Why. ( Ephesians 2 v 1 - 10 )

Lets continue to look at the why  ,last time we considered how because of our sinful nature,we have the potential to do awful things.That may appear very negative,after all many people do a lot of good things, we could write down a list of  people, like nurses ,doctors,etc.One can think of great people like Gandhi and many others who we admire,and there are people who raise money for charity?. Life is not totally negative,  on one level, one could say they are good,that is a human level.Even then one can also say are any of them perfect, no,and from Gods level  they are all sinners like everyone else. Religion does not change that, good works does not change that.No one is sinless in relation to their thought life,it may surprise us if we  knew  as to what others are thinking,it doesn't surprise God. Seemingly good people do not always act ,from pure motives,and sad to say,  people refuse to give praise or glory to God. As to speech I know no one whose perfect in speech , do you?,and further more, are you?. If we were all held up to the light,what would we see?  what blemishes would be revealed?. I remember many years ago, being shown how eggs were examined as to their fitness  to be sold,a light was shown through then,to see if they were bad eggs.The fact is we are all bad eggs in God sight,none of us are pure morally,we are all tainted ,affected by our fallen nature.We are all in the same boat,we all need a Saviour, and because we cannot save ourselves God in mercy has provided a way,the answer is Jesus.Stop fooling yourself, protesting your innocence , we are all deserving of hell,that means you and that means me.

Why.( 2 ) (Romans 3 v36 )

Jesus did not fail,when He was crucified, so let us consider why He came to die, why such a horrible death,we cannot sanitise it,we have to be careful not to do that, it was not a pretty picture, it was cruelty ,personified,it shows man at his worse,acting like a mere beast,they lusted after His death. Their pent up hatred for Him erupted like a destructive volcano,crucify Him ,crucify Him ,they cried out,at last we have him, thy thought, we are going to shut Him up once and for all.Such savagery was a manifestation of mankind's sinfulness at its worse,now we are closing in on the why He came to die ,mankind's sinfulness.  We must sanitise Christ death on the cross,likewise we must not minimize sin,any sin.and we must not  minimise the potential  of our fallen nature to manifest itself in the most extreme ways.You may not think you would have acted like those who crucified Jesus,but who knows,if you were there,you may have.As regards minimizing sin,one has to realise that any sin is an act of disobedience to a Holy God. The word of God clearly teaches that everyone of us sin (Romans 3 v23).that is the tragedy of our nature,sin,a nature that is desperately wicked, capable of the most awful things.

                                                 I will return to this next time.

A failure? (1) ( Isaiah 53 )

 Some people think that Christ failed,because he was crucified, but  not so, we must understand, that is why Christ came.His death and the very nature of His death was foretold by the prophets,I commend to you Isaiah 52/53,also Psalm 22,there are many other scriptures,that relate to His death.He knew that He was going to die on a cross Matthew  26 v 1-2 .John 12 v 32-33. He was always aware that He was going to die on a cross,it did not take Him by surprise ,John 12 v 27. His whole life was one walk to His death on the cross, He was not forced to do it,He did it willingly,in John 10 v17- 18,we read,' I lay down my life --No one takes it from me,but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again'.He could have called the armies of heaven to rescue Him Matthew 26 v 53,but He didn't,no He went as a lamb to the slaughter Isa 53 v 6.the bravest of the brave,determined to do the Fathers will.Luke 22 v 42.We will continue this next time,

Have confidence. (1 Corinthians 15 v 58 )

 Someone  has said,' The first duty of the Christian is to persuade others to accept the offer of God. In the last analysis we can never argue a man into Christianity. All we can say is.''Try it and see!''Often when JWs come to my door,I try to be patient with them,try  to show them from scripture the truth,it just becomes an argument. It all seems pointless,but one hopes that the Holy Spirit may break into their lives, convicting them,one thing  we can do is pray that God will use something one has said to touch their hearts.God is sovereign,He tells us that his word will accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 55 v11).That word that a person has heard may lie dormant for years,and the Spirit can bring it back to a person even in old age,  never underestimate the word of God.Consider, by the word of God all things came into being,we are told it is powerful ,Hebrews 4 v12.The Lord says,''Is not My word like a fire?.....and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?.  Jeremiah 23 v29. The stony hearts of men  can be broken down,and they can be humbled.As Matthew Henry says, 'The unhumbled heart  of man is like a rock; if it will not be melted by the word of God as a fire, it will be broken to pieces by it as a hammer'.When you witness to someone. water that witness by your prayers and even your tears,in Psalm 126 v 5 we read,'Those who sow in tears shall reap in Joy'.

Evidence. (2) ( Matthew 25 v 31 - 46 )

Last time we considered the fact that faith alone in Christ and His finished work saves a person,just simple faith.A vast amount of scripture clearly teaches that.But when one goes to book of James it appears at first glance to teach something different.Maybe that's why Martin Luther called it a book of straw,maybe,so let us consider  this.I believe James is stressing the working out of our faith,in other words the evidence that we are Christians ,it is about showing we are Christians,by obedience 1 v 23, by the way we speak 1v 26,/3 v by not being discriminate  2 v1- 4. by good works, by being merciful 2 v 13.,by not quarreling and fighting 4 v1,by praying in keeping with Gods will, 4 v 3, and so on. What James is stressing our faith must be manifest in our lives,it is evidence ,that we are Christians.William Hendriksen writes that during our life time we should show evidence of our faith in the Lord Jesus.  The reality of those who profess to be Christians,will be the good deeds they have carried out in their life  time,.these deeds include,works of love,mercy, and generosity (WH) Yes it boils down to that, again as WH says,''In your daily life and conduct, in what are often called 'the little things in life',you have furnished proof that you are called Christ disciples'. There will be those who protest about being rejected because,they have prophesied in Jesus name,done mighty works,in Christ name. WH  writes,'For those who boast about such''great accomplishments'', there is no room.( Matthew 7 v22-23 )

Evidence (Jonah 2 v 9 )

I am saved says a person, I  trusted  Jesus to save me,I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, before we come to consider evidence,let us seek to answered the question,as to what saves us.or who saves us.These two aspects are very important.When the reformation came into being in the 16th century one of the great divisions between the Catholics and Protestants was what saves,is it faith alone or faith and works. The fact is ,if it is faith and works that goes  against what the Word of  God teaches,Abraham believed and the Lord counted him as righteous because of faith. Genesis15 v 6. In  Romans 4 v 1-3, the apostle Paul writes'What did he discover about being made right with God ?. If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would  have something to boast about. But that was not God's way.' (NLT)Compare Ephesians 2 v 8 -9. One the great problems the early church had to contend with was from Jews who could not accept this,they said one  needed to be circumcised. The Galatian letter deals with this,Paul writes ,'We know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ not by obeying the Law.' Gal 2 v16.Very simple put ,the law was not made to  make us  righteous,it was given to make us aware of our sinfulness and drives us to Christ alone for salvation. Let me sum up what I have wrote,it is faith alone in Christ and His finished work on Calvary that saves. We will continue this next time, I will leave you the words of a hymn by Horatius Bonar,

                                                  Not what my hands have done

                                                  Can save my Guilty soul;

                                                  Not what my toiling flesh hath borne,

                                                  Can make my spirit whole.

                                                  Thy work alone O Christ,

                                                   Can ease this weight of sin;

                                                   Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,

                                                    Can give me peace within.

/

He is able . ( Jude v 24- 25 )

 In 2 Timothy 4 v 10,we read what the apostle Paul had say about a certain Demas, he said, ''Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life''.There are many like Demas in this life,they take of eternal values ,and fall in love with temporal values, Here they are called,'the things of this life',they come in all shapes and sizes,they promise so much,they can become irresistible.They did for Judas,and for Lots wife,don't think it could not happen to you,it could, the Word of God  cautions us against false pride,'Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 1Corinthians 10 v 12.  Take heed stop and consider how easily it is to go astray,and turn away from God,Here the words of proud Peter, ''I will never desert you.I will never deny you'', Matthew 26 v33 -35. but he did.The other disciples said as much,yet they all fled and left Him, we are no different than them,we may mean well,and would not imagine that we would fall away.If we like them, utter words of bravado ,what can we do?,acknowledge to ourselves and to God our need of His grace,that we may remain faithful to Him who loved us and give Himself for us.God knows how weak we are, He knows us through and through,and the wonderful thing is, we can rely on Him for He declares, that He is able to keep us from falling away, and bring us safely to glory. (Jude v 24 )