Understanding Our Part in the Plan of Salvation.

     Marriage has the potential to be either the most fulfilling experience two people can have together or the most miserable burden of life.  Sad to say, many people mumble a weary amen to the last half of the statement.
     What is the factor in marriage that determines the quality of the relationship?  Love, of course.  If a man and a woman truly love one another their marriage will bring them great satisfaction and joy  If, on the other hand, selfishness is allowed to reign, mutual respect will be lost and the relationship will begin to feel confining.  The sacrifices that the relationship requires will become a heavy burden.
     Christianity is very much like marriage.  It can be either a wonderful experience or a terrible one.  And the determining factor is the same.  Love.
     As in marriage, a relationship with God will call for sacrifices.  Marriage requires the submission of each spouse's will to that of the other.  Christianity requires the submission of the will to Christ.  When the heart is kept truly in love with the Lord, obedience to His will brings great satisfaction and joy.  However, if we obey Him merely out of a sense of self-concerned obligation in order to gain heaven His law will seem restrictive and even oppressive.
     There are many who are trying to live by the standards and commandments of God's word because they want to escape hell and gain heaven.  Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of God, but they do realize their guilt and they fear the loss of their souls.  So they set their feet in the path of duty and determine to live in harmony with God's will.  They hope in this way to be saved.  The fact is, they really do not obey the Lord, because the heart is not into the matter.  They are not truly willing, but merely feel obligated.  They perform the letter of the law, but they are not actuated by the true spirit of obedience, which is love  see 2 Corinthians 3:6 and Romans 13:10.
     In the Bible there are two kinds of obedience brought to view.  One is referred to by Paul as the works of the law, and by Jesus as outward righteousness.  The other Paul called obedience from the heart, or simply love.  Jesus described it as inward righteousness and also summarized it with the single word love.
     Works of the law are deeds of outward obedience rendered
     * out of a mere sense of obligation in order to be saved.
     * without personal willingness from the heart,
     * without inward delight,
     * without a sincere desire to please God,
     *and with a view of God's character that assumes He withholds His favor until we do good.
     Obedience from the heart involves an inward attitude toward God that springs forth
     * from a deep sense of God's love in giving His Son to die for our sins,
     * from a personal desire to do God's will because it is pleasing to Him,
     * with inward delight
     * and with sincere appreciation to God for the free salvation He has given us through Christ apart from any works of righteousness which we have done.

(Are you understanding what Ty is saying, if you are not clear, pray for understanding and wisdom to understand.  It is important to understand these true steps to salvation and the fact that it is a free gift and we don't earn any part of it.  I pray that God blesses your effort to keep reading and understanding this important topic.  Grandma Joan)

Full and Free Salvation

     This understanding of the gospel is perfectly calculated to accomplish two revolutions in the human heart: 1.  It totally shatters every vestige of self-dependence for salvation and shifts our dependence wholly to Christ, and 2.  it awakens in us a depth of gratitude and love that can find satisfaction only in living to please and honor Christ.
     Do you see, friend, that anything short of full and free salvation through Christ alone will leave self alive?
     Do you se that you can never really live for the Lord until you have the assurance that your salvation rests in Him alone and not in yourself?
     Do you see that gratitude to Jesus for a free salvation is more powerful to produce a life of righteousness than is a mere sense of  obligation to be good in order to secure salvation.  (Read that sentence again, please).
     So what do you believe, my friend?  How does Jesus save sinners?  Ponder the options carefully, and make no mistake.
     1.  Salvation by grace through faith apart from good works, which makes obedience irrelevant.
     2.  Salvation by grace through faith and good works, which makes obedience meritorious.
     3.  Or salvation by grace through faith unto good works, which makes obedience inevitable.   Inevitable, because God's grace is sufficient.  Inevitable because the faith He gives really does work.  Inevitable, because in the light of God's love I willingly and joyfully accept His will as my own.  Not so I can be saved, but that He might be glorified in me as the Savior.
     I assure you, the way you think concerning this vital matter will determine, more than all other factors combined, the quality of our christianity--whether your experience will be one of rest or anxiety, confidence or uncertainty, joy or gloom, love or fear, victory or defeat.

