Our Mission is Submission

Romans 13:1-2: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Submit to authority.

But what authority specifically is God commanding us to submit to?

Here scripture clearly says that no authority exists that isn’t established by God, so the list of authorities that we are to submit to is an extensive list, and goes on and on.

• Children are to obey their parents. Ephesians 6:1-3 tells us Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” which is the first commandment with a promise “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
  
  
• All must submit to the local authorities like employers and land lords, police and city officials, and on top of that, governmental authority as well.
  
  
• The Bible also teaches us that our pastors are our shepherds and spiritual authorities as well. We are to honor them, pray for them, and we are to submit to them as well.
  

So what does submission mean? Is it merely obeying the law? The rules set forth by the government? Is it just doing our chores as children, and doing our job as adults?

Paul tells us exactly what it means to submit to authority, in Titus chapter 3 verses 1 and 2.

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”

From this scripture, we can easily see 5 key points of true biblical submission:

1. Obedience. This includes abiding by the laws set forth by the local and federal government. Paul says in Romans 13:5 “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

• The obedience that the Bible calls for, doesn’t depend on our input, it depends on what the local and federal governments, the police department, and the IRS decide. Any less then full submission to the authority God has set up is not merely rebellion towards the authorities, but rebellion against God Himself.

2. Ready to do whatever is good. This stands out as one of the main themes for Christian living throughout the Bible. Doing good, can be summed up, in loving your neighbor, as you love yourself.

3. To slander no one. Did you realize, that God commands us, as believers, to respect authorities, even in how we talk about them. It doesn’t matter if we do not agree with them, or like them, or if they are making wise decisions, because the Bible teaches us, that it was God’s wise decision to put them there. Instead of bashing leaders, lets pray for the leaders we have, and ask for God to give them wisdom as they govern us. As Christians, we must understand that no authority, none, not Hitler, not Sadam Hussein, not Pharaoh, who oppressed Gods people for an entire lifetime, have come into power on their own. God put them there!

Romans 9:16-17 It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

4. To be peaceable and considerate. This brings the last two points together, to be ready to do good and to slander no one. This kind of living is exactly what points your neighbor, your friend, your enemy, toward Jesus Christ. It is our lives that point others to Christ, if you truly live for Christ. You truly are a light shining out to the world when you carry out your life as both peaceful, and at peace with God, and you live that life with an open compassion and consideration toward others.

5. And to show true humility toward all men. Showing humility toward all men means, that you are not trying to be better then others, not pointing out the fault of others, and not trying to win the argument. The point is, that whoever exults himself will be humbled, but if you humble yourself, then God will exult you. Humility is seeing yourself in light of the Gospel, which tells us very plainly that we are all very sinful, and desperately in need of grace and forgiveness. If you spend your time looking deep down, into your own heart, into your own life, examining your own walk with Christ, you will most certainly find that there is plenty that you need to be dealing with first, before you go about “helping others” get the speck out of their eye.

So, (you ask) when do we not have to submit to authority?

This question is easy to answer, though Christians have been asking this for centuries to side step their obligation to be obedient. The answer is simple. Submit in every instance, unless you are told to violate God’s written commandment in His Word. You cannot know what to submit to, unless you read the Word, and know it for yourself.

We see this principal in the book of Acts, chapter 4:18-19.

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied. Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

Here the apostles respectfully answered, but nevertheless held firm to Gods commandment, Peter and John literally lived and died by this principal, and in 1 Peter 2:13-17 Peter tells us the true heart of submission, that God desires in us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong” and to commend those who do right. For it is God;s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone; Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King.

Have we really looked at submission to authorities here on earth in light of our worship of God? I pray that as you meditate on these truths you will see yet another scriptural principal to live your entire life, as an offering of worship, to our Holy God, who alone is worthy of our complete submission, adoration and worship.

In His Service,
Brian Bivens

Let go of this World to Worship God

Matt 16:26 "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? (Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25)

What is worth your soul, or let me rephrase that, what is your soul worth?

Who here today would forfeit their eternity for a few years of pleasure on this earth? So many people would frown at the idea of “selling their soul” but the fact of the matter is, that every day the majority of the people in this world, are giving a piece of their soul away every day, by the way they live.

So again, I ask you, what is your soul worth?

Is it worth worrying about the things of this world? Getting the money you may or may not need, being fed, getting new clothes, or simply getting the things which you desire.

The life of a believer is to rise above these things. In Mark chapter 4 Jesus tells us a parable of the different kinds of people here on earth, who will hear His word, and respond in one of four different ways.

You can read about this in Mark chapter 4 verses 3-20, but today I want to focus on the seed, or the Word of God that falls on the thorny ground. The seeds here sprout quickly but the thorns “choked out the tender blades so that it produced no grain.”

Jesus tells us in detail just what this means to us. In Mark 4:18-19 Jesus says this: “The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out (or choked out) by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced.”(NLT)

It is interesting, that Jesus tells us who will produce fruit, in John 15:8. Jesus says: My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to My Father.”

Now it is only natural for us to worry about such things, Luke 12:30 tells us: "For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.”
The fact of the matter is that Jesus tells us not to worry about our own lives, as far as what we will eat or drink, or clothe ourselves with. “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)” In fact, He goes on to say that we must “Seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

If we focus on Christ, the kingdom of heaven, and God’s righteousness above all other things, God promises that He will meet us in our time of need, He promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He is faithful to His Word.

Our job here in this world, is to stay attached to God, and let go of all the other garbage that takes our hearts away from God.

We live our lives, hoarding up stuff, always seeking more and more, setting our affections on what ever the latest thing is, or on the different desires of our hearts, which is so silly, because we aren’t going to take it with us. I have never seen a hearse pulling a U-haul, and you won’t either. 1 Timothy 6:7 says “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”

So then, as a believer we need to seek out things that are pleasing to God. Our time should be His, our desires should be His, our lives are to be His, and when they are He will take care of the rest.

In James 1:27 we learn that: Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

The way that we keep ourselves unstained by the world, is by not giving into the shameful ebb and flow of society, being so attached to the many appealing things this world has to offer, and instead shamelessly living a sold out, obedient life, clinging to the Word of God.

You need to live your life, depending on God as your life line. We need to think of God and need God, and seek God, like the air we breathe. If God takes the primary place in your heart, then all other things take a backseat.

Another way is to keep away from things that are impure.

Ephesians 5:5 states this plainly. “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

The fact is, you need to let go of this world and then hold on to God, you cannot serve two masters, and with a tight grip on the things of this world, you cannot hold onto the things of God. Just as Joshua said to the nation of Israel in Joshua 24:15:

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Let go of this world, and worship God with every part of your life.

In His service,
Brian Bivens

August Hymn of the Month: Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me

By: Augustus M. Toplady 1776

As the Truth Matters ministry really begins to take flight, it is fitting, that we look at Rock of Ages as the August hymn of the month. This song, being one of the most well known and most loved hymns of the church, was born from the passionate, heated and sometimes controversial debate between Calvinist and Arminian theology, and respectively Augustus M. Toplady, and John and Charles Wesley.

It is also fitting to see what took place in Toplady’s life, to lead him to make such a passionate stand against those whom he first followed when he came to Christ, especially in light of the open testimony of our Pastor, Charles J. Paul, who began his ministry on one side of the doctrinal fence, only to be promptly moved by the hand of God to the glorious doctrines of Grace.

Shortly after his conversion, Toplady was attracted to the ministry of the Wesley’s and the Methodist movement, however, in light of his own conversion, and God’s holy Word, he was drawn toward the biblical doctrines of grace. In fact, when speaking of his own salvation, and his conversion experience, Toplady writes:

“Strange that I, who had so long sat under the means of grace in England, should be brought right with God in an obscure part of Ireland, midst a handful of people met together in a barn, and by the ministry of one who could hardly spell his own name. Surely it was the Lord’s doing and is marvelous.”

You see, when we really view the aspect of salvation, it is truly an amazing thing that the Lord has done. Our part in salvation is merely that of a thankful recipient, and this wonderful hymn goes to great lengths to express the emotion and heart cry of a broken sinner, who has been made fully aware of his falleness, his frailness, and his helplessness. Of one who, being drawn in by the effectual call of grace, from a merciful and loving heavenly Father, promptly turns and repents from his wickedness, and clings to the Cross of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as his one and only hope.

Without any further introduction, lets look at this apologetic reply, and defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of the sovereignty of God, and of the amazing grace involved in the salvation of sinners.

The first verse of this wonderful hymn strikes me as one of the most beautiful and simple statements about the result of salvation, and the hope that a sinful man like myself can have in the redeeming work of God. When we come to God, it is amazing to see just how we come to Him, as scripture reveals quite plainly that those who are outside of Christ, are the enemies of God. This is a frightening truth, and one that is all to frequently neglected in today’s pulpits, but as we look at this verse, notice how beautifully we are tucked safely away, into Christ, by the water and blood that He shed for us on His cross, and how His sacrifice, not only saves us from our status as enemies of God, and the punishment that comes with that status, but also goes one step further, in purifying us, both in the sense of our justification, but equally important, in our progressive sanctification. (c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.
Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure.

Now this next verse is an affirmation of our helplessness in the drama of salvation, and is also a direct written response to Arminian doctrine, which teaches that a man of his own accord must realize his sins, have a remorseful and contrite heart, and repent to God for his sins. You see, the remorse we feel for the wrong we have done can never satisfy the debt we owe God. In fact, Toplady writes: “Even as England could never pay her national debt, so man through his own efforts could never satisfy the eternal justice of a holy God.” (c.f. Ephesians 2:1-9)

Not the labor of my hands, Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thou alone.

Continuing on in this very theme of our total inability to woo over God, to impress Him, to move His heart to accept us, we come to the profound and accurate portrait of our sinful state. We have nothing, but Christ died on the cross. Our righteousness is filthy rags, but by grace we are dressed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness. We run to the salvation of God, once we see our need for cleansing, and the truth is, unless He washes us, we die. (c.f. Isaiah 64:6-7)

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked come to Thee for dress, Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul I to the fountain fly, Wash me Savior or I die.

The final verse of this hymn truly fills me with joy. We know by faith that something amazing awaits us, but we don’t know exactly what it will be. We know that God has promised us “no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind can know what God has in store for those who love Him” and we know that when we draw our final breath that we will be with Him. We are left with Toplady, and believers all over the world, in awe and wonder, to ponder in faith and to trust in God that when the time comes for us to rise from this world, into that which Jesus has gone to prepare for us, and that when we stand before our God, who will not condemn us for our sins, but instead, will welcome and reward us for our service, we stand confident in the Rock of Ages, that we will be safe and secure, tucked away in Him and with Him, for all eternity, (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

While I draw this fleeting breath, When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown, And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.

What's Wrong with "User Friendly" Churches?

by John MacArthur

Recently, the 11^th edition of the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary was published. The reprint included 10,000 new words– words that will bring us all up to date. Words like "phat" (excellent), "dead presidents" (paper currency), and "McJob" (low paying, dead-end job) are among the entries that will finally help us communicate with our teenagers.

How did those words make it into the updated dictionary? There is one criterion: usage. A word qualifies for the new edition based on how widespread its usage has become. While I can't imagine how phat, McJob, and dead presidents will find a place in America's pulpits (e.g., The love of dead presidents is the root of all kinds of evil?), there is one phrase borrowed from the computer industry that has spread into mainstream usage in the church– it's impact has been monumental.

"User-friendly" was first used to describe software and hardware that is easy for the novice to operate. Applied to the church, it describes churches that offer a decidedly benign and non-challenging ministry model. In practice, it has become an excuse for importing worldly amusements into the church in an attempt to attract non-Christian "seekers" or the "unchurched" by appealing to their fleshly interests. The obvious fallout of this preoccupation with the unbelievers is a corresponding neglect of true believers and their spiritual needs.

If you want to know how user-friendly a church has become, the emphasis, or de-emphasis, on biblical preaching is the yardstick. A church that buys into the new paradigm sidelines provocative and convicting sermons for music, skits, or videos– less confrontational mediums for conveying the message. Even when there is a sermon, it is frequently psychological and motivational rather than biblical. Above all, entertainment value and user-friendliness are paramount.

