If is a Big Word…

Posted on by kevinjandt

Col 3_3

Colossians 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Greek εἰ (ei), A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.: – forasmuch as, if, that, ([al-]) though, whether. Often used in connection or composition with other particles, especially as in

Everything that comes after the word “if” is conditional upon this word.  How easily we can pass over this and make assumptions about ourselves.  “If” we leave out if, we then assume we are these things.  We are going to seek the things that are above; we are going to set our minds on the things of God and not on things of the earth.  Paul is laying down the condition of your heart in one very small, very simple word.

Do you pass this test?

Were you raised with Christ?  Do you seek the things which are above where Christ is seated?    This is a test of your faith.  What do you think about most often?  Where do your desires lie?

Do you desire to read God’s word?

Do you desire fellowship with other believers, more than you desire your college drinking buddies?

Do you desire holiness?

Do you desire to preach the gospel of peace with God through faith in Christ to a lost and dying world?

This indicates whether you seek things above…  Or do you worry about the things of this life?

Matthew 6:31-33 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Don’t brush over this today, it may expose the condition of your heart and all of eternity hinges on that.

That makes if a big word

Kevin

A Sure Guide to Heaven – Part 7 – The motives to conversion

Posted on by kevinjandt

breaking-free

This is my last full length article on A Sure Guide to Heaven.  I will wrap up next week with the conclusion.  This is a fascinating work and one that will benefit all that put the energy into reading it.

What motivates you?

A motive as defined by Merriam-Webster is something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.

Are you motivated by money, prestige, and respect, what gets you excited, what really trips your trigger?  Are you motivated by the things of the world, or are you motivated to rid yourself of your bondage to sin?  Are you motivated to win souls to Jesus Christ?

The things that motivate you define who you are.

Believer how do you see people?  They are either a redeemed child of the King or someone headed to hell for eternal punishment.  Do we have compassion for them?  Do we desire for them to know the glories of being a follower of Jesus Christ?  I hope you are stirred to speak and share the good news, it might be the only chance they have.

The motives to conversion

Men and brethren, heaven and earth call upon you; yea, hell itself preaches the doctrine of repentance unto you.  The ministers of the churches labour for you.  The angels of heaven wait for you, for your repenting and turning unto God.  O sinner, why should devils laugh at your destruction, and deride your misery, and sport themselves with your folly?  This will be your case, except you turn. Page 130

O rock! O adamant! What, not moved yet?  Not yet resolved to turn forthwith and to close with mercy?  I will try yet once again.  If one were sent to you from the dead, would you be persuaded?  Why, hear the voice from the dead, from the damned, crying to you that you should repent: ‘I pray thee that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house; for I have five brethren; that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment; if one went to them from the dead, they will repent’ (Lk xvi 27-28).  Hear, O man; your predecessors in impenitence preach to you from the infernal flames, that you should repent.

O lay your ear to the door of hell.  Do you hear the curses and blasphemies, the weepings and wailings, how they lament their follies and curse their day?  How do they roar and gnash their teeth! How deep their groans! How inconceivable their miseries!

And of their moans and miseries this is the piercing, killing emphasis and burden, ‘For ever! For ever!’ Page 132

1: The God that made you most graciously invites you

His most sweet and merciful nature invites you.  O the kindness of God, His boundless compassion, His tender mercies!  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways above our ways, and His thoughts above our thoughts. ‘He is full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy’ (Ps lxxxvi 15).

Sinners do not fail in that they have too high thoughts of God’s mercies, but in that they overlook His justice, or they promise themselves mercy out of God’s way.

Are you willing to come in? Page 133

O melting, gracious words: the voice of God, and not of a man!  This is not the manner of men, for the offended sovereign to sue to the offending, traitorous rebel.  O how does mercy follow you, and plead with you!  Is not our heart broken yet?  O that today you would hear His voice! Page 134

2: The doors of heaven are thrown open to you

Let me say to you, as Paul to Agrippa, ‘Believest thou the prophets?’

O ye sons of folly, will you embrace the dunghill and refuse the kingdom? Page 135

3: God will give you unspeakable privileges in this life

He will give you grace and glory, and withhold no good thing from you.  He will take you for His sons and daughters, and make you heirs of His promises, and establish His everlasting covenant with you  He will justify you from all that law, conscience and Satan can charge upon you.  He will give you free access into His presence, and accept your person, and receive your prayers. Page 137

4: The terms of mercy are brought as low as possible to you

God has stooped as low to sinner as with honour He can.  He will not be the author of sin, nor stain the glory of His holiness; and how could He come lower than He has, unless He should do this?

