Can you lose your salvation?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Some people think you can lose your salvation once you have it. I have one truth that will dispel that idea. Whether or not you can lose your salvation depends upon how you got it.

If you were saved by your good works, then you can lose your salvation by your bad works. But God’s Word is very clear on this point. Titus 3:5 says, “Not 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.”

How is someone saved? By grace. And if it is by grace, then you’re kept by grace. Salvation is not rooted in the merit of man, but in the mercy of God.

ACTION POINT:

Rest secure today in the knowledge that the Potter has you safe in His hands. He’s not about to drop you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Problems Advance The Gospel

Thank God for problems, they will change you.

By the showing of God's strength and power in you while you walk through them, that will change others.

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  - Psalm 118:24

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15

Open your heart to God's word.

Why me Lord? 

God says why not you?

Seek me says the Lord.

God will never fail you.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. - James 1:22-24

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. - James 1:25

You have dominion over problems.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. - James 1:2-8

Paul had problems.

God used him in a mighty way to share the gospel.

Even as he sat in prison, he advanced the Gospel.

He ministered to both Jew and Gentile.

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,

12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."

13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.

14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;

19 and taking food, he was strengthened. Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?"

22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. - Acts 9:1-22

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.

16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. To Live Is Christ Yes, and I will rejoice, - Philippians 1:12-18

And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.  - Habakkuk 2:2

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?  - Numbers 23:19

1. God uses problems to guide you.

Proverbs 20:30 CSB

Lashes and wounds purge away evil, and beatings cleanse the innermost parts.

2. God uses problems to inspect you.

And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" - Job 1:8

3. God uses problems to correct you.

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.  - Psalm 119:71

4. God uses problems to protect you.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. - Genesis 50:20

5. God uses problems to perfect you.

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. - Romans 5:3-5

Keep your sound mine, grounded in the word of the Lord.

There is life and death in the tongue, guard what you say.

Paul's problems

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Are you boosting in your weakness?

Let God be God.

Thanks Timothy Alexander!!

Timothy was paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident.

Timothy believed God and His promise.

Timothy asked the doctors about his prognosis and they told him he had a 5% chance of ever walking again.

Timothy asked" who told you this"?

The doctors were dumbfounded.

They could not answer.

Timothy knew God had a plan for him. 

Timothy has recovered his use of his arms.

Timothy is still trusting the Lord!

Gain What You Cannot Lose

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

Here are two great incentives from Jesus to become a World Christian and to dedicate yourself to the cause of Frontier Missions. As a goer or a sender.

1. Every impossibility with men is possible with God (Mark 10:27). The conversion of hardened sinners will be the work of God and will accord with his sovereign plan. We need not fear or fret over our weakness. The battle is the Lord’s, and he will give the victory.

2. Christ promises to work for us, and to be for us so much that, when our missionary life is over, we will not be able to say we’ve sacrificed anything (Mark 10:29–30).

When we follow his missionary prescription, we discover that even the painful side effects work to improve our condition. Our spiritual health, our joy, improves a hundredfold. And when we die, we do not die. We gain eternal life.

I do not appeal to you to screw up your courage and sacrifice for Christ. I appeal to you to renounce all you have, to obtain life that satisfies your deepest longings. I appeal to you to count all things as rubbish for the surpassing value of standing in the service of the King of kings. I appeal to you to take off your store-bought rags and put on the garments of God’s ambassadors.

I promise you persecutions and privations — but remember the joy! “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

On January 8, 1956, five Waorani Indians of Ecuador killed Jim Elliot and his four missionary companions as they were trying to bring the gospel to the Waorani tribe of sixty people.

Four young wives lost husbands and nine children lost their fathers. Elisabeth Elliot wrote that the world called it a nightmare of tragedy. Then she added, “The world did not recognize the truth of the second clause in Jim Elliot’s credo: ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’”

John Piper 

How good are you at waiting?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Psalm 37:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

We don’t like the word “rest,” do we? This word rest literally means to be silent. But what we often do is badger the Lord. We’re always talking: “Now, Lord, why did You do this? Why did You do that?” Questioning Him. Criticizing, murmuring, complaining. We want God to hurry up. We want Him to do it yesterday. God says, “Be quiet!  Wait on Me. Be still and know that I am God.”  The Bible says, “Therefore, will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious to you.” Rest in the Lord.  Be silent before Him.  And wait patiently on Him.

We’re always running around pulling up our radishes by the roots to see how they’re growing, and then cramming them back into the ground.

