Pastor Herk continues: God is never going to empower any person or group that denies Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing Him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. Christ died once for all who repent, believe and trust in Him alone for salvation and life. By dying on the Cross, Jesus dealt with the penalty of our sin (past, present and future). But, when we willingly choose to reject Jesus and disobey His righteous teachings and holy commands in sin, we crucify and bring shame to Him. What is sin? The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines sin as the voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law. Sinner neither enjoy the pleasures of nor the peace of piety. Actual sin, above defined, is the act of a moral agent in violating a known rule of duty. Original sin, as generally understood, is native depravity of heart to the divine will, that corruption of nature of deterioration of the moral character of man, which is supposed to be the effect of Adam's apostasy; and which manifests itself in moral agents by positive act of disobedience to the divine will, or by the voluntary neglect to comply with the express commands of God, which require that we should love God with all the heart and soul and strength and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. This native depravity or alienation of affections from God and his law, is supposed to be what the apostle calls the carnal mind or mindedness, which is enmity against God, and is therefore denominated sin or sinfulness. Basically, anything that we think or do which is against the Will, Commandments or Law of God is sin.
Habakkuk 1:13a “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.”
Sin is rebellious, abominable wickedness against our just and holy Creator God in deliberate suppression of the truth. Sin separates us from God. But, because of what God had planned since the Fall of Man and what Christ has done on the Cross as an atoning sacrifice, the repentant Sinner has been forgiven. Yet, that doesn’t mean that we are free to continue in or return to willful sin. The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 6:1-4 when he asks, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Having repented of sin means that we want to move forward in righteousness and live sinless lives, as much as we can, walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25). Sin is a terrible, offensive abomination to God and when we call ourselves Christians and disobey God’s holy Word, we bring disgrace to the name of Jesus and what He did for us on the Cross.
When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. Professing Christian, child of the living Almighty God, Creator and Providence of Heaven and Earth with all that lives and breathes, what fruit do you bear? Fruitless ungodly lives are useless. Is there virtuous ground, diligently allowing the Lord to cultivate, weed and prune for good healthy crop growth and abundant fruit? If yes, than it is going to be a blessed and productive life. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 13:23, “But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”
The Apostle reassures the true Believer, Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Salvation in theology is defined as the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness. This is the great salvation of God through Jesus Christ to all who repent and believe. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” We owed a debt that we could not pay, so Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, that we would be saved. With that great salvation comes being washed clean of sin in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb of God, transformation of the heart, sanctified in consecration to the Lord, regeneration of the spirit, spiritual discernment, adoption as a child of God, forgiven unto eternal life as a citizen of Heaven, brothers and sisters in Christ, receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit and a kingdom of God worker in this world for the saving of many souls until the Lord calls you home. How are you doing in working out your salvation, receiving from the Lord and caringly giving to others in His name that they may be blessed also?
Let's conclude Pastor Herk's message on faithful perseverance in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment