October 2014

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Christ 5

Why can’t God just overlook the sin? He can’t if He wants to remain perfectly just and righteous. If man is to be made just, God’s justice must be satisfied. “Someone must be able to pay the infinite penalty for man’s sin. It must be a member of the offending party, the human race, but it must be one who has never fallen into the inescapable imperfection of sin.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV)

Why can’t God just overlook the sin? He can’t if He wants to remain perfectly just and righteous. If man is to be made just, God’s justice must be satisfied.  “Someone must be able to pay the infinite penalty for man’s sin. It must be a member of the offending party, the human race, but it must be one who has never fallen into the inescapable imperfection of sin.

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Faith 5

Three important aspects of salvation are explained in the latter part of Ephesians 2. We have previously noted the gift of God’s grace in vs. 1-7 as the basis or motivation by God to save sinners. In vs. 8-9 we not only see God’s grace as the sole motivation unto salvation but also God given faith as the sole or only means by which God’s saving grace, and its corresponding results, are applied to the sinner.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Grace 5

Ephesians 2:1-7 not only says that the sinner, in need of God’s grace, is dead in trespasses and sins but they are/were under condemnation. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.” Vs. 2a.

Ephesians 2:1-7 not only says that the sinner, in need of God’s grace, is dead in trespasses and sins but they are/were under condemnation. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.” Vs. 2a.

These trespasses and sins were indicative of the way we lived and conducted ourselves prior to salvation. Walked (περιπατέω / peripateō) means the conducting of one’s life. Everyone lives at one time in this condition. Indefinitely!

The Bible elsewhere describes this condition in the following passages:

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Praise 4

David continues to praise God for His lasting benefits. “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were.” Vs. 14-15a.

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness.

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Christ 4

What then follows is the identity of the gift. What exactly has God given? “That He gave his only begotten son.” The phrase “that He” refers to God the father. He chose to give something, or rather someone, to the fallen world. That would be His only begotten Son. The statement “only begotten” means one of a kind. It refers to someone in a unique class. That individual would be Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV)

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Faith 4

Three important aspects of salvation are explained in the latter part of Ephesians 2. We have previously noted the gift of God’s grace in vs. 1-7 as the basis or motivation by God to save sinners. In vs. 8-9 we not only see God’s grace as the sole motivation unto salvation but also God given faith as the sole or only means by which God’s saving grace, and its corresponding results, are applied to the sinner.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Grace 4

We must understand that God’s grace is “is love freely shown towards guilty sinners” contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. Grace is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity and had no reason to expect anything but severity.

We must understand that God’s grace is “is love freely shown towards guilty sinners” contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. Grace is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity and had no reason to expect anything but severity.

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Praise 3

“Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” (I Chronicles 29:10-13, ESV).

“Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Christ 3

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV)

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Faith 3

The Gospel is the message that God is holy and man is sinful. God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ in order to live a sinless life, die a substitutionary death on the cross, be buried and rise from the dead. He ascended to the right hand of God the Father, will return in power might and glory and salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

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