cross. No human help can assist real sinners - you need help from Holy Spirit alone.

You have to leave this world sooner or later and enter into Eternity - prepare to meet God; go to the Cross where your Creator died for your sins and ask Him to save you by His blood and grace.  Sinners need divine help from the Crucified Creator.  Help for your sinful soul is only found at Calvary. Get to the Cross ASAP.  Make a bee line to the Lamb of God before it's too late. You must simply and entirely trust your soul to the care of the Bleeding Savior. The tempest of sin in your heart is raging every day - let the storm of sin drive you to shelter in Christ, Christ alone. If you realize you are poor, friendless, hopeless, lonely, and despairing, then it is time for you to put your full confidence in Christ. Give glory to God; put all your faith on Jesus. (Isaiah 26:4) (I Corinthians 1:17-18)

Trust in the atoning blood of Christ both now and forever.  The work of the Spirit must first bring a thirsty condition to your soul; and then you can come to the fountain of living waters (Jesus Himself) with eagerness for satisfaction.  Jesus is the water of life your soul needs today. His Precious Blood can cleanse all the sin stains on your helpless soul. You have nothing of your own to trust to, simply wholly rest and recline your soul in the Savior's arms. Come to Jesus and believe on Him; simply trust and depend upon what Jesus Christ (God Incarnate) has done for your soul with His atoning Sacrifice of Himself.

Simply depend upon the blood and righteousness of Christ, and then go in peace, and into daily service for Jesus' sake, moved by love to Him. Right now, point with your soul's finger to the Cross of Christ and say what Christ has said, "It is finished!" The very moment you implicitly trust to Jesus alone, you are saved immediately. Truly trust Jesus now.  Simply trust Him who bled and died for your sins, and He who rose from the dead the third day.  Childlike confidence in His infinite, bleeding love will save your immortal soul at once. Look only to His Cross - He will take your sins away.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to trust Jesus now.  Jesus is willing and able to save you. Lay your deadly doings down, down at Jesus feet. You cannot help to save yourself from your sins.  Give up your dead works, and ask the Holy Spirit to do His work in your soul - He will renew your soul inwardly and wash your sins away in Jesus' blood.  Call upon the name of Jesus in truth now.  When you trust the Lord Jesus Christ with your soul, you have eternal life instantly, and eternal life is irreversible.  Let this be your motto all your days: "Christ is All."

Come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in His blood: trust Him, receive Him, live in Him, live by Him, live for Him, live upon Him fully, keep to Him, cling to Him, never let Him go, live and have your being in Him. Read about Him, think about Him, pray to Him, adore and admire Him, cleave to Him, confess Him, obey Him, follow Him. Abide and rest still in Jesus every day. Rest in His Precious Blood and perfect Righteousness.

Holy Spirit, please do your work in me for Jesus' sake. Hear and answer my prayers, bless my labors for you, give me souls for your glory. I am nothing and nobody, Christ is everything to me. Never quit the Gospel, never go back to self. Let your life be all for Christ from first to last.  Give to Him, do all things for Him, make mention of Him, labor for Him, plead for souls for Him, suffer for Him who bled for you. Love Him; pour out your heart to Him, kiss His feet with your soul continually.  You see, It's all about Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ made you, bought you; He lived, loved, and died for you. Work for Him while the opportunity still exists. Worship Him, spend and be spent for Him, glorify and bless His holy name - not your name.  Write for Him, talk for Him, teach for Him, give to Him your choicest treasures, His is so worthy, adore and delight only in Him.  Set your affection and pour your love on Him, live for Him as He died for you.  (I Timothy 1:15; Colossians 3:2)

As the bird in the air, the squirrel in the tree, and the fish in the river, live and abide in Christ. Live for Him alone to the utmost of your strength all your days, live for His glory and the salvation of sinners.  Be like Him, do everything to His glory. Jesus is so kind, good, and right, give yourself unreservedly to His service. Don't just talk about living for Him, really do it, live for Him who died for you. Give Him your prompt, joyful, constant obedience. Only His grace can create and maintain true morality, humility, and purity in your soul. Be not weary in well doing. He bled His life away on the Cross for you. Fix all your faith on Christ. Glorify and Honor Him by public and private personal obedience to Him. Stop your sinning just to please Him. (Romans 5:9)

Make living for Jesus your soul's only meat and drink. You owe your all to Him who loved you to death.  Live for Jesus - Jesus only - Jesus wholly. Away with personal vain glory, and up with Jesus and His Cross. Live for Him in this crooked and perverse generation - you cannot live without Him. Cling closely to Him, witness for Him, He bought your life with His own blood, He deserves your all, don't ever leave Him.  Yield your body (brain, tongue, eyes, ears, hands, feet) to Jesus, He gave Himself for you.  He is everything to me. Jesus is all my delight, there is none like Him.

Jesus is worth everything.  His service is rest to my soul, to live for Him is Heaven on earth. Never live for anything or anyone less than Him.  Living for Him fulfills my life. He gives me peace, pardon, and freedom from my fears. Make Jesus the sole-object of your life. Serve Him who served you. Highly treasure His words. Let go of your puny efforts and drop into His arms. Away to the Cross, turn your weary eyes upon Him as He hangs there bleeding in your place, your sins were in His body, He nailed them all to the tree. He is your only hope and sure refuge from the storm.  (Colossians 1:13-14; Romans 3:24-26)

Christ Jesus is the sinner's Savior; He is the saint's Satisfaction and Sanctification. Down with self-confidence and up with simple faith in Jesus' blood. His blood drives all your doubts and fears away. The work of the Spirit is your only hope. The best thing is to cling to Him.  Abide in Him, walk in Him, and sin shall have less and less dominion over you. Have done with self and sin. Never go back to the world. Be entirely dependent on the Lord Jesus. Rely on His divine strength to help your heart and mind, rest in His divine, unconditional love. Stand up always for Him, trust only to Him, He is so worthy of your trust. Trust Christ Jesus with your soul; trust Him with your sins; trust Him with your past; trust Him with your future; trust Him with your Eternity.  You can never go wrong, just trust Jesus Christ with everything. Holy Ghost, please work in my soul for Jesus' sake.  Christ Jesus, you are my only Hope both now and forever; I trust you with my soul now and forever.  (Romans 10:3-4, 9-10, 23)

Friday, August 9, 2013

Never Trust Your Works 2


You must cease from your own works and enter into Christ’s rest. When you come to Christ, your works are finished. Your purest works are only dung in the sight of God, and your best deeds are defiled with black marks from your sinful hands. If you were to be saved by works, you would have to work without and a moment’s pause, for you could never complete the toil, since absolute perfection is demanded from God.