I once read through a stack of newspaper and magazine articles that highlight a common thread in the user-friendly phenomenon. These observations from newspaper clippings describe the preaching in user-friendly churches:

• "There is no fire and brimstone here... Just practical, witty messages."
• "Services at [the church featured in the article] have an informal feeling. You won't hear people threatened with hell or referred to as sinners. The goal is to make them feel welcome, not drive them away."
• "As with all clergymen [this pastor's] answer is God– but he slips Him in at the end, and even then doesn't get heavy. No ranting, no raving. No fire, no brimstone. He doesn't even use the H-word. Call it Light Gospel. It has the same salvation as the Old Time Religion, but with a third less guilt."
• "The sermons are relevant, upbeat, and best of all, short. You won't hear a lot of preaching about sin and damnation, and hell fire. Preaching here doesn't sound like preaching. It is sophisticated, urbane, and friendly talk. It breaks all the stereotypes."
• "[The pastor] is preaching a very upbeat message... It's a salvationist message, but the idea is not so much being saved from the fires of hell. Rather, it's being saved from meaninglessness and aimlessness in this life. It's more of a soft-sell."

So the new rules may be summed like this: Be clever, informal, positive, brief, friendly, and never, never use the H-word.

The pastors and leaders in the church-growth movement certainly wouldn't portray their own ministries in that way. In fact, they would probably laud their success in drawing people into the church without compromising the message. But they fail to understand that by decentralizing the Scripture and avoiding hard truths, they are compromising. "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:26, emphasis added). If the design is to make the seeker comfortable, isn't that rather incompatible with the Bible's own emphasis on sin, judgment, hell, and several other important topics?

The gospel message is a confrontational message. When you remove the confrontation–or soften, downplay, or bring it in through the back door– you have compromised the message. The modern pulpit is weak, not for a lack of witty messages, but because men fear to speak the hard truths of God's Word powerfully and with conviction.

The church is certainly not suffering from an overabundance of forthright preachers; rather, it seems glutted with men pleasers (cf. Gal. 1:10). But, as it was in the early church, when men are faithful to preach God's Word with boldness, God will give the increase. "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching... then fear came upon every soul... and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42, 43, 47).

When a sinner wanders into the church and sits through skits, mimes, interpretive dances, and the like, and yet never hears a clear, convicting message about his dangerous and tenuous spiritual situation– that he is a depraved sinner headed for an eternal fire because he is a daily offense to a holy God– how can that be called successful? You could achieve the same level of success by sending a cancer patient to receive treatment from a group of children playing doctor. A sinner must understand the imminent danger he is in if he is ever to look to the Savior.

C. H. Spurgeon, facing a similar mindset in his day, once said:

'I fear there are some who preach with the view of amusing men, and as long as people can be gathered in crowds, and their ears can be tickled, and they can retire pleased with what they have heard, the orator is content, and folds his hands, and goes back self-satisfied. But Paul did not lay himself out to please the public and collect the crowd. If he did not save them he felt that it was of no avail to interest them. Unless the truth had pierced their hearts, affected their lives, and made new men of them, Paul would have gone home crying, "Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"...

Now observe, brethren, if I, or you, or any of us, or all of us, shall have spent our lives merely in amusing men, or educating men, or moralizing men, when we shall come to give our account at the last great day we shall be in a very sorry condition, and we shall have but a very sorry record to render; for of what avail will it be to a man to be educated when he comes to be damned? Of what service will it be to him to have been amused when the trumpet sounds, and heaven and earth are shaking, and the pit opens wide her jaws of fire and swallows up the soul unsaved? Of what avail even to have moralized a man if still he is on the left hand of the judge, and if still, "Depart, ye cursed," shall be his portion?'" ["Soul Saving Our One Business," The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 25 (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1879), 674-76.]

That is precisely my concern about today’s pragmatic church-growth trend. The strategy focuses on attracting and keeping the unchurched. For what? To entertain them? To get them to attend church meetings regularly? Merely "churching" the unchurched accomplishes nothing of eternal value. That is where their strategy seems to end.

