Christians, if they are not the most inhuman people in the world, cannot believe what they profess – that men without repentance and faith must perish eternally – or they would be more earnest in endeavoring to save them. If I believed what they profess to believe – I would scarcely cease day or night to warn others of the wrath to come.
Contentment does not depend on what we have but on Who we have within and on what we have in Him.
Displaying a Christmas nativity scene is a long-standing tradition, but it can also present a bit of a skewed view of the actual events of Jesus’ birth. While each person depicted in a traditional nativity scene is a part of the Christmas story, not all the characters were present in one place on the night Jesus was born. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were in a stable that night due to the overcrowding in Bethlehem’s inn (Luke 2:7), but the Bible never mentions whether or not animals were present—in fact, it never even mentions a stable. The shepherds, once told of Jesus’ arrival, left their flocks to worship the newborn King (Luke 2:16). However, the angels, which are often part of nativity scenes, bore the good news to the shepherds in the fields (Luke 2:8–14). As far as we know, there were no angels flying visibly over the place where Jesus was when the shepherds arrived. In addition, the wise men (the Bible never says how many there were) were also probably not present that first night. The magi visited Jesus some time later, when He was in a house (Matthew 2:1–11).
Got Questions? What is a Christmas nativity? Used by Permission.
These doctrines build upon one another. The doctrine of total depravity establishes what the Bible teaches about the spiritual condition of unregenerate man and leaves one with the question “Who can be saved?” The doctrine of unconditional election then answers the question by declaring God’s sovereign choice in choosing to save people despite their depravity and based solely on God’s sovereign choice to redeem for Himself people from every tribe, tongue and nation. Next, the doctrine of limited atonement explains how God can be perfectly just and yet redeem those sinful people and reconcile them to Himself. The only solution to the depravity of man was for God to provide a Redeemer who would act as their substitute and suffer the wrath of God for their sins. He did this in the death of Christ, who, having been crucified, completely and totally “canceled out the certificate of debt…having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14). That leads to another question: how can a spiritually dead sinner who is hostile to God have faith in the atoning work of Christ on the cross? That question is answered by the doctrine of grace that is known as irresistible grace, the “I” in the acronym TULIP.
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
The doctrines of grace, and specifically the doctrine of limited atonement, empower evangelism rather than hinder it. Embracing these wonderful biblical truths allows one to boldly and clearly declare the good news of the gospel, knowing that the power is not in our presentation of it or in the audience’s ability to understand it or desire to believe it, but, instead, rests solely upon an all-powerful God who has determined to save people from every tribe, tongue and nation.
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
Another common misunderstanding about the doctrine of limited atonement is that it somehow lessens or diminishes the love of God for humanity. Yet, again, exactly the opposite is true. Of all of the doctrines of grace, the doctrine of limited atonement, when correctly understood, magnifies the love of God; it does not diminish it. Limited atonement reinforces the intensive love of God that is revealed in the Bible. God loves His people with a love that saves them from their sin, as opposed to the love of the unlimited atonement view that sees God’s love as being more general in nature. In the unlimited atonement view, He loves everyone in general but saves no one in particular and, in fact, leaves the matter of their salvation up to them. Which is more loving, a love that actually saves people or a love that makes salvation “possible” to those who are dead in trespasses and sins and unable to choose God?
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
One common misunderstanding about the doctrine of limited atonement is that this view somehow lessens or limits the value of the atonement of Christ. Yet exactly the opposite is true. Limited atonement correctly recognizes that Christ’s death was of infinite value and lacking in nothing. In fact, it is of such value that, had God so willed, Christ’s death could have saved every member of the human race. Christ would not have had to suffer any more or do anything different to save every human who ever lived than He did in securing the salvation of the elect. But that was not God’s purpose in sending Christ to the cross. God’s purpose in the atonement was that Jesus would secure forever the salvation of those the Father had given to Him (Hebrews 7:25). Therefore, while Christ’s atonement was limited in its intent or purpose, it was unlimited in its power.
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
If one holds to an unlimited atonement while denying universal salvation, one ends up with a redemption that leaves men not totally free or actually redeemed, a reconciliation that leaves men still estranged from God, a propitiation that leaves men still under the wrath of God, and a substitutionary death that still makes the sinner himself help pay the debt of his sin. All of these aspects of the atoning work of Christ then become nothing more than a possibility that relies upon man to make them a reality.
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
If Jesus actually stood in my place and bore my sin on the cross as the Bible teaches, then I can never be punished for that sin. In order for Christ’s atonement to truly be a substitutionary or vicarious atonement, then it must actually secure a real salvation for all for whom Christ died. If the atonement only makes salvation a possibility, then it cannot be a vicarious atonement. If Christ acted as a real and true substitute for those for whom He died, then all for whom He died will be saved. To say that Christ died a vicarious death in the place of all sinners but that not all sinners will be saved is a contradiction.