By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in God’s sight. All that the law can do is bring a knowledge of sin. Stop all your working and rest in the perfect, finished work of the Bleeding Substitute. Trusting in your doings will be the death of you.  Do nothing else but come to Christ and His Atonement for Rest. *Matthew 11:28* You have attempted to do this and that to heal your own soul, but you have never ministered one bit to your cure. Access to Heaven was purchased at the cost of Christ’s blood.  Human nature wants what is easy, not what is Right and Pure.

The evil tendency of human nature is to rely upon a salvation by its own works. The pride of man leads him to believe that he can be, at least in some part, his own savior. But your finest deeds must be renounced. You might as well attempt to put out a raging volcano with a cup of water, as hope by any means to get rid of your sinful nature or put away your past sinfulness by doing better in the future. Give up the delusive dream that you will make yourself better by and by, and somehow help save yourself from sin and the wrath of Hell. Anything that you do by which to save yourself is a selfish act, and therefore it cannot be good. You cannot help save yourself – but Christ can save you completely and permanently – simply trust Christ with your immortal soul. How can you be born again? Thorough belief in Christ alone – looking straightaway to the Cross. You must give up your dependence on yourself – your cleverness, your self-improvement, your plans of becoming religious – and just look to the Bleeding Lamb of Calvary.

You could toil night and day for the rest of your life, but God demands perfect obedience to His law from day one till your death, and you have come up way short of the holiness God requires to enter Heaven. *Romans 3:23* A man's works never gives him a present assurance of salvation. Salvation by human merit can be possible if a man possesses absolute perfection, but that is utterly impossible, for every man has already sinned. God will never accept anything short of a perfect Righteousness from man to enter Heaven. Do remember - Only faith in the Blood of Christ saves real sinners from hell fire. Jesus will never save you because of your good works, and He will never forsake you because of your bad works. Leave off doing and working, simply trust in the finished Cross-work which Jesus has already done. The perfect Righteousness that God requires can only be received from Christ Himself as a free gift. Only the Spirit of God can help you sense your vileness and make you conscious of your deep need of Christ. You are not saved by what you do, but by what Christ has done. The word of God is quick and powerful and will cut down your self-righteousness. The death of your good works will be the salvation of your soul. The man that trusts in his own works (in any way) is relying on a spider’s web to hold him up in Eternity.

If you think you can earn salvation with your own merits, you have a very poor idea of the value of Christ’s work.  The blood and merits of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can keep you out of Hell.  You insult God to His face when you bring your counterfeit coin to pay for Christ’s treasures. You have no good works in which to trust, and no righteousness on which you can rely. Stop attempting to save yourself through your own goodness. You can do nothing whatsoever to help save yourself from the hell you justly deserve. Good as you think yourself to be, you can never mend your own sinful soul.  Put away your high looks and humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. You have no power to obey the Law at all.

Stop trusting in two things – partly in Christ and partly in your good works. The road to Hell is paved with human goodness, religiousness, and morality. Your self-righteousness will never be enough and will only destroy your soul. Christ has prepared a better Righteousness than yours; come to Him and rest in His Righteousness. Unless you have a better Righteousness than your own, when God begins to mark iniquities, His divine justice will always condemn you. The Holy Spirit must make you poor in spirit, so you will give up your goodness, and seek Christ's riches. The Holy Ghost’s work will cause you to see you need a much better Righteousness than your own to approach God in safety. Any hopes you may have of self-salvation is only a delusion. Put away your high looks, leave off trusting your goodness and religious efforts, doctrines, forms, and performances.

Christ’s perfect Blood Atonement for human sin is finished forever, and the sinner that tries to add to what Christ has finished has blasphemed his Creator and doomed his soul. The most commendable works of your hands can never be accepted before the bar of God's judgment. All of your self-goodness is only a lie; reject and renounce all of it. Trust only in Christ’s name, His promises, His truth, His works, His atoning blood, His finished Righteousness. Your best works are filthy and must be washed in Christ's blood. Christ’s Righteousness is your soul’s only shelter from wrath of God. Come to Christ’s Precious Blood and be really made clean.  If you keep messing around and die in your sins, that will be an eternal disaster for you.

Christ Jesus, God Incarnate, will not have you and your good works, but He will take you and your sins. Christ will take you just as you are. Flee from your good works just as you would flee from your bad ones. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. But what is it to believe on Christ? It is to trust Him – trust Him with your soul, just as it is. Trust Him with your soul now. You must take Christ the Person as He is, take Him now. God’s mercy is free – Christ is willing to save you. The moment you stop trusting yourself and trust Christ alone, you are saved for all Eternity. Just as you are, take Christ just as He is. Leave your sins and your works – Come on with you to the Cross – Believe on Christ now – trust Him alone, and your guilty soul is saved. Cry out to God for mercy through the Blood of Jesus Christ. Simply rely only on what Jesus did on Calvary's Cross, and your sins are forgiven forever.