     Father I praise You for devising such a perfect plan to save me.  There is something in me that wants to take some of the glory for my redemption.  But if I believe the gospel, and I do, all things pertaining to my salvation are of You, through You, and to You.  That means that I can do nothing to save myself, but you have saved me totally by virtue of Your infinite love.  It's humbling, but it's also a relief, for deep inside I know I'm a helpless subject of Your grace.  Thank You.  In the all-sufficient name of Jesus I Pray.  Amen

(More tomorrow, wasn't that an uplifting chapter,  This will be my thirteenth time through this book and I am enjoying it more each time.  Blessings to you.  Grandma Joan)

Christ The Brightness of God's Glory

     Paul called Jesus "the brightness of His (God's) glory, and the express image of His person" Hebrews 1:3.  "Great is the mystery of godliness" he proclaimed, "God was manifest in the flesh" 1 Timothy 3:16.
    Jesus was not kind of like God, or like God in some respects.  He was, in the fullest sense, the exact representation of the divine likeness.  Every attribute of His character revealed the true personage of God.  Every interaction He had with people was a manifestation of the Father's heart.  Every episode of His earthly life proclaimed the thoughts and feelings of the Eternal One whose very nature is love.
     At the time of Christ's incarnation the religious leaders had painted a distorted, ugly picture of God.  It would have been nice if they had kept it to themselves, but they didn't.  With great zeal they held up before the world their custom-crafted image of God.  Because they created an image of God in their own likeness, they were unwitting idolaters.  By their teachings and their dealings with their fellow human beings, they led minds to conceive of God as a dictatorial and cruel judge, slow to forgive and quick to punish.  Generation after generation, as they multiplied impossible rules as obstacles to God's favor and dealt out their condemnations, they repeated their high claim, "we have one Father, even God"  John 8:41.
     Naturally, the people of the world assumed God must be like His professed followers.  But Jesus denied their representation of the divine character.  The picture they presented looked more like the devil than the God of heaven.  "If God were your Father," Jesus said, "ye would love Me: for I  proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me....Ye are of your father the devil,and the lusts of your father ye will do"  John 8:42,44.  They were truly like their father, but God was not their father as they claimed.
     Jesus came to our world to give the true knowledge of God.  In every act of mercy H was saying, "This is what God is really like." As He healed the sick, as He befriended sinners, as He took time for children, He was longing for the light of divine love to shine into our hearts and persuade us that God is good.  This was His appointed mission.
     Yet so few understood.  The religious leaders said he was a drunk and a glutton because he sought to love those they hated.  Even His own disciples struggled to match up their concept of God with what they encountered in Him.   Peter tried to shoo away mothers and children, only to be astonished by the Savior's priority interest in giving them undivided attention.  James and John suggested that He burn up a whole city, apparently assuming that He would approve of their plan.  To their utter surprise, He identified their spirit as from the evil one and not from God.  Over and over, throughout His earthly life, Jesus sought to erase the distorted pictures of God people held in their hearts and repaint the image of divinity with the bright and beautiful colors of selfless love.  Every act of His life proclaimed,"This is what God is really like."

     (Are you getting a better picture of God?  I am, and I am so thankful someone like Ty is willing to portray God like He truly is.  It has helped me so very much and I hope it is helping each of you.  Grandma Joan)
   

Seeing God In The Light of His love - Chapter three - Ty Gibson

     Since I travel a lot to conduct revival seminars and evangelistic meetings, I have sometimes encountered expressions of surprise on the faces of people who had formed a picture of me in their minds.  Some have vocalized their expectations:
     "I thought you would be older."
     "I thought you would be taller."
     "I thought you would be more solemn looking."
     No one has ever told me I looked exactly like they had imagined.  (I hope the disappointments have been few.)  In more recent years seminar advertisements have included a photo of the speaker.  It is so much easier now to get picked up at the airport.  My host or hostess knows exactly which face is mine amid the crowd departing the plane.
     The fact is, without a photo, it is virtually impossible to form an accurate picture of a person we have never seen.  And yet we attempt to do it all the time.  We can't help ourselves.  We automatically construct mental pictures of people we have never met.  Not only do we form pictures of what we think they might look like, we also develop ideas about their personalities.  We are often surprised to discover a person is different than we had expected.
     We do the same thing with God.  From what we hear other people say about Him, and from our personal experiences in life, we form a picture in our minds of what we think God is like.  Many people hold in their minds a picture of God that keeps them from approaching Him.  They hate the God they see.  Others have developed a view of God that leads them to serve Him like slaves.  They are afraid of the God they see.  Then there are some who relate to Him as a friend.  They must see a beautiful picture of God.
     A photo of the Lord would be helpful, don't you think?  Then we wouldn't have to guess or go by what others say about Him.  Well, believe it or not, God has sent us a photo of Himself. It's not a photo of His face however.  It's a picture of His character.
     "For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ""  2 Corinthians 4:6.
     There it is. God's self-portrait has been given to the world in the person of Jesus Christ.  We need not depend on our misguided imaginations to know God's character.  All we need to do is behold Jesus.  By looking at His life, listening to His teachings, and acquainting ourselves with how He related to people, we can form a right conception of our heavenly Father.
     Jesus claimed to be the transparent medium through which God is made known.  As His earthly ministry was drawing to a close, Philip made a request on behalf of all the disciples:  "Show us the Father" John 14:8. NKJV.  No doubt, they wanted to see God in person.  Actually, they had, but didn't realize it.  Jesus responded, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" verse 9.
     Jesus could have said it this way: "Do you see how I live, how I care, how I heal, how I love?  This is what God is like.  I am the living personification the unobstructed channel, the mirror reflection of God's true character."

