Secure In Christ
Romans 8:31 - 39 (NKJV) 31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not s
pare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes 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 Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When I was a young believer I found myself from time to time with serious doubts about my salvation. These doubts came for two reasons. The first was my religious background. To have assurance of salvation and know I was secure in Christ was just difficult for me to take ownership of the concept. The other cause of doubts was my failure to live up to what I knew was honoring to Christ. Whenever I sinned I felt guilt I must not truly be a Christian. These doubts had devastating results, even when confessed (1 John 1:9). These doubts hindered my walk and fellowship with Christ and crippled me in the ministry God had given me. I experienced the accusing spirit of the powers of darkness, as well as my flesh. I constantly wondered what the problem was and how could I deal with it.
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Rarely is a leadership disaster rooted in a person’s incapacity to lead. It is most often an issue of failed followship. In fact, all of our failures can ultimately be traced to ceasing to follow Christ. Yet our twisted sense of values, exalting leading over following, independence over dependence, is evident in our whole attitude toward those whom we regard as qualified to lead and the qualifications we consider essential for the task. We are too easily seduced by the external qualities of charisma, competence, and credentials. This is not to say that these elements arn’t important. It is to underscore that these are not primary qualifiers. But American society refuses to accept the idea that character and submission to oral authority are important, particularly in the selection of leaders. - Joseph M Stowell “Following Christ”, Harper Collins Publishing, pg.37
Scripture alone is the inerrant rule of the church’s life, but the evangelical church today has separated Scripture from its authoritative function. In practice, the church is guided, far too often, by the culture. Therapeutic technique, marketing strategies, and the beat of the entertainment world often have far more to say about what the church wants, how it functions, and what it offers, than does the Word of God. Pastors have neglected their rightful oversight of worship, including the doctrinal content of the music. As Biblical authority has been abandoned in practice, as its truths have faded from Christian consciousness, and as its doctrines have lost their saliency, the church has been increasingly emptied of its integrity, moral authority, and direction.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3 (ESV)
possibly the finest orator America ever produced, delivered a stirring speech at the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument. Refering to the Pilgrim Fathers and the Bible, he said, “They brought with them a full portion of the riches of the past, in science, art, morals, religion and literature. The Bible came with them. The Bible is a book of faith and a book of doctrine; it teaches man his own responsibility, his own dignity, and his equality with his fellow man… I believe that the Bible is to be understood and received in the plain obvious meaning of its pages, since I cannot persuade myself that a book intended for the instruction and conversion of the whole world should cover its meaning in any such mystery and doubt that none but its critics and philosophers can discover it.”
I would keep Your words.
A few days ago, I mentioned the often useless phrase; “so-and-so loves the Lord.” But what does it really mean to Love the Lord. OK, you say, “well you must be born again.” I’ll buy that, but is that a sufficient definition? It seems that our Lord felt that didn’t quite fit the definition.
Healthy churches are not byproducts of programs but instead are products of relationships found with God and within the church family. Please don’t misunderstand me and assume that I am anti-programs, I however must say that nobody should have time for programs if they don’t have time to read the bible.
There is no doubt that today, January 20th is an extraordinary day as the first black man takes the oath of office as the President of the United States. For many of us who didn’t vote for President Obama, today may be a bit of a bitter pill and for some worse. With his pro-abortion position, his ambiguity over homosexuality, black liberation theology, his apparent lack of understanding concerning militant Islam and terrorism, and his socialist world view, etc., there is plenty to be concerned about. But thankfully we serve a God who is not only in control of the affairs of men, but it is He, who ultimately appoints rulers (