We Have Sinned Times Without Number...But God Is Merciful

     We have sinned times without number and we are guilty of pride and unbelief.  We have failed to find His mind in His Word.  We have neglected to see Him in our daily life.  The list of accusations and shortcomings are endless.  But God has not stood against us, for we bless His name.  We ought to pray that God is able to subdue our corruptions and we ask Him to live above them.  We ought to pray that He would not let our flesh and lustings in subjection but to rise above them.  God needs to rule over us in liberty and power.
     We ought to thank God that many of our prayers have been refused.  We often ask amiss and not according to His will.  We have asked amiss and do not have.  We have prayed from lusts and been rejected.  We have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness.  We ought to be thankful Him to answer 'no' to our wrongful prayers and embracing His will to live for Jesus.  To be a Christian means to be a little Jesus.  That simply means we are to live for Him as He lived for us.  Lord, purge us from every false desire, every bad thing, and everything contrary to Thy law.  We would do well to thank Him for His will of wisdom and love.  He disciplines us and puts us into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross. 
     No trail is so hard as to bear the sense of sin.  We ought to remember forgiveness of sin and repentance according to His good purpose.  We ought not to live in pleasure of sin, but pray for trail to shape us into His image.  We ought to pray for sanctified affliction but not invite Satan to us.  It is good if we pray that God delivers us from every evil habit and all former sins.  It is sin when the brightness of Christ is dimmed.  We ought to be a bright light in a dark world.  It is good when we take delight in the Lord, but sin prevents that and causes displeasure with God.  We ought to praise God for taking delight in Him because we want to bless the Lord.  (Confession and Petition, The Valley of Vision).

The Holy Scriptures: Our Sole Infallible and Final Authority

The Bible is sufficient for every good work:

2 Timothy 3:15-17, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

The Word of God is light in the soul:

Isaiah 8:20, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

The Word of God is sufficient to witness to the truth:

Luke 16:29, "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."

The Word of God is the answer to man's spiritual problems:

Luke 16:31, "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

Jesus bears witness to the Word for He is the chief corner stone:

Ephesians 2:20, "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone..."

The reprobate are without excuse:

Romans 1:19-21, "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

The Word of God gives us instruction:

Romans 2:14, “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves…”

The Word of God is able to make us wise and search our hearts:

Romans 2:15, “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.,.”

The Scriptures teaches that nature shows that there is a God:

Psalm 19:1-3, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”

God spoke through the prophets:

Hebrews 1:1, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets…”

The Bible is the Word of truth:

Proverbs 22:19-21, “That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?”

The Scriptures give us hope:

Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

The Bible is a sure word of prophecy:

2 Peter 1:19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts…”

The Bible is not of the will of man but of God:

2 Peter 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”

The Forgiveness of Sin

     Luther spoke of the forgiveness of sin as life and blessedness, and we ought to thank God for the real forgiveness of real sin.  Real guilt is only forgiven through real forgiveness.  If there is not real forgiveness there is not real peace.  There is a forgiveness, peace or comfort that is not authentic.  The only authentic forgiveness comes from God alone.  Only real forgiveness brings real peace.  We get forgiveness by the Word and the Spirit that changed our hearts.  Confession of sin is a continual lifestyle for the Christian. When we fall into sin, it does not mean we lose our justification.  It means that we have displeased God and we must ask for forgiveness.  We may miss some sin in our lives but these sins are covered also.  There is no greater joy or happiness then forgiveness of sin.  Real happiness and real joy is the real forgiveness of sin, but without it we are truly nothing.  We ought to forgive our neighbor and forgive ourselves of what we have done.  We should forgive and forget because it is how God deals with our sin.  He forgives and forgets our sin through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  We have sinned against God and our neighbor.  We must recognize the problem of being forgiven for a particular sin and repent.  Understanding forgiveness is a question of accountability.  We have the personal responsibility to hold ourselves accountable to repent of our daily sins, because it is an offense against a holy God.  We must discover the reality of genuine forgiveness.  The Christian faith teaches that there is no sin so great as to take you out of His hand.  We ought not to worry that continual sin will take us out of His Hand.  In fact, no sin will take us out of His Hand.  There is an offense that people have when they behold the Cross because His love is free and everlasting, but also offends people that God is so gracious, loving and compassionate.  Regret and repentance are two different things.  Sometimes people may regret something but they have not repented.  We must repent of our sins when we realize it has caused others harm.  We ought to have a humble and contrite spirit and tremble at His holy Word.  We can’t separate Jesus from His Cross; we must take the two together.  Without the Cross there is no forgiveness, but with the Cross there is forgiveness of sin.  Repentance is an acknowledgement of reality.  We ought to own up to what we did that was wrong.  We ought to reverse our behavior in what we did that was wrong and confess our guilt before God.  We ought also to confess our sins before our responsible brother to have him or her pray for you.  We ought to restore what was lost and rebuild our character.  Repentance must change our attitude, but if we find ourselves reoccurring in sin we must battle the flesh in a war between good and evil.  We have the gift of repentance by God through His Holy Spirit.  Forgiveness cannot be earned but it is a gift from God.  Amen.

A Study of the Epistle of Saint Jude

1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 

    I suppose I will add to this as time goes on, but for now this is what I wrote for this sermon.  I hope to write a lot more, but we will see on God’s timing.  