He declares Himself to have received a ransom, and that He expects nothing but that you should accept His son, and He shall be righteousness and redemption to you.  If you come in His Christ, and set your heart to please Him, making this your chief concern, He will graciously accept you. Page 138

O sinner, return and live; why should you die when life is to be had for the taking, when mercy entreats you to be saved? Page 139

5: God offers all needed grace to enable you

God commands you to know Him, and to fear Him.  Do you say, ‘Yes but my mind is blinded, and my heart is hardened from His fear?’  I answer that God offers to enlighten your mind, and to teach you His fear.

God invites you to be made clean, and entreats you to yield to Him.  O accept His offers, and let Him do for you, and in you, what you cannot do for yourselves. Page 140

My dear friends I hope that today you consider the powerful words of this book.  If you know Christ, share the gospel with all you can.  If you don’t know Christ, see yourself as a miserable wretch and know He is your only hope.  Turn and live.

Kevin

God is love

Posted on by kevinjandt

bw-cross

Recently I wrote a post about the wrath of God.  Scripture has clearly defined that God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11).  Understand if you have not been morally perfect your entire life, you are wicked.   If you have not been redeemed by the blood of Christ and turned from your sin, you are wicked.  Wicked is not only Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Dr. Evil, or your favorite villain.

This is not an easy concept for the unregenerate to grasp.  “What wicked… evil… That’s not me… “

In order to be saved you must first understand this is you or it’s impossible to be saved.  Us reformed types are most often accused of being unloving and too dogmatic, too harsh about the things of God.

“Where’s the love man… “

I am as dogmatic about God’s love as I’m dogmatic about His wrath, about His wisdom, about His sovereignty or any of His attributes.  I want you to know that I believe with all my heart God is all these things wrapped into such an incredible being that we can’t even begin to comprehend His majesty.

God has given us the gift of His word to show us who He is.  So to deny any of these attributes or put more emphasis on one than the other is not presenting the full counsel of God.  The difference in emphasizing the wrath of God in preaching over the love of God is simply that sinful man cannot grasp love until he grasps his dire situation.

There is no doubt God is love, you can’t miss this if you tried.

Wayne Grudem – Systematic Theology [1994] Love.  God’s love means that God eternally gives of himself to others.  This definition understands love as self-giving for the benefit of others.  This attribute of God shows that it is part of his nature to give of himself in order to bring about blessing or good for others.

How does God give of Himself for others?

Romans 5:6-8 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.    

There’s a catch to this verse.  Who is the “us”?  Many want to claim this verse and verses like John 3:16 or Jeremiah 29:11 that God loves you and has a plan for you.  There are whole radio stations dedicated to this concept.  But to gain the benefit of the love you must know God.   Not a “god” of your own design but the One True God as defined by the Holy Scriptures.

You must understand you are helpless to save yourself.  Ephesians 2:1

You must believe in Jesus Christ.  Acts 16:31

You must be born again.  John 3:3

You must repent and turn from your sin.  Repentance is an ongoing act of turning away from your former life and embracing your new life in Christ.  Matthew 4:17

You must seek holiness.  1 Peter 1:16

You will then seek fellowship, growth and protection from the church.  Ephesians 4:11, Hebrews 13:17

That’s the “Gospel”, the “Good News”

Some may consider it unloving to tell someone they are separated from God because of their sin.  That separation will condemn them to hell upon their death if they don’t turn to Christ in faith.  That seems judgmental and unloving.

I couldn’t think of anything more unloving than to not tell them.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Kevin

A Sure Guide to Heaven – Part 6 – Directions to the unconverted

Posted on by kevinjandt

compass

I finished my prep work this afternoon before starting to write and I sent my cousin a text message “A Sure Guide to Heaven should be required reading for anyone that thinks they know Christ.”  What else could I say, why won’t the places that call themselves churches preach like this anymore?

Do they teach like this?

Do people understand their wretchedness to a Holy God?  Would they require this book in the newcomer orientation classes?  I almost laugh myself silly when I think about the pizza, Pepsi and “oh here you go, we want you to read this book…”  “Say what?”

As I was reading the sixth chapter and attempting to digest the truth pouring off the pages my head was swimming, am I really saved?  And I believe that I’m saved…  I can still remember how I felt when I came to the realization I’d been a false convert my whole adult life.  What should I do?  Can it be true, have I really just been saved?  Did God really show me my sin?  What else could I do, but fall to my knees and praise Him for His grace and mercy.

To my dear friends and readers, if this study has not made an impact on you, there is something wrong and I hope you will examine yourself in that light.

You’ve either taken my admonishment to read this book or you haven’t and I’ve either inspired you to want to read it or I’ve lost you by now, so if you have stuck with me, I praise God for your diligence and I trust you have been blessed.