     (Can you get a different picture of God now?  I use to have a horrible picture of Him, but God has helped me through the years to change that picture in my mind.  He will help you too.  Sometimes we view God as we do our real father or a step father and if they were kind and loving we picture God in the same way but if they were the opposite, we then view God that way.  God help us to see His kind and loving nature as we view and study the life of Jesus.  Grandma Joan)

In Our Own Strength

     Some undertake this battle in their own strength, supposing that victory over sin and obedience to God's law will come by trying hard enough  So they try and they tell themselves they're doing pretty good.  Others view the task as an insurmountable hurdle beyond the realm of possibility.  Eventually they give up in discouragement.  In both cases the vital missing element is the motivating, empowering, compelling influence of divine love.  What electricity is to a lamp, what fuel is to a car, God's love is to the Christian life.
     "The love of Christ constrains" those who receive it, Paul said.  To do what?  He continues his thought: to "live no longer for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again"  2 Corinthians 5:14, 15. NKJV.  In other words, the love of Christ is so powerful, so attractive, so absolutely captivating that it moves the one who receives it to cease living for self and to begin living for the One whose love compelled Him to die for us.
     When we truly understand and embrace the love of God as illuminated by Calvary, a responsive love awakens deep within our hearts.  New desires are stimulated.  Personal salvation becomes secondary to His  glory.  The passion to live for God is made true and deep and strong.  Self is forgotten.  Christian standards are seen to be Christian privileges.  And I might add for the sake of those who may be worried about all this emphasis on God's love, the very last thing we'll want to do is look lightly on sin.
     Everything appears new and beautiful in the light of God's love.

     Dear God cause me to see the true power of your love.  May I not underestimate its transforming influence.  Allow the cross to shine its healing rays on my heart so I can view everything in the light of Your love  In Christ's saving name I pray.  Amen.

     (I hope this encourages you as it has me.  I have always tried to obey and failed but in the Light of God's Love it no longer becomes a duty but a privilege.  A loving privilege.  May God bless you with the light of heaven as you read these thoughts each day.  Grandma Joan)

