Repent and Believe!!

Yes, you must first believe but salvation is more than that.  

You must repent and believe!

Mark 1:15 ... And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Acts 19:4 ... Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Psalm 24:3-5 ... Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. ❤

Lessons Learned Too Late!

Luke 16:19-31. Here is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

Lazarus died and was carried up to Heaven. Chosen, redeemed and born of God--he entered into glory. "The rich man also died." What became of him? "In Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment!" 

 Our Lord here allows us to look beyond the grave. He allows us to look into Hell itself. He shows us the pains, feelings and desires of a damned man one who is forever shut up in Hell. Here are seven things that the rich man learned, but he learned them too late! He learned them in Hell! I pray that you will not learn them too late. 

1. Death does not end all. "If a man dies, shall he live again?" Indeed, we shall. We all have an immortal soul that will live on forever after our bodies are in the grave. Will you spend eternity in the bliss and glory of Heaven--or in the torments of the damned in Hell? 

2. There is a real place called "Hell." Hell is as real as the town in which you live. The same Inspired Book that tells us about Heaven and the eternal bliss of the redeemed, also tells us about Hell and the eternal misery of the damned. I do not know where it is, and I cannot imagine what it is, but Hell is a real place. The rich man found out too late, that Hell is not a myth. 

3. A holy God must and will punish sin. God is so inflexibly just and holy, that when the sin of His people was imputed to His own dear Son He poured out His infinite wrath upon Him! In the same way He who punished His Son for sin He will certainly punish you for your sin, if it is not removed by His Son. 

4. Hell is a place of endless torment. The rich man cried, "I am tormented in this flame!" Hell is a place of unfulfilled lust and desire a place of eternal mental, moral and physical agony. 

5. Christ is the only way of salvation. The rich man's riches, religion, and works, were of no value to him in Hell. Missing Christ, he lost all! 

6. Unless a man repents, he will surely perish. In Hell this man realized that without repentance, there is no salvation. (verse 30) 

7. No one can ever be saved without hearing and believing the gospel. (verses 28-31) Be wise now and believe the gospel. Trust Christ, lest you also perish forever under the wrath of God!

[Don Fortner]

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The Objects of Christ's Mission

The objects of Christ's mission: His People WHO are the recipients of this glorious salvation? The text is unmistakably clear: "His people." Not all mankind indiscriminately, but those whom the Father gave to Him from eternity past (John 6:37; 17:2); those chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and for whom He laid down His life as their Good Shepherd. (John 10:11, 15) This truth exalts the sovereign grace of God. Jesus did not come to make salvation possible for all, but to secure salvation for His people a definite, elect, blood-bought multitude. 

His mission was not to offer redemption hypothetically, but to accomplish it perfectly. "He WILL save…" is the language of certainty, not possibility. Yet how can one know if he is among "His people"? The answer is found in the fruits of saving grace: conviction of sin, faith in Christ, repentance toward God, love for holiness, and perseverance in the truth. Those who trust in Christ and walk in His ways, show themselves to be the people He came to save. Do not rest in a shallow profession. Examine your heart. Has Christ truly delivered you from the love of sin, the dominion of self, and the darkness of unbelief? 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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The Essence of Christ's Mission

The essence of Christ's mission: To Save from Sin This verse is a glorious declaration of the very heart of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not salvation from suffering. Not salvation from political oppression. Not salvation from earthly poverty. But salvation from their SIN that which separates man from God, damns the soul, and defiles every part of life. He did not come to be a moral teacher, a political reformer, or a cultural icon. He came to save from sin. Sin is not a light matter. 

It is the rebellion of the creature against the Creator, the transgression of God's holy Word, and the corruption of human nature. Sin stains every thought, word and deed. Sin places every sinner under the righteous wrath of Almighty God. Therefore, the greatest need of every human soul, is not self-improvement or religious reformation but divine salvation. Jesus did not come merely to forgive sin, but to save from sin. That means He delivers from sin's guilt, by His atoning death, from sin's power, by His Spirit's indwelling presence, and soon from sin's presence altogether, in eternal glory. 

