Comments on: When I think about the cross… http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/ West Salem Baptist Church Blog Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:29:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Pastor Marshall http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-981 Pastor Marshall Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:20:07 +0000 http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-981 Jesus said in Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." Bonhoffer also said "To endure the cross is not a tragedy, it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegience to Jesus Christ." Jesus said in Luke 14:27

“Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

Bonhoffer also said “To endure the cross is not a tragedy, it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegience to Jesus Christ.”

]]> By: Eddie Strickland http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-982 Eddie Strickland Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:27:32 +0000 http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-982 Yes, thanks for the word Nick. We are in a world that refuses to die to self, especially to pride. As Christians, we are prideful too. We want to be accepted not rejected. We want approval. How wrong that is! How that flies in the face of God's Word concerning our relationship to the world. I was listening to a message by Josh Harris and he said this: "We can't love a lost world if we love their approval more than we love the truth." He's right! Yes, thanks for the word Nick. We are in a world that refuses to die to self, especially to pride. As Christians, we are prideful too. We want to be accepted not rejected. We want approval. How wrong that is! How that flies in the face of God’s Word concerning our relationship to the world. I was listening to a message by Josh Harris and he said this: “We can’t love a lost world if we love their approval more than we love the truth.” He’s right!

]]> By: Stefanie McAdam http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-984 Stefanie McAdam Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:28:53 +0000 http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-984 Wonderful message! My husband gets so upset and stressed at work over things non-christians do and how they behave and treat him. I am always trying to convince him that he has to realize they will not treat him as Christ would because they do not know how. We have to always be looking the other way because we are not going to make them happy. Wonderful message! My husband gets so upset and stressed at work over things non-christians do and how they behave and treat him. I am always trying to convince him that he has to realize they will not treat him as Christ would because they do not know how. We have to always be looking the other way because we are not going to make them happy.

]]> By: Scott Ertel http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-987 Scott Ertel Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:33:04 +0000 http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-987 Yes, our modern society and even modern church wants a grace that gives them health, wealth, comfort, and the absence of conflict(worldly peace). None of this is guaranteed by Christ. As a matter of fact, Christ said that if we follow Him, we will encounter quite the opposite. Jesus said, “"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. (John 15:20-21) Also, "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when {people} insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt 5:10-12) There are so many other verses that speak about what true discipleship will look like when the Spirit of God lives in a person. 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Well, that looks a whole lot different than cheap grace. Our society so badly wants to save itself. We have self-help, self-esteem, self-realization, and some other garbage. Why in the world would anyone truly want self? They are blinded to the truth about self. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? The Bible is full of so many verses that talk about how sick, disgusting, wicked, and evil the human condition is. Why would I want more of that? And, how would I save myself with more of a “self” that is sick, wicked, evil, etc? Jesus said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt 16:25-26) The truth is we can not save ourselves. Our only hope is Christ. We are in desperate need of His mercy, His grace, His righteousness, His joy, His Spirit and His glory. We need Jesus. This is not a trite statement. We don’t need Jesus and religion. We don’t need Jesus and health, wealth, and anything else. Jesus is the gospel. He is the Good News. All that God accomplished in Christ, He did so that we may have within us the very glory of glories. God’s goodness in us so that we would glorify Him. God’s goodness in us so that others would see Him in us and give God all the glory. He gave us, through the cross, and among many other things, the ability to have Jesus within us. God lives within us. Can you believe that? The most glorious thing in all the universe lives within the true believer. If I was a collector of rare and valuable things, what would I do coming upon the treasure of who Christ is? Hold on! I have more than a collector. I have Christ himself and all that He is for me spiritually within me. Col 1:26-27 …but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. So, if Christ lives within me, first, it is an act of pure grace. Second, that grace was not cheap, it cost God everything in Christ. Third, if both are true, then His Spirit changes me and I live according to his will and power. I now act and do according to His good pleasure. The life I live is not my own. It has been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20) I live not for myself but for Christ who lives within me. He is at work to will and to do in me and through me for his puposes. (Phil 2:13) Finally, if I am not living as if Christ lives within me, on a regular basis, (cheap grace as defined by Nick) then the question I guess we should ask ourselves is, “Does Christ live within me?” Because, if He does, it will be obvious. If He does not, then as a person I will look like what Nick described. Bonhoffer wrote, “Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. I pray that God will open our Spiritual eyes so that we may receive all that God is for us in Christ Jesus. Thank God for the cross. “It’s a beauty and a shame.”--Matt Redman Yes, our modern society and even modern church wants a grace that gives them health, wealth, comfort, and the absence of conflict(worldly peace). None of this is guaranteed by Christ. As a matter of fact, Christ said that if we follow Him, we will encounter quite the opposite. Jesus said, “”Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. (John 15:20-21) Also, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when {people} insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt 5:10-12) There are so many other verses that speak about what true discipleship will look like when the Spirit of God lives in a person. 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Well, that looks a whole lot different than cheap grace. Our society so badly wants to save itself. We have self-help, self-esteem, self-realization, and some other garbage. Why in the world would anyone truly want self? They are blinded to the truth about self. Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? The Bible is full of so many verses that talk about how sick, disgusting, wicked, and evil the human condition is. Why would I want more of that? And, how would I save myself with more of a “self” that is sick, wicked, evil, etc? Jesus said, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt 16:25-26) The truth is we can not save ourselves. Our only hope is Christ. We are in desperate need of His mercy, His grace, His righteousness, His joy, His Spirit and His glory. We need Jesus. This is not a trite statement. We don’t need Jesus and religion. We don’t need Jesus and health, wealth, and anything else. Jesus is the gospel. He is the Good News. All that God accomplished in Christ, He did so that we may have within us the very glory of glories. God’s goodness in us so that we would glorify Him. God’s goodness in us so that others would see Him in us and give God all the glory. He gave us, through the cross, and among many other things, the ability to have Jesus within us. God lives within us. Can you believe that? The most glorious thing in all the universe lives within the true believer. If I was a collector of rare and valuable things, what would I do coming upon the treasure of who Christ is? Hold on! I have more than a collector. I have Christ himself and all that He is for me spiritually within me. Col 1:26-27 …but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

