Sin and Salvation

All of the Bible is about sin and salvation. The primary person is God – the one with Whom we have to do (Heb 4:13). And the primary work is that of Jesus – the Savior of the world (Jn 4:42; 1 Jn 4:14) of Whom God is testifying (1 Jn 5:9; Jn 5:37-39; Rev 19:10). 
THE STATE OF FALLEN MAN

• Alienated from God/Separate from Him (Col 1:21; Eph 2:17; 4:17-19)
• Ignorant of God/Darkened in Understanding (Eph 4:17-19)
• Defiled by Sin’s Corruption (2 Pet 1:4; 2:19; Tit 1:15)
• Guilty by Sin’s Consequence (Jas 2:10; Rom 3:19)
• Dead/Blind/Without Strength (Col 2:13; Eph 2:1-5; Rom 5:6)
• Enslaved to a Variety of Lusts and Pleasures (Tit 3:3)
• Void of any good thing or anything profitable God-ward (Rom 3:10-18)
• Under a curse and expectant of the righteous judgment and wrath of God (Gal 3:10-12)

THE EXPECTATION OF FALLEN MAN
The righteousness of God requires that we stand afar off from Him lest we be killed. Just as Adam and Eve were kept from the tree of life while they were in a fallen condition (Gen 3:22-24), so all men have been kept from the tree of life until they are redeemed from the earth (Rev 2:7; 22:1). But if they are not redeemed, they will be utterly destroyed. Indeed, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-3). Jesus spoke about hell fire (Mt 5:22; 18:9), outer darkness (Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30), the lake of fire (Rev 19:20; 20:10,14-15), torment (Lk 16:28) and “everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41).

And yet…“this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 Jn 2:25).

THE WORK OF CHRIST

• Christ partook of a body that He might be a faithful and merciful High Priest (Heb 2:14-18)
• Like a lamb led to the slaughter He was obedient to death (Isa 53:7; Php 2:8)
• In His own body He bore our own sins as He hung on the cross (1 Pet 2:24)
• He was made a curse to deliver men from a curse (Gal 3:13)
• Became sin that men might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21)
• He condemned sin in the flesh and took it out of the way (Rom 8:3; Ps 103:12; Dan 9:24)
• Made intercession for transgressors (Isa 53:12; Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25)
• He presented His own blood to the Father, in the Holiest of all -heaven itself (Heb 9:24-28; 13:20)
• He defeated death, led captivity captive, and rose to God (Eph 4:8; 2 Tim 1:10; Heb 2:14)
• He ever lives to mediate, make intercession, and purify (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6; 9:15-16; 12:24; Tit 2:14)

THE CALL OF GOD

• God sends a preacher with a message (Rom 10:14)
• God calls us by that message – the gospel (2 Th 2:14)
• God draws us to Jesus (Jn 6:44, 65)
• God opens our hearts to respond to the message (Acts 16:14)
• God grants repentance (2 Tim 2:25; Acts 5:31)

GOD’S PROVISION OF SALVATION

• We are washed from our sins and cleansed from all iniquity (Rev 1:5; 1 Jn 1:9)
• We are given faith to enable us to believe in God in the midst of suffering (Php 1:29)
• We are given an understanding to know God and His kingdom (1 Jn 5:20; Eph 1:18; Heb 6:4)
• We are reconciled to God & brought into fellowship with the Godhead (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:18; 1 Cor 1:9)
• We are freed from the power and guilt of sin (Rom 6:18-22; 8:1-2)
• We are made a new creature (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15)
• We are given the spirit of adoption until the redemption of the body (Rom 8:15-26)
• We are promised an eternal home in the presence of God (Rev 21:1-8, 22-27; 22:1-5)

2016, September 21

​Lamentations 3:22

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

Jeremiah did not write this because he was “looking at the bright side” of things. His people, Judah were overthrown by Babylon, their city and temple were destroyed and they were in captivity for 70 years. But he recognized the reality: the fact that they were still alive was owing to the tender mercies of God. 
Likewise, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The fact that we have not been consumed in fire is a display of mercy as well. It is good for us to consider that the longsuffering of the Lord is salvation. We have been given space to repent. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather desires that every man repent and come to the knowledge of the truth. 
We can allow the memory of our sin humble us so that we cry out to God – it is then that He shows His great compassion. 

Jeremiah continues, “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him”(Lam 3:24).