First, renounce all of your own righteousness, and all attempts to seek a righteousness by your own doings. Nothing you can do will ever commend you to God. You have worked for a long time to better yourself, but you are not one bit the better for it. Leave all attempts to work out a salvation for yourself. The Law examines all of your actions, private and public; all of your words, even your idle words and gossip; the Law examines all of your thoughts and longings. You haven't lived a day without a sinful thought.

Your sinful deeds do condemn you, but just your vain thoughts of yourself are enough to send you straight to Hell. The very thought of foolishness is sin. You cannot attain to the Law's holy requirements. Remember your youthful sins - you dishonored your father and mother, you lied to others, and you took things that didn't belong to you. Think about the long, black list of your sins during your manhood. Once the Holy Ghost makes your soul conscious of your sins, then all hopes of salvation by your own works is abandoned, and you realize you are utterly condemned and in deep need of the Savior's atoning blood.

You can never satisfy God's Divine Justice with your actions, none of your deeds can take away the anger of God (John 3:36) towards you for your sins. Stop hoping to do what no sinner has ever done. Your self-goodness can never atone for your sinful past, you cannot prevent yourself from sinning in the future, your inward nature is as evil as your actions. Your being is filled with lust, you are loathsome to the core. Evil comes from you, for there is a fountain of evil spewing within you. You are an enemy to God, your carnal mind rebels against God's mind. Thoroughly give up your self-righteousness, be willing to be nothing, and to do nothing to help save yourself. Christ Jesus has completed a Perfect Righteousness and Blood Atonement for us. Free Salvation can be yours now by grace through simple faith in the precious atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ - God manifest in the flesh (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:9-11; I Timothy 3:16).

Never Trust Your Works 1

Most people today have been deluded into thinking they can work their way to heaven, and many think they can help the Lord Jesus Christ out with their own works.

Here are a few thoughts for the self-confident sinner to ponder: If you try to be your own savior, it would be like you climbing and climbing a steep mountain, and then at the end of your journey, you find out that the mountain is a volcano, and it all erupts on you and you have to go into a lake of fire because of your self-righteousness.

Just face it - Your sins have ruined you, your good works will only help damn you. Christ needs nothing from you to supplement His Precious Blood. God's Blood is pure and powerful and able to save any sinner to the uttermost. The most dangerous mistake you will ever make is to trust in anything done by yourself to help save you. Throw all your good works and fine performances overboard. Cease from your doings, your efforts, "It is finished!" Christ has done it all. Your best deeds are imperfect, they are all tainted with selfishness and spotted with your sin, and they will certainly doom you.

Your finest performances are stained with human sin. Selfishness is at the very bottom of all your good works, for they are for you, not for the Savior. Your own merits will never be good enough to earn eternal life in Heaven. You must come to Christ for Everything you need to get to Heaven. You must be saved by God’s free grace or not at all. You can never help Christ out with your counterfeit merits and doings. Do not come to Christ with your good works, come only with your sins, and He will take them away forever, and then He will Give you His good works afterwards. Good works can only be done after a man is born again, then the Holy Spirit work through the man to do God's will in well-doing that is well pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:21; I Peter 2:15).

Are you trying to be your own savior? If you are to be saved from sin, it must be through what Jesus did, and not what you've done. Just give up your futile attempt to be your own savior. Your self-righteous works try to make the Savior's work incomplete, though on the Cross He cried, "It is finished!" Christ finished the Atonement required for human guilt, and there is nothing left for you to do. If you are to be your own savior, you are in a sad case indeed, for you are filled with sins and faults.  Self-salvation is the surest way to hell.

Your spiritual wants will never be satisfied by working as if you were your own savior. If you seek to be your own savior, you are numbered with God's enemies. Jesus is all that is needed, Jesus never asked for your help, it is an insult to Him to suppose that He wants it. The man that tries to be his own savior is a fool. The self-righteous man is everything to himself, his own savior, his own guide, and his own sin-bearer - this is a deadly error indeed.

The blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ will save every sinner who trusts his sinful soul to Him. Even in the least part, do not try to be your own savior. If you try to keep your own soul, you have a poor keeper. If order to save yourself, you must obtain Perfection, and that is impossible for since you have already sinned innumerable times in your past, and you will sin every day until they bury you, for you are a sinner, and sinning is what you do best. You will lose your soul if you attempt to be your own savior. Human nature thinks its smarter than God. Trust to Jesus Himself now to be your Savior altogether. Human merit exalts man. But Christ's matchless merit puts down human merit. Forsake your attempts to be your own redeemer.

By nature, every man wants to be his own savior, but to set aside your own doings greatly offends the wicked pride human nature. When you set yourself up to be your own savior, you have set yourself up for absolute failure. Human nature's motto is, "Every man his own savior." Human nature thinks it can save itself - it is resolved to be its own savior, for it thinks there is something within itself which can help produce salvation. Be wise - go straight away to Christ as a sinner and trust *Him*. You cannot be your own savior, Christ is the Savior, His main business is to save sinners to the uttermost. Seek now free pardon for your sins through Christ's Atoning Sacrifice.

Your evil nature has layers like an onion, every time you try to peel off a layer of your sin in your own efforts, you only reveal a more offensive and foul layer, that brings many tears to those around you. The outer layers of the onion are foul speech, dishonesty, selfish deeds, unclean acts, and the like, but the more offensive layers of human nature are the love of sin, unbelief, self-conceit, egotistical thoughts, stubbornness, pride, vain glory, self-righteousness, impure impulses, unclean imaginations, self-esteem, self-trust, fleshly desires, rebellion, and self-justification.

Your main business is to come to Christ as a sin-sick, weary, heavy laden, self-ruined sinner, and ask Jesus to cure your sin-sick soul by applying His Precious Blood. You cannot be your own physician, go to Christ just as you are, the only salvation for your soul is to trust implicitly, permanently, simply, nakedly on Christ. Your most noble thoughts, your most generous deeds, and your highest aspirations are all defiled with your sin and selfishness. Make Christ your only hope, never try to prop Him up with your own good works. He is able and willing to save your soul.