Yet Isaiah tells us, “And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:18).

ACTION POINT:

I want to tell you something, friend.  God is not interested in time; He’s interested in timing. God does everything in the fullness of time when it’s ready. You’re not going to hurry God. Lean back, watch, wait, and trust. He knows what He is doing.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Is Anyone Really Worthy?

Christ alone is worthy!

You will never be worthy except through the blood stained cross of Christ!

Christ thought you worthy of saving, a sinner doomed.

He rescued you from the fiery pit of hell!

You must repent.

Let that sink in!

Now, do you believe God is able to accomplish His salvation promise of long ago? 

That said promise came in the form of a man who is the Christ?

He was crucified, died and rose again 3 days later.

Christ alone is the only acceptable way for man to have salvation!

Your faith in Christ and His ability to save sinners is all you have to stand on, not your works, not your lineage, not your anything except Christ crucified!

Faith in Christ, period!

The by-product of faith is to love your brother and share the gospel, these are what we strive for.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12

20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

22 That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." - Romans 4:20-22

And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.  - Psalm 106:31

Works and faith

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. - James 2:24

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. - James 2:26

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; - James 2:22

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, - Hebrews 11:17

remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Thessalonians 1:3

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. - Galatians 1:3-5

28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"

29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

30 So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." - John 6:28-40

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 3:6-11

Ask God to increase your faith.

Savory this:

and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. - 1 Corinthians 3:23

Grace Denied and Supplied

Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)

The need for inner strength arises not just from the depletions of everyday stress, but from the suffering and afflictions that come from time to time. And they do come.

Suffering is inevitably added to heart-weariness on the way to heaven. When it comes, the heart may waver and the narrow way that leads to life may look impossibly hard. It’s hard enough to have a narrow road and steep hills that test the old jalopy’s strength to the limit. But what shall we do when the car breaks down?

Paul cried out three times with this question because of some affliction in his life. He asked for relief from his thorn in the flesh. But God’s grace did not come in the form he asked. It came in another form. Christ answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Here we see grace given in the form of Christ’s sustaining power in unrelieved affliction — one grace given, we could say, within the circle of another grace denied. And Paul responded with faith in the sufficiency of this future grace: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God often blesses us with a “grace given” in the circle of “grace denied.”

For example, on a beastly hot day in July, the water pump on our car stopped working, and twenty miles from any town we were stranded on the interstate in Tennessee.

I had prayed that morning that the car would work well and that we would come to our destination safely. Now the car had died. The grace of trouble-free travel had been denied. No one was stopping as we stood around our car. Then my son Abraham (about eleven at the time) said, “Daddy, we should pray.” So we bowed behind the car and asked God for some future grace — a help in time of need. When we looked up, a pickup truck had pulled over.

The driver was a mechanic who worked about twenty miles away. He said he would be willing to go get the parts and come back and fix the car. I rode with him to town and was able to share the gospel with him. We were on our way in about five hours.

Now the remarkable thing about that answer to our prayer is that it came inside the circle of a prayer denied. We asked for a trouble-free trip. God gave us trouble. But in the midst of a grace denied, we got a grace supplied. And I am learning to trust God’s wisdom in giving the grace that is best for me and for unbelieving mechanics and for the watching faith of eleven-year-old boys.

We should not be surprised that God gives us wonderful graces in the midst of suffering that we had asked him to spare us. He knows best how to apportion his grace for our good and for his glory.

John Piper 

Are you worried about what other people think about you?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” 1 Peter 3:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When the Bible tells us, “Commit your way” to the Lord, what does that mean—my “way”? It means your well-traveled path,  your lifestyle, your way of living, your reputation, the way you do things, what people think about you, how people perceive you.  Just give that to the Lord.

We’re worried about what people think about us.  Just let someone say something bad about some folks—criticize their lifestyle, the way they do things—and they get all upset about it. And none of us likes to be criticized.

Have you ever been criticized? Maybe blamed for something you didn’t do? Or been unjustly slandered? You are not alone. Jesus was the whipping boy of His day. He endured relentless criticism and slander. Was He worried? No.

ACTION POINT:

You too must not worry when others speak falsely. Just give that to the Lord. Author/Pastor Peter Lord told me one day, “When anybody says anything bad about me, I just say, ‘Thank God they don’t know any more.’” Jesus would tell us, “When they criticize you, just roll that over onto Me. I understand and I am in charge. You just trust in Me.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers