Chapter 3: The Message and Mission of Jonah

Jonah 1:17 speaks of the Lord’s appointment within His blessed sovereignty concerning His creation, and it explicitly indicates God’s control and mastery of all creation.  Jonah was rescued through the instrument of a fish; freed from the terror of the depths of the sea (Jonah 2:2).  He remained in the belly of Sheol for three days and three nights.  Regarding the historicity of this unique and unusual event of Jonah, we must reflect on the actuality of the inerrancy of Holy Writ to rightly comprehend the reality of it being true.  Indeed, the Book of Jonah, as orthodox theologians maintain, is not only historical but prophetic.  Jonah was a particular character in history.  May we also consider the Lord’s rescue of a drowning man; He chose to save Jonah from death.  Indeed, God saves His people from the second death.  The Lord bestowed His beloved mercy upon a man who sinned and offended Him.  The whale was not to eat Jonah but to shield him.  This action of the God of nature; the very Author of nature, provides for us a remembrance of divine mercy; indeed, to come back and repent.  God orders what happens and what doesn’t happen in time for the benefit of His beloved elect and for His precious and blessed glory of Himself alone.

Jesus Himself spoke of Jonah’s story in the divine Scriptures (Matt. 12:38-41; Luke 11:29-32), thus indicating the narrative as actual history.  Contrary to understanding, the Book of Jonah is hardly a parable.  The immaculate Incarnate Savior comprehended the story of Jonah as a narrative grounded in historical actuality.  The fundamental denial of the Book of Jonah is presumptuous reasoning concerning God’s sovereignty in creation and in time.  God assuredly has the ability to divinely intervene.  The communication of Jesus in the New Testament regarding the story of Jonah was to speak God’s truth.  The Book of Jonah was spoken of by Jesus Himself to illustrate divine truths concerning His blessed message and mission.  Jesus Himself spoke of the sign of Jonah.  This sign was directed to the three days and three nights and the efficient proclamation of God’s message.  Concerning the three days and three nights of Jonah’s experience, is meant to be, a certain type of the Lord Jesus Christ, sufficiently foreshadowing His actual death, burial and bodily resurrection.  Thus, the sinless Christ proclaimed, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”  (Matt. 12:40 NKJV).  The burial of Jonah was a figure of the burial of Jesus Christ. As God appointed the grave of Jonah, so He appointed His Beloved Son.  The grave of Jonah was certainly new; so too, the tomb of the Father’s Son.  As Jonah brought repentance to Nineveh, Christ brought repentance to the world of Jewish and Gentile people.  Unlike Jonah, Christ directed helpless sinners to Himself as the only way to His Blessed Father.

Chapter 7: Disproving Atheism by the Prayers of Jesus: The Sinless God-man Worshiped God the Father

The very essence of prayer to God flies in the face of atheism. The nature of prayer is a call to God in Jesus Christ powered by the Holy Ghost. Within this chapter, we shall see the essence of prayer form the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall see the prayers of Jesus demonstrate God’s existence, God’s teaching, God’s communion with His Son, and God’s omnipresence and supports the explicit possibility and actuality of prayers of God’s people to the Triune God.  This is merely a brief presentation of the true reality of Christian prayer supported and confirmed by the King of Israel. 

The question arises, why did Jesus of Nazareth pray to the Father, if such a person did not exist? Moreover, why did Jesus of Nazareth communicate to the Father in prayer, if such a person, could not hear, comprehend and understand the mere prayer intentions of Jesus? If there is no justification for the prayers of Jesus, why would Jesus engage in them? Why would a man who claimed to be God Incarnate, and taught in accordance with God’s ancient commandments, and manifested perfect humility, lie or erroneously give the outward impression of praying to God, when such an activity of submission is genuinely bogus according to atheism? Is atheism right to claim, that Jesus did not communicate to a supernatural person? That the Gospel accounts in general are merely religious myth?

The Christian Scriptures are a collection of books; therefore it is not circular reasoning. Within the totality of the Christian Scriptures is an inspired special revelation from God through the work of holy man by the Spirit of truth: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NIV). Jesus Himself declared that His word is truth (John 17:17).  The burden of proof is upon the skeptic who denies the trustworthiness of Holy Writ.