Let us pray, “Lord, please grant us a greater insight into Thy Word.  Cause us to think deeply about what is being said and live the faith out.  Amen.”

     Jude is the author of the Epistle of Jude; that is, he was probably the one who was the Judas who was not Iscariot (John 14:22, “Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?”).  He was a devote follower and servant of Jesus Christ.  He was a servant of Christ and brother of James.  It may be better stated that Jude was a “slave of Christ.”  To be a slave of Christ means to give up all your rights and surrender to Him alone.  There are slaves of Satan and slaves of Christ.  No man is both, but one or the other.  If a tree is good it is always good, but if a tree is bad it is always bad.  A slave of Satan is someone who is unregenerate, but a slave of Christ is someone who is regenerate of the Spirit and the Word.  Slaves are not hired servants but willful obedient to their Father’s command.  Slaves of Satan have no changed heart, but those who believe have a changed heart.  Slaves of Satan do not repent, but slaves of Christ repent and believe the gospel.  No person could surrender to Christ without a changed heart.  We are sanctified in a past tense and an ongoing sense by God the Father.  We are preserved in Jesus Christ and called.  Everyone who is called receives an irresistible grace that keeps them to Himself.   This verse touches on sanctification, preservation and regeneration.  

Of Sanctification

     When we speak of sanctification we speak of union with Christ, because they have been effectually called thereunto by the Spirit unto Christ Himself.  We are given a new heart and spirit through His death and resurrection.  We are further sanctified really and personally.  It is the Word and Spirit dwelling in us that sanctifies us.  The dominion of the whole body is destroyed.  We go through weakening the flesh and mortifying the flesh.   We are quickened and strengthened in all saving graces.  We ought to practice true holiness or we will not see the Lord.  We are sanctified by His grace:  “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).  We ought to be the likeness of His death and resurrection by His grace, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection…”  (Romans 6:5).  Our old nature is crucified with Christ, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6).  We are sanctified by His truth, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17).  The Spirit is given in the inner man in Ephesians 3:16-19, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23; Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:24; Colossians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14).

     There is a war in sanctification between the lusts of the flesh and the Spirit; that is, the whole man is not made complete in this life.  We conquer sin by faithful repentance in short accounts to Him who lives forevermore (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 7:18, 23; Galatians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11). 

     There is still remaining corruption in the inner man, but the born again people overcome the sin in their lives by His sanctifying Spirit of grace.  The saints grow in the grace of God in the holy fear of God in evangelical obedience to Him (Romans 7:23; Romans 6:14; Ephesians 4:15, 16; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1).

    
     The Westminster Larger Catechism states on sanctification,

Question 75: What is sanctification?

Answer: Sanctification is a work of God's grace, whereby they whom God has, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God; having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts, and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened, as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.

Of Preservation

In chapter 17 of the London Baptist Confession of 1689 it states,

1._____ Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, whence he still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palm of his hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity.
( John 10:28, 29; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 John 2:19; Psalms 89:31, 32; 1 Corinthians 11:32; Malachi 3:6 )

2._____ This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him, the oath of God, the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
( Romans 8:30 Romans 9:11, 16; Romans 5:9, 10; John 14:19; Hebrews 6:17, 18; 1 John 3:9; Jeremiah 32:40 )

3._____ And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves, yet shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.
( Matthew 26:70, 72, 74; Isaiah 64:5, 9; Ephesians 4:30; Psalms 51:10, 12; Psalms 32:3, 4; 2 Samuel 12:14; Luke 22:32, 61, 62 ) 

     The Westminster Larger Catechism states on preservation,

Question 79: May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace ?

Answer: True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Of Regeneration

In chapter 10 of the London Confession it states on effectual calling,

1._____ Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.
( Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14; Ephesians 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 1:17, 18; Ezekiel 36:26; Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:19; Psalm 110:3; Song of Solomon 1:4 )

2._____ This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.
( 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:5; John 5:25; Ephesians 1:19, 20 )

3._____ Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.
( John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8 )

4._____ Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.
( Matthew 22:14; Matthew 13:20, 21; Hebrews 6:4, 5; John 6:44, 45, 65; 1 John 2:24, 25; Acts 4:12; John 4:22; John 17:3 ) 

     The Westminster Larger Catechism states on effectual calling,

Question 67: What is effectual calling?

Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God's almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he does, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his Word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein.

The order or chain of redemption starts with regeneration, faith, justification, sanctification and glorification.  No devil can break this holy chain of spiritual salvation.

 ²Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

Jude speaks of mercy from God with peace and love.  There is no mercy from Satan but only an abandonment to ruin and destruction, but God who is rich in mercy loved us unto an eternal inheritance.  

“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory…”  (Romans 9:23).“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us…” (Ephesians 2:4).

Jesus speaks of a peace that surpasses all understanding; that is, His peace is not of the world but of heaven.  His peace is from above while hellish peace is from below.  (John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid).  We see the love of Christ in His life, death, burial and resurrection, for He was born to live, born to die, born to be buried and born to rise.  (Joshua 23:11, “Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God”).  (Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you...”).   (Matthew 5:46, “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?”).  We ought to follow the greatest commandments in the Word of God,  “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).  “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39).