What's worse is when seeker-focused churches baptize the masses with their watered-down gospel, assuring them that positive decisions, feelings, or affirmations about Christ equal genuine conversion. There are now multitudes who are not authentic Christians identifying with the church. The church is literally invaded with the world's values, the world's interests, and the world's citizens. It isn't an invasion prompted by overt hostility; people are simply responding to a survey that came in the mail. Ironically, Satan isn't sowing the tares; church leaders are.

As you set your strategy for church ministry, you dare not overlook the primary means of church growth: the straightforward, Christ-centered proclamation of the unadulterated Word of God. If you trade the Word for amusements or gimmicks, you will not only find that you have no effective means to reach people with the truth of Christ, but you will find yourself working against the Lord Himself.

Adapted from Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World, © 1993 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved.

Worshiping God for His Grace Part V

1 Timothy 1:12-17:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am the foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, that in being the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The next two verses of our text really bring out the heart of Paul’s testimony, the heart of this message, the heart of our Savior, and the reason we preach the Gospel. These verses show us the Mission of Christ. 1 Timothy 1:15-16

“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”

Vs. 15 is a strong comparison to Jesus’ words in Luke 5:29-32:

And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” and Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Remember our previous verse, “there is no one who is righteous, not even one”? Here Jesus is specifically saying, if you don’t see yourself as a sinner, then you cannot see your need for a Savior. Only an openly honest sinner can repent. The sinners that Christ calls to repentance are those whom by grace He has made aware of their sins, they are drawn irresistibly to the Son, and truly do repent of Their sins.

Next, I want to take a minute to show you how Paul’s thinking progressed. Jesus told His disciples “he who wants to be great must become the servant”, and His point, His example, and His desire for us is a growing humility and dependence on Him alone for our salvation.
With this in mind I want to show you Paul growing more and more humble as his walk with Christ progressed:

• 1 Cor 15:9 Paul says “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” This was written in the first half of 55 AD.

• Then between five and seven years later he wrote the following in Ephesians 3:8 “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ”

• Then in our verse here, written near the end of His life, probably between 62-64 AD, Paul calls himself the foremost of sinners, or chief of sinners.

Do you see the pattern?:
-First, he’s the Least of the apostles
-Then the Least of the saints
-And finally the Chief of sinners

Now, it’s one thing to look at Paul’s salvation and Christ’s patience as an example for the working of the grace of God, but it is an entirely different thing to look at this picture, in contrast with our own sinful lives, and see just how far this grace of God can stretch, to cover our sinfulness, to wash each of us individually clean.

I love what Matthew Henry writes about this verse:

“No man, with Paul’s example before him, can question the love and power of Christ to save him, if he really desires to trust in him as the Son of God, who once died on the cross and now reigns upon the throne of glory, to save all that come to God through Him.”

That is the mission of Christ, to save all that come to Him. Listen to these amazing words of Christ and know, that if He has truly given you a heart to come to Him, a desire for forgiveness and submission to His will, then He will by no means reject your cries for forgiveness and salvation. He will welcome you, and strengthen you, and put you into service, just as the scriptures during this study has shown us.

John 6:37-40: A

ll that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I myself will raise him up on the last day.”

We know very well that Christ Jesus came to die on the cross for sins, we know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and I am writing today to share the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person who will read this article. No matter what you have done, no matter where you have been, no matter what your present circumstances are, Christ’s death on the cross is most certainly sufficient to pay the penalty for your sins. It is God who holds salvation in His hand, and He alone has the power to save you.

No wonder Paul breaks out into this Doxology, this praise song in the midst of this letter; and our final verse of study. Paul takes everything that we have looked at, every aspect of the grace of God, and he can't contain it any more, it is time to worship God in light of these tremendous truths. Looking at verse 17:

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen”

Paul looking back at his sinful life and horrible offenses, looking back and seeing God’s sovereign intervention, God’s amazing grace, His saving power and eternal plan, he then sees truly, especially when our salvation is concerned, that it is God alone who deserves all the glory honor and praise for His wonderful, merciful beautiful work of redemption, that He so freely extends to us, even to us, this glorious Gospel of grace.

When you stand back and observe salvation, in light of the grace of God, there is nothing left to do, but worship Jesus for His sacrifice, worship the Father for His grace, worship the Spirit for the drawing of our hearts, we worship God, for His grace, in our salvation.