                Atheists claim that the supernatural prayer or uncanny accounts in the New Testament Gospels are not genuinely true. If Jesus is not who He claimed to be, then the atheist has right to substantiate and cast serious reservation on the statements of Jesus opposed to His claims abut God’s existence, claims about Himself, prayer and other profound values of Christianity. However, if the claims of Jesus are true, the atheist ought to acknowledge the Truth. The atheist argues that morality can be known apart from God’s existence. If the atheist rejects Jesus, the chapter attempts to demonstrate that the atheist has betrayed his own principles, and thus shown by the face of reality itself to be inconsistent.  The prayers of Jesus speak to the reality of existence about prayer itself.  The atheist is inconsistent because he denies the reality of the Incarnate King.  The reality of Jesus is a plain and real reality that the atheist has no business rejecting because it is true based upon inerrant Scripture.

The prayers of Jesus reflect profound philosophical, theological and historical truth. Before we investigate the significance of the prayers of Jesus, we must turn to the examination of the identity of Jesus. For the identity of Jesus will demonstrate the validity, trustworthiness, legitimacy of His claims. What Jesus says is true because He is God incarnate.  The Holy Scriptures records significant essentials about the identity of Jesus. Christianity acknowledges the Hypostatic Union of Jesus refers to his two natures: human and divine in one person, Jesus Christ. In Christian thought Jesus is fully man and fully God. Jesus is not partially man and partially God. Jesus is entirely man and entirely God. Jesus is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.  The theology of the Trinity is that, God is one in essence, three in person. The three persons are co-equal, co-existing, co-eternal. The three persons existed as Jehovah God. Jehovah refers to the being of God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In regards to Jesus, he always existed as God. There never was a time when Jesus was not God. Jesus entered into humanity through the Incarnation (John 1:1-4; 1:14 cf. Phil. 2:5-8). Jesus pre-existed before His birth in Bethlehem (Ps. 2:7; cf. John 8:58). Jesus took upon Himself the nature of man (Phil. 2:5-11). Jesus Himself acknowledged His own divinity (John 20:28-29). The apostles taught the divinity of Jesus (Col. 1:15-19 cf. Heb. 1:8). The testimony of Jesus about Himself is sinlessness. Jesus said: “Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?” (John 8:46 NASB). If Jesus is sinless, He is free from error, and if He is free from error, what He speaks is absolute truth.  His apostles proclaimed the sinlessness of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21 cf. 1 Peter 1:19). Therefore if Jesus is fully God and fully man apart from sin or error; He must be acknowledged as possessing (divine truth without error) as totality of Holy Scripture possesses of which atheism objects.

                God the Son existed before man existed.   It is hardly inconsistent for the God-man to be submissive to the God the Father; for the God-man humbly submitted to His Beloved Father.  Within the family, a wife is submissive to her husband, yet both are equal in value.  So too, then, the God-man is co-equal with the Father yet submissive.  The Holy Spirit is submissive to the Father and the Son yet co-equal with the Father and the Son.  What a radical Christian thought it is for the God-man to converse to the Father!  If you wish to understand prayer, look to Jesus.  If you wish to comprehend how to pray, look to Jesus.  Why, oh man, do you deny His example?  Perhaps you call Him a good teacher, yet you do not follow His good ways.  How inconsistent!  Your ways of rejecting the gospel light is a sure indication of divine judgment.  This does not demonstrate three “Gods,” but One God Who is Eternally Self-Existent.  Jesus said “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30 KJV).  Jesus is of the same substance as God the Father.  He is the God-man who died and who lives forevermore.  God created the “heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The Incarnate Son of Man demonstrates who he is by His divine words and actions. Jesus believed He was God in human flesh. Jesus believed in the existence of the Father (John 17) and in the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2). Jesus spoke of God on many occasions. He was called Immanuel which means “God with us” (Matt. 1:23; cf. Is. 7:14). Jesus makes a plethora of statements of the pronouncement of God’s existence. In Mark 12, Jesus rebukes the religious leaders because of their bogus tradition, which was alien to Him, His teachings, the written Word of God. In accordance with what Jesus said, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mark 12:24 NIV).

