Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9 KJV)
The Bible is very clear. Salvation cannot be obtained by works. But there are many who call themselves Christians still insist in doing some good works for salvation, just in case their faith is not enough.
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (John 6:28 NIV)
Good news for those Christians who want to be saved by works. There is a biblical way to do so.
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29 NIV)
The only work you need to do to save yourself is to believe in Jesus.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Friday, November 29, 2019
The Unforgiveable Sin
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32 ESV)
"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" - for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." (Mark 3:28-30 ESV)
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. (Luke 12:10 ESV)
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV)
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29 NIV)
"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" - for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." (Mark 3:28-30 ESV)
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. (Luke 12:10 ESV)
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV)
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29 NIV)
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Belief Not Performance
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17 ESV)
God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he will die. Adam did not believe God, ate the fruit and died.
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 ESV)
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)
God then made provision for the salvation of men by making His Son Jesus the propitiation for our sins that whosoever believe in Him shall have eternal life.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)
The Christians of the church in the Corinth, who used to be gross sinners, believed and they inherited eternal life.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (Galatians 3:10 NIV)
Eternal life is about belief, not performance.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)
God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he will die. Adam did not believe God, ate the fruit and died.
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 ESV)
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)
God then made provision for the salvation of men by making His Son Jesus the propitiation for our sins that whosoever believe in Him shall have eternal life.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)
The Christians of the church in the Corinth, who used to be gross sinners, believed and they inherited eternal life.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (Galatians 3:10 NIV)
Eternal life is about belief, not performance.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Adam Is In Hell
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17 ESV)
When we get to heaven, there is one person we won't see. That is Adam, the first man.
What has Adam done? He committed the one unpardonable sin, the sin of unbelief. Adam did not believe in God even though he received the command from God personally.
We were not told that Adam was sexually immoral or worshipped idols or steal, cheat and lie. He did none of these sins which is now common among men. His sin was unbelief.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)
On the other hand, the Christians of the church in the Corinth were really bad sinners. They were sexually immoral, they worshipped idols, they stole and cheated and lied. However, they repented and believed that Jesus had die for their sins. And they were saved because they believed.
And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:14 NIV)
Adam did not believe God and sin came into the world.
God made provision for the salvation of men by making His Son Jesus the propitiation for our sins that whosoever believe in Him shall have everlasting life.
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 ESV)
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)
Eternal life is not about performance. It is about belief.
When we get to heaven, there is one person we won't see. That is Adam, the first man.
What has Adam done? He committed the one unpardonable sin, the sin of unbelief. Adam did not believe in God even though he received the command from God personally.
We were not told that Adam was sexually immoral or worshipped idols or steal, cheat and lie. He did none of these sins which is now common among men. His sin was unbelief.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)
On the other hand, the Christians of the church in the Corinth were really bad sinners. They were sexually immoral, they worshipped idols, they stole and cheated and lied. However, they repented and believed that Jesus had die for their sins. And they were saved because they believed.
And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:14 NIV)
Adam did not believe God and sin came into the world.
God made provision for the salvation of men by making His Son Jesus the propitiation for our sins that whosoever believe in Him shall have everlasting life.
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 ESV)
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)
Eternal life is not about performance. It is about belief.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Salvation By Works
They asked, "What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?"
Jesus replied, "This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent." (John 6:28-29 CEB)
We always heard that we are saved by grace through faith. Can we prove from the Bible that we are saved by works?
Yes. And the only work that God requires from us is to believe in Jesus. If we refuse to believe in Jesus, nobody can save us. Jesus died for all sin, except for the sin of unbelief.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
Jesus replied, "This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent." (John 6:28-29 CEB)
We always heard that we are saved by grace through faith. Can we prove from the Bible that we are saved by works?
Yes. And the only work that God requires from us is to believe in Jesus. If we refuse to believe in Jesus, nobody can save us. Jesus died for all sin, except for the sin of unbelief.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
Monday, November 25, 2019
Unbelief Is Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. (Matthew 12:31 NIV)
Jesus died for the sins of the world. But there is one sin that Jesus did not die for. That is the sin of unbelief. Unbelief is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We know that a person has committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit when he refuse to believe in the Word of God even when he draw his last breath. As long as he has breath, he can still repent.
Jesus died for the sins of the world. But there is one sin that Jesus did not die for. That is the sin of unbelief. Unbelief is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We know that a person has committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit when he refuse to believe in the Word of God even when he draw his last breath. As long as he has breath, he can still repent.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25 NIV)
A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18 NIV)
Two person came to Jesus to ask Him what they must do to inherit eternal life. One was a Jewish lawyer (Luke 10:25-37) and another a rich man (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23).
Jesus did not give them right answer directly, which is, "You can do nothing to inherit eternal life."
Instead, He asked the rich man to give away all his wealth and the lawyer, who was a Jew, to love the Samaritan. To both of them, it was an impossible task. The rich man went away disappointed. We were not told of the lawyer's reaction.
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" - so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14 ESV)
Only Jesus can save. We can do nothing.
A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18 NIV)
Two person came to Jesus to ask Him what they must do to inherit eternal life. One was a Jewish lawyer (Luke 10:25-37) and another a rich man (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23).
Jesus did not give them right answer directly, which is, "You can do nothing to inherit eternal life."
Instead, He asked the rich man to give away all his wealth and the lawyer, who was a Jew, to love the Samaritan. To both of them, it was an impossible task. The rich man went away disappointed. We were not told of the lawyer's reaction.
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" - so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14 ESV)
Only Jesus can save. We can do nothing.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Be Lucky
My wife always say to me, "Be hardworking."
I always say to her, "Be lucky."
I think I have the Bible on my side.
Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. (Proverbs 23:4 NLT)
I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. (Ecclesiastes 9:11 NLT)
I always say to her, "Be lucky."
I think I have the Bible on my side.
Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. (Proverbs 23:4 NLT)
I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. (Ecclesiastes 9:11 NLT)
Friday, November 1, 2019
Moses And Islamic Logic
Allah does not speak to men directly.
It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise. (42:51 Yusuf Ali version)
Allah spoke to Moses directly.
Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;- and to Moses Allah spoke direct;- (4:164 Yusuf Ali version)
Logical conclusion:
Moses is not human.
It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise. (42:51 Yusuf Ali version)
Allah spoke to Moses directly.
Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;- and to Moses Allah spoke direct;- (4:164 Yusuf Ali version)
Logical conclusion:
Moses is not human.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)