A few years ago I heard a Christian lady recount some conversations she had had with an unbeliever about the truths of the Christian Gospel. The Christian lady stated that, in one of these conversations she said to the enquirer "If God is drawing you, then you will come". The meaning of this statement is clear - if God is drawing a person to repent of his/her sins and believe in Jesus as a personal Saviour, then that person will so repent and believe, ie they will be saved.
When I first heard that statement I wasn't sure about it. However, as I thought upon John chapter 6 verse 37 I figured that it was absolutely true. Let's look at this verse carefully - Jesus said "All that the Father gives me will come to me; and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out".
The second half of the verse is a wonderful promise to all those who truly turn to Jesus - he will not drive them away even if they have been living a real bad life prior to that point. However, I want to look at the implications of the first half of that verse. Six times in the first dozen verses of John chapter 17 Jesus states that those who follow him have been given to Him by His Father. Moreover, verse 6 states that Jesus' followers were given to Him from out of the world.
The teaching is clear - God the Father looked upon the mass of humanity on the broad way that leads to judgement and from them He takes out a people that he gives to Jesus. This He did before the world was even created. Such people are referred to in the scriptures as "the Elect". Furthermore, as stated earlier, everyone of those so elected will repent of their sins and accept Jesus as their personal Saviour.
As a street evangelist this truth gives me enormous encouragement. As I hold forth the Word of Life I can be sure that God is drawing His elect. This includes those who, at present, may be vehemently opposed to the Gospel. Indeed, If God so wills even Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens would be saved. How do I know this ? I know this because of the teaching of Job 42 v 2 which makes it clear that NO purpose of God's will be thwarted.
Militant atheists and other servants of the Devil may shake their fists at God as much as they like - but God is sovereign, He will have His way and everyone of His elect will be saved.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Watchman Nee - soldier of the cross
One of the most well known Chinese Christians was the evangelist Watchman Nee. he was born in 1903 and converted at the age of 17. Soon after his conversion he started a ministry which lasted 30 years until he was imprisoned by the communists in 1952. Despite dreadful prison conditions and inhumane treatment over a 20 year period he remained faithful to Christ until he went home to Heaven in 1972.
During his time of ministry many souls were saved and he was known as one who had a deep walk with the Lord. However, with spiritual fruit came persecution. Even before he was put in prison he was often vilified and slandered by opponents who sought to destroy his reputation and put a stop to his work for the Lord. His response when faced with such attacks was to simply get on with the job of spreading the Gospel and leave it to God to vindicate him.
This is a great lesson for us in this evil country in which we live. As the spiritual climate becomes colder and more hostile to the Gospel the temptation is to slip into the background and not stand up for Jesus. It would be so easy to take the role of quiet "Christians" and avoid all the slander and persecution by behaving like chocolate soldiers - melting at the sound of battle.
However, this is not the way of the true soldier of the cross. The attitude of the true believer is like that of Moses who chose "to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward". Hebrews 11 v 25-26.
Indeed, it should be said that when opposition and persecution increase the true soldiers of the cross re-double their efforts to make their stand for Christ bearing in mind the words of C T Studd - "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
During his time of ministry many souls were saved and he was known as one who had a deep walk with the Lord. However, with spiritual fruit came persecution. Even before he was put in prison he was often vilified and slandered by opponents who sought to destroy his reputation and put a stop to his work for the Lord. His response when faced with such attacks was to simply get on with the job of spreading the Gospel and leave it to God to vindicate him.
This is a great lesson for us in this evil country in which we live. As the spiritual climate becomes colder and more hostile to the Gospel the temptation is to slip into the background and not stand up for Jesus. It would be so easy to take the role of quiet "Christians" and avoid all the slander and persecution by behaving like chocolate soldiers - melting at the sound of battle.
However, this is not the way of the true soldier of the cross. The attitude of the true believer is like that of Moses who chose "to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward". Hebrews 11 v 25-26.
Indeed, it should be said that when opposition and persecution increase the true soldiers of the cross re-double their efforts to make their stand for Christ bearing in mind the words of C T Studd - "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Eaten for breakfast
News has come through that Barack Obama has suffered severe defeats in the mid-term elections in the US. He has lost control of congress and now faces extreme difficulty in getting his legislative programme through. The scale of this defeat is so huge that one could say that "he has been eaten for breakfast".
You may wonder why, if this is a Christian blog, I am making mention of politics; the answer is simple - this defeat is a judgement from the Lord. Obama is a particularly evil man in that he supports late term abortions and has gone on record as publicly stating that Homosexual relationships should be given the same status and respect as relationships between men and women. Moreover, he claims to be a Christian (as many politicians in the US do) but he is so obviously a hypocrite.
God is sovereign - if people fly in His face and violate His laws then He will deal with them. It is clear from His word that all sin is serious but homosexuality is especially vile in God's sight as it goes against nature. To quote from Romans 1 v 27 "In the same way men abandoned natural relationships with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion" The previous verse highlights the fact that lesbian relationships are also unnatural. This verse teaches us that homosexuality is a) under God's judgement, b) against nature and c) is a perversion. Moreover, verse 32 of the same chapter teaches us that those who approve of these sinful acts are also under God's judgement - and this is where Obama comes in.
By approving of these perversions Obama has placed himself under God's wrath - part of which has been clearly exhibited by these dire election results.
Of course, it is wrong to hate homosexuals or seek to do them harm and we should pray for their conversion. In the meantime let us boldly declare the truth that God commands all people everywhere to repent and receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
You may wonder why, if this is a Christian blog, I am making mention of politics; the answer is simple - this defeat is a judgement from the Lord. Obama is a particularly evil man in that he supports late term abortions and has gone on record as publicly stating that Homosexual relationships should be given the same status and respect as relationships between men and women. Moreover, he claims to be a Christian (as many politicians in the US do) but he is so obviously a hypocrite.
God is sovereign - if people fly in His face and violate His laws then He will deal with them. It is clear from His word that all sin is serious but homosexuality is especially vile in God's sight as it goes against nature. To quote from Romans 1 v 27 "In the same way men abandoned natural relationships with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion" The previous verse highlights the fact that lesbian relationships are also unnatural. This verse teaches us that homosexuality is a) under God's judgement, b) against nature and c) is a perversion. Moreover, verse 32 of the same chapter teaches us that those who approve of these sinful acts are also under God's judgement - and this is where Obama comes in.
By approving of these perversions Obama has placed himself under God's wrath - part of which has been clearly exhibited by these dire election results.
Of course, it is wrong to hate homosexuals or seek to do them harm and we should pray for their conversion. In the meantime let us boldly declare the truth that God commands all people everywhere to repent and receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
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