                The New Testament exhibits unique circumstances of prayer by Jesus of Nazareth. The Holy Scriptures define prayer in basic terms, as a request and general communication to a heavenly God on behalf of the believing individual. The New Testament provides actual accounts of Jesus’ prayers. The New Testament demonstrates prayer by Jesus in connection with the existence of God. Jesus in the New Testament Gospels provides confident models of prayer of the existence of God and the legitimacy of prayer. The prayers of Jesus demonstrate that, communication between God and man is a genuine actuality. The prayers of Jesus displays further that, prayer is an opportunity to establish, possess, maintain a personal relationship with a transcendent God.

                The consistent demonstration of Jesus in the action of prayer exhibits Jesus’ commitment to a work of obedience. The nature of the prayers of Jesus are thanksgiving (John 11:41-42), adoration (Matt. 11:25-27) and intercession (John 17:1-26). If Jesus is God incarnate as the Gospels reveal, is it not true that the Father is real?  There is perfect unity between the Father and the Son.  Jesus prayed in the act of intercession for His people. The prayers of Jesus are always answered in accord with the will of the Father; for He always does what is pleasing to the Father (John 8:29).  Jesus is the Impeccable One; He did not have the capacity to sin or error.  His prayers represent perfect efficacious petitions.  Jesus committed Himself to the Father in righteousness, trustworthiness, high esteem. Jesus gave adoration to the Father. Jesus worships God as He Himself appropriately commands (John 4:23). Jesus also prayed at His baptism by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21- 22), previous to choosing the apostles (Luke 6:12-16), at Jesus’ transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29) and within Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-42). Jesus prayed on a mountain (Matt. 14:23), in secret (Luke 5:16) and taught about prayer (Luke 11:1).  As Jesus prayed to the Father, Christians ought to pray to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

                Jesus believed and acknowledged the existence of God in recorded history in the New Testament. Jesus Himself believed to be God incarnate. His signs attested His divine identity in a sure divine fashion.  Jesus provided credible substantiation of His resurrected self, and spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Jesus by His own testimony is sinless, free form error or mistake. His bodily resurrection guarantees His teaching about Himself and other profound religious matters are necessarily true. Ipso facto! Therefore all the teachings of Jesus about Himself and His overall teaching vitae are propositionally true. If the atheist truly holds to morality or ethics, the atheist cannot deny the truth for the reality of truth itself (i.e., the preponderance of Jesus’ evidence in Holy Scripture) and, ethics by which he claims to philosophically hold. Jesus Christ is Incarnate Truth.  Submit, then, to the King of truth!

                Dear atheist, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you a message of good news.  The good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  His gospel is about grace, truth, forgiveness.  Repentance is turning from sin to Christ.  Confess your sins to God through Christ crucified:  “…repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15 NASB).  Will you surrender to Christ and give your life to Him?  Will you live a life of faithful obedience to Him?  Will you be zealous in constant and faithful repentance?  Does your life fall under the approval of Christ?  Is your thought life consistent with godliness?  Turn from your life of sin.  I rightly assume you are sinner.  We are moral creatures, and there will be a sure Judgment.  It approaches; the question is, will you be ready?  You stand now in the spiritual clothes of a sinner.  How shall you stand before a sinless, holy, just, righteous God?  Tell me, you suppose your scheme will avail before God if such a judgment is true?  No mere human argument conceived can get you out of His judgment.  You must turn to Christ, and be forgiven.  Do not think “I choose what to do with Christ.”  No, my friend, it is Christ Who will choose what to do with you.  But all of humanity has the sure responsibility to repent: “…repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15 NASB).

Godly Living

God wants every Christian to be a godly saint.  It is true that we are saints and sinners at the same time.  But the world wants us to “fit in” with it.  The Christian faith is often rejected and mocked.  Compromises are made to fit in with the culture.  How can we stop compromising in our secular culture?  We should use the apostle Paul as our example in stopping compromise and living rightly for Jesus Christ.

We should seek to live godly in an ungodly time.  Let no one think we should compromise.  People may try to force us to compromise but we rest in Christ alone and His truth in His written Word.  We should surrender our lives to Him alone because we are called to godly living.  Godly living should be the focus of our lives.  We should live godly lives as God calls us to because He has redeemed and ransomed us from all spiritual darkness and spiritual evil.  We ought to live in victory over sin when we sin by faithful repentance.  God’s ultimate plan for us is to know God and live for Him alone.