The Law and False Impressions

     When we point out the difference between right and wrong, individual guilt is accentuated.  This is why Paul said, "By the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20.  We are awakened in conscience to our true condition when the law is presented.  And this is just as it should be. The law is intended to occupy that role, and we ought to preach it to accomplish that purpose.  But if at this point we fail to magnify God's great love in Christ for the pardon of sin, we risk communicating one of two false impressions with equally devastating results.
     False Impression Number One:  I need to keep the law in order to gain the favor and salvation of God."
     With this subtle misuse of the law, obedience, standards of holiness, preparation for the close of probation are all perceived as human responsibilities to be borne faithfully in order to secure salvation.  Those who tend to be strong-willed and self-confident fall prey to this kind of thinking most easily.  Self-righteousness is the result.
     False Impression Number two:  "I am utterly hopeless and may as well give up"
    Obedience to the law and Christian standards are perceived as obstacles in the way of salvation.  The weak and self-conscious fall here.  Despair is the result.
     Now consider with me the vital part God intends that His love should occupy in the plan of salvation.  I think you'll see that it is not risky to focus on the cross.  An emphasis on God's love does not give license to sin or cause people to lower standards.
     According to the apostle Paul, "The message of the cross is the power of God" 1 Corinthians 1:18.  He enlarges the thought by informing us that the message of the cross is God's love: "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5;8.  But do not misunderstand Paul's intent.  He speaks of God's love not as a sentimental feeling that makes sinners feel comfortable in their sins, but as a motivating power that enables us to truly be free from sin.  In Paul's understanding the love of Christ is the empowering factor in Christian experience.
     Notice his words:  "The love of Christ constraineth us..." 2 Corinthians 5:14  "Christ's love compels us ..."NIV  The idea conveyed in this Scripture is motivational power.  The love of Christ moves our sin-weakened wills to do things we would never be able to do apart from its animating influence.  This is just the kind of power we need, because the Christian life involves various actions of the will that require more than human strength:
     Repentance, which is sorrow for sin so deep that it causes the sinner to turn from his sin.
     Confession, which is a humble acknowledgment of personal sin before the Lord.
     Reformation,  which involves some radical changes of thought, feeling and lifestyle.
     All of these aspects of Christian experience are summarized in the penetrating words of Jesus, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me'  Mark 8:34.  Every movement toward God is a movement away from self.  The victories to which God calls us and all the changes He requires are, at foundation level, a denial of the old carnal self.

(Don't give up in hopelessness or despair, there is hope for all, including you and me.  Hang in there for the good news is the Good News of the Gospel.  Grandma Joan)

Truth In The Light Of God's Love - Chapter 2 by Ty Gibson

     I had just finished preaching a sermon on the amazing love of God as demonstrated through Christ at Calvary  A fellowship meal had been planned and small groups of people were visiting while a few of the ladies made the last minute preparations.
     As I chatted with a man and his wife I could sense that he was a bit troubled.  Something seemed to be on his mind.  So I wasn't surprised when, all of a sudden, a surge of boldness came over him.
     "What's all this talk about the love of God and the cross?  What we need to hear is the truth!"
    While I halfway expected him to say something negative, I was definitely set back for a few seconds by the nature of his concern.
     "The truth?" I questioned.  "What is the truth you're referring to?"
     "You know, the truth--" he responded rather matter-of factly, "the three angels' messages, the mark of the beast, an update on what the pope's up to, the commandments of God, the shaking of the church, the close of probation--the truth."
     On another occasion while preaching the same message at one of our universities, an intense man engaged me with a similar line of reasoning.
     "You've missed the point," he challenged me "you're going to lead our people to look lightly on sin with all this emphasis on God's love and the cross.  Our church has a real problem and it needs to be fixed."
     "Tell me," I probed for his meaning, "in your opinion what is our problem and what is the solution?"
     "I'll tell you: The problem is sin, and the solution is we need to stop it.  Our people need to hear the truth.  They need to hear sermons that rebuke their sins, and messages on the commandments of God and standards of the church.  That's how we'll check this tide of liberalism coming into the church."
     According to these fellows it is the truth we need to be preaching and not the gospel of God's great love manifested in Christ.  Quite frankly, I've decided this concept is too deep for me to comprehend.  It seems these men are afraid that proclaiming the love of God will not make people feel obligated enough to overcome sin and keep His law.  And I'm afraid that too many people share their misconception.
     The fact is, every doctrinal, prophetic, and lifestyle truth of the Bible finds its real value and crucial meaning only in the light of divine love that shines from the cross.  Only "the truth as it is in Jesus" has power to truly save and sanctify.  This is why Paul said, "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified"  1 Corinthians 2:2.  The apostle did not men that he would never address any other topic, but that he would present every other topic in the illuminating context of the cross.  He would maintain God's great sacrificial love as the central theme of his ministry.  Every other truth of Scripture is invested with power only when kept in vital relation to the knowledge of God's true character as revealed at Calvary.
     When doctrinal truths, prophetic truths, or lifestyle truths are presented outside the context of the gospel, the effect is not salvation but rather self-righteousness for some and despair for others.
     Doctrine is irrelevant apart from Christ's love.
     Prophecy is scary apart from His love.
     Lifestyle standards are oppressive apart from His love.

(You will find a great burden will be gone if you continue reading this book. I love it, it means so very much to me and has helped me in my Christian walk.  The same will happen to you if you let it. Grandma Joan)  Please pray for me and another family member.  Things are tough right now for us both.  We need help right now from heaven.  So thankful for this book, it is keeping our heads above the water.