 ³Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 

The term “beloved” refers simply to the people of God; that is, we are the beloved in Christ Jesus.  Jude made all diligence to write unto the people of God of the spiritual redemption in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He says it was needful to write and exhort the people of God to “contend for the faith which was delivered unto the saints.” ( 1 Peter 3:15, “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear…”).   (Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man”).  

     The faith once for all delivered to the saints is the Christian faith; that is, it has contents to what the Faith really is.  The Christian faith is a collection of beliefs like the deity of the three persons in the Triune Godhead or the fact that the Bible is the sole and final authority for life, morals and faith.  It is sufficient to make us wise unto spiritual salvation; that is, we can apprehend Christ and believe He forgives our sins by our repentance.  The faith is precious and among the people of God to serve the Lord; however, there are counterfeits which are not the faith of Christ.  The key is to believe the faith of the Bible because we are accountable for what we believe before God and man.  

 ⁴For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 

There were false teachers in the days of Jude just like there are false teachers in our day; that is, they creep in unawares to distort the Gospel of Christ.  These false teachers either add to the Gospel or take from it.  Let us remember the words of Saint Paul,

¹Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) ²And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: ³Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: ⁵To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ⁶I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: ⁷Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ⁹As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. ¹⁰For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. ¹¹But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. ¹²For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1).

There is some question on the nature of being ordained to destruction.  Does it mean that we prepare ourselves unto destruction?  Or, does it mean God prepares us unto destruction by passing over us and hiding the Gospel from us?  I think the answer is in Romans 9,

¹²It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. ¹³As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. ¹⁵For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ¹⁶So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. ¹⁷For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. ¹⁸Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. ¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? ²⁰Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? ²¹Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? ²²What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: ²³And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, ²⁴Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? ²⁵As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. ²⁶And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. ²⁷Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: ²⁸For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. ²⁹And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. ³⁰What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. ³¹But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  ³²Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; ³³As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

God shapes as He wills and does what He pleases; however, this does not mean He commits sin of any kind.  When God’s will runs into our will, we lose.  God is sovereign and we are not sovereign.  If grace is turned into lasciviousness, it is no longer the grace of Christ.  The false teachers deny Christ and His grace.  The perversion of the false teachers does not reside in God’s grace, but they stink with corruption.  The Cross offers to God a fragment aroma, but dead souls give off stench like a dunghill. 
 

 ⁵I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 

God is a God of holiness, and He destroys the unbelieving.  He is so gracious and filled with compassion, but He does not save those who reject Him.  Never reject the Lord or He will reject you.  None of the elect who have come to believe in time will reject the Lord.  The Lord is mighty to save, and He delivered His people out of Egypt.  It is still told even to this very day.  We ought to learn a lesson and keep repenting and never stop.  The people in the wilderness lived a life of rebellion to God.  Destruction is only meant for the non-elect but the elect get mercy.  

 ⁶And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 

The demons are under judgment by God, because they are fallen angels (Matthew 25:41, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…”).

 ⁷Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 

We commanded in Holy Writ to flee immorality, fornication, strange flesh and sexual promiscuity; however, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of disobedience.  Every person who engages in sexual immorality of any kind will be judged by God and it can destroy lives.  It is hazardous to society from a biblical approach, because it corrupts people unto a fleshy lust that displease God.  These suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, because it is sin and God brings justice to it; however, immorality is not the unforgivable sin, but no one who practices it will inherit the kingdom of God.  It comes down to habitual sin and besetting sins; that is, the habitual sinner could care less about God’s judgment and holiness.  Those who commit besetting sins repent of them, because they indeed do care about holiness and judgment.  Once someone is in eternal hell there is no escape, but now is the day of salvation.  Let us cast off the deeds of the flesh and repent and believe the Gospel.  

 ⁸Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.  ⁹Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.  ¹⁰But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 

These false teachers defile the flesh, but also do deeds of wickedness.  Michael the archangel disputed about the body of Moses, because He protected Moses’ body against Satan and his fallen angels.  Michael rebuked Satan by, “The Lord rebuke thee.”  These people are brute beasts and corrupt themselves unto the very end.  

 ¹¹Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 

These false teachers defile the flesh, but also they go after the way of Cain.   They also run greedily into the error of Balaam for a profit, and perished in the evil of Korah.  “Woe unto them!”  They have no spiritual life but they have only death.  It is what Cain bought them, because he murdered with no repentance.  Balaam acknowledged he sinned but it was not contrite repentance.  Judas throw back the money pieces but he did not use contrite repentance.   Korah rebelled against Moses, but never repented.  Let this be a lesson to us that we ought to repent before God.  There is a contrite repentance that is not of God; that is, it could be to a false God.  All repentance is accepted if it is to the Holy Trinity or one of the persons in the Trinity.  

 ¹²These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 

These false teachers have no root to, in or through Christ.  They have no fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  They have no fear of God before their eyes; that is, no fear of God means no recognition of sin in our lives to repent of their crimes.  They are empty vessels but only full of crimes, sins and evils.  They are carried about by every wind of doctrine, but the fruit they do manifest goes away because it has no root.  It is bad fruit but His people only have good fruit.  Let us praise God for His riches of glory!