We ought to give control to God the Father over our lives and none else.  We no longer have the right to run our own lives but God now has the right to run our lives as we walk and talk with Jesus in the garden of our lives.  We ought to surrender our lives to Him and ask for pardon.  Our whole being should be yielded to God alone.

God calls us living sacrifices.  We ought to allow the Holy Spirit to live through us.  No child of God can be forsaken, condemned or damned.  The Holy Spirit seeks us to empower us so we live godly lives.  We should submit to His guidance and leadership.

We also ought to be holy sacrifices.  We are called to be set apart from the world.  Sanctification is a life-long process.  We ought to live acceptable lives before God alone.  We ought to be different because we are called to holiness.  The world goes on in its tyranny and wickedness but God loves us in and through Christ alone.

We ought to live a godly lifestyle.  This will attract good people to us and repel others who walk disorderly.  We ought to seek out believers if you are an unbeliever and seek the peace and joy of the Lord and learn from the Word of God.  However, no believer is superior to the Lord or equal with Him.  That means we should test all things by the written Word of God. 

If we live godly we will have conflict with the world.  It may cause us sometimes to compromise our convictions.  If we spend time with ungodly friends, we will sometimes fail if do not come to our senses.  The Bible warns us not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  The world cannot offer us a true happiness but only an evil happiness.  There is a happiness that is not a happiness.  We ought to fill our minds with the Bible.  We ought to put into practice what God alone says but the Word is for me and for you to do. 

We ought to practice the presence of the Lord.  We ought to beg Him to make Him more sensitive to His beloved presence.  We ought to ask the Holy Spirit to live for Him.  We ought to ask Him to live against temptation and be more Christlike.   We ought to fully surrender to the Lord.  We ought to give God complete control over our lives.  We ought to stand for the Gospel and live and stand for Jesus.  We ought to allow the Bible to set our example and values. 

Luther's Prayer on being a Pastor

Here is Luther's prayer on being a pastor: "Lord God, You have appointed me as a Bishop and Pastor in Your Church, but you see how unsuited I am to meet so great and difficult a task. If I had lacked Your help, I would have ruined everything long ago. Therefore, I call upon You: I wish to devote my mouth and my heart to you; I shall teach the people. I myself will learn and ponder diligently upon You Word. Use me as Your instrument -- but do not forsake me, for if ever I should be on my own, I would easily wreck it all."

I Love The Merits of Christ Alone

We ought to love the merits of His life and death alone.  There is no greater thing than His merits.  There is no greater spiritual salvation than His merits of His life and death.  We ought to love the happiness of His merits and the joy of His merits. 

I love the merits of Christ alone.  It is the source and basis for spiritual redemption.  And it is the foundation for how we are right with God.

Anyone who has professed faith and possess faith should get baptized by immersion in the Trinitarian name in faithful obedience unto the Lord Triune.  Anyone who has Jesus as the basis for how we are right with God should be baptized. 

Lord, I pray we work out our spiritual salvation with fear and trembling, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.  That we would grow in understanding His merits more supremely.  Amen.

False Repentance vs. Authentic Repentance

Repentance is a word not used very often by modernists or liberals of our day.  True asking for forgiveness and true trust are inseparable.   True repentance and true trust are results from a regenerated heart.  Regeneration precedes spiritual repentance and faith.

False repentance is regret and reluctance after someone has done something wrong.  This false repentance comes from fear of punishment.  It is the disdain for sin and self.  A person may be sorry he or she committed an act of sin but it is still fear of punishment.  False repentance fears hell and dreads the punishment of sin.  Sorrow is not a true repentance because criminals are always sorry that he or she face punishment (Esau and Judas committed false repentance in the Bible).

A God-appointed repentance is not merely confession of sin.   It is also not merely confessing that Jesus is the eternal Son of God.  It is also not merely reformation.  Saving asking for forgiveness is wrought by the Holy Spirit of God.   He or she realizes their wretched wickedness and the sinfulness of sin.  The sinner is humbled by godly sorrow and asks for pardon for their sins.  Repentance is a change of mind, a change of feelings and a change of purpose.  It is a gift of God.  The results of repentance is that our sins are blotted out. 