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
Many theologians use the word “vicarious” to describe Christ’s atonement. This word means “acting on behalf of” or “representing another” and is used to describe “something performed or suffered by one person with the results accruing to the benefit or advantage of another.” The vicarious atonement of Christ means He was acting as a representative for a specific group of people (the elect) who would receive a direct benefit (salvation) as the result of His death.
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
[Definite] atonement [teaches] that [Christ’s death] was specific in whom it covered (God’s people), was substitutionary in nature (He actually bore their sins on the cross), and actually accomplished what God intended it to do (justify many). Clearly, here is a picture of an intentional, definite atonement. Christ died not simply to make justification a possibility but to actually justify those He died for. He died to save them, not to make them savable.
Got Questions? Limited atonement—is it biblical? Used by Permission.
We should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.
Got Questions, How can I have assurance of my salvation? Used by Permission.
The assurance of salvation is, simply put, knowing for sure that you are saved.
Got Questions, How can I have assurance of my salvation? Used by Permission.
The word redeem means “to buy out.” The term was used specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. The application of this term to Christ’s death on the cross is quite telling. If we are “redeemed,” then our prior condition was one of slavery. God has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law. This metaphorical use of “redemption” is the teaching of Galatians 3:13 and 4:5.
Got Questions? What is the meaning of Christian redemption? Used by Permission.
Scripture is quite clear that redemption is only possible “through His blood,” that is, by His death (Colossians 1:14).
Got Questions? What is the meaning of Christian redemption? Used by Permission.
The name of Jesus is not a magic incantation that causes demons to flee from before us. The seven sons of Sceva are an example of what can happen when people presume an authority they have not been given (Acts 19:13–16). Even Michael the archangel did not rebuke Satan in his own power but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9). When we start talking to the devil, we run the risk of being led astray as Eve was (Genesis 3:1–7). Our focus should be on God, not demons; we speak to Him, not them.
What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Warfare? God Questions? Used by Permission.
The streets of heaven will be filled with former captives who, through no merit of their own, find themselves redeemed, forgiven, and free. Slaves to sin have become saints. No wonder we will sing a new song – a song of praise to the Redeemer who was slain (Revelation 5:9). We were slaves to sin, condemned to eternal separation from God. Jesus paid the price to redeem us, resulting in our freedom from slavery to sin and our rescue from the eternal consequences of that sin.
Got Questions? What is the meaning of Christian redemption? Used by Permission.
There are some false teachers who take the concept of kenosis too far, saying that Jesus gave up all or some of His divine nature when He came to earth. This heresy is sometimes referred to as the kenosis theory, but a better term is kenoticism or kenotic theology, to distinguish it from biblical understanding of the kenosis.
Got Questions? What is the kenosis? What does it mean that Jesus emptied Himself? Used by Permission.
The kenosis was a self-renunciation, not an emptying Himself of deity. Nor was it an exchange of deity for humanity. Jesus never ceased to be God during any part of His earthly ministry. He did set aside His heavenly glory. He also voluntarily refrained from using His divinity to make His way easier. During His earthly ministry, Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of the Father.
Got Questions? What is the kenosis? What does it mean that Jesus emptied Himself? Used by Permission.
True faith goes beyond a simple acknowledgement of God’s existence to a life-changing reliance on who God is, as revealed in the Bible.
Got Questions? What does the Bible say about faith? Used by Permission.
Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is it something we are born with, nor is faith a result of diligence in study or pursuit of the spiritual. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. Faith is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory.
Got Questions? What does the Bible say about faith? Used by Permission.
We may not consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with the divine Scriptures, nor ought we to consider custom or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God, since the truth is above all; for all men are of themselves liars and lighter than vapor.
Belgic Confession of Faith, VII.
The worst thing we can do is try to become our children’s friend instead of parent.
Got Questions? How do I survive trying to raise a teenager? Used by Permission.
Teenagers typically share certain characteristics. First, they are going through the stage in life where they believe they know all there is to know and what they don’t know isn’t worth knowing. Second, the hormones and chemicals charging through their brains and bodies hinder them, often rendering them incapable of reasoning as rational adults. They want what they want when they want it, and often don’t have any clue that what they are asking for will hurt them. It is the job of the parents to keep their children safe from themselves as they negotiate this difficult time of life.
Got Questions? How do I survive trying to raise a teenager? Used by Permission.
Calvinists/Reformed thinkers maintain that God limits the atonement by choosing those whom He will save, and thus God only placed on Christ the sins of those He had chosen for salvation. The Arminian/Wesleyan position states that God does not limit the reparation of Christ, but instead it is humanity that limits the atonement by freely choosing to accept or reject the offer that God makes to them for salvation.
