道 ...I am the way, the truth, and the life...

To find the right way, we must have the Right View or Understanding or Perception (正見) of God and man. Once the right view of God and man is established, you will understand why man cannot save himself and the necessity of God sending Jesus to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.

Once you understand, you should take the Right Action (正業) of accepting Jesus as your Lord and savior. There is only one way.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV)

Grow
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18 KJV)

Do good works
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV)

滅 ...the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4 ESV)

And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:5-8 ESV)

集 ...through one man sin entered into the world...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1 NASB). God saw all that He had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31 HCSB). The LORD God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the midst of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9 HCSB).

The Bible tells us that in the beginning, everything was very good. There was no evil, and no knowledge of evil. Adam and Eve knew what good was, but they knew not evil. There was no dukkha.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:1-6 ESV)

The serpent packaged evil as something good to have, an exclusive wisdom currently only known to God.

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. (Genesis 3:7 ESV)

The first knowledge of evil was shame. They were naked! But that was just a small part of evil. With evil come suffering, injustice, imperfection and more importantly, death, which is separation from God.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned - (Romans 5:12 NASB)
...by the transgression of the one the many died... (Romans 5:15 NASB)
...by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one... (Romans 5:17 NASB)
...through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men... (Romans 5:18 NASB)

Because of the disobedient act of one man, death came to all. That is the injustice of evil.

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. (Romans 1:18-23 HCSB)

Sin in men made progress. First, men suppress the truth about God in their sin.

Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. (Romans 1:24-25 HCSB)

Then they exchanged truth for lies. Then they started worshipping creatures instead of the Creator.

This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The males in the same way also left natural relations with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error. (Romans 1:26-27 HCSB)

And their idolatry degraded into depravity.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know full well God’s just sentence - that those who practice such things deserve to die - they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32 HCSB)

As their standard of morality slide, they set up their own standards of righteousness, declaring evil as good. And they encourage others to join in.

苦 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble...

This world is imperfect. There are a lot of suffering and injustice. Buddhism has this term dukkha (in Pali) or duhkha (Sanskrit). Although dukkha does mean suffering, it also includes ideas such as imperfection, impermanence, emptiness, and insubstantiality. This is a universal fact recognized by all. The Bible has many verses that tells us that the world is imperfect, impermanent and full of troubles and that death reigns over all.

Life is short and troubled
Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. (Job 14:1-2 KJV)

Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. (Psalm 89:47-48 KJV)

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (James 4:14 NASB)

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. (Psalms 103:15-16 KJV)

Labour is vanity
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:15 KJV)

Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. (Job 1:21 KJV)

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7 KJV)

Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. (Psalms 39:5-6 NASB)

Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? (Habakkuk 2:13 ESV)

The world is suffering and in decay
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Romans 8:22 ESV)

They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: (Psalm 102:26 KJV)

All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades ... (Isaiah 40:6-7 ESV)

God And Sufferings

If God exists, why are there sufferings in the world?
This is an age old question which was not answered to men's satisfaction. The usual conclusions we get are:

1. God wanted to stop suffering but could not. He is not omnipotent.
2. God can stop suffering but will not. He is a sadist.
3. God does not exist. He is just some imagination by men to ease their sufferings.

The Bible did answer this question directly.

Sufferings entered the world by the disobedience of Adam.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12 KJV)

To those who are lost, who insist that the Almighty has to do things their way, they would then conclude that reason 2 is true. "If God knew the future and is almighty, He would not have created Satan to cause Adam to sin. He knew all these would happen, yet He allowed it. He is a sadist."

The Bible also answer this accusation, not with a direct answer, but with questions (e.g. Job 38:1 - 41:34).

Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let him who argues with God give an answer. (Job 40:2 HCSB)
"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands '? (Isaiah 45:9 NASB)
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Romans 9:21 ESV)
To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. (Isaiah 40:25-26 ESV)

For those who realize that God is infinitely wise and will resolve the problem of sin and suffering in His time and in His way, they would have to accept by faith that God's solution is better and His Word will ultimately come true.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NASB)
"Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." (Genesis 15:16 NASB)
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5 ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (Revelation 21:1 ESV)
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV)
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

Substitution

Below are taken from this web page "Substitution" by an ex-Roman Catholic.