Christian Happiness and Joy

Happiness is faithful repentance over all sins, transgressions and iniquities.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Happiness is the imputed unified righteousness of Christ alone.  We should enjoy trusting in the merits of Christ alone.

Happiness is the forgiveness of our sins, transgressions and iniquities.  We should enjoy having our sins forgiven.

Let us be on the watch for those who would try to steal away our happiness in Christ.  True happiness is in Christ and not outside of Him.  

I Am A Reformed Baptist Christian

John Piper wrote,

"A Christian is not a person who believes in his head the teachings of the Bible. Satan believes in his head the teachings of the Bible! A Christian is a person who has died with Christ, whose stiff neck has been broken, whose brazen forehead has been shattered, whose stony heart has been crushed, whose pride has been slain, and whose life is now mastered by Jesus Christ."

Robert M. McCheyne wrote,

  "The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God."

 A.W. Tozer wrote,

 True spirituality manifests itself in certain dominant desires.

1. First is the desire to be holy rather than happy.

2. A man may be considered spiritual when he wants to see the honor of God advanced through his life even if it means that he himself must suffer temporary dishonor or loss.

3. The spiritual man wants to carry his cross.

4. Again, a Christian is spiritual when he sees everything from God's viewpoint.

5. Another desire of the spiritual man is to die right rather than to live wrong.

6. The desire to see others advance at his expense.

7. The spiritual man habitually makes eternity-judgments instead of time-judgments.

On saving faith the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 reads,

 2._____ By this faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the authority of God himself, and also apprehendeth an excellency therein above all other writings and all things in the world, as it bears forth the glory of God in his attributes, the excellency of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his workings and operations: and so is enabled to cast his soul upon the truth thus believed; and also acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come; but the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace. ( Acts 24:14; Psalms 27:7-10; Psalms 119:72; 2 Timothy 1:12; John 14:14; Isaiah 66:2; Hebrews 11:13; John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:20; Acts 15:11 )

No Angel Can Take Me Out of God's Loving Hand

^{Angels that seek to take us out of God's loving hand are evil.  But the Bible calls them that seek to do so are accursed with those who preach a different gospel.}

Galatians 1 KJV
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.

<sup>Nothing in all creation can take us out of God's loving hand not even ourselves:

Romans 8 KJV
25</sup>But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
 ²⁶Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
 ²⁷And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
 ²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
 ²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
 ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
 ³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
 ³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
 ³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
 ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
 ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
 ³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
 ³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
 ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
 ³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Believe on Jesus Christ

We are born again by the Word of God and the Spirit of God (John 3).  It gives us faith and repentance to receive Christ as our Lord and Savior.  The soul remains passive and the Spirit comes to regenerate us.  We come with empty hands of faith to our Savior and Lord.  Everyone who believes has been born again. 

First you have to acknowledge, confess and forsake your total depravity:

Romans 3 KJV
 ⁹What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
 ¹⁰As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
 ¹¹There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
 ¹²They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
 ¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
 ¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
 ¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood:
 ¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their ways:
 ¹⁷And the way of peace have they not known:
 ¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.
 ¹⁹Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Forsake your wicked thoughts:

Isaiah 55:7 KJV
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Let's look at the verses that speak on being born again:

John 3 KJV
 ³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
 ⁴Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
 ⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
 ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 ⁷Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
 ⁸The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Titus 3 KJV
 ⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
 ⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
 ⁶Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
 ⁷That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
 ⁸This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Ezekiel 11:19 KJV
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Ezekiel 36:26 KJV
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Let's look at the verses that speak about the aftermath of being born again:

Genesis 15:6 KJV
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

John 1:7 KJV
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

John 3:15 KJV
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:18 KJV
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

John 3:36 KJV
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 4 KJV
 ¹What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
 ²For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
 ³For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
 ⁴Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
 ⁵But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
 ⁶Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
 ⁷Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
 ⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
 ⁹Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Christian Prayer

An Ancient Irish Prayer, I arise today;
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,

From temptation of vices,
From everyone who wishes me ill
Afar and anear
Alone and in a multitude.