Got Questions? Is the Atonement of Christ Unlimited? www.GotQuestions.org. Used by Permission.
Since not everyone will be saved, there is one inescapable fact to understand: the atonement of Christ is limited. If it isn’t, then universalism must be true, and yet Scripture clearly teaches that not everyone is going to be saved. So, unless one is a universalist and can defeat the biblical evidence above, then one must hold to some form of limited atonement.
Got Questions? Is the Atonement of Christ Unlimited? www.GotQuestions.org. Used by Permission.
Although good works cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God’s judgment, yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively faith; insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by its fruits.
Taken from Holiness by J.C. Ryle, Moody Publishers, copyright 2010, p. 91.
Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed, as in the greatness of the Person sinned against.
The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. Our mission lies not in changing the nation through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.
Got Questions? How should a Christian view politics? www.GotQuestions.org. Used by Permission.
The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (Matthew 6:33). God’s plans and purposes are fixed, and His will is inviolable. What He has purposed, He will bring to pass, and no government can thwart His will (Daniel 4:34-35). In fact, it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21) because “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes” (Daniel 4:17). A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will. Even though evil men abuse their political power, meaning it for evil, God means it for good, working “all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Got Questions? How should a Christian view politics? www.GotQuestions.org. Used by Permission.
You can measure the character of a man by the size of the things that make him angry.
Death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of the horrible and the ghastly, dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of open wounds, breathlessness, all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but stopping short of the point which would give the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful, the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish. The wounds inflamed by exposure gradually gangrened, the arteries especially at the head and stomach became swollen, compressed with surcharged blood while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing. There was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst. All these physical complications cause an internal excitement and anxiety and in all this you couldn’t catch your breath.
Smith’s Bible Dictionary under Crucifixion.
The true greatness of any church in not how many it seats but how many it sends!
When we can truthfully say to our Father, “All that I am and have is Thine,” then He can say to us, “All that is Mine is thine.”
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 11.
The Christian leader has a will totally willing at all times to will the will of God.
Quoted in: Ted W. Engstrom, The Making of a Christian Leader, Zondervan, 1976, p. 204. www.zondervan.com.
Humanism has taught that man is the measure of all things. Man is the ultimate, autonomous norm; that is, he is a law unto himself. His reason, not subservient to divine revelation, is the basis of ethics.
Tabletalk, March 2008, p. 55.
The printed page never flinches, it never shows cowardice; it is never tempted to compromise. The printed page never gets tired; it never gets disheartened. The printed page travels cheaply- you can be a missionary for the price of a stamp. It requires no building in which to operate. The printed page works while you sleep. It never loses its temper in discussion. And it works when you are gone from the scene. The printed page is a visitor that gets inside the home and stays there. It always catches a man in the right mood. It speaks to him only when he is reading it. It never answer’s back and it sticks to the point.
Constructive and Destructive Approaches to Conflict:
Raises & clarifies issues vs. Brings up old issues. Expresses both positive & negative feelings vs. Expresses only negative feelings. Complete and honest information vs. Selective information. Conflict focuses on issue vs. Conflict focuses on person. Accepts mutual blame vs. Blames other person(s) for problem. Focuses on similarities vs. Focuses on differences. Facilitates change to prevent stagnation vs. Minimizes change, increasing conflict. Both win vs. One wins, one loses; or both lose Resolving conflict increases intimacy vs. Escalating conflict decreases intimacy.
Either God is totally sovereign, ordaining, ruling, and disposing of all things as He will, or He has no control over anything and faith in Him is an utter absurdity.
Christ was placed midmost in the world’s history; and in that central position He towers like some vast mountain to heaven – the farther slope stretching backward toward the creation, the hither slope toward the consummation of all things. The ages before look to Him with prophetic gaze; the ages since behold Him by historic faith; by both He is seen in common as the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the unspeakable gift of God to the race.
In order to mold His children, God sometimes has to melt them down.
Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one, have often no connection. Knowledge dwells in heads replete with thoughts of other men: Wisdom, in minds attentive to their own. Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much, Wisdom is humble, that he knows no more.
The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.
For if men will not believe, and act upon, our Lord’s promises and commands [regarding prayer], how can we expect them to be persuaded by any mere human exhortations [to pray]?
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 3.
Nothing great has ever been achieved without enthusiasm. Colossians 3:23…do it heartily.
If we ask and God does not give, then the fault is with us. Every unanswered prayer is a clarion call to search the heart to see what is wrong there; for the promise is unmistakable in its clearness: “If ye shall ask anything in My name, that will I do” (John 14:14). Truly he who prays puts, not God, but his own spiritual life to the test!
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 3.
Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve and mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.
