And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
(Romans 4:5 – ESV)
(Romans 4:5 – ESV)
This is the truth we ought to be excited about more than any other. If we are not we need to examine ourselves, and indeed, we always need to be examining our lives as to how this truth is affecting us in the here and now. I believe one of the greatest errors to infect the Christian Church is the notion that justification by faith is only a ground level aspect of salvation. Because of this, the believer is told they must have further stages, additional works, or the experience of a "higher Christian life" beyond what was begun in justification. People get all excited about some new fad, some new personality, some new secret, some new way to tackle some old problem, some shortcut to happiness. If someone promises a way to do it other than the way God has laid out before us, we are all too happy to run and get it, to pay for it, to bow to it as we do all our other idols. It is time we reclaim and proclaim this ultimate truth. This is the gospel. Yes He can.
This is the truth that shows our God must be the real God, this truth exalts His holiness while also exalting His justice, mercy and love. It is not just that we don’t have the purity but we also don’t have the power. The power is not the purity, and even if people were untied perfectly around a single cause, humanity doesn’t have the power to stop the forces of nature let alone the fact that they will never achieve perfect unity because they don’t have purity of the heart. We might have some pure motives, perhaps, in a sense, some yearning for good, yearning for true meaning, but they cast it aside when it is right in front of their face in the person of Jesus Christ. How foolish to unite around a flawed notion of a common collective when we have the perfect purity and demonstration of divine power that has rippled down through the centuries still speaking to us of the reality behind the rhetoric of the Bible. Can humanity save itself – no it can’t. Can Jesus Christ save all that come to Him – yes He can.
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This is the third in a series of posts derived from the sermon of 3-2-08 titled "Yes HE Can"...
Say it with me now...
Jesus Christ:
Yes,
He
Can.
Come on, people, leave a comment, an amen, a "yes He can", let's lift our voice in unision to Him who sits on the throne...
In the midst of all the despair, distraction, deception, and destruction, can God cause us to praise His name and show the Way to a lost and dying world? Can He bring us all the way home?
Yes,
He
Can.
How about a: Glory Hallelujah! And an Amen!
That will do for sure, Don!
JD, How about, Yes He will!
Indeed, and of course, it is also, Yes He Did!
Amen, and again I say, Amen.
After a week of solid pain and discomfort, I managed through God not to bite off anyone's head.... ah indeed JD, he can, he will, he does. It's all God. :) Yes indeedy.
Wonderful testimony, Annette...truthfully, I am sorry about the pain, but joyful about your experience of Christ...
Can He comfort us through all our sorrows and keep us from addding to them...
Yes,
He
Can.
Praying for you, sister, thanks for being you...
It is so weird - I know He can - why do I doubt that He will? Such weak faith - of such lack of understand of who He really is?
Yes, He can!
Only He can!
Who is like our God?
There is no other!
3-7-08
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!
Amen!
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