I Am A Christian Saved by Grace Alone Through Faith Alone in Christ Alone

Christians are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone; that is, we are saved by the Triune God alone (from the will of the Father through His beloved Son in His life and death alone by His Spirit; three distinct persons in one being) and for His glory alone.  We are saved by His imputed and unified righteousness alone. 

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Romans 5:16-18, And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Philippians 3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Defeating Pornography by the Infallible Word

We must submit to the Word of God to overcome pornography.  It has the power to change our lives and conform us to the image of Christ.  It has the power to bring every thought in captivity to Jesus' obedience.  Looking at perverse pictures or images is wrong.  The Bible does not explicitly mention pornography, but it does mention immorality.  If you have struggled with it, do not feel discouraged but ask for forgiveness of that sin to Jesus.  He never casts out any who come to Him by faith.   Trust Him to forgive and wash you clean.  Live in obedient to God's moral law that points us to Jesus.   It is not the end of the world if you have looked at pornography but it is a serious offense against God and His law.  Listen to sermons and have your mind dwell on the obedience of Christ and His atoning propitiation.  Here are some verses on immorality to mediate on that will help you in the fight against it:

• Matt. 5:27-28, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; 28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart."
• 1 Cor. 6:18, "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body."
• Col. 3:5, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."

Peace Be With You

We should seek to leave every situation to peace.  The end of everything in our lives should be peace. 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Romans 15:13 NIV).

 Here is the peace of Christ in our lives:

"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."   (John 14:27 KJV).

 Jesus began His statements for peace:

"And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you."  (John 20:26 KJV).

 Romans 12:18 speaks of peace with men:

 "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." (KJV).

A More Loving God than Rome

The basis for Rome’s theology is the free will of man.  That is, it is her secret.  But the will of man is in rebellion against God and His Word.  Jesus said in John 17 that we would know Him through His Word not the Church.  To understand the divine remedy for man we must diagnosis the problem of man aright.  If we do not get the diagnosis right we would not get the solution right.  We must get the solution right in light of the problem of man.  The problem of man was described on EWTN as a limp.  The nature of man is much more than a limp.  A limp does not sufficiently describe the nature of man.  In Reformed theology, we say what Romans 3 says and the New Testament itself.  We say that man is dead in sin and that He is not spiritually alive.  Man is dead in transgresses and sin, but Jesus penetrates our hearts by His Spirit and His Word.  We are in fact spiritually dead sinners.  We do not know the Lord aright.  It was Martin Luther who said that if anyone thinks rightly of free will in the very least he has not learned Jesus aright.  Rome has failed to diagnosis the nature of man.  We are totally fallen creatures outside of the light of Christ.  We are radically corrupt sinners and it is far from a limp.  It is kind to God’s ultimate goodness to understand our radical corruption.  We honor God’s ultimate goodness and righteousness and purity and justice by understanding our fallenness and corruption and wickedness and total disobedience.

Rome does not have free grace.  Her version of free grace is Christ plus Mary, grace plus merit, ritual plus relationship, and the atonement plus purgatory.  In Romanism, Christ is not all-sufficient but we need the merit of other saints to fill the gap.  We do not experience Christ rightly if we add the merit of other saints.  It is an exercise in self-righteousness.  Self-punishment is an error of the Romanists.  In light of the true free grace of the Gospel, it is a demonstration of cruelty to think other saints are worthy of the suffering of merit.  There is no way for us to contribute to someone’s spiritual salvation through our merit.  Free grace is the unified imputed righteousness of Christ alone!  This is the essence of free grace. There is no other kind of free grace than Christ alone.  Mary could never add any kind of merit for she testified and proclaimed the merit of her Savior alone.  We are not co-saviors with Christ our ultimate Savior.  We need Jesus as our total and sufficient and ultimate Savior.  Mary is no co-redeemer, because there is only one Redeemer.  Jesus alone is our Redeemer and Savior and Lord!  How is it possible to find Jesus as our all in all if we have other so-saviors?  In Reformed theology, it is the simplicity of the Good News of the Gospel that prevails.  It is having a trusting-focus, an undying confidence, a living hope and a believing submission in a commitment to His discipleship to Jesus Christ!  This cannot come from water baptism but it comes from sovereign regeneration by the Spirit and Word.  No work can save anyone (Titus 3:5).  It must be the total freedom of God to save because man’s freedom is enslaved to sin and darkness and Satan.  We must set our hopes on the freedom of God in and through Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer!  Jesus has overflowing love for us in His ultimate obedience at the Cross.  His hands are opened wide at the Cross to receive repentant sinners!  It is not a hybrid of merit but the unified merit of Christ alone.  The all-sufficient Christ is enough to save, but the mixture of the Roman saints with Christ shows that He is insufficient to save according to the Roman system.  We should understand the all-sufficient Word of God as the living and written Word of God.  In this, we find a God more loving than Romanism and devoid of error-filled and myth bound tradition. 

