Vain Religion

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:22-27

Justified!

To be justified is to be declared righteous. Justification includes release from a verdict of guilty. If you or I refuse to acknowledge our sin before God, we deny our sin and our guilt. How then can we ever be declared righteous if we deny our sin and our guilt? To deny sin and guilt is to self-justify.

Forgiveness cannot happen without repentance. Repentance is a “changing of the mind” which acknowledges our sin and our guilt before God. It recognizes God’s love in that He provided a substitute and vicarious atonement for us on the cross (John 3:16) in His own Son, who rose from the dead. Forgiveness is granted in receiving His mercy. Mercy is something that is only granted to the guilty. Confess your self-justification as sin and receive His mercy by trusting Jesus Christ and His merit alone as your only hope of salvation.

For when we were yet without strength (spiritually dead), in due time Christ died for the ungodly (you and I).

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified (declared righteous) by his blood[1], we shall be saved from wrath (God’s judgment) through him.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation). Romans 5:6-11

[1] without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness). Hebrews 9:22b

Arise, My Soul, Arise*

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

[2]I now am reconciled; His pard’ning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

Who 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. Romans 8:34

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

*Charles Wesley, pub.1742, copyright status is Public Domain.

[2]Wesley’s original lyrics say; My God is reconciled, but “Not once (in Scripture) is God said to be “reconciled.” The enmity is alone on our part. It was we who needed to be “reconciled” to God, not God to us, and it is propitiation (the gift which satisfies God’s justice and delivers from His wrath), which His righteousness and mercy have provided, that makes the “reconciliation” possible to those who receive it. The phrase My God is reconciled, should therefore be rendered: “I now am reconciled!W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of OT & NT Words, page 514.


Death is Coming

Death is coming. For some of us, we can see the dust on the horizon rising from the wheels of his chariot, the time is so close. For others, the air is clear and still, there is no visible dust….., yet we are filled with apprehension, because we know he is coming. We ask ourselves…..will we see the dust or will we straighten up from some unfinished task as he pulls into the yard…?

Death is coming. It’s not a question of if he is coming, but when? His chariot wheels are already turning, his horse is lathered,…..and there is dust,….we just can’t see it yet. He’s on the way. The only thing to do….is to get prepared. Death will arrive shortly. Are you ready?*

What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. Psalm 89:48

*From the gospel tract: He is Risen! by Monty McCoy copyright 1996.

Will You Inherit?

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed (cleansed), but ye are sanctified (set apart), but ye are justified (declared righteous) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. I Cor. 6:9-11

What characterizes your life day in and day out? A doctor practices medicine. A lawyer practices law. An athlete practices his sport. An unbeliever practices sin. What do you practice?

…….the plowing of the wicked is sin. Proverbs 21:4

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (practice) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin (practice sin), because he is born of God. I John 3:9

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17

Note: Is there any fruit or evidence in your life that you are a Christian? Are you comfortable violating clear commands of Scripture as a way of life? If so, perhaps it is time for an honest self examination.

Jesus answered and said unto him (Nicodemus), Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…