True Faith True Surrender
When the individual is confronted with the truth of God in Christ, it is not in order just to inform him of Christ's existence. It is to lead the individual to the conviction that Christ is the savior of men, the Shepherd of our souls, and the King eternal whom we shall all see and worship one day. That conviction of the Spirit leads the individual to truly believe in Him. True faith is proven by true surrender of the life to Christ, for time and eternity.
The Greatness Of Christ
How great is God? Perhaps we need to define greatness. Greatness covers a multitude of criteria when we speak of God, from the vastness of His nature to the multitude and magnitude of His works. One thing is for certain. We cannot grasp fully this God. It is only in the measure that He reveals Himself to the heart using the truth, that one comes to know Him more and more.
The Cross The Point Of No Return
The cross is a point of no return, for it is both the symbol of Christ's victory over all the power of the enemy, but also, the point of death for all that is of sin, self, and Satan, in the life of the believer. Crucified with Christ, the believer is not the servant of sin anymore. He or she is the child of God, set free from sin and death, to live by the power of Christ's resurrection life.
Repentance Leading To Life
God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. One gift that comes uniquely from Him is repentance, that blessed understanding, resolve, and action of turning from sin, self, and the devil, to turn to Christ alone to be saved, and kept for eternity. When conviction comes to the heart, and the heart cries to God to be saved, the Lord grants the power to the individual to turn away from all that is not of God, to turn to Him wholly. Is it a perfect turning? No, but it is an action and attitude of the heart which God responds to, for to all that come to Him, He will in no wise cast them out.
Great Thoughts Great God
The measure in which the believer can truly worship God in Spirit and truth, will be greatly determined by the knowledge of the truth of His nature, person, and ways. God is a God of truth. To seek to worship Him in any way other than according to the truth is to find Him partially. God does not bless the lie but reveals Himself to the heart according to the truth. This is why in our pursuit of Christ to know Him, there must be the pursuit of the truth.
God's Means Of Changing Lives
If there is one certainty about true Christianity, true faith in Christ, it is that when the Spirit comes to dwell in the heart of an individual, that life changes. It is not primarily a change on the outside, but inwardly. The inward change is effectuated by the Spirit, working in the deep recesses of the heart to lead, guide, provide for, and reveal the blessed life of Christ. This is the revelation of God in His glory through the life.
When Evil Reaches Its Destructive Apex
Evil, if left unchecked, will always increase and expand, until it has destroyed all in its path. In the eyes of God, the issue in dealing with evil is always the point at which evil will not receive any testimony, or witness of the light. It is at that point, when there is no more hope of receptivity, that judgment is certain to come. God's intervention in His mercy and grace is the only way evil can be countered and defeated. This Christ did perfectly on the cross, and will one day be fully manifested.
The Testimony And Proof Of Love
Throughout the thousands of years of Biblical history, as revealed in the word of God, there is a dominating theme, and reality. God loves the world, those who are in the world. This reality is the bedrock for faith, for not only is God a faithful God who will do all that He has promised, but the motive for which He declares it is love for his creation. His love is everlasting, and the testimony of it is revealed most fully in Christ.
The Call of The Covenant Of God
A covenant from a Biblical standpoint, is that commitment by God to the believer, or believers, to act, work, and accomplish in their behalf His purposes in His way, in His time. The origin of the covenant is God Himself. He is also the accomplishment of it.
No Condemnation In Christ
One of the tactics of the enemy of God and the Christian is the use of "condemnation." The enemy takes sins which may have been forgiven, or may not have, to accuse the believer before God. God's standard is perfection. This is seen in the righteousness of Christ. As long as the believer keeps short accounts with God concerning unconfessed sin, and walks in the light, he can stand against the accusations of the enemy, for his whole trust is in the perfect righteousness of Christ. He is hidden in Christ, and thus, must resist the devil, with the certainty that he will flee from him.