Directions to the unconverted

Before you read these directions, I advise you, yea, I charge you before God and His holy angels, that you resolve to follow them, as far as conscience shall be convinced of their agreeableness to God’s Word and your state; and call in  His assistance and blessing that they may succeed. Page 100

Again Ailleen appeals to God’s Word as the source of truth as he lays out sixteen directives for the unconverted.

1: Set it down with yourself as an undoubted truth, that it is impossible for you ever to get to heaven in this your unconverted state

Can any other but Christ save you? And He tells you He will never do it except you be regenerated and converted. Page 101

2: Labour to get a thorough sight and lively sense and feeling of your sins

Till men are weary and heavy laden, and pricked at the heart, and quite sick of sin, they will not come to Christ for cure, nor sincerely enquire, ‘What shall we do?’ Page 101

The loathsome carcase does not more hatefully swarm with crawling maggots, than an unsanctified soul with filthy lusts.  They fill the head, the heart, the eyes and mouth of him.  Look backward; where was ever the place, what was ever the time, in which you did not sin? Page 102

The least sinful word or thought lays you under the infinite wrath of God. Page 103

3: Strive to affect your heart with a deep sense of your present misery

Read over the previous chapter again and again, and get it out of the book into your heart. [emphasis mine]  Remember when you lie down, that for all you know, you may awake in flames; and when you rise up, that by the next night you may make your bed in hell. Page 105

4: Settle it in your heart that you must look out of yourself and away from your own doings for help

Do not think your praying, reading, hearing, confessing, or amending, will effect the cure.  These must be attended to, but you are undone if you rest in them.  You are a lost man if you hope to escape drowning on any other plank but Jesus Christ. Page 106

5: Henceforth renounce all your sins

If you yield yourself to the practice of any sin, you are undone.  In vain do you hope for life by Christ, except you depart from iniquity.  Forsake your sins, or you cannot find mercy.  You cannot be married to Christ except you be divorced from sin.

Your sins must die, or you must die for them. Page 107

6: Make a solemn choice of God for your portion and blessedness

Take up your rest in God.   Sit down under His shadow.  Let His promises and perfections turn the scale against all the world.

Poor sinner, you have fallen off from God, and have engaged His power and wrath against you; yet know, that of His abundant grace He offers to be your God again in Christ. Page 108 & 109

7: Accept the Lord Jesus in all His offices as yours

Sinner, you have undone yourself, and are plunged into the ditch of most deplorable misery, out of which you are never able to escape; but Jesus Christ is able and ready to help you, and He freely tenders Himself to you.

The Lord Jesus calls you to look to Him and be saved.

I tell you, nothing can undo you but your own unwillingness.  Speak, man; will you give your consent? Page 113

8: Resign all your powers and faculties, and your whole interest to be His

In a word, you must give Him yourself, and all that you have without reservation, or else you can have no part in Him. Page 115

9: Choose the laws of Christ as the rule of your words, thoughts and actions

This is the true convert’s choice.  …there is no getting to heaven by a partial obedience.  It is not enough to take up the cheap and easy part of religion, and let alone the duties that are costly and self-denying, and oppose the interests of the flesh; you must take all or none. Page 115

10: Let all this be completed in a solemn covenant between God and your soul

Set apart some time, more than once, to be spent in secret before the Lord – in seeking earnestly His special assistance and gracious acceptance of you – in searching your heart, whether you are sincerely willing to forsake all your sins, and to resign yourself, body and soul, unto God and His service; to serve Him in holiness and righteousness all the days of your life. Page 117

11: Take heed of delaying your conversion, but make a speedy, an immediate surrender of your heart to God

Remember and tremble at the sad instance of the foolish virgins who did not come till the door of mercy was shut, and of a convinced Felix who put off Paul to another season, but we do not find that he had another season. Page 120

12: Attend conscientiously upon the Word, as the means appointed for your conversion

Come to every sermon you hear with this thought: ‘O I hope God will now come in; I hope this day may be the time this may be the man by whom God will bring me home.’ Page 121

13: Strike in with the Spirit when He begins to work upon your heart

When He works convictions, O do not stifle them, but join in with Him, and beg the Lord to give you saving conversion.  ‘Quench not the Spirit.’  Do not reject Him, do not resist Him. Page 121

14: Set upon the constant and diligent use of serious and fervent prayer

He that neglects prayer is a profane and unsanctified sinner. Page 122

15: Forsake your evil company, and forbear the occasions of sin

You will never be turned from sin till you decline and forego the temptations of sin.

And, of all temptations, one of the most fatal and pernicious is evil companions. Page 122 & 123

16: Set apart a day to humble your soul in secret by fasting and prayer, to work a sense of your sins and miseries upon your heart

…so make a catalogue of your sins, and with shame and sorrow spread them before the Lord.