He came not only to justify, but to sanctify. Any gospel that offers pardon without purification, or Heaven without holiness is a false gospel. Jesus saves entirely from the penalty, power, and pollution of sin. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

Matthew 1::21 ... And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

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The Gospel Hospital!

When a man is absorbed by a new master-passion, what a different man he becomes. The passion for wealth will work marvels! We have known idle people become very diligent, and profuse voluptuaries become even self-denying to their flesh in their ambition to acquire riches. In the same way, whenever God really saves a person, He gives that person a new master-passion the passion of gratitude to Christ, along with love to the God who saved him. 

These always become a new master-principle which rules the entire man. From the moment that a man sincerely believes in Jesus, his nature becomes different from what it was before. He receives a new heart. Another influence takes possession of him, and another love engrosses him. He who once loved sin now loves God and lives for Him. By the saving grace of God, this supernatural change is possible even to the most vile and degraded people. 

If a man has committed every crime in the whole catalog of villainy, and his heart has become as hard as the nether millstone, and his disposition altogether vile and detestable, and groveling, and sensual, and devilish the Spirit can turn that man in a single moment, into a lover of that which is true, and right, and just! 

Yes, the Spirit can passionately inflame him with the desire to be perfectly holy! We do not teach that Christ forgives men and then lets them continue to live in the hog pens as before! We assert that the moment He gives the pardon of sin, He gives the new nature as well. The gospel hospital is not merely a place where lepers are harbored, but where lepers are healed! 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

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Ezekiel 36:26–27 ... A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ...  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ❤

Be Saved.

 Jesus Saves.

www.ChristianPhotoshops.com

Romans 6:23 ... For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 10:9 ... That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Acts 16:31 ...  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. ❤

"The Curse of God"

The curse of God is no empty threat it is the solemn declaration of His inflexible holiness and righteousness. It proceeds not from cruelty, but from His perfect justice. As His blessings are tokens of mercy towards every redeemed saint, so His curses are expressions of His holy wrath against every unbelieving sinner. From birth, every soul stands beneath this dreadful sentence, "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God!" (Romans 3:23)

Not merely gross wickedness, but every failure to love the Lord wholly and perfectly, places the sinner under condemnation. God's Word demands uninterrupted and entire obedience, and anything less invokes His curse. Yet in the midst of such terrifying truth, shines the wonder of redeeming grace: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us!" (Galatians 3:13) 

The weight of Divine wrath fell upon the spotless Lamb! The sword of vengeance was sheathed in His holy soul. He bore what we deserved so that we might be pardoned, justified, and made heirs of eternal life. Believers! We were once dead in our transgressions and sins, in which we used to live when we followed our father Satan, and the evil ways of this world. Like the perishing people around us, we were by nature children of wrath, and on our way to eternal perdition! But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, saved us by His wondrous grace! 

Such a marvelous salvation should strip us of all pride and fill us with reverent awe and unceasing gratitude. Since we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone let us hate sin, cling to the cross, and tremble at His Word. And let us warn others with compassion and urgency for outside of Christ, the curse yet abides. The only refuge is found at Calvary, where God's unfailing love and truth have met together and where righteousness and peace have kissed! 

[A. W. Pink] 

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John 3:36 ...  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.

Matthew 25:41 ...  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: ❤

God's Love to Us!!

The love of God to sinners is an ocean without shore, a mystery that stretches beyond the grasp of the highest angel. That the infinitely holy God--before whom seraphim cover their faces should set His heart upon those who were defiled, defiant, and dead in sin is the most humbling truth in all of Scripture. His love was not merited by anything in us, for we were altogether sinful and unlovely. Yet He loved us! 

And His love was not a mere sentiment it took action. He gave His Son, His only, His beloved to bear the curse we deserved. The Father did not spare Him, but handed Him over to be mocked, scourged, and nailed to a cross! There, the spotless Lamb of God endured the sin-atoning wrath due to the very ones who hated Him. What tongue can express such love? What mind can fathom its depth? This love is not a relic of the past it is alive and active this very moment. He loves us still. 

