Saturday, May 22, 2010

5 Things You Should Know About Christ's Substitutionary Death....

The key question in Christianity is, Why the cross? Why did Jesus die? Erickson offers these five implications of the substitutionary death of Christ:

1. It confirms the biblical teaching of the total depravity of humans.
2. It demonstrates both the love and the justice of God in a perfect unity.
3. Salvation comes from the pure, sovereign grace of God.
4. The believer can be secure in the grace of God.
5. We are motivated not to neglect so great a salvation that came at such a great cost.

- Ericson, Christian Theology, 822-823

-taken from "Introduction to Evangelism" by Alvin Reid

Friday, May 14, 2010

Righteous Nightmares....

Now a word was brought to me stealthily;
my ear received the whisper of it.
13Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
14dread came upon me, and trembling,
which made all my bones shake.
15A spirit glided past my face;
the hair of my flesh stood up.
16It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 'Can mortal man be in the right before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18Even in his servants he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
19how much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like the moth.
20Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;
they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
21Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,
do they not die, and that without wisdom?'

- Job 4:12-21

This passage reminds me of who God is, and reminds me of who I am. Its so easy to get caught up in a works righteousness, trusting in what you do and your good days, thinking that they are keeping you in grace. WRONG! Its only your Maker, who doesent even trust the most transcendent and holiest of angels, Who keeps you. It wouldnt matter if I obeyed every commandment (I should); It wouldnt matter if I preformed many mighty miracles (I should be praying for them), and it wouldnt matter if i never sinned (although He calls me to be holy as He is)....none of these things makes me pure before God. Only the blood of Christ makes this mortal 5'11 clay figurine something of worth in His sight. I mean He could crush me like a moth! He approaches me and my hair stands straight up! My bones shake before Him! Yet the heart of a man so decieves him so that he thinks he can look God in the face and be justified according to his works.....Tell that to the spirit who stands at the foot of your bed and reminds you of your mortality...if you can get the words out....selah...