We cannot bring death to the state of grace.  Rome teaches that death comes to the state of grace after a commission of mortal sin.  That means someone could go to hell after repenting of other sins.  This mutation of grace is no where found in the holy Word.  We learn from the Bible that God’s grace is stronger enough to keep us to Himself even if we sin a mortal sin.  There is nothing in all creation that can take us out of God’s hand of grace.  Romans 8 speak of nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of Christ.  Is it loving of God to let us go to hell after we have repented faithfully after a mortal sin?  I submit to you that the God of Reformed theology is more loving because He keeps us to Himself without having anything take us away from Him.  He also particularly died for us.  This God does not allow sinners of Judaism and Islam to enter His kingdom unless they come by faith and repentance to the Savior.  A loving God is bound by truth not comfort!  We ought to see the love of God in dying for a chosen race of mankind in all tribes, tongues, peoples and nations!  A loving God would not give us comfort over truth!  Amen.

Is there something lacking in what Jesus did at the Cross?

We learn in the sacred writings that Jesus Christ suffered sufficiently for our sins on the Cross.  He said on the Cross, “It is finished” it meant in the original rendering “paid in full.”  He suffered redemptively on the Cross for us.  Some think they need to add to the work of Christ alone to fill up what is lacking.  However, Augustine does not take this view of self-punishment in a cell of a monk.  But the holy text says, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church…” (Col. 1:24).  Augustine wrote, “In regard to this is that which in another place the very same apostle says: “I now rejoice in sufferings for you, and I fill up those things which are wanting of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh.”   He did not say “of the afflictions of me” but “of Christ,” because he was a member of Christ and in his persecutions, such as it was necessary for Christ to suffer in his whole body, even Paul was filling up Christ’s afflictions in Paul’s own portion.”  (Thomas C. Oben, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament IX, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, pg. 24).  I don't think Augustine is saying here that the sufferings of Paul were redemptive sufferings.  We suffer our own portion because we are individuals.  There is common place sufferings of the saints and than there is the sufferings of Christ.  We may compare our sufferings to Christ to gain confidence in our feeble state but it should never equal or add to His sufferings.  It cannot add to His sufferings even in God's chastening of us to correct us because we are not God Incarnate like Jesus.   If we suffer, we take Christ as our example of suffering to build our confidence in Him alone to take us through it.

We do not add to the work of Christ alone but we suffer for His sake alone.  We suffer on behalf of Christ alone but our suffering is not redemptive.   No suffering of a saint is redemptive.  However, all the sufferings of Christ are redemptive and for His people alone.  There is no greater merit than the merit of merits in the merit of Christ alone.  He is the King of Merit.  His unified merit alone is enough for us to be right with God.  It is arrogance and pride and idolatry and witchcraft to think our suffering is redemptive.  That is, it is sin.  We are not gods of merit in our sufferings.  The merit of Christ alone is by God Incarnate.  How can anyone with a straight face say that His merit should be lacking or wanting of something?  Is not God all-sufficient?  The union we have with God through Jesus Christ of Nazareth is by faith alone from grace alone.  Jesus died on our behalf and was given for us at Calvary.  Let us rejoice that we possess the unified merit of Christ alone, because of the regenerating work of the Spirit of God in the sovereign application of the unified merits of Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Regarding Being Anxious

Sometimes we get troubled or we are anxious. We see in others worry and fear.  We also see discouragement.  These feelings could render us ineffective for the kingdom of Christ.   We can overcome these feelings by focusing on Christ.  It does not matter what circumstances we face because we have Jesus.