In discipline and direction, in provision and pain His love sustains and sanctifies us. It is unchanging, invincible, and ever nearby. No failure of ours exhausts it; no affliction removes it. His love is as eternal as He is. This love is the well-spring of every spiritual blessing. Let this melt the pride of our hearts, still our restless fears, and ignite a life of glad obedience. Nothing strengthens faith, calms the soul, or drives us to holiness like the felt reality of Christ's astonishing love in dying for such vile, undeserving sinners like us! 

O believer, marvel and rejoice you are loved with a love that never began, will never fade, and can never be broken! 

[A.W Pink] 

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Isaiah 53:5 ... But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Ephesians 5:2 ... And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.❤

"The MERCY of God"

Mercy is God's tender-hearted compassion toward the miserable and the guilty. It is the pity of a holy God stooping down to the helpless sinner not because He must, but because He delights to. Mercy is the overflow of His eternal love relieving the wretched, pardoning the guilty, and raising the fallen. From the beginning, God's mercy has been on display. It spared Adam and Eve in the garden. It delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt. It sent prophets to warn the rebellious nation. And in the fullness of time, it sent the Savior to redeem His people. Mercy is not a reluctant gesture it is the joy of God's heart. "God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ!" (Ephesians 2:4-5) 

God's mercy is not exhausted by repeated sins, nor limited by the depth of our guilt. The dying thief found mercy in his final breath and so may any who call on the Lord. Yet God's mercy never sets aside His justice. Mercy does not sweep sin under the rug it satisfies God's justice. This is the wonder of the cross where divine justice was upheld, and mercy was poured out. God did not overlook our sin He condemned it in Christ. At Calvary, mercy and justice met; righteousness and peace kissed! (Psalm 85:10)  

If we have received such undeserved mercy, then how can we withhold it from others? Shall we, who have been forgiven much remain unmerciful? Let us be as our father kind, compassionate, and forgiving. And let us never forget we stand by mercy alone. Here is our hope and our song that God delights in mercy, and His mercy never fails. 

[A. W. Pink] 

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Titus 3:5 ... 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;

Psalm 103:8 ... The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. ❤

The Gospel of The Grace of God

The heart of the Gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. The gospel is not a moral code, or religious sentiment. It is the divine proclamation that the thrice-holy God saves guilty Hell-deserving sinners freely, sovereignly, and eternally through the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cruel cross. 

It is the gospel of grace unmerited and undeserved. Grace authored salvation in eternity past. Grace sent the eternal Son, clothed in frail humanity. Grace sustained Him in Gethsemane, nailed Him to the cross, and raised Him in triumph. That same grace now calls the unworthy, convicts the hard-hearted, converts the dead in sin, and keeps them to the end. This gospel lays man in the dust, and crowns Christ with glory. 

It shuts every mouth and saves the worst of sinners. It declares with finality, that salvation is of the Lord from beginning to end. The condemned are pardoned. The dead are made alive. Rebels are adopted as sons and daughters of God. Let us proclaim the gospel of grace with boldness, treasure it with reverence, and walk in its power daily. 

The gospel is not man's achievement it is God's mercy. The gospel is the refuge of the desperate, the song of the redeemed, and the everlasting praise of Heaven. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Romans 1:16-17 ...  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Acts 20:24 ... But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Ephesians 2:8 ... For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:❤

Believe and Be Saved!