 ¹³Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 

The false teachers rage with the sea’s might to turn people away from the faith, but they are filled with shame who wander as stars unto an eternal dark blackness for ever.  Saul was king, but instead of following the Lord He offered sacrifices.  He was rejected and a unregenerate for his own cause.  Instead of honoring God by obedience, he honored his riches by a monument unto himself.  

 ¹⁴And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, ¹⁵To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Matthew Henry wrote in his work on the epistle of Jude,

Of the prophecy of Enoch, (v. 14, 15) we have no mention made in any other part or place of scripture; yet now it is scripture that there was such prophecy. One plain text of scripture is proof enough of any one point that we are required to believe, especially when relating to a matter of fact; but in matters of faith, necessary saving faith, God has not seen fit (blessed be his holy name he has not) to try us so far. There is no fundamental article of the Christian religion, truly so called, which is not inculcated over and over in the New Testament, by which we may know on what the Holy Ghost does, and consequently on what we ought, to lay the greatest stress. Some say that this prophecy of Enoch was preserved by tradition in the Jewish church; others that the apostle Jude was immediately inspired with the notice of it: be this as it may, it is certain that there was such a prophecy of ancient date, of long standing, and universally received in the Old-Testament church; and it is a main point of our New-Testament creed. Observe, 1. Christ's coming to judgment was prophesied of as early as the middle of the patriarchal age, and was therefore even then a received and acknowledged truth.—The Lord cometh with his holy myriads, including both angels and the spirits of just men made perfect. What a glorious time will that be, when Christ shall come with ten thousand of these! And we are told for what great and awful ends and purposes he will come so accompanied and attended, namely, to execute judgment upon all. 2. It was spoken of then, so long ago, as a thing just at hand: "Behold, the Lord cometh; he is just a coming, he will be upon you before you are aware, and, unless you be very cautious and diligent, before you are provided to meet him comfortably." He cometh, (1.) To execute judgment upon the wicked. (2.) To convince them. Observe, Christ will condemn none without precedent, trial, and conviction, such conviction as shall at least silence themselves. They shall have no excuse or apology to make that they either can or dare then stand by. Then every mouth shall be stopped, the Judge and his sentence shall be (by all the impartial) approved and applauded, and even the guilty condemned criminals shall be speechless, though at present they want not bold and specious pleas, which they vent with all assurance and confidence; and yet it is certain that the mock-trials of prisoners in the jail among themselves and the real trial at the bar before the proper judge soon appear to be very different things.

I cannot pass v. 15 without taking notice how often, and how emphatically, the word ungodly is repeated in it, no fewer than four times: ungodly men, ungodly sinners, ungodly deeds, and, as to the manner, ungodly committed. Godly or ungodly signifies little with men now-a-days, unless it be to scoff at and deride even the very expressions; but it is not so in the language of the Holy Ghost. Note, Omissions, as well as commissions, must be accounted for in the day of judgment. Note, further, Hard speeches of one another, especially if ill-grounded, will most certainly come into account at the judgment of the great day. Let us all take care in time. "If thou," says one of our good old puritans, "smite (a miscalled heretic, or) a schismatic, and God find a real saint bleeding, look thou to it, how thou wilt answer it." It may be too late to say before the angel that it was an error, Eccl. v. 6. I only here allude to that expression of the divinely inspired writer.

 ¹⁶These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

Augustine wrote,

Chapter 14.—Of the Pride in the Sin, Which Was Worse Than the Sin Itself.

But it is a worse and more damnable pride which casts about for the shelter of an excuse even in manifest sins, as these our first parents did, of whom the woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat;” and the man said, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”⁷³⁷⁷³⁷    Gen. iii. 12, 13.  Here there is no word of begging pardon, no word of entreaty for healing.  For though they do not, like Cain, deny that they have perpetrated the deed, yet their pride seeks to refer its wickedness to another,—the woman’s pride to the serpent, the man’s to the woman.  But where there is a plain trangression of a divine commandment, this is rather to accuse than to excuse oneself.  For the fact that the woman sinned on the serpent’s persuasion, and the man at the woman’s offer, did not make the transgression less, as if there were any one whom we ought rather to believe or yield to than God.

 ¹⁷But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁸How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.  ¹⁹These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.  ²⁰But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  ²¹Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

 The apostles of Christ spoke of the false teachers; that is, we are dwelling in the last hour because men pursue ungodly lusts.  We are to separate ourselves from those who engage in sensual lust that yields no repentance. 
     We are to build up ourselves in our most holy faith; that is, we ought to pray and do so without ceasing.  We are to remain in the love of God by continuing in His Word, because He will see us through to the end to will and to do His good pleasure.  Jesus comes with mercy for them that are His unto everlasting life. 
 

 ²²And of some have compassion, making a difference: 

We ought to have compassion on the lost; that is, putting ourselves in their situation.  All those who believed at one time had someone show them compassion that made a difference, because of the command of Christ in the great commission.  Making a difference is standing for Jesus and doing good works, (Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus which God afore prepared to walk in them”).  I would say that the essence of the Gospel in the lives of sinners is making a difference for the kingdom of God.  We ought to be people of compassion.   

 ²³And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 

We ought to save those who close to hell by sharing the Gospel, but its not really us that saves but God Himself.  We ought to be His hands and feet and proclaim the Gospel to a perishing world.  We ought to keep our garments white by repentance but not sullied by corruption, the flesh, the world and the devil. 