We are not God’s children because we imitate God, rather we imitate God because we are His children. We do not "walk in love" so that God will love us. Rather, we walk in love because God has loved us. We do not "let our light shine" (upon the deeds of darkness) so that we’ll be made "children of light". Rather, we let our light shine because we are children of light. There are ramifications of being united to Christ (if we are united to Him!) and they cannot be avoided.
www.Abort73.com
Asking with shameless persistence, the importunity that will not be denied, returns with the answer in hand.
Character can never be summoned in a moment of crisis, if it has been squandered through years of compromise and rationalization.
God forms; Satan deforms; Holy Spirit conforms; Preaching reforms; Bible informs; Christ transforms.
For a truly God-called man, one of his greatest fears is of his life not counting for Christ, all his efforts making little difference for the sake of the kingdom.
Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby before the foundations of the world were laid, He hath constantly decreed by His counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom He hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honor. Wherefore they which be imbued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God’s purpose by His Spirit, working in due season; they through grace obey the calling; they be justified freely; they be made sons of God by adoption; they be made like the image of his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good works and at length by God’s mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.
The Thirty-nine Articles, Number Seventeen, 1563.
No man dare prescribe for another how long a time he ought to spend in prayer, nor do we suggest that men should make a vow to pray so many minutes or hours a day.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 2.
Since God compels believers to care for children whose parents have been killed (orphans – Jas. 1:27), wouldn’t He also compel us to care for children whose parents want to kill them? Whereas the orphan is bereft because his parents are dead, the unborn child on the way to the abortion clinic is bereft because his parents want him dead, and that’s a worse condition to be in. By reasoning from the lesser to the greater, we can be fairly certain that God’s concern for orphans also mandates concern for unborn children.
www.Abort73.com. Used by Permission.
Encouragement is prompted by love and directs toward the fear of God.
Biblical Christianity is “standing on the promises”, while cultural Christianity is “sitting on the premises”.
The world needs men who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who do not hesitate to take chances; who will not lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be honest in small things as in great things; who will make no compromise with wrong; whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires; who will not say they do it “because everyone else does it;” who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity; who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success; who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular, who can say “no” with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says “yes.”
Quoted in: Ted W. Engstrom, The Making of a Christian Leader, Zondervan, 1976, p. 120. www.zondervan.com.
Love is not blind, it sees more not less; but because it sees more it chooses to see less.
When God puts us in the furnace, His hand is in the thermostat and His eye is on the clock.
Self asserts itself in criticizing others. Let this thought burn itself into your memory – the more like Jesus Christ a man becomes, the less he judges other people. It is an infallible test. Those who are always criticizing others have drifted away from Christ. They may still be His, but have lost His Spirit of love. Beloved reader, if you have a criticizing nature, allow it to dissect yourself and never your neighbor.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 11.
No man can expect to make progress in holiness who is not often and long alone with God.
Knowledge humbles the great man, astonishes the common man, puffs up the little man.
Quoted by Curtis C. Thomas, Practical Wisdom for Pastors, Crossway Books, 2001, p. 60.
This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world.
The Canons of Dort, The Second Main Point of Doctrine: Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It. Article 3- The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death.
There is no greater love song to proclaim than the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord at Calvary, but yet others feel content to sing about the chaff of this world. What the New Testament church wrestled with the least is what our industry craves the most – money. How dare we think we can play politics with God, with His truth and with His church? We can’t negotiate with sin no matter what kind of capital is at stake – and that really is the issue here.
A Call for Reformation of Contemporary Christian Music.
Athanasius, early bishop of Alexandria, stoutly opposed the teachings of Arius, who declared that Christ was not the eternal Son of God, but a subordinate being. Hounded through five exiles, he was finally summoned before emperor Theodosius, who demanded he cease his opposition to Arius. The emperor reproved him and asked, “Do you not realize that all the world is against you?” Athanasius quickly answered, “Then I am against all the world.”
The reason we do not pray as we ought is because we do not enjoy prayer as we ought.
When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, “I do not want to be like a Paul or any mere man. I want to be like Christ. I want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in His footprints. Oh, to be more like Christ!”
Prayer is our highest privilege, our gravest responsibility, and the greatest power God has put into our hands. Prayer, real prayer, is the noblest, the sublimest, the most stupendous act that any creature of God can perform.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 12.
When we confess that we “never get answers to our prayers,” we are condemning not God, or His promises, or the power of prayer, but ourselves. There is no greater test of spirituality than prayer.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 6.
Missions is not the “ministry of choice” for a few hyperactive Christians in the church. Missions is the purpose of the church.
Character is built on daily decisions. Never let character give way to convenience.
Thanksgiving gives effect to prayer, and frees from anxious carefulness by making all God’s dealings matter for praise, not merely for resignation, much less murmuring. Peace is the companion of thanksgiving.
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary on the Whole Bible, Philippians 4:6.