QUOTE
What kind of death was the substitutionary death of Christ or how did Christ die?
1. VOLUNTARILY
John 10:11, 18 "I am the good shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. No man taketh it for me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it again. This commandment I have received of my Father."

2. VICARIOUSLY
Hebrews 9:26 "For then he must have often suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Philippians 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
I Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed."

3. VICIOUSLY
Isaiah 50:6 "I gave my back smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face shame and spitting."
Isaiah 52:14 "As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of man:"
Matthew 26:67 "Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and other smote him with the palms of their hands."
Matthew 27:30 "And they spit upon him, and to the read, and smote him on the head."
Luke 23:33 "And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left."

4. VISIBLY
Psalms 22:7,8 "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake their head saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: Let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him."
Matthew 27:39 "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads."
Mark 15:29 "And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroy us the Temple, and build listed in three days."
Hebrews 13:12 "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."

5. VICTORIOUSLY
I Corinthians 15:20 "But now is Christ risen from the, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."
Matthew 28:6 "He is not here, he is risen."
Mark 16:6 "He is not here."
Luke 24:6 "He is not here, but is risen."
UNQUOTE

Websites By Ex

The past two weeks, I stumbled upon two website, one by an ex-Roman Catholic and another by an ex-Muslim.

Ex-Roman Catholic
Here is a powerful refutation of the Roman Catholic Church's theology of salvation using the Bible in the web page "Faith Alone".

QUOTE
We are often told by our Catholic friends that Martin Luther invented the doctrine of "Sola Fide" or faith alone. They ask, "Show me any verse in the Bible that states "by faith alone." They often claim that Luther added the word "alone" to his translation of Romans 3:28-"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith (alone) without the deeds of the law." According to Rome, the teachings of faith alone was no where to be found for the first fifteen hundred years of church history. Furthermore Catholics claim that "by faith alone" is a false premise used by the Reformers.

The Catholic church goes one step further and pronounces a curse on anyone who believes that salvation is by grace through faith alone. This is quite evident by the following statements that are found in the Council of Trent. This Council was the nineteenth general council of the Catholic church and was convened from 1545 to 1563. Everything that was espoused in Trent was later reaffirmed in Vatican Council I (1870) and Vatican Council II (1962-1965). All of the major Catholic Catechisms quote heavily from Trent.
UNQUOTE

QUOTE
I am not interested in what Martin Luther had to say about "sola fide." I am also not interested in what the Roman Catholic church has to say about "sola fide" either. I am only interested in what the Bible has to say on the subject. I must concede that there are in fact no verses in the New Testament that specifically state the phrase "by faith alone." However the doctrine of salvation by faith alone is clearly espoused in the New Testament. Following is a litany of verses that clearly teach the doctrine of salvation by faith alone.
UNQUOTE

Ex-Muslim
In this web page "My Story", an Iraqi Christian told how he "cried to the true God of the universe, 'reveal yourself to me please, I cannot find you on my own'".

Here is an excerpt of his testimony:

QUOTE
Why was Jesus born from a virgin mother? Why is He sinless? Why did He not die? Why is He still living up in heaven? Why did He do all of these miracles? Why is He so special?

I was bewildered by the agreement between the Quran and the Gospel that Jesus was born from a virgin mother. Why did He have no father? I recalled the Islamic answer,

Verily, Jesus is as Adam in the sight of God. He created him of dust: He then said to him, “Be” – and he was. Quran 3:59

So, Jesus is like Adam! Hmm. There is only one thing making Jesus similar to Adam. They both did not have a father, but definitely Jesus is the opposite of Adam in everything else.

Adam lived in paradise, he was sinless and immortal then (he did not have to die) until he disobeyed God commandment and ate from the forbidden tree and was expelled from paradise to earth (Quran 20:115-123).

Though the Quran suggested that Allah forgave Adam, we cannot say that Adam is sinless. He is now “forgiven” not “sinless”. Living on earth, Adam did not enjoy his previous privilege in paradise, immortality. Adam now DIES.

It was clear to me, that Adam had been expelled from paradise was not the only punishment for his disobedience, he received an extra punishment: DEATH.

As children of Adam, we all die like him. In a way, we inherited death from him; in other words, we inherited Adam’s punishment.

