If God did not choose some men without any\nconditions, NO MAN would ever choose God under any condition. God chose us, not\nbecause we believe, but that we may believe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Augustine <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A believer\nin the Lord Jesus Christ is convinced in his heart that God Almighty is\nSovereign in creation, in providence, and in salvation. He knows that the Lord\nis powerfully working all things in this world for His own glory and for the\neternal good of His people. As God\u2019s providence is unveiled before his eyes,\nthe believer is heartily aware that he\u2019s seeing the grace of God, and therefore\nlongs to be found faithfully waiting, trusting and cleaving unto the\nLord. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marvin\nStalnaker<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When the\nHoly Spirit regenerates the sinner, giving faith to believe on our Lord Jesus,\nthis is what our Father has done and what we now have in Christ. \n\u201cGiving thanks unto the Father, which HATH MADE US MEET to be partakers of the\ninheritance of the saints in light: Who HATH DELIVERED us from the power of\ndarkness, and HATH TRANSLATED us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we\nHAVE REDEMPTION through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins <\/em>(Col\n1:12-13). This is the good news the Spirit blesses to strengthen us in\nheart to \u201ccontinue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away\nfrom the hope of the gospel<\/em>\u201d (Col 1: 23)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nBeliever\u2019s Rule of Life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I left\nthe pulpit one night and a fellow asked me, \u201cDo you believe \u2018the law\u2019 to be a\nbeliever\u2019s rule of life?\u201d He seemed surprised when I told him I did not. His\nvery next question was, \u201cHow do you know how to live?\u201d I told him immediately\nthat I lived just as the Apostle Paul, \u201cThe life that I now live, I live by the\nfaith of the Son of God,\u201d (Gal. 2:20). This\nwas the rule of life for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Abel and all others who\nhave nothing but Jesus Christ to live upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Someone\nwould say, \u201cYou mean you live as you want to?\u201d I wish I could: I\u2019d be filled\nwith the Spirit, I would never sin again, all my motives would be pure, I\u2019d be\ndelivered from this body of death. Oh, I wish I could live just like I want to.\nThe closest thing I have found to living just like I\u2019d like to is living by\nfaith upon Jesus Christ the Dear and Blessed Son of God. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bruce\nCrabtree<\/p>\n\n\n\n A New\nCreature<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTherefore\nif any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;\nbehold, all things are become new.\u201d<\/em> (2 Corinthians 5:17).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nLord Jesus Christ does not show blind men how to see. He gives them new eyes\nand they see Him! The Lord Jesus Christ does not tell deaf men how to hear. He\ngives them new ears and they hear Him! The Lord Jesus Christ does not beg lame\nmen to walk. He gives them new legs and they leap as a hart, and follow Him!\nAll who are in Christ receive a new mind of repentance toward Him, a new will\nthat bows to Him, a new heart that believes and loves Him. Yes, if any man be\nin Christ, he is a new creature! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabe\nStalnaker<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nOnly Reason for Salvation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\nwrite unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his\nname’s sake\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (1 John 2:12).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nis only one reason revealed in Holy Scripture that any sinner would be pardoned\nfrom all sin. That one reason is Christ alone\n(Eph.4:32). Christ Jesus was manifested to take away our sin\nand in Him is no sin (1 John 3:5). The only reason for grace, is Christ (John\n1:16). The only reason for mercy is Christ (Titus 3:5). The only\nreason for salvation is Christ (Acts 4:12). The only reason for sanctification\nis Christ (1Cor. 1:30). His name’s sake includes all these things and much more\n(Rom. 5:20). Salvation is not because of our merit, nor our baptism, nor our\nworks, nor our prayers, nor our repentance nor our faith; but for the sake of\nChrist, his blood, sacrifice and satisfaction; and it reaches to all our sins,\noriginal and actual, secret and open, past, present, and future. The\nonly reason for our salvation is not found in us, but rather in the Lord Jesus\nChrist alone (Isa.43:1-7; 44:21-23). \n \n \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom\nHarding<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faith\nand Repentance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We are\nby nature so works oriented that if not careful we\u2019ll turn faith and repentance\ninto a work. True faith is by its very nature the absence of all works. It is\nfinding in oneself no good thing. It is to be shut up to the Lord Jesus Christ,\nthe only One who is good, for all our acceptance before God. We must never view\nfaith as our contribution to salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like\nfaith, repentance is also a sovereign work of grace in the heart. The Holy\nSpirit changes our minds about God, about ourselves, and about how God saves\nsinners. Yes, it involves sorrow for sin. But let us never think we can sorrow\nsufficiently. God-given repentance is not wallowing in the mire of shame and\nsorrow for sin. That can very quickly become a work. It is agreeing with God\nthat I am, left to myself, nothing but sin. It is looking, not to my\nrepentance, but to my Redeemer for all the hope of my\nsalvation. \n \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Greg\nElmquist<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAccording\nTo His Mercy He Saved Us\u201d <\/strong>Titus 3:5<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were dead\nin sin. But God called us to life by his sovereign power. Our hearts were hard.\nBut he broke them by his goodness and led us to repentance. We were blind. But\nGod gave us eyes to behold his Son. We were unbelieving. But he gave us faith.