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ... Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that 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:

~~~ Happy Resurrection Day! ~~~

 

Rejoice!!

"Your Justification"

My dear Sister, I always loved you as my sister; now I love you much more than ever. I trust in God that you will soon stand related to me by a more close and dearer bond than nature can tie. Only go on, and you will be happy. God has begun His work; let Him finish it. 

All my prayers shall be offered for your speedy experience of His pardoning love. And until you taste of it, let me entreat you to be earnest in the careful use of all the means of grace. Be much in prayer, and in reading and meditating on the Word of God. But then take care that you do not build your salvation on these duties. You are not to imagine that anything you can do is able to justify you in the sight of God. 

Your justification is a free act of God's grace, without works,

 William Romaine

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Got Jesus?

Following Jesus is about more than a moment of conviction. It's about a lifetime of commitment, love, sacrifice, and obedience.  It's about where you will spend eternity. Got Jesus?

John 14:6 ... Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

1 John 5:11 ... And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

John 3:16 ...  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.

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By Grace ...

No one was ever saved because his sins were small. No one was ever rejected on account of the greatness of his sins. Where sin abounds grace shall much more abound. 

[Archibald Alexander]

Ephesians 2:8 ...  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Romans 5:20 ... Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: ❤

Choose Life!!

 If you reject Jesus Christ, then you reject your only way into Heaven.

Choose wisely.

Deuteronomy 30:19 ...  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Romans 6:23 ...  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 14:6 ... Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ❤

All of Grace

The glory, bliss, and perfection of heaven, whatever it is and all that it includes, is but the consummation of salvation; and it is, in its totality, the gift and work of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. In heaven's glory we shall forever adore and praise our great God for the wondrous mystery of his grace, by which we are saved. Everything in the great work of salvation sets forth the splendor of the grace of the Highest God. 

What do we see in election, predestination, redemption, regeneration, and preservation, but his grace? The whole work of salvation displays God’s rich, free, almighty, irresistible, sovereign, saving grace in Christ! In, salvation as well as in creation, all things are of God, all things are by God, and all things are for God. Unto him alone all praise must be forever! 

[Don Fortner]

Ephesians 2:8-9 ... 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.

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Free Agency and Predestination

I believe the doctrine of election to be as certainly true as the doctrine of the existence of God. I am not about to attempt to clear up all of the endless philosophic difficulties which could be suggested by a subtle thinker. 

If I were to venture upon such a labor, I would only be like Sisyphus who rolled a large round rock uphill, which always rolled down again. The difficulties about the compatibility of free agency and predestination have existed, do exist, and will exist to the world's end. To my mind both facts are certain but where they meet, none knows but God Himself. Yet there is a practical, common-sense way out of the difficulty. 

I do not know any better way of practically treating the matter, than of saying, "I will go to Jesus because He bids me, and because He has said, 'Whoever comes to Me, I will never cast out.' If I sincerely go to Him and He casts me out, then He has broken His promise; but He never can do that. So now I venture to trust in His sin-atoning death and leave my soul's salvation in His hands." 

In all other matters you act so: When you are sick, you do not know whether you are ordained to get well, but you send for the doctor. You cannot tell whether you are predestined to be rich, but you endeavor to make money. You do not know whether God has decreed that will live through the day, but you work to provide food for yourself. 

Thus, common sense cuts the knot which mere theory can never untie! Leave the philosophic arguments alone, and act as sensible men. Go to Jesus, and you will be saved! 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

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

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Believe Through Faith!!

No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, no financial gifts, and no church positions. The man on the cross hanging next to Jesus couldn’t even bend his knees to pray. He didn’t say the sinner’s prayer either. 

What did he do? He just BELIEVED through FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

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Luke 23:42-43 ...  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Romans 10:9-10 ...  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ❤

Effectual Calling...

There is a period known to God When all His sheep, redeemed by blood, shall leave the hateful ways of sin, turn to the fold, and enter in. At peace with Hell, with God at war, in sin's dark maze, they wander far, indulge their lust, and still go on, as far from God, as sheep can run. 

But see how God's indulgent care attends their wanderings, here and there; Still tracking them, wherever they stray, with piercing thorns, to hedge their way. When wisdom calls, they stop their ear, and headlong seek, their mad career; Judgments and mercies, can never sway, 

Their roving feet, to wisdom's way. Glory to God, they never shall rove, Beyond the limits of His love; Fenced with Jehovah's Shalls and wills, Firm as the everlasting hills. The appointed time rolls on apace, to call effectually, by His grace; To change the heart, renew the will, and turn the feet, to Zion's hill. 

[John Kent] 

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Romans 8:29-30 ... For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

John 6:44 ... No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.❤

The Greatest Sight You Will Ever See!

Jesus has borne the penalty of sin on behalf of His people. Behold the wonder! There He hangs upon the cross! This is the greatest sight you will ever see! 

Son of God and Son of Man, there He hangs, bearing unutterable pains, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. Oh, the glory of that sight! The innocent One, punished! The Holy One, condemned! The ever blessed One, made a curse! The infinitely glorious One, put to a shameful sin-atoning death! 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

2 Corinthians 5:21 ...  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. ❤