 ²⁴Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 

The Bible speaks of a keeping power of Christ; that is, He is able to keep you from falling into sin, transgression and iniquity.   He is able to present us faultless before the presence of His glory.  His people have exceeding joy, because Christ is our source of joy.  Some understand “joy” as “Jesus over you.”  We ought to thank God that He gives us joy from, by, through and in Jesus Christ.   

 ²⁵To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only wise God and Savior; however, it is also true that the Father is God and the Spirit is God.  He gets the glory, majesty, dominion and power, because no one else is inherently God Incarnate save He. 

Let us pray, “Lord grant us a desire to know Thou keepest us in Thy hand.  Cause us to reject false teaching and live out the Gospel.  Thank you for Thy Word.  Amen.”

From Genesis to Revelation

     I hope to begin an in-depth Bible sermon study of the books of the Bible; that is, I will typically start from Genesis and go through to Revelation.  I will go from the Old Testament three times a week and the New Testament three times a week.  It is my hope to gain great insight into the Holy Bible and learn more about its divine truth.  I guess I will start out with my favorite books first and then other books as well.  I will try to make it an apologetical approach to the Bible or a devotional yet intellectual approach as well.  I love studying the Bible and I hope whoever reads my blog gets blessed, nourished and soundly instructed in the written Word of God.  I hope my study has its application to your daily life so you can renew your minds and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Peace be with you.

Sincerely in Christ,

Michael A. Petillo, ThD

Coming to God After Every Sin

     We ought to come to God after every sin, because this is the process of sanctification.  We should keep short accounts with Him when we sin and confess our sins to Him.  If we confess our sins to Him, we will be forgiven.  He always forgives sins that are asked with a contrite spirit.  We ought to understand that are sins are offenses against Him and His holiness.  We should thank Him for who He is and what He has done.  To many do not praise Him for who He is, but we ought to remember that He is holy.  We can only be holy but by the work of the Holy Spirit.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins (1 John 1:9).  No sin is so great as to deserve damnation for the one who repents.  We ought not to be immersed in sin but repent.  It does not matter if we sin often as long as we repent and the Lord will not cast us off.  We ought to acknowledge our sins before Him and leave it at the Cross (Psalm 32).  No sin that we miss remains unforgiven but all sin is forgiven once we confess it in a right spirit before Him.  This is a awesome and great encouragement to us in the beloved.  Jesus says to come to Him, and if indeed we come we will surely not be cast out.  No sinner coming to Jesus is cast out but all receive forgiveness of their sins.  What a glorious gospel message!  Amen and amen.

Did Christ Purge Our Sins With His Blood?

     The Bible teaches us that Christ Jesus purged our sins by His blood, (Hebrews 1:3, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high...").   (Hebrews 9:22, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission").  It is through His awesome atonement that we are purged from our sins.  We are washed by the blood of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ.  He purged our sins away by the Cross, for in it is a life-giving fountain of true blessedness unto a glorious peace.  He indeed purged our sins by His blood, for the fires of purgatory was not necessary.   There is no suffering we must endure to enter heaven through purgatory, but the suffering of full satisfaction was through Jesus Christ.  The fires of purgatory are not the means of purging but the Cross is the means of purging.  He suffered in our place so we do not have to suffer in a way to satisfy divine justice.  Christ satisfied divine justice by His work of the Cross.  We need not add the fires of purgatory.  We ought to rejoice that our completeness is found in Christ alone.  Amen.

Living Your Faith Out

     We are called to live our faith out in the marketplace and in daily life.   We are called to live it out because we would want it to spread around and through society.  Faith is catchy and people would want to believe it.  Living our faith out consists of remembering the Lord and His Word and having it apply to our lives.  It is good when by grace we apply the Word of God to our lives and live it out day by day.  We should live out the Word under Christ.  We are called to live for Jesus wherever we are, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him…”  (Colossians 2:6 KJV).   We have received Christ Jesus as our Lord.  We ought to walk in Him alone by faith.  Walking is what people do, but do we walk in the Lord?  Walking in Jesus is to live by His commandments and teachings.  We are to take His teachings with us whatever we do.  There is no division between the religious and secular, because Jesus is our everything.  The teachings of Christ never fail us, but if we follow them they are like a light in a dark place.  Our daily lives should consist of living for Jesus Christ, because He freely lived to satisfy God's demands of perfection.  We ought to follow in His example.  Amen.

The Heresy of "Ministry" Over Christ

     There is no time when ministry should rule over Christ; that is, that our deep love be for Christian ministry over our loving of Christ.  No one should love ministry more then Christ.  If ministry is loved more then Christ it becomes an idol of worthlessness.  The key is to love Christ through Christian ministry, but not Christian ministry over Christ.  No one should worship an idol but we should worship the Christ who is, was and forever shall be.  Christian ministry is all about Christ and His love for lost sinners.  Ministry should not be placed on a level of idol worship over Christ and His rules, commandments and teachings.  Every Christian has a ministry: let us walk with Jesus in holding His Hand to proclaim the Gospel of Grace.  We ought to love Christ no matter if we had no formal ministry.  We ought to love Christ if we had no informal ministry.  Loving Jesus is a testimony that should be of the highest priority in our lives.   No matter what happens: my chief concern is to love Christ and His righteousness as the sole basis for entering heaven.  No matter what happens: we ought to place Christ above all things and live for Him in all things.  No matter what position is given to us or taken from us, we ought to live a walk worthy of the Gospel according to Gospel standards.  Nothing is as important as the Gospel living of a true Christian person.  May we walk worthy of the Gospel and not worry of the trifles of this world, but focus our eyes on Christ and His atonement.  It is a contradiction to say "I love Jesus" and then serve ministry as if it had become our "god."  The temptation is there but we must always repent and renew our obedience to the Gospel message.  Amen and amen.

