All Are Guilty

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. (Romans 3:19-20 NLT)

Queen marks 400th anniversary of KJV

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 KJV)

The Queen marks 400th anniversary of KJV on 16th November 2011. The following is taken from BBC:

QUOTE
A new translation of the Bible had been proposed in 1601 at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at Burntisland in Fife.

King James VI of Scotland, who went on to also become James I of England, attended the Assembly and three years later he commissioned what became known as the King James Bible at the Hampton Court Conference.

It was the work of 54 scholars working in six translation committees - or companies - based in Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster.

The Abbey event highlighted the book's impact on English language and culture throughout the world.

Expressions from the King James Bible such as "the powers that be", "the apple of his eye", "signs of the times" and a "law unto themselves" are still part of the English Language."

A trustee of the King James Bible Trust, Professor Pauline Croft, said: "People are always surprised how much of the language they use without thinking."

It's just the genius of the language, they were contemporaries of Shakespeare, they could have walked over to the Globe and asked him what he thought."

Speaking before the service, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, said the Bible's impact was not immediately recognised: "It took some time to establish itself. It wasn't really till the reign of Charles the First that it became universally used. "

But for the 350 years, certainly till about 50 years ago, it was the only translation of the Bible that everyone who spoke English knew. And it's been the biggest-selling book in history."
UNQUOTE

Jehovah Jireh - The LORD Will Provide

Today, Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Adha or Hari Raya Haji in Malay. This day commemorates the obedience of Abraham, was willing to obey God and sacrifice his son. In both the Bible and Quran, God intervened and supplied a ram instead. The events are recorded in the Bible in Genesis 22:1-14 and the Quran in Surat Aş-Şāffāt (Those who set the Ranks) 37:99-109.

The message in the Bible was one of atonement, of substitution. God had provided a ram to replace Isaac.

Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To
this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD
it will be provided." (Genesis 22:14 NLT)

This is the theme of God's salvation, a message that was to be repeated again and again in the Bible. We come across this theme again in Exodus, when God had decreed that all the first born of Egypt must die.

On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! (Exodus 12:12 NLT, see also Exodus 11:4-6)

How shall a firstborn son escape death on this terrible night? A lamb shall be killed and its blood be smeared on the door posts. When God saw the blood, He will pass over the house and the firstborn son of that house will be spared. Whether the household is Hebrew or Egyptian, it did not matter. What mattered is that the blood must be at the door posts.

Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. (Exodus 12:6-7 NLT)

But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13 NLT)

This is the message of salvation by substitution again. The firstborn son is suppose to die, but the lamb died on his behalf, and when God sees the blood of the lamb, he pass over the household. Thus it is the Passover Lamb.

This message is summarized by John the Baptizer when he saw Jesus.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29 KJV)

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV)

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. (Revelation 5:6 NLT)

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered -
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing."
And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever."
And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. (Revelation 5:11-14 NLT)

The Mystery of God

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29 KJV)

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:8-10 NASB)

but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7 NASB)

Lordship Salvation

My friend's elder frowned at him, because he said salvation is by grace alone. His elder believed that one should also accept Christ as Lord. Probably he is a proponent of Lordship Salvation.

Lordship Salvation is a reaction to those who believed that they are saved because they "accept Christ into their heart" on a certain day. They believed that when people become Christians, their lives must changed. They added sanctification to justification.

Salvation is always by grace. We cannot add anything to it. We understand the problem faced by the church filled with worldly Christians. But we cannot combat error with another error. We cannot fight Antinomianism with Legalism.

We can show people the way of salvation by grace. But we cannot declare them saved just because they "accept Christ into their heart" and assure them that they are going to heaven. Assurance comes from the Holy Spirit. We cannot do His job. If there is anyone who claimed to be a Christian and behaved as worldling, we can only ask him to examine himself to see if he is in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). The Holy Spirit will convict a true Christian in due time.