\nWe were under the dominion of sin. But omnipotent grace broke the iron fetters\nof our bondage. We were under the curse of the law, children of wrath. But\nChrist broke the gates of our prison and set us free. We were under the power\nof Satan. But Christ, by the power of his Spirit, spoiled the strong man\u2019s\nhouse and took up residence in our hearts as Lord and King. We have been saved\nby the purpose of God, the purchase of God, and the power of God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don Fortner<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n BELIEVER\u2019S\nEXPERIENCE God has\nrevealed unto the true believer the true nature of sin and his wound grows\ndeeper with the passing of time, as God gives him more light. \nConsequently, his need, his hungering and thirsting for Christ also increases\nwith time. The deeper his wound, the deeper his repentance, and the more\nhe loves to hear of the all-sufficient Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those\nwho profess faith in Christ and do not, with the passing of time, have a deeper\nsense of their sinfulness, and thus live in a deeper state of repentance, have\nnever likely experienced anything but a superficial religious scratch, not Holy\nSpirit conviction and repentance. And this condition is nearly always\nmanifest in their lack of an increasing hunger and thirst for Christ and the\nindifferent manner in which they hear that precious Gospel of God’s glory and\ngrace. They had as soon, or rather, hear other things than the things of\nChrist. Contrariwise, the true believer can never hear too much of that\nglorious message of “Jesus Christ and him crucified.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\ntrue believer is described in Philippians 3:1-14.<\/em> May we, you\nand I, be found in that blessed number. Mr. Spurgeon once said,\n“After some years of experience, the Christian comes to know, better than\nhe did at first, how much the Gospel suits him. He finds that its\nsimplicity suits his bewilderment; its grace suits his sinfulness: its power is\nsuitable to his weakness; its comfort is suitable to his despondence; and the\nmore he grows, the more he loves the gospel of the grace of God.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The popular gospel is a declaration\nof man\u2019s rights and God\u2019s obligations…\u201cI have a right to salvation if I want\nit, and God must give it to me if I ask for it.\u201d The Gospel of Christ is a\ndeclaration of God\u2019s rights and man\u2019s helplessness to fulfil any of the\nobligations…. \u201cHath not the Potter power (authority) over the clay to make of\nthe same lump one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour?\u201d (Romans 9:21)\n\u201cThere is none righteous, no not one\u201d (Romans 3:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joe Terrell<\/p>\n\n\n\n HOW GOOD MUST ONE BE TO GET TO\nHEAVEN?<\/p>\n\n\n\n ” It shall be perfect to\nbe accepted” Lev.22:21<\/p>\n\n\n\n “How good does one have\nto be to get to heaven?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will God accept sincerity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will God accept you if you do the\nbest you can and lead a good life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you get to heaven if, from this\nday forward, you serve the Lord?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone who knows anything about God\nand His word knows that the answer to these questions must be AN EMPHATIC NO!\n(Romans 3:20, Romans 3:28)<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is not possible for any man to\ndo or think anything that is good or acceptable before God (Isaiah 64:6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n God cannot and will not accept\nanything less than WHAT HE IS, WHICH IS ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He says in Leviticus 22:21, \u201cIt\nshall be perfect to be accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to get to heaven by our\nworks, we must be as good as God, perfect in all things\u2013perfect in heart,\nperfect in thought, perfect in works, PERFECTLY HOLY!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is there, therefore, no hope?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Must we all perish forever?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NO!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blessed be the Lord our God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Christ He has found a way to be\nboth just and Justifier. He has found a way to make fallen, sinful people like\nus perfect\u2013perfectly holy and perfectly accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOW THIS PERFECTION IS NOT OF US,\nIN US, NOR THROUGH US, NOR THE RESULTS OF ANYTHING WE DO OR HAVE DONE. IT IS\nENTIRELY THE WORK OF GOD’S\u2019s FREE GRACE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. God has taken\nChrist\u2019s perfect righteousness and imputed it to us, making us to be the very\nrighteousness of God in Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE PENALTY AGAINST SINS WAS PAID\nIN FULL BY THE DOING, SUFFERING, AND DYING OF OUR LORD JESUS AS THE SINNER\u2019S\nSUBSTITUTE. “<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scott Richardson<\/p>\n\n\n\n LAW AND GRACE<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rom. 11:5-6<\/p>\n\n\n\n Henry Mahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n No two things in the world are any\ndifferent than law and grace. They are as opposite as light and darkness. They\ncan no more agree than fire and water (Rom. 11:5-6). What is so amazing is\nthat, while law and grace are so diametrically opposed, the human mind is so\nvoid of spiritual understanding and turned away from God that the most\ndifficult thing for a human to do is to discriminate between the two. Men\ninsist on mixing what God has positively put asunder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man who knows the place of the\nlaw and the glory of God’s free grace, who can rest in Christ alone for all\nthat the law requires and justice demands, knows the gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first real difficulty in\nconversion is to get a man LOST\u2013truly lost! A lost sinner is hard to find.\nThere are plenty of weak people, even sinful people; but only the Holy Spirit\ncan produce a LOST sinner. No law, system of works, nor moral code can do him\nany good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second difficulty in conversion\nis to teach a man THE GOSPEL. Few there be that really find it. This gospel of\nGod’s FREE GRACE IN CHRIST comes to the lost sinner without any return on his\npart. It is the gift of God from beginning to end. Even repentance, faith, and\ngood works are His fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The third difficulty in conversion\nis to bring a believing sinner to REST all of his days in the same grace and\nlove that took him in. We are chosen, called, and kept by His free grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Here I raise mine Ebenezer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hither by Thy help I’m come;<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I hope by Thy good pleasure<\/p>\n\n\n\n Safely to arrive at home.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Henry Mahan,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If God did not choose some men without any conditions, NO MAN would ever choose God under any condition. God chose us, not because we believe, but that we may believe. Augustine A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is convinced in his heart that God Almighty is Sovereign in creation, in providence, and in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6778"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6779,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6778\/revisions\/6779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>Maurice Montgomery<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n