So, if Christ lives within me, first, it is an act of pure grace.

Second, that grace was not cheap, it cost God everything in Christ.

Third, if both are true, then His Spirit changes me and I live according to his will and power. I now act and do according to His good pleasure. The life I live is not my own. It has been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20) I live not for myself but for Christ who lives within me. He is at work to will and to do in me and through me for his puposes. (Phil 2:13)

Finally, if I am not living as if Christ lives within me, on a regular basis, (cheap grace as defined by Nick) then the question I guess we should ask ourselves is, “Does Christ live within me?” Because, if He does, it will be obvious. If He does not, then as a person I will look like what Nick described. Bonhoffer wrote, “Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

I pray that God will open our Spiritual eyes so that we may receive all that God is for us in Christ Jesus.

Thank God for the cross.
“It’s a beauty and a shame.”–Matt Redman

]]> By: EVANGELIST BILLY BOLITHO http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-1083 EVANGELIST BILLY BOLITHO Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:08:51 +0000 http://blog.wsbaptist.org/general/20/#comment-1083 Dear Saints, always remember our Lord will never forsake us, or leave us, His love was sealed for us at Calvary. yes at the cross. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” 2 Timothy 3 v 12 Have you suffered persecution because you are a follower of Christ? I suspect that you have, because as you see in the Word of God, those that try to live godly lives will surely suffer for their faith, but, we also know that God is faithful and He will deliver us from all persecutions which we endure on this earth. The Lord our God will deliver us from every evil thing that will come up against us, and He will never let us suffer beyond that which we are able to endure. The Lord will keep us safe as we journey through this life, and will bring us into His heavenly kingdom, that is His promise to you and me, for He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise. I am convinced that nothing shall be able to tear us apart from His love which is in Christ Jesus, we are able to go through anything that this life throws against us, for as it is written in {Romans 8 v 37}, “In all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” Always remember our Lord will never forsake us, or leave us, His love was sealed for us at Calvary. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me yea might have peace in the world yea shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the word,” St John 16 v 33 Dear Saints, always remember our Lord will never forsake us, or leave us, His love was sealed for us at Calvary. yes at the cross.

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” 2 Timothy 3 v 12

Have you suffered persecution because you are a follower of Christ? I suspect that you have, because as you see in the Word of God, those that try to live godly lives will surely suffer for their faith, but, we also know that God is faithful and He will deliver us from all persecutions which we endure on this earth. The Lord our God will deliver us from every evil thing that will come up against us, and He will never let us suffer beyond that which we are able to endure.

The Lord will keep us safe as we journey through this life, and will bring us into His heavenly kingdom, that is His promise to you and me, for He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise.

I am convinced that nothing shall be able to tear us apart from His love which is in Christ Jesus, we are able to go through anything that this life throws against us, for as it is written in {Romans 8 v 37}, “In all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

Always remember our Lord will never forsake us, or leave us, His love was sealed for us at Calvary. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me yea might have peace in the world yea shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the word,” St John 16 v 33

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