Amen, Jeremiah!
– Brother Pat Woods

2016, September 18

​”Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”  Romans 10:4

“If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”Romans 10:9&10

Our hearts control what comes out of our mouths.  So when God gives us a new heart, it’s obvious what others will hear when they are in our company.

From the heart the mouth speaks. 

It’s impossible for a believer to think of the cross without knowing the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf.  How blessed we are.

– Sister Kasey Stokes

2016, September 15

​” For we are His workmanship,  created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” Ephesians 2:10

” If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour,  sanctified,  and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21

We were created for good works. What good works were we created for? We were created for God’s good works! A work can only be a good work if it is something that God is working.  We were created to participate in God’s workings.  It is not up to us to establish our own good works, but it is right for us to join in on what God is working. How do we go about doing this? Well, we become joined to Him through Christ Jesus. Then and only then are we able to participate in the true good works of God. God can and will do great things in and through submissive people. We are called to be vessels which God can use for good works. This means we must empty ourselves of all pride and reliance upon our own desires, strengths, and abilities. We are only the vessel. Let us empty our vessel of ourselves so that God may fill us with Himself. Then and only then will we be vessels prepared for God’s good works.
– Sister Hillary Boyd

2016, September 14

​What a wonderful prophecy about why the Lord would come.

Isa 61:3 “To console those who mourn in Zion,To give them beauty for ashes,The oil of joy for mourning,The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;That they may be called trees of righteousness,The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

– Sister Brandi Woods

2016, September 13

​”Could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt 26:40-41)

Jesus said these words while in Gethsemane’s garden. In a time of extreme testing He warned the disciples of the inability of the flesh to stay alert for even an hour.  The disciples failed to stay awake three times. They did not have, within themselves, the power to stay alert and pray. 
We must never underestimate the infirmity of the flesh. Also, we must be careful not to cater to the flesh to make it easier on the flesh to the neglect of the spirit. 
When Paul came to Troas (Acts 20) to preach the disciples forced willingly subdued their own flesh in order to feed their spirit’s through Paul’s ministration. Because he had to leave the next day, he prolonged his message until midnight. No doubt both he and they were waging war against the weariness of the flesh but they knew it was worth it. Eutychus, a young man, was overcome by sleep and fell out of the third story window and died. No one accused Paul, saying “why did you preach so long” but rather they went down and healed him…and Paul continued on preaching until dawn! That is a demonstration of having preference for spiritual things; seeking those things which are above (Col 3:1-2); and making no provision for the flesh (Rom 13:14). It is regrettably common for man to seek ways to make it easy or convenient for their flesh and this often is to the neglect of spiritual things. Furthermore, it is common for man to extend himself in worldly affairs – making sacrifices of money, time, etc. These things are revealing of the heart. 
Let the people of God heed the word of the Savior, “the spirit indeed is willing, the flesh is weak” and let us seek grace to walk after the spirit and not fulfill the lists of the flesh.
– Brother Pat Woods

2016, September 12

​”I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” John 10:9

Will be saved, not might be saved.  Jesus is the gate, the only path to take to the Father.  

Jesus, our gate, our path, our shepherd, our navigator and guide. Our compass when we’re lost, our light in the dark.  The bible couldn’t be more clear.

“But small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it .”  Matthew 7:14

This life has many bumps and turns in the road.  Thankfully, we know which direction to take when we reach a fork in the road.  

All who enter through the gate will never be lost, at least not for long.  Our internal navigational system, the Holy Spirit, will recalculate and put us back on the right path every time.  

-Sister Kasey Stokes

2016, September 7

​”All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16 

 Let us never take for granted the divinely inspired writings that are recorded in the bible. Every word contained in the scriptures is useful, purposely composed, and preserved for our benefit. We live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from God. Search the scriptures that you might find Jesus and partake daily of the necessary nourishment that is received as we read and keep the things that are said. 

– Sister Brandi Woods

2016, September 6

​Jesus said, “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:33).

Anything that ties us down, enslaves us…even if that thing is a “good thing.” If we are not willing to forsake it in order to gain Christ, we will, in the end, have neither. Included in this phrase “all things” are family, houses, lands and even our own lives. Jesus knows that these dear things and our desire to preserve them may come to compete with our love for Him. And we can’t serve two masters. But whoever does forsake these things will receive an hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the world to come. No one will be ashamed for following Jesus. The very first disciples whom Jesus called “forsook all and followed Him” (Lk 5:11). Will you do the same? 

-Brother Pat Woods