In the world worry is a consistent temptation.  Jesus spoke of worry in the New Testament.  He asked what can worry do for us and how could it add benefit to our lives.  Worry cannot add anything good to our lives; however, God does use evil to bring about good ends.  Worry cannot add one single hour to our lives.

We must trust and have faith in God.  This is the opposite of worrying.  Worry means we are not trusting God.  Repentance should be used to ask for forgiveness when we worry.  God will help us as we trust Him. 

The London Confession of Faith of 1689 on Repentance unto Life

Chapter 15: Of Repentance Unto Life and Salvation

1._____ Such of the elect as are converted at riper years, having sometime lived in the state of nature, and therein served divers lusts and pleasures, God in their effectual calling giveth them repentance unto life. ( Titus 3:2-5 ) 

2._____ Whereas there is none that doth good and sinneth not, and the best of men may, through the power and deceitfulness of their corruption dwelling in them, with the prevalency of temptation, fall into great sins and provocations; God hath, in the covenant of grace, mercifully provided that believers so sinning and falling be renewed through repentance unto salvation.
( Ecclesiastes 7:20; Luke 22:31, 32 )

3._____ This saving repentance is an evangelical grace, whereby a person, being by the Holy Spirit made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin, doth, by faith in Christ, humble himself for it with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrency, praying for pardon and strength of grace, with a purpose and endeavour, by supplies of the Spirit, to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things.
( Zechariah 12:10; Acts 11:18; Ezekiel 36:31; 2 Corinthians 7:11; Psalms 119:6; Psalms 119:128 )

4._____ As repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives, upon the account of the body of death, and the motions thereof, so it is every man's duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly.
( Luke 19:8; 1 Timothy 1:13, 15 )

5._____ Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the covenant of grace for the preservation of believers unto salvation; that although there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation; yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them that repent; which makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary.
( Romans 6:23; Isaiah 1:16-18 Isaiah 55:7 )

The Reformed Doctrine of Eternal Hell and Heaven and the Righteous Gospel

The New Testament says that hell is the final place of those eternally condemned.  Hell is a place of fire and darkness.  No one who has repented of their sins will go to hell.  No one who has Jesus as their Lord and Savior will go to hell.  Hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Hell is a place of destruction.  Hell is a place of torment.  Anything in hell is more terrible than the symbol.  It is meant to fill us with horror.  Heaven is better than we could dream but hell is worse than we could imagine.  Heaven is a place where the imputed righteousness is worn by all kinds of people from earth who the Spirit of Christ made willing.  We stand before God in His robes of righteousness.  All those who do not have Jesus' robes of righteousness will enter hell.  All the elect will go to heaven.  The elect are those who have repented of their sins and wear Jesus' garments of righteousness. 

Hell is the absence of God's mercy and the presence of His wrath and displeasure.   God Almighty is shown to be like a consuming fire.   Hell is where sinners are who hate God and love their sin more than God.  However, there was a time when we loved our sin more than loving God.  This was when we were unconverted.  Sometimes when we were in our converted state we cherished sin over God.  At this time in our converted life, we ought to repent of our sins and turn to God for mercy. 

There is no end to hell.  There is no second chance after death or annihilation.  Hell is a place where people who want to be there are there because of their choice.  No one can go to hell who shouldn't be there.  No human being can take us to hell because God's Triune grip keeps us in His care.  We are forgiven past, present and future.  It doesn't matter how mean and evil someone is to take us to hell God will not allow it because He keeps His promises.  It does not matter what sin we have committed we are forgiven if God has taken the initiative to save us to put our trust in God.  But those of hell they loved darkness rather than light.  They were left to themselves by God without the light of repentance or more importantly Jesus' saving robes of righteousness.  The light of Christ's righteousness is the key to never entering hell.  We must have Jesus' unified and imputed righteousness by faith alone.  It is His grace alone that will see us through and not our works of righteousness.  Those who go to hell love their personal works over God's personal work of righteousness through His Son.  The righteousness of Christ is pure, perfect and personified goodness.