Away with your good works and all your vain trustings, all God asks of you is just to trust Christ finished, perfect work. Your good works are good for nothing. Your righteousness is unrighteousness. You must be saved entirely by Christ’s merits. Simply lie flat on the sweet promise of Christ (See Matt 11:28). God shed His blood for you in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Only self-righteousness can damn a man, and only Christ’s righteousness can save a man. Only trust God’s blood that flowed from Christ veins on the Cross. Put all your trust on Jesus.

Good people end up dying in their sins. You need to confess your sins to God, hide nothing from Him, confess that you are guilty, confess that you should be damned and put in hell forever. Tell the Lord God what an undone wretch you are without His grace. Cast away all hope you’ve ever had or will have in your own doings, and put away all trust in your good works and everything else. Now understand – You have not a speck of goodness in yourself at all, you only deserve God’s divine and eternal wrath. Your natural goodness will only condemn you before God.

You can never enter heaven by trusting your good works at all – if you try, you will be cast off forever. You have nothing of your own but sin. If you have no sins, you can have no pardon from God. Cast your soul simply on this great promise, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save ungodly sinners. You are utterly unable to get rid of your own sin by your dead works. Do not be so foolish as to dictate to God how you will be saved. You will lose your soul as surely as you attempt to be your own savior. Once and for all transfer all salvation work from yourself to Jesus Christ.

Just come clean, and come before God as a condemned criminal in your prison rags with the death-noose around your neck, and you will be accepted in the Beloved. Be content to have nothing good in yourself, and come and take all your good from Jesus Christ freely. Renounce your pretended goodness and deceitful self-confidence. Oh, give up all your labors, give them up right now. Your own works will never cover your soul as you must be covered in God's sight.

There is a better Righteousness than yours to be had, but you must received it from Another, His name is JEHOVAH JESUS. Your fleshly refuges are all a refuge of lies, give them up. Give up your deadly doings, your goodness is as perilous as your badness. Your fake righteousness is only beautiful to you, because you are blinded by your pride. If you could see it, it is all black as your sinful filthy hand can make it. Your self-righteous rags are riddled through and through with holes.

Give up your self-salvation, it will only bring you sure damnation. Jesus is the sinner’s only hope. Give up every other reliance. You deserve to die an eternal death and be cast away from God forever. The very best performances of your hands can never take away one of your sins. Simply be willing to be saved by free grace through faith in God’s shed blood, through real faith in the real Blood of Jesus Christ, that is God’s only way of saving sinners. Only precious faith in the Precious Blood of the precious Christ will save an ungodly sinner. Trust Christ alone now, and you will live forever and ever.  Yield yourself at once to God’s way of salvation. Away with your doubts and deluded conceits, be like a little child, come to His feet, and believe only in God’s Son. Trust Christ to save you, and He will do it.

All your natural goodness is only a bag of filth in God’s sight. Perhaps you may be resting in some hope that you can make yourself better and help save yourself. Give up all your insane self-righteous delusion. With your good works, you have tried to weave yourself a robe to cover your dead soul. Your efforts to make yourself better are only another form of your sin, another shape of your iniquity. You may be at ease now and dangerously resting in your self-righteousness. But remember, you can never do anything to merit eternal life. Your best works will only condemn you at the Judgment of God.

Stop deceiving yourself, God’s wrath is reserved for work-trusters. Let go of your good works and those fine thoughts of yourself. Unless you have a better Righteousness than your own when you die, you will surely perish. If you trust to your good works, you will be as lost as if you trusted in your own sins. Your good works are nothing better that dung in God’s pure light. The sinner doing good works to help get him get past God’s holy judgment is like a man attempting to cross the stormy Atlantic in a paper boat, or like a man trying to fly to Heaven in a paper airplane. You're not going to make it.

Neutral You Cannot Be

We are faced with many decisions every day.  Go to work, or go broke.  Waste my money, or pay my bills.  Overeat, or watch my diet.  Keep my current job, or find another.  Love my family, or be selfish.  Ignore the symptoms, or go to the doctor.  Gossip about someone, or keep my mouth shut.  Do right, or yield to temptation.  Be proactive, or procrastinate.  Lose your sins, or lose your soul.  We make many important choices every day, but the most important decision facing you in this short life is this:  “What will you do with Jesus which is called Christ?”

100 years from now you will be somewhere out in Eternity.  What you do with Jesus Christ will determine where you will be 100 years from now.  You can make all the right decisions regarding everything else in your life, but if you make the wrong decision concerning Christ Jesus, you will lose everything worthwhile in time as well as Eternity.  Everyone who has ever lived has faced this all important decision.  Our ‘will’ is where the decision is made for or against Christ.  The Bible says:  “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

There are only two alternatives - You must either receive Jesus Christ or reject Him - and to neglect Him is to reject Him.  “But,” you say, “I can be neutral.  I don’t have to take sides.  I am not going to receive Christ, but at the same time I am not going to reject Him.”  Listen dear friend, if I have a gift for you in my pocket, but I do not tell you anything about it.  Then, you can be neutral.  But the moment, that I take it out of my pocket and offer it to you, you are bound to make a decision.  You can no longer remain neutral.

Before you heard anything about the Lord Jesus Christ, you could be neutral.  But the very moment He was offered to you, you had to make a decision.  And from that day to this, you have never been neutral concerning Him, nor can you ever be neutral again.  Every time you hear the invitation to come to Christ and be saved, you have to make a decision.  Jesus said, “Ye will not come to Me that ye might have Life.”  Notice the word, “will”.  It’s all in the WILL.

If today you do not receive Jesus Christ, then you reject Him.  It's either one or the other.  You may not say or do anything, but you have thought something, and your ‘will’ inside your heart has made a definite decision ‘for Christ’ or ‘against Him.’  You need to do the ‘right thing’ with Jesus Christ.  A choice must be made.  There is no such thing as being neutral.  Death, dying in your sins, is a dark dead end without Jesus Christ.