Thus, I have told you what you must do to be saved.  Will you now obey the voice of the Lord?  Will you arise and set to the work?  O man, what answer will you make, what excuse will you have, if you perish at last through very willfulness, when you have known the way of life? Page 124

A SHORT SOLILOQUY FOR AN UNREGENERATE SINNER

Ah! Wretched man that I am! What a condition have I brought myself into by sin! Oh! I see my heart has deceived me all this while, in flattering me that my condition was good.  I see, I see, I am but a lost and undone man, for ever undone, unless the Lord help me out of this condition.  My sins! My sins! Lord, what an unclean, polluted wretch I am! More loathsome and odious to Thee than the most hateful venom or noisome carcase can be to me.  Oh! What a hell of sin is in this heart of mine, which I have flattered myself to be a good heart!  Lord, how universally am I corrupted, in all my parts, powers, and performances!  All the imaginations of my heart are only evil continually. Page 125

I can’t imagine most evangelical pastors standing up and giving this type of a message today.  Can you just see the place emptying before your eyes?  It would have the same effect as Jesus when he preached His sermon from John 6:32-68.  Then Peter said “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”

Do you understand these are the words of eternal life?

Kevin

God’s Wrath

Posted on by kevinjandt

The vague and tenuous hope that God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the consciences of millions. It hushes their fears and allows them to practice all pleasant forms of iniquity while death draws every day nearer and the command to repent goes unheeded.   A. W. Tozer

wrath

For some this article may appear harsh and unloving.  I want you to know that I write these words with all the love and humility that resides within my feeble mind and body.  It’s vitally important to have an understanding of this subject.  It is important to test and examine your life by the truth of God’s Word.

It is unpopular to talk about God’s wrath.  Most “churches” and church people would rather discuss God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness and any attribute of God that does not involve condemnation or justice.  The problem is you can’t have any of these other attributes without first understanding God’s wrath.

That is a bold statement how can I say that?  What is God’s wrath?

Wrath – God intensely hates all sin.  This is the definition of God’s wrath according to Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology [1994].  The biggest question for you today is do you believe this?  Do you believe that God intensely hates sin?

God so intensely hates sin and so intensely loves His elect that He poured out His wrath on His Son to reconcile them to Him.   This is hard to comprehend.

Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

How many people sitting in “churches” today are being deceived by empty words?  Empty words that WILL NOT preach the full counsel of God, because this wrath thing is just not popular, it’s too controversial and it upsets people.  It’s foolishness to most.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

Colossians 3:6, Romans 2:8, Ephesians 2:3, Romans 9:22, Revelation 6:16, 11:18 and this only a brief survey of what scripture tell us.  Before you think that God’s mercy will save you from His wrath ask yourself can God still be righteous if He overlooks and pardons sin?  Can one of His attributes override any of His other attributes?  He is the sum total of all His attributes and He must, to be righteous, be wrathful.

Do you think your sin is no big deal to God?  Will He be merciful?  Will He offer grace?  Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you will NOT live in consistent sin.  You will be sanctified and increase in holiness and Christ-likeness.  If you are a non-believer you have only the wrath of God to come upon you.  Your throat is an open tomb, your tongue practices deceit, you have the poison of asps under your lips, you are full of bitterness and cursing, you only know destruction and misery, you DO NOT fear God (Romans 3:13-18).

I plead with you today, if you do not know Christ and His beauty, to fall on your face and place your trust in Him.  This is your only hope.

I will leave you with this analogy from Paul Washer and his sermon from the G3 Conference in Atlanta.

Imagine a dam one thousand feet high, with water a thousand miles long and a thousand miles wide and you live in a village just below the dam.  You look out your window one day and you see the dam give way.  There is nothing you can do to survive.  There is no possible way to avoid death, there is no swim stroke that can save you, and there is no hope…  Then all of a sudden the earth opens up just before the water consumes you and the massive wall of water disappears right in front of you and not a drop of water so much as even touches you.  This is God’s wrath coming upon the sons of disobedience.  And this is Christ’s redemption for those that know Him and have fully placed their trust in Him.  But you must show that your life is different.  That you are a new creation, the old is gone the new has come.

Are you radically different?  Not just outwardly moral, but so completely different you can’t stand who you once were?  If you’ve only cleaned yourself up a little bit and attempted to do better, you are not changed.  If you think yourself “good enough” I assure you, you are not.  If you read this today and have no clue what I’m talking about or you dismiss this, please examine your life by the truth of God’s Word, and beg Him for mercy.

For those that are saved and know Jesus Christ as their Lord be in awe of Him today.  God poured out His wrath on His Son to pay your penalty, if you don’t know Christ; the wrath will be poured out upon you unless you turn to Him, repent of your sins and come under His divine authority.  Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Here is the Paul Washer sermon that I would encourage everyone to watch:

Paul Washer G3 Conference

Kevin