May God bless you, as you seek His will, His kingdom, His glory, In His service,

Brian Bivens

Worshiping God for His Grace Part IV

1 Timothy 1:12-17:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am the foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, that in being the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Now that we have seen the call of God, initiated by His will, apart from our works, apart from our faithfulness and righteousness, apart from our decision, we then moved on to see our very sad condition of lawlessness and rebellion before God.

Paul isn’t alone in being a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent aggressor;

David isn’t alone in being an adulterous, lusting, lying, murderer;

No, we all continually live for our own selfish desires, and that means that we all sin against one another, and more importantly against a holy God. This sin requires repentance; a true change in our hearts and actions, which can only occur when there is an awareness of our sin. All of these things work together to show us the next point: Salvation by Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone in Christ Alone.

Lets look together at 1 Timothy 1:14.

"And the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus."

I have been striving to show you that God’s Grace is required for faith in Christ;

That Faith is required to truly love Christ;

And that a love for Christ, which consequently is the most important aspect of our salvation, can only exist with true salvation.

Lets look back to one of the first things we said today, Grace is the unmerited favor and kindness of God shown to the undeserving sinner. God doesn’t owe grace, you cannot earn grace, and without grace, you cannot be saved.

There is nothing inside of anyone, that is deserving of salvation. There is no action that can be performed that would merit salvation. Salvation from start to finish is by the grace of God alone.

Lets look back to Paul’s life, and his conversion. In 1 Timothy 1:16 Paul goes on to say “Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”

Now we will cover this verse in a few minutes, but this patience that Christ demonstrated in Paul’s life and salvation is to serve for an example for all who will believe, so it is an excellent place for us to see exactly how salvation through the grace of God works.

In Galatians 1:13-16 we find another account of Paul’s conversion, his testimony is repeated six times in the New Testament, and again that points to the significance it has in the life of each true believer in Christ.

“For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.”

Notice again, Paul was certainly not looking for Christ, he was looking for Christians, and his intent was to destroy them. Then God, already having planned the entire course of Paul’s life from before birth, at the perfect time, God’s perfect time, revealed to Paul his sin, gave him the faith to believe, and put him into service for the kingdom.

Lets look together at another verse that emphasizes how the grace of God, including the faith to believe is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8:

“for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."

Here the word “that” is a specific reference to the entire statement of salvation, not only the grace, but also the faith.

Although men are absolutely required to believe in Jesus Christ, His perfect sinless life, His atoning death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave, even that faith is part of the gift of God which saves, and cannot be exercised in ones own power. God’s grace is the primary factor in every aspect of salvation, from His call on our lives, to the revealing of our sins, to the faith needed to repent and believe on Christ.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, which was written by a group of over 150 theologically learned men, who met 1,163 times over a course of five and a half years, who finished the document on February 22 1649, has this to say of Effectual Calling and grace:

Chapter 10 Article 1: All those whom God hath predestined unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.

Paul was so adamant in glorifying God for this grace, that every letter he wrote both begins and ends with a pronouncing of grace from God to the recipients of the letter.

If you are reading this article right now, and know Christ; Not just know about Him, but love Him, worship Him, appreciate Him and serve Him; You have Him and Him alone to thank for where you are right now, and what an amazing thing it is to think about where He has brought us from!

July Hymn of the Month :: Just As I Am

Just as I am
By: Charlotte Elliott 1836

Charlotte Elliott wrote nearly 150 hymns, yet none of these hymns have had a more profound impact on the lives of so many people. In fact, after her death, there was found more than 1,000 letters from people all over the world, sharing with Charlotte just how much this hymn had meant to them. The hymn meant a great deal to her as well.

Charlotte had a carefree life when she was younger, and had gained notoriety among the English for the humorous poetry that she had been writing. At the age of 30 however, things changed dramatically. Within a short period of time, Charlotte had become an invalid, completely bed ridden, and dependant upon her family for care. Under these circumstances, and the sharp contrast from the previous years of her life, she became greatly depressed. In 1822, an evangelist, Dr. Caesar Malan, visited the Elliot household. He spent some time with Charlotte, and counseled her concerning her depression, and spiritual state, and during his visit, he told her: “You must come just as you are, a sinner, to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. “ It was during this visit, that God used Dr. Malan to proclaim the truth of the gospel to her, and lead her to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Even though 14 years had passed, these words were never too far from Charlotte’s mind. It was 1836 and the ministry opportunity arose for her brother, Rev. H.V. Elliot, to raise money for, and build St. Mary’s Hall at Brighton, a school built to provide high quality education for the children of humble clergymen, that Charlotte was taken by a feeling of despondency. She wanted so badly to be a part of the ministry and was overwhelmed by feelings of uselessness, and fruitlessness. It was during this time when she remembered the words of her dear friend, and she penned the words to this beloved hymn.

This hymn to me is a very special collection of answers to the many thoughts and feelings I have struggled with personally as a believer. I too, like the thousands who wrote Charlotte letters, have deeply been touched by the words of this timeless song, and yet, continually, am strengthened, and grow, as I meditate on the Biblical truths this song continues to teach us.

I would like to examine a few of these verses, and share with you, the scriptural truths behind the lines of the hymn, and the overwhelming confidence we can have in our salvation, which is wrought, not by our deeds, but by the completed work of our savior.

Just as I am, without one plea,
but that Thy blood was shed for me
and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

There are three powerful truths in the midst of this verse that I would like to focus on, the first being our helplessness, and utter inability to do anything to win over the affections, and forgiveness of God.

We come to Him naked, in fact, the truth is much worse; we come clothed in filthy rags, stained by the filth of our own sins and selfishness. In this state, God cannot even bear to look at us, so to even come to God, our first realization is to acknowledge that we are spiritually bankrupt. Hopeless, helpless, sinful and impure. This is something the Scriptures continually teach us, they teach us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), they teach us that the wages of these sins are death (Romans 6:23). So first in coming to God, we have no plea to make for ourselves. There is no deal we can make, no offer that we can put on the table. Scripture goes so far as to say that we are the enemies of God and by nature children of wrath (c.f. Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:3). This is the truth on which our salvation must be built.

Immediately following this truth is the answer. It is not something within ourselves, not even in the slightest. It is in the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, by His perfect sinless life, by His blood and sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave that He alone accomplished on our behalf. He alone accomplished salvation, bringing it to us. Apart from His work, there is no salvation. It is not on anything that we have done that we plead for God’s mercy, but instead, we are viewed with the very righteousness of Jesus Christ, because He took the punishment and shame for every sin, that every true believer in Christ would every commit (c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Finally we see the truth that He bids us to come to Him. Not only are we helpless to please God on our own, even more so, we are helpless to seek after God on our own (c.f. Romans 3:11). I can think of no work that one could do that would be more pleasing to God than to willingly set aside their sinfulness and deny themselves for the cross of Christ, but scripture makes it clear that no one can come to Christ unless he is drawn by God the Father (c.f. John 6:44; 65).

When these three truths are brought together, it is very encouraging. If God has chosen us for salvation, who could possibly overturn His will? If Christ has paid our penalty, and taken our wrath, then what have we to fear? And though we are sinners, if we realize, that by faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ, that we are never more justified before God than at this very moment, we can have assurance that even though we struggle, even though we sin, even when our walk with Christ slows to a crawl, our confidence is in what God is doing, and accomplishing in us, and we can be confident, that if He drew us to Christ, that He will be faithful to complete the Good work that He has started (c.f. Philippians 1:6).

The fifth stanza of this hymn, though frequently unsung is equally assuring to the Children of God.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!


God has promised to receive us, Jesus tells us in John 6:37 that all who the Father gives to Him will come, and He will by no means ever cast them out. He loves us with an undying ever-faithful love in spite of our wickedness. And when God sends us running toward the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, sends us running to Jesus fully aware of our shameful state, and the answer that He alone can provide, it is then that we fall into His grace, repentant, and justified by a Holy God, who took the initiative on our behalf, because He knows our frame, and remembers that we are merely dust (Psalm 103:8-14)

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Him whose blood can cleanse each spot
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Just as I am, though tossed about,
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Just as I am, poor, wretched blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve
because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea Thine alone
O Lamb of God, I come, I come