You will never go to Hell because you’re a murderer, adulterer, or rapist.  God can forgive those sins.  You will never perish in hell, because you’re a drunkard or a thief.  God can forgive drunkards and thieves.  But there is one sin that God Himself cannot forgive, and this is the rejection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  If you refuse or neglect to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, there is no hope for you, for God has no other plan.  You cut your own throat.

If you receive Jesus Christ freely, you will be a child of God the instant you do it.  But if you reject Jesus Christ, there is nothing else that you can do that will make you a child of God.  If you receive Jesus Christ’s mercy, you will have peace of conscience.   But if you reject Jesus Christ, there is nothing else that you can do that will bring you peace of conscience.  If you receive Jesus Christ Himself, God will receive you, no matter who you are, no matter what you have been, no matter what you have done.  But if you reject Jesus Christ (the apple of God’s eye), God will reject you, no matter whom you are, no matter how many good things you have done.

“What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” is the haunting question that every soul must answer.  Your response determines where you will spend Eternity.  Your acceptance before God depends entirely on what you decide to do with Jesus Christ.  There was one way you came into the world--you were born. There is one way you will get into Heaven--ye must be born again.  You have had a physical birth.  You must have a spiritual birth and that must come through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

What are you going to without Jesus in the hour of death, on Judgment Day, and in Eternity?  You will need Christ Jesus, the great Advocate and Mediator, to stand by your side and plead your case.  Jesus took your place on the Cross and died as your Substitute.  He rose again from the dead and lives today, and He is longing to save you by His grace.  His blood atoned for all your sins – that means His suffering paid your sin’s death penalty.  He hung there on the Cross naked and bled to death in your place, so you could be forgiven freely and escape the wrath of God (Hell itself) that you deserve.  God punished Him in your place to pay your sin debt.  His death on the Cross paid what every sinner owes.

What Jesus does with you at the Judgment will depend upon what you do with Him now.  What will you do?  You will have to do something.  Your thoughts determine your will.  A decision must be made.  What are you going to do with Him?  Be wise - Settle it now.  Tomorrow may be too late.  Death is inevitable and could be imminent for you.  Please take this advice:  Trust to His Precious Blood, Rely on His dying love, Receive Him into your heart, look to the bleeding Lamb of God on Calvary, cry out to God for His Mercy before it’s too late.  Please come to Jesus Now by Faith in His Precious Atoning Blood.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Substitution 7

In the fulness of time, the Lamb of God came to Earth to be offered up upon the tree of Calvary for unworthy sinners, that He might die as our Substitute and Mediator.  He bore our sins in His own body, and He took all the divine wrath that was due to guilty man's violation of God's Law.  God accepted Jesus' sinless blood Sacrifice, and validated His approval by Christ's resurrection from the dead.  Jesus actually, really and completely purged our sins by offering up Himself for us all.  He gave His own blood as a Ransom for our immortal souls.

The blessed plan of Salvation is this - Every sinner must confess and acknowledge that his own righteousness is nothing but filthy rags, and that there is nothing in us that can ever merit anything from God.  The sinner must receive the scriptural truth that God the Father put His dear Son into his place, and laid his sins on Jesus, and that God smote Jesus with the punishment which should have fallen upon the sinner.  The sinner must also accept that Jesus endured the agonies of the Cross for him, and the sinner must trust to Christ's sufferings and blood with his whole heart.

The sinner must change places with Christ, and let Jesus stand in his place, and Jesus be reckoned as the guilty one, that the sinner might stand in Jesus' place, and be looked upon by God as if he were as Righteous as the Son of God.  Jesus clothes Himself in the sinner's rags, and then Jesus puts His Robe of Righteousness on the sinner.

Jesus says this to you, "Sinner, look, there comes the great flood of God's wrath toward you, come over here and stand in My place, and I will come over there and stand just where the wrath is coming for you, and let it flow over Me, so you can be put into the place of acceptance before God which only I should occupy, and I will freely save you by Grace from the wrath to come."  One believing look to the Lamb of God who is the sinner's Substitute is all it takes for you to be saved. *John 1:27* Yield yourself to Jesus, trust to His finished Cross-work, and Eternal Life is yours instantly.

This is the only way of Eternal Life - Atonement by Blood, Salvation by Substitution.  You must acknowledge yourself to be nothing, and then take Christ Jesus Himself to be your All in All.  The moment your Faith is placed in Jesus' atoning blood alone, you are accepted in the Beloved forever.  Believe the great truth of Christ's Atoning Sacrifice for the ungodly.  There is no other way by which sin can be taken off of your soul but by laying your sins on Jesus the Sin-Bearer and Substitute for sinners.

I have sinned, and I regret and I have done so, but God has forgiven me but Jesus' sake.  I have received God's mercy through the blood of the Lamb of God. By faith I laid my hands on the head of the great Sacrifice for sinners.  Jesus has carried my sins far away just like the Scapegoat carried away the sin of Israel into the wilderness long ago.  My iniquities shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and my sins, and they shall not be found.  I trust to the Atoning Sacrifice offered by God's dear Son, and now I am at perfect peace with God through His Blood.  Now, I hate my sins more that I ever have, and my sins grieve me more than they ever did before, when I think how much I have hurt such a kind and forgiving Savior.

God Incarnate stood in the sinner's place, and then the sinner stands in the place of Jesus.  Christ takes the sinner's sins, and the sinner takes Christ's Righteousness, that's all there is to it.  Believe this grand fact - God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth laid down His life for sinners.  The agonies and blood of the Savior put sin away.  Jesus died as my Substitute, and now I take the sweet cup of wine, that is, the precious truth of Substitution, Christ Jesus dying instead of me, and I drink down that precious truth into my heart and soul and it nourishes, saves, and delights my soul.