Since God is just, we should not be punished for something we did not do; indeed none of us is capable to avoid sin. All of us have sin, one way or another. My conclusion was: we inherited the ability of sin or the nature of sin from Adam; therefore we received the just punishment of death just like him. (read my article "Adam’s Sin")

But just as by one man’s sin, death entered into mankind, is it possible that through one man’s sinlessness we could be restored back to eternal life in paradise?

The only sinless man like Adam is Jesus. He is the second and last Adam who never sinned. He indeed could restore us back to eternal life in paradise, if we believed in Him and followed Him.
I found that God’s Word in the Bible taught this concept. I was astonished and marveled as I gazed on texts talking about this exact concept. Read: Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-22,45 to find for yourself.

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22

It made sense, Jesus had to be born not from the seed of Adam so that He does not inherit the ability of sin and the punishment of death from Adam. That way He became the last sinless Adam who could restore believers back into eternity with God in paradise.

Well, I guess you know what happened after I found this truth. I simply followed the only sinless man who came from heaven and returned back to heaven believing that He will bring me into His place in heaven after I die. I followed Jesus and confessed Him to be my only Lord and my only Savior.
UNQUOTE

Waiting To See God's Glory

One of our church pastors came back from his overseas mission because his father was sick. His father was a very staunch Roman Catholic, refusing to believe in the Gospel. He became very sick and was hospitalized. While the operation was successful, he is now unable to communicate. My pastor now is not sure whether his father understood what he is being told and he does not understand what his father is saying. In such desperate situation, preaching the gospel seem impossible.

The church is now praying for his healing and his salvation, which is definitely more important. I am waiting to see how God can work out of this impossible situation. Wait for further updates.

ISOM Survived Typhoon And Earthquake

Thank God that our Church's International School Of Mission survived Typhoon Yolanda-Haiyan (9-Nov-2013) and the earthquake at Bohol (15-Oct-2013). The building is suppose to be unsafe but God's hand was upon us.

Salvation

The main actor in the salvation of men is God and God alone.

Saved by God
God is the provider of salvation

1. Call of Salvation - All
2. Mechanics of Salvation - Propitiation / Substitution
3. Legality of Salvation - Redemption
4. Glory of Salvation - Reconciliation
5. Motivation of Salvation - Love
6. Opportunity of Salvation - Grace
7. Acceptance of Salvation - Faith
8. Proof of Salvation - Works / Fruit
9. Purpose of Salvation - Glory

Call of Salvation - All
Mechanics of Salvation - Propitiation / Substitution
Atonement: Propitiation (for Wrath of God); Substitution (for Sin of Man)
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 KJV)
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4 KJV)
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24 KJV)
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)
Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17 HCSB)

Legality of Salvation - Redemption
Jesus cancelled the record of our sin by His death, nailing it to the cross.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:22 ESV)
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14 ESV)
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7 NIV)

He was able to do so because He entered the real sanctuary in heaven.
For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:24-28 NIV)

The death of Christ completely propitiate the wrath of God and nothing else is needed.
"Τετέλεσται (It is finished)" John 19:30
τετέλεσται
τε - reduplication prefix, done in the Greek perfect tense
τελεσ - Greek perfect tense stem of τελεω which means "I finish, fulfill"; the noun version is τελος, which means "end, goal"; perfect tense is translated in English using "has been (done)"
ται - third person singular ending, or "he/she/it", depending on context

Glory of Salvation - Reconciliation
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV)

Motivation of Salvation - God's Love
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10 KJV)

Proof of Salvation - Works / Fruit
But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? (James 2:18-20 ESV)

Purpose
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:10 KJV)

The Two Mysteries

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16 ESV)
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:7 ESV)

Sola Fide

The Roman Catholic Church like to say that the words "faith alone" does appear in the Bible but follows:
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:24 ESV)
Did the Bible have any verses that declare that salvation is by faith alone? This article by an ex-Catholic gave a good answer.

Imagining What Being God Is Like

Have you ever try to imagine what it is like to be God?

When we are one, we are one. How does it feel to be one yet three?

We exist in a container, a kind of platform, one which has space and time. We exist as a point in space and time. How does it feel to exist without a platform, without space and time?

Our world is imperfect and sinful. How is it like to be perfect?

Sun and Moon

The sun shines with its own light. The moon reflects the light of the sun. If the moon boast of his light, it is pride. If the sun boast of his light, he is stating a fact.

When men boast of their works, it is pride. When God show forth His works, it is His glory.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11 KJV)

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
"Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:33-36 (ESV)