We Are Called to Love One Another

     The Bible calls us to love one another; that is, everyone is called to show a Christ-like love for each other.  Christ calls us to Himself by living for Him and dying to self.  We are called to die to self and love our neighbor.  No person should hate their neighbor; that is, we are called to love one another.  To love as Christ loves is to lay our lives down for our neighbor; that is, this is Christ-like love.  No mere man calls us to this awesome command, but the God-man who is Almighty God in human flesh.  We ought to love one another, because this is what Christ calls each one of us to do.  We do not please God if we do not love our one another.  We ought not to love the world.  We must do as Christ says, "If you love Me, keep my commandments."  His command for us is to love each other.  Every person should listen to our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ.  Love is the essence of an eternal hope that is found in Christ alone.  The essence of Christ alone is dying for His people.  This is His awesome love for His people alone.  No mere man calls us to a higher standard then Christ alone.  Keeping His commandments is by grace alone and growth in progressive sanctification.  Loving God and one another is a key focus in living for Him alone.  We are called to love God and our neighbor because it is His chief command.  There is no love except that comes by His sovereign command in monergistic regeneration: from the Father through His Son by His Spirit.  Love is from above and there is no love unless God grants it to us.  He changes our hearts and loves us with a profound love.  This love changes the heart of man into a heart that now longs and thirsts and hungers for God and to keep His commandments.  There is no falling away from God's love in our hearts; that is, it is impossible.  The grace that He gives us is with us for life and people will see this love toward others in our life.  The love of Christ calls us home to His sheltering love and His love never fails.  Our love is imperfect and fails at times, but His love is perfect.  There is no love except in a heart changed by the Spirit and the Word.  We ought to love our neighbor.  If we fail in loving our neighbor we must repent.  The love of Christ calls us to love each other.  No one calls us to a greater or higher standard then to love.  We must love Christ and others as a descriptive manifestation of the commandments of Christ.  Those who profess Christ ought to profess love.  Those who profess love profess to follow His command.  We ought never to be disloyal to Christ and His command, but we should always love with no excuses.   If we fail to love, we fail at His command; however, we are called to a life of repentance and no repentance is alterable.  Every repentance is set in stone as asking for forgiveness and receiving forgiveness.  There is a command of love that teaches us we are to love with great passion and desire for His glory.  We ought to repent when we love imperfectly, but we could never repent unless God granted it.  We all should love because we are given the same Spirit.  This is in terms of believers in Christ.  We must love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and love each other.  There is no love except the love that comes from God.  No one should hate but love that gives us a Christ-like hope.  A Christ-like hope is a Savior and Redeemer that gives His life for His people to die for them and keep them to Himself.  There is no keeping power except in Christ alone.  Christ keeps us in His Beloved and to Himself, but no one can snatch them out of His Hand.  The keeping power of the Father's love is through His Son by His Spirit and no one takes the elect sinner out of His Hand; that is, we love with the love that loved us, but we are sinful creatures.  Every elect sinner will be forgiven in His keeping power and we are to love Him with an everlasting love, but everyone is accountable to love as He loves.  All sinner's are called to love one another and love this day as He loved us.  Let us pray, "Lord, may we love as You have loved us and may we keep loving our neighbor and God Himself.  Amen."

Are Prayers Meritorious?

     The foundation of prayer is justification by faith alone; that is, our position with God has changed from darkness to light and nothing can hinder that.  Grace is the grounds for Christian prayer, but there is no merit in our prayers.  We cannot earn God's favor in Christian prayer.  I heard a pastor once speak of the merit of our prayers, but such misses the whole point of God's sheer grace.  We dishonor God when we think our prayers are meritorious.  Christian prayer ought to be free and powerful but not earning God's grace.  Grace cannot be earned, but the essence of Christian prayer is grace.  It is founded on the life and death of Christ alone, and we see Christ praying all night long at times.  Christ communicated to His Heavenly Father, and He longed for fellowship with Him.  It is where we communicate to God.  We ought to think of prayer as a way to praise God, thank God and worship God in delighting in Him alone.  There is no greater satisfaction then Christian prayer when we are praising God for His gospel.  May live in Christian worship of the Triune God of the Bible and do so freely by His sovereign grace.  Amen.