If you have nothing to offer God but sin; if you are poor, penniless, miserable, and in utter destitution and poverty spiritually; then you can come on to Jesus for mercy and forgiveness of sins.  Close with His blood by faith. He bore your guilt, He carried your iniquities; your sins were laid upon Him; trust only to Him.  You need a good sight of the Cross, a clear view of the Atoning Blood, and a true understanding of His blessed plan of Substitution.  Now understand - Christ Jesus only saves poor, guilty sinners.

Believe the great saving Truth of Atonement by Substitution with all your being.  Get this precious Truth clearly into your head, and deeply into your heart.  The Bleeding Love of Calvary pays the sinner's debt, forgives the sinner's sin, saves from divine wrath, and pacifies our guilty dread and frees us from the power and love of sin.  God only forgives any sinner, because Jesus suffered in the sinner's place, and that God puts the sinner into Christ's place.  You must accept God's great plan of Salvation by Substitution, by Blood Atonement, by Sinless Sacrifice.  Whosoever believeth in Jesus shall receive the free remission of sins.  Jesus is the Door, and His Blood and Righteousness of Jesus Christ are the two hinges on which my eternal destiny hangs upon for time and Eternity.  Let Jesus the Substitute be magnified.

Get It Settled

Unpaid bills, credit card debt, overdue taxes, and rising interest rates can sometimes worry us to death.  Some think by ignoring their bills, they will just go away.  But, we must settle up with our debtors, or they will haunt us through our credit ratings.  But a guilty conscience and the fear of dying troubles the heart of man worse than anything until his sin debt is settled with God.  Your sin debt cannot be ignored.

Every time we sin (lies, thefts, gossip, lusts, cursing, laziness, fornication, dishonoring of our parents) we create a debt with God we cannot pay.  Lustful thoughts lead to sinful acts.  Envy leads to strife and hatred.  Sin begins in your thoughts, and then spreads to your eyes, ears, tongue, hands, and feet.  The Bible says, “the wages of sin is death.”  Sin brings death to our souls and our human bodies.  We cannot escape death – it is inevitable.  Everybody is guilty of sin, there are no exceptions.  Are you a bonafide sinner?

You may have some ‘good works’ to boast of, but they can ‘never’ take away your sins.  The Bible says our righteousnesses (good works) are as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)  You cannot work your way to God's Heaven.  Jesus didn’t die for good people that are self-righteous; He died for His enemies.  It great Love to save a great sinner like you. *Ephesians 2:4*  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  Your sin and rejection of Christ has stirred up God’s wrath toward you.  If you’ve never trusted Christ alone to pay your full sin debt, the wrath of God now abides on you. (See John 3:36, Romans 2:5)

God provided a Perfect Substitute to pay for your sins freely.  Christ died for the ungodly.  God became a Jewish man 2,000 years ago, and suffered the punishment and penalty due to your sins - the Just for the unjust.  God knew you couldn’t pay your sin debt, and that you couldn’t live the sinless life He requires for you to enter Heaven.   So God sent His only begotten Son to live a sinless life, start to finish (perfect Righteousness), suffer, bleed and die in your place (perfect Atonement), and then rise again the third day from the dead (perfect Justification).

The Blood of God ran through Jesus’ heart and veins; He loved you and gave Himself for you.  *Galatians 2:20*  Jesus' name was also Immanuel - that means, God with us.  He poured out His life’s blood, so you would not perish.  His sin-bearing work on Calvary’s Cross is your only hope.  Jesus stepped in between you and the wrath of God, and took the eternal blows and strokes from God’s vengeance and justice in your stead.  Christ paid your sin debt in full.  But your debt is not paid until you believe on Christ Jesus Himself (trust in Christ’s perfect righteousness and shed blood):  then your sin debt is paid – paid once for all, once and forever, but not until then. You must receive His payment freely as a gift.  Get it settled today.

When it comes to Bible Salvation, all your bragging and boasting is out.  Hear the Glad Tidings of the Kingdom of God - Salvation and Eternal Life is free through God’s own blood!  I know this may sound too easy.  It is easy for a sinner to be saved, but it was not easy for the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross; He loved you to death, even the death of the Cross.  Christ Jesus suffered reproach all of His life, and then in death, He suffered bitter agony, torture and shame to rescue you from your sins.  How can you brag about what you've done, when you must depend 'completely' on Christ for Salvation?  You can only brag about Him.  Flee from the wrath to come at the foot of Cross under Jesus' blood.

You need Christ's Righteousness to do for you what cannot do for yourself.  If you are counting on 'any kind of good work' that you have done to get you to Heaven, then Christ's Righteousness cannot be counted (imputed) to you.  You must place your entire trust in a Sinless Man who kept every jot and tittle of the Law of God perfectly, and then He bled and died for you.  Jesus satisfied all the demands of the Law and Divine Justice for you.

Your death bed is coming soon, Eternity is forever, Hell is real.  Your sins are the reason you are condemned. please don’t die without Christ Jesus as your Sin-Bearer and Savior.  Without Christ you are 'condemned already' (John 3:18), and presently the 'wrath of God abideth' on you. (John 3:36) If you don't care what God thinks of you when you die, then just keep trying to 'do your best' and try to pay for your sins yourself. You will surely fail.

Look away from your self-efforts and religion and look only to Jesus and His innocent, redeeming blood. Jesus Christ satisfied the demands of God's law and took God’s wrath for you.  Do you want God to be pleased with you?  This is the only way - trust to Christ and His shed blood only.  Get your sin debt settled with God today.  Jesus is longing to save you; the Holy Spirit is tenderly calling you to the Cross where you can obtain God's mercy.  Get it all settled today with God at the Cross.  Plead and trust Jesus' sinless, Atoning Blood at once!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

The Truth of the Matter Is

The Truth of the Matter is... This is a common expression used to capture your hearer's attention when you are trying to make known the heart of an important issue. Well, The Truth of the Matter Is... people living in this 'temporary world' are looking for satisfaction and longing for true peace for their minds and souls. God hid this true peace at a dark, shameful, bloody place called Calvary where God Himself as a Man died for man's sin. Please read this message, and it may help you to understand the truth of the Gospel.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This one verse sums up the entire Bible, the need of man, and the provision of God. It is all you need to know about God's plan of redemption for sinners. This one sentence contains enough to save every believing soul and to enough to damn every unbelieving soul on earth. This sentence contains three great truths: Sin brings Death, Salvation is only through Christ, and Salvation is the free gift of God to whosoever will come to Jesus by faith in His blood.

