Tuesday, April 1, 2014

By our Savior alone

On our own we cannot save ourselves. We can try EVERYTHING to save ourselves and we will fail miserably.

We live in a world where that tells us that we can do anything if we put our minds to it, if we work for it, if we truly want something we can get it. However we are also told that we will fail if all we do is want it, and do not have corresponding works to put behind that desire.  Work hard, very hard and it'll all pay off. However, there are innumerable people who do desire and do work extremely hard and it doesn't pay off.  There is NO guarantee behind the hard work and desire that there will be success. Sometimes something called luck comes into play. Another thing call opportunity can be necessary.  There are many factors that go into someone succeeding as they want to and not succeeding. Many will say you are only a failure if you stop trying. And there are many clichés, many sayings, many tales that people tell each other and themselves in order to fit their lives into the hand they've been dealt. You all know what I'm talking about.

With salvation it's completely different.  There is NO LUCK involved. We all stand on EQUAL ground here, every single one of us!  From the person who has sinned for 90 years, to the person who has barely reached the age of accountability, they stand on EVEN ground! The playing field is completely level for everyone!  No one has an easier time, no one has a harder time, no one has an advantage over another.  

Okay, I can hear you saying, "No, you're wrong."    You want to tell me that the person born to God fearing parents has a much easier time than the person born to criminals. You want to give me many examples of where I'm wrong.

Yet to every single one I will answer the same-

God will give EVERY human being that ever exists the same opportunity to be saved no matter WHAT they've endured.  That opportunity is there! We don't all know the exact shape that opportunity will come to every human being, but it will come.

Our God is a fair God, a just God.

Rev_15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

NO ONE will be able to say with ANY truth that they were cheated out of an opportunity to be saved.

By the grace of our LORD we are SAVED.
By faith in our LORD we are SAVED.
By HIM and HIM ALONE we are SAVED.

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'The Covenants and the Sanctuaries -- Light  from the Throne -- (Continued) -- WWN '

'Vignettes -- In the book of Genesis, there are vignettes revealing man's inability to face his Maker in an acceptable way.

The record states that as soon as the first pair sinned, they perceived their nakedness, and made for themselves "aprons" of fig leaves. (Gen. 3:7)

But when the Lord God called to Adam - "Where art thou?" - he responded - "I was afraid because naked I (am); and I hid myself." (3:10, Heb. )

You will observe that in the KJV, the word, "was," is supplied. The word order of the Hebrew would indicate the use of "am" rather than "was".

Even though Adam, and Eve had covered their nakedness with a garment of their devising; when facing God, they sensed how totally inadequate was the "apron" of their making. To meet their need, God Himself took the first life ever taken in the universe from all eternity, and made for them "coats of skins." (3:21)

In the light of this sketch, how vain is the hope that man can by his works obtain the favor of God, and thereby atone for his transgressions.

The word sketch from the life of Cain and Abel reveals a fundamental principle upon which the message of the sanctuary is based.

Cain brought of the fruit of the ground and expected the Lord to accept his offering. He perceived of it as something he had produced, even as his parents had made "aprons" from the things of nature.

Abel, on the other hand, brought of the flock, and life was taken.

God can forgive sin, but only when the penalty of that sin is met.

Abel provided his recognition of that fact. "The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect." (Gen. 4:4-5)

How is man to regain acceptance with God? Through his works? A thousand times - No!

How then? Through the acceptance from God of the Offering He has provided.

In other words, Abel "obeyed" the gospel.
He accepted the basic principle upon which God could be just and the justifier of those who would accept His provision for sin.

Tragically, there will be untold millions even professed Christians - who will suffer the "vengeance" of "flaming fire" because they "know not God and ... obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." (II Thess. 1:8)

God is just and cannot condone sin.

Because man cannot provide for his own nakedness, God has provided a covering in Jesus Christ.

This is the gospel.

This is the way of God in the sanctuary.

The acceptance of that way is to "obey the gospel."

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