The Merit of Christ Jesus

     There is nothing more glorious then the merit of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ.  There is nothing more filled with utter splendor then the very life and death of Christ alone.  This is the essence of true salvation.  This is the cornerstone of the Christian church.  This is the bedrock of the faith.  No merit is so wonderful and so great as the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  There is no merit that compares with the merit of Jesus Christ.  The so-called "merit" of saints in works of satisfaction will never endure the test of our Lord and His holiness.  I think it is reasonably said that people who believe in additional merit lack a proper view of the nature of man and the nature of God's holiness.  The nature of God's holiness should make us fly to Christ alone, for in Him alone is the purity needed to stand before the God of heaven and earth.  The nature of man's depravity should teach us that we cannot contribute to our salvation through cooperation, for it adds to the Gospel of grace and peace.  We desperately need the saving merit of Jesus Christ, for it is the sole basis for how we are right with God.  God declares us right in His sight by the virtue of virtues that is found in His life and death alone.  To have the merit needed to enter heaven we must be God Incarnate, but there was only one man who was God in human flesh.  The Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is all-sufficient, for it is His blood and righteousness.  We need His saving strength or we will fail utterly.
      There is no merit so precious and so valuable then the merit of Christ alone.  Think of the beauty of this world and it does not compare with His matchless merit.  Think of the so-called "lovely righteousness" of people and it does not compare with His treasure-filled righteousness.  Think of the most beautiful flowers and it does not cast a glimpse of His awesome merit.  Think of the most righteous do-gooders and it does not stand up to the righteousness of Christ.  Yes, indeed no merit is greater then the merit of Christ alone.  Let us ponder this awesome truth this day to capture the essence of the Gospel.  Amen.

Conversion and Reversion

     We ought to think long upon Christ and His sufferings.  We ought not to convert to false religion, sects or cults.  We ought not to revert back to the old ways of wrong religion.  We ought to live for Christ and His teachings.  We ought to not be like the dog that returns to its vomit. We ought to follow Christ and His divine truth.  There is no reason to revert back to old religion that is known to perish, but we ought to live for Jesus and His truth.  How can anyone pass up the awesome teaching of Christ living in us?  How can any pass up the free forgiveness we have in Christ?  How can anyone pass up the free grace of His pure and undefiled unified righteousness?  There is no forgiveness in a false gospel.  Feelings do not make forgiveness, but only His touch of forgiveness.  If someone reverted back to a false way, they have embraced a false gospel.  If a false gospel is embraced, there is no true conversion back to the truth.  It is possible to convert or revert to a false religion not believing what that particular religion embraces.  It is also possible to know full well what it teaches and convert in embracing false religion.  Who would go away from this teaching by the apostle Paul in speaking of Christ and His righteousness, (Galatians 2:20-21 KJV, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain”).

Docetism Denies the Incarnation and Atonement of Jesus Christ

  Did Christ have a real body?  Did Christ really suffer?  Docetism states that matter is evil and Christ only appeared to have a human body.  We ought to point out that someone cannot crucify a mere appearance.  A mere appearance cannot weep, talk, bleed, preach, or sing.  If Christ did not have a real body, it would be impossible for Him to relate to other people.  Matter is not inherently evil; therefore, Christ's body is not inherently evil.  Christ had an actual human body, because He became flesh (John 1:14).  This verse destroys the Docetism that was against the early church of Christ Jesus.  The Bible speaks about Christ suffering and Reformed theologians teach the bodily resurrection of Christ.  The bodily resurrection of Christ really happened.  Matter is not evil but its how everything is used.  We ought not to think the bodily resurrection only appeared to happen, but it actually happened.  Christ lived a real life with His human body, but after His resurrection He had extended attributes pertaining to His resurrection.  The question to the Docetist is, if God the Son became man in Jesus Christ and became man, isn't it time to leave your position to the dust and embrace the Reformed teaching of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ?  Something to think about.

Modalism Denies the Gospel of God

     We see in our day that pastors, teachers and theologians are teaching the doctrine of Modalism.  Some advocate on television networks or others in publishing books.  People teach us this corrupt doctrine because of personal insight devoid of the word of truth.  Modalism denies the Gospel of God because it denies the nature of God; that is, the nature of God is revealed in three distinct persons in one essence or unity of being.  Modalism denies the distinctions within the Godhead; that is, they teach that God is manifested in the three modes, but they deny the persons within the Triune Godhead.  If you look at the well-known web site of T.D. Jakes it is clearly presented in their mission statement, “There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”  Did you catch that?  It says manifestations.  If it was Reformed orthodoxy it would say, “There is one God revealed in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”  We find that Modalism is almost considered mainstream orthodoxy without the first glance of disapproval by the Beloved.  We must not lay aside the personhood of God that is a vital issue but we must support the Trinitarianism of the Word of God and the Spirit of God.  There is no biblical support for the teaching of Modalism, and I would state an open challenge to anyone to debate.  In John 17 we could not rightfully say that Jesus communicated to Himself, but we see a clear picture of two distinct persons in communication with each other.  Therefore there are no modes or manifestations of God, but three persons that are the one God.  May we contemplate this divine truth and embrace it, for the very essence of the Gospel is denied when we embrace falsehood about the nature of God that distorts the Gospel of God.  Amen.