** Sin brings death to the soul of man. ** The wages of sin is still death here in the 21st century. It brings physical death, mental death, moral death, spiritual death, and if you die in your sins - the second death. Sin bring death to character, to personality, to ambition, to reputation, to love, to influence, to homes, to businesses, to schools, to churches, to villages, to cities, to states, to nations, to the whole world.

It is universal death. For the Jew, Gentile, the man, the woman, the child, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." There is no escape from death. There is no denying it, no defying it, no hiding from it. Death's germs are everywhere. The germs are in our bodies, in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, and the food we eat. The whole universe is under the curse of sin, the condemnation, the consequences of sin, which is death. The rich man's riches cannot overcome it. All the schemes, programs, organizations, and proposals of man can never mitigate this fearful fact.

It is inescapable death. Death is wherever men gather. Civilization or crudeness, education or technology, ignorance or science, brilliancy or barbarism can never stem or stop death. There are funerals held in the heart of the jungles of Africa to the upper east side of Manhattan, NY. There is no escape, there is no exemption. Death cannot be bought off, reasoned off, or pushed off. The inevitability of death must be pressed upon the minds of sinners, so they will flee to Christ for safety.

Sin is eternal death, the second death, the bottomless pit of burning, the everlasting lake of fire. This is the true and final consequence of sin. There is an eternal, burning, tormenting hell awaiting sinners that reject Christ and die in their sins. It is a place of banishment from the presence of God, a place of ceaseless, hopeless, helpless remorse waiting for all those who die with their sins unconfessed and unforgiven. This is the decree of God, the dictum of Eternity, and the declaration of the ages.

But there is a way of escape from the curse, from the condemnation, from the doom, from the damnation of sin. It is the Bible way, the Gospel way, the way of the Cross, the way of the Blood, the way of Calvary. It cost God all that He was and all that He had, but He offers it 'freely' to the children of men.

** Salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ ** In Christ there is absolute, total, eternal, effective Salvation for every soul to the uttermost part of the earth. The Bible gives three foundations, three certainties concerning the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. They are all based on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

** First, Jesus came to save from the damnation due to sin. Jesus Himself, said, "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." God said about Him, "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." That was His mission and ministry. For that, Christ left His home and throne in Heaven. For that, He took upon Himself the likeness of men. For that, He humbled Himself in the carpenter's shop of Nazareth. For that mission, He humbled Himself to the fare of the poor, denying Himself even the bare comforts of a home and an affectionate family. For that, He preached the word of God, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, and raised the dead. For that, He prayed through the lonely nights with the weight of the world's woes upon Him. For that, He wept over Jerusalem. For that, He sweated blood in the dark Garden of Gethsemane. For that, He died on the Cross. Yes, there is salvation for every one of you because Jesus Christ came to save.

** He died to save from the love of sin. Christ bled out His life on Calvary's Cross for the ungodly, His enemies. In His own body, on Calvary's bitter tree, He bore the sins of every soul among us. "He was made to be Sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us, for it written, Cursed is every one which hangeth on a tree." "For as much as ye know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold; ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot." "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own; but the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." These Bible verses make it plain that Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins, died to save us. The blood of Jesus that was poured out on Calvary's cross ties the hands of God in two ways: God cannot save any sinner outside of Christ's atoning blood; and He must save every sinner who comes to Christ claiming the Blood Atonement.

** Jesus lives to save from the power of sin. Were the cross the end of the life of the Savior, were Joseph's tomb still sealed with the grip of death and the grave, our salvation would be a matter of deep doubt, of bitter misgivings. We could not be sure of the virgin birth of Jesus, of His sinless life, of His matchless teachings, of His mighty works, of His healing, saving, keeping power. The foundations of our faith are laid in the verity of the resurrection, ascension, and intercession of the Redeemer. The crucified Son of God did rise from the dead, He did go back to His Father in glory, that in and through the Holy Spirit He has been changing the destinies of souls, of nations, of the world. By faith in His shed blood we all can experience a personal, definite, dependable indwelling of the living Christ. He walks with us, talks with us, guides us, sustains us, empowers us, enlightens us, ennobles us, enables us, in short, saves us from the drag, the drain, the drought of the slavery of this world into the joy and fellowship with and service in God.

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself a ransom for all." "Jesus saith, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." "Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both." Yes, there is salvation for you because Jesus lives to save.

** Salvation is the 'free gift' of God's love ** "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace."

** Salvation is free because it is priceless, beyond human value and computation. **  There is nothing man knows with which this salvation may be compared. Salvation is free because it is has paid for, paid in full with God's own blood. *Acts 20:28* It was paid for in the humbling of the Son of God, when He stripped Himself of His heavenly glory to come down upon the sin-cursed earth to live the life of a Galilean peasant Jew.  Jesus came in the backdoor of this world (a manger in Bethlehem), so sinners could walk through the front door of Heaven freely forgiven. Christ left His Father's throne above, so free, so infinite His grace; He emptied Himself of all but Love, and bled for Adam's helpless race. Salvation was paid for in the blood-sweat of Gethsemane. It was paid for in the scourging of the Roman injustice. It was paid for in the loneliness, in the shame, in the heartache, in the heartbreak, in the blood-letting, in the blood-shedding of Calvary's cross. God cannot, God has not, God will not, and God does not require any price from us poor sinners save the coin of repentance and faith.

** Salvation is free because it is offered freely to whomsoever will come and take it. ** The Bible is very definite on that point. In many places, in many ways, in precept and in parable, the Holy-Spirit-breathed Scriptures offer the blood of Christ, the bread and the water of life, very freely to all comers. For 2,000 years this free salvation has been offered to the children of men of every clime, country, condition, race, have found their way to the Fountain, even blood-stained Calvary, and have drunk deeply and freely of the flowing blood and water to their own pardon and eternal joy.

The Holy Spirit invites you to take Christ's free salvation now. Every saving promise of scripture, every urgent appeal, every wonderful, tenderly wooing word that He can invent urges upon you to come and be saved, to come fleeing from the wrath to come, to come to escape from the wages due to your sins, everlasting death.

You are standing at the cross-roads of life and death. On the one hand, the Lord Jesus is tugging at your heart, pulling at your soul, offering you His blood for the free pardon of your sins. On the other hand, Satan is striving with all his hellish power to keep you from receiving the Gospel invitation to come to Christ. The decision is all yours. It is either the wages of sin or the gift of God. It is either Christ or Satan, God or sin, salvation or damnation, life or death, Heaven or Hell.

Your personal decision will make the difference. The devil will not let you go without a struggle. You must turn and tear loose from his grip by an act of your own will. You must step over the line to the Savior's side. Will you come now? God Himself, for Christ's sake, will do all the rest, if you will come as a lost and needy sinner, accepting the 'free gift' of His love, even eternal life through Jesus Christ. God will save your soul, if you will just 'let' Him. Let Jesus Himself reach down from Heaven and with His own heart's blood wash away your sins, and He will make you a child of God today. *John1:12*

Do you know what is so difficult about salvation? The hardest thing about salvation is realizing that you NEED it. The most difficult thing about salvation is realizing you can't save or 'help save' yourself. "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." (Proverbs 25:25) The good news about salvation is that Someone else did everything for you out of love, and that you only have to receive Salvation Freely by faith, without your own works playing a part in it at all. "And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17)

There is only one religion in this world that demands 'sinless perfection.' It is isn't Islam, it isn't Buddhism, it isn't Hinduism, it isn't Taoism, it isn't Catholicism, it isn't Atheism. No religion demands sinless perfection as the key to heaven except 'Biblical Christianity.' It's the only one. All the other religions have very low standards.

All other religions have exceptionally inferior standards. "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish 'their own righteousness,' have not 'submitted' themselves unto the 'righteousness of God.' For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Romans 10:3-4) The word "BELIEVE" in the New Testament means to entirely trust in, absolutely rely on, to solely rest on, completely lean on, totally depend upon, or wholeheartedly count on). Be honest with your own soul: Have you ever truly 'believed' in the Blood of Christ to wash away your sins.

No other religion is set up like Biblical Christianity. Every other one is man's religions and tradition trying to tell you, "If you do this and this, and don't do this, and don't do that, and hold out to the end, you 'might' make it. Religion will always try to get you trust in it, or try to get you to trust in yourself, and never in Christ Jesus' Blood alone. *Romans 3:25* Faith in His Blood is the way to Heaven.

The Bible says, "If you do this and this and this, and don't do this and don't do that, you'll still go to hell like a bullet. All your do's and don'ts do not make any difference, you have sinned and you are dead in sins, and your so-called good works are called 'dead works' in the scriptures. They are called 'dead works' because a dead person is doing them to help save himself. You need 'life' from the Lord Jesus Christ first, and then He will give you the power to do 'living works' for His glory alone.

Religion will tell you, "If you just do this and do this, and don't do that, you might get to heaven. But the Bible says, "If do all you can, and stop all you can, and you'll still wind up in hell. Do you know what the Bible demands for you to get to Heaven? Perfect Sinlessness, that all. You say, "Well, I can't make it then." I gathered you'd think that. You're right. Do you know who made it for you? Only one, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see how simple that thing is? All that God demands from you is absolute sinless perfection, that's all He demands. And since 'you' can't do it, God will freely give Christ's Righteousness to you, if you will only humble yourself, acknowledge your sinful condition, acknowledge you cannot attain to the sinless perfection that God demands, and then simply receive Christ's Righteousness (absolute sinless perfection) as a free gift. Simply put, just trade your rags (dead works) for Christ's riches (perfect righteousness).

The Gospel of God says, "Since you can't do this and can't do that; and should have done this and didn't do it; if you've done this, and messed up and didn't do that; and rebelled and did this; and was lazy and didn't do that. Dear Sinner, If you truly realize that you are a sinner, and that you can't do the right thing at all to save your own soul, here's the Good News:  God sent Someone into the world 2,000 years ago (Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh), that did the whole thing for you, and attained the Sinless Perfection (Righteousness) your soul needs to face a holy God, and if you will only trust (totally depend) in Him and take Christ's Righteousness (absolute sinless perfection) as a free gift, I will save you by My grace. God says, You must receive Christ's Righteousness as a free gift, or else you will be die in your sins and be damned forever. Trust to His Blood with all your heart.  Jesus said, "He that believeth on the Son 'hath' everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the 'wrath of God' abideth on him." Salvation is that simple.

Salvation is as easy as taking a drink of water. You can be saved just as easy as bending over at a water fountain and taking a drink. Your thirst draws you to the fountain. You then bend over (humble yourself) and swallow (receive the water freely) and your thirst is quenched. It is the same with your soul. Your soul is thirsty because of your sin, and only the water of life (the Lord Jesus Christ Himself) can take away your sin and satisfy your soul's thirst. Isn't that easy? It's SO easy. Come to the water of life (the Lord Jesus Christ) and drink, yea, drink abundantly right now. Jesus said Himself, "I will 'give' unto him that is 'athirst' of the fountain of the water of life freely."