A Predestinatarian Hope

     We ought to look at the divine Word’s message as a predestinatarian hope in and through our Lord and King Jesus Christ.  We ought to look at it as a victorious predestinatarian hope because of the determined and predestinated events surrounding the life, death, burial and resurrection of our great God and Redeemer Jesus Christ.  Every single thing passes through the hands of Jesus that enters our lives.  We ought to gain encouragement because of a predestinatarian hope in Christ Jesus.  It is an encouragement to believe the gospel of grace and peace.  No one can believe in and of themselves, but it is by the Spirit of Christ and the Word of God.  We stand victorious over all sin because Jesus washes us whiter then snow.  No sin will be held against us because the predestinated believer has a true, firm and sure hope in Jesus Christ.  The world never forgets, but God never takes one sin into account that He has paid the debt for.  That really means that no person should hold sin against another but to be tenderhearted in forgiveness of each other.  There is no sin so great that will damn the elect or there is no sin so small as to take us out of the Triune grip of God.  It is a hope that never disappoints us and we are seated in the heavenly places with Jesus Christ.  Everyone of His predestinated people are called, justified, sanctified and glorified.   No one is left hanging or defeated.  Everyone who repents understands that we are vile people in the presence of a holy God.   The hope of forgiveness in faithful repentance is as sure as our flesh and bones once we ask for forgiveness of our sins no matter how hard it gets.  We can go through great trails and tribulations but forgiveness is ours freely and for the asking.  Predestination makes certain that all of us will get to heaven, because He predestinated us unto holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  The Lord will see us through and work through us to get into heaven with white garments as sheep of His fold.  Therefore we surely have a predestinatarian hope that is worth fighting for.   Amen.

A Deeper Repentance

     We ought to ask God for a deeper repentance before His throne.  We also ought to ask God for a greater horror of sin and dread of its approach.  We ought to call upon God to flee sin and jealousy seek that our hearts be His alone.  We ought to ask for a deeper trust and lose ourselves to find it in Him.  The Lord is the ground of our rest and the spring of our being.  We ought to ask for a deeper knowledge of Him who lives and reigns forevermore.  He is our Savior, Master, Lord and King.  We ought to ask for a deeper power in private prayer.  To understand and experience the sweetness of His Word and the more steadfast grip of His truth.  We ought to ask for a deeper holiness in word, thought and deed.  We ought to comprehend that there is no moral virtue apart from Him.   We would do well to ask the Lord of our souls to plough deep in us, for He is a great Lord.   He is our heavenly Husbandman, and that our being may be tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide until Christ is seen in us.  We ought to have His fruitfulness in autumn plenty.  We have no Master except Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer.  We ought to have no law but His will.   We ought also to have no wealth but that He alone gives.  We have good but only from His sovereign Hand.  We have no peace except what He gives.  We are nothing but what only God makes us to be.  We have nothing except what He bestows.  We can be nothing except what His grace gives us.  We ought to pray that the Lord quarry in us a deep sense of His grace of His overflowing living water.  (The Valley of Vision, pg. 134-135).

The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689: A Little Study of Chapter 11: Of Justification

1.  Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God.  (Romans 3:24; Romans 8:30; Romans 4:5-8; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31; Romans 5:17-19; Philippians 3:8, 9; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Romans 5:17)

Every believer is called into Christ by His Spirit and Word.   Everyone called unto regeneration God justifies, but this justification does not come by infusing righteousness into them.  It consists of pardoning our sins and accounting and accepting our persons as righteous.  It’s not because of our works but because of Christ’s sake alone.  Faith is not imputed to us that is the act of believing or any other evangelical obedience.  Nothing in us is righteous.  It’s the Spirit of God and the Word of God that applies the imputed righteousness of His obedience unto the whole law and His obedience in His death for our dependable and sole righteousness that is by faith which is the gift of God.  

2.  Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.
(Romans 3:28; Galatians 5:6; James 2:17, 22, 26)

Faith is receiving Christ and His righteousness.  Faith is resting on Christ and His righteousness.  Faith alone is the sole instrument of justification, but it is never alone in the person justified.  It is accompanied with many other saving graces.  It is no dead faith but works by love.  

3.  Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf; yet, inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for anything in them, their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. (Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; Isaiah 53:5, 6; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:26; Ephesians 1:6,7; Ephesians 2:7)

By His obedience and death Christ freely and fully took away the debt of all those that are justified.  By the death of Christ in their stead He paid the penalty due unto them and made a thorough satisfaction to God’s justice in their behalf.  Our Lord Jesus Christ was given by the Father for them, and His obedience and satisfaction was accepted in their stead.  It was free because there is nothing in us that attracted Him to us.  Their justification is freely of grace.  Christ took full justice upon Himself at the Cross and paid the exact justice of God for them by Himself and God is glorified in the justification of sinners.  

4.  God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification; nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them.  (Galatians 3:8; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Timothy 2:6; Romans 4:25; Colossians 1:21,22; Titus 3:4-7)

The justification of all the elect was decreed by God.  In the fullness of time Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification.  The Holy Spirit must apply Christ unto them for the justification of sinners. 

5.  God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified, and although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure; and in that condition they have not usually the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. (Matthew 6:12; 1 John 1:7, 9; John 10:28; Psalms 89:31-33; Psalms 32:5; Psalms 51; Matthew 26:75)

The sinners justified are always forgiven and He continues to forgive them.  God’s people can never fall from the state of justification; however, they may fall into God’s fatherly displeasure.  At times the light of His countenance are not restored unto us.  We must humble ourselves and confess our sins and beg pardon unto a renewed faith and repentance.  

6.  The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.  (Galatians 3:9; Romans 4:22-24)

The Old Testament believers were justified in the same way in all respects as the justification of the New Testament believers in Christ.