it is all of grace.

Do not keep record or an account of your work. Give up being book-keepers. In the Christian life we must desire nothing but His glory, nothing but to please Him. So do not keep your eye on the clock, but keep it on Him and His work. Do not keep on recording your work and labour, keep your eye on Him and His glory, on His love and His honour and the extension of His Kingdom.

...There is no need to waste time keeping the accounts, He is keeping them. And what wonderful accounts they are. May I say it with reverence, there is nothing I know of that is so romantic as God's method of accountancy. Be prepared for suprises in this Kingdom. You never know what is going to happen. The last shall be first. What a complete reversal of our materialistic outlook, the last first, the first last, everything upside down. The whole world is turned upside down by grace. It is not of man, it is of God, it is the Kingdom of God. How excellent this is....Our ledgers are out of date; they are of no value. We are in the Kingdom of God and it is God's accountancy. It is all of grace.

...The secret of a happy Christian life is to realize that it is all of grace and to rejoice in that fact. 'So likewise ye,' says our Lord in another place, 'when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which is our duty to do."'

...'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus'. You see what that means. He did not look at Himself, He did not consider Himself and His own interests only; He made Himself of no reputation, He laid aside the insignia of His eternal glory. He did not regard His equality with God as something to hold on to and say: 'Come what may I will not let it go'. Not at all, He laid it aside, He humbled Himself, He forgot Himself, and He went through and endured and did all He did, looking only to the glory of God. Nothing else mattered to Him but that the Father should be glorified and that men and women should come to the Father. That is the secret. Not watching the clock, not assessing the amount of work, not keeping a record in a book, but forgetting everything except the glory of God, the privilege of being called to work for Him at all, the privilege of being a Christian, remembering only the grace that has ever looked upon us and removed us from darkness to light.

It is grace at the beginning, grace at the end. So that when you and I come to lie upon our deathbeds, the one thing that should comfort and help and strengthen us there is the thing that helped us at the beginning. Not what we have been, not what we have done, but the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. The Christian life starts with grace, it must continue with grace, it ends with grace. Grace, wondrous grace. 'By the grace of God I am what I am.' 'Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.'

_m.lloyd-jones

God's Grace Makes Much Of God

If there is one thing I love, it is the grace of God. And this grace was supremely revealed at the cross of Christ, where He was slain for the sinful. When I think about my salvation, I always like to put it in its proper context in order to make much of the grace of God. Grace pictured incorrectly diminishes God and makes grace look cheap. So, I don't picture myself standing at the gates of Heaven begging God to let me in. Then, God finally calls my name and I come sprinting through the gates of Heaven breaking the golden ribbon that was conveniently placed there to add drama to my entrance. Upon entrance there is a set of bleachers, you know the kind you see at a little league game, with a group of angels raising signs saying, "You made it," "Go you." No I don't picture my salvation like that, as flattering as it is. I don't picture myself playing a game of hide and go seek with God, one where God is hiding under my kitchen counter and I conveniently walk in as he sneezes alerting me to his position. Then, as I creep up to the counter doors I throw them open yelling, "FOUND YOU." No, when it comes to salvation God is definitely not the one hiding. I don't think either picture even comes close to touching the true reality and depth of the grace of God in a sinner's conversion like me. I like to picture my salvation like this: God is standing at the door of Heaven saying "Whosoever will, may come." But I am deaf to that call because I am running toward Hell with all the strength I can muster up all the while indulging myself in sinful passion along the way. But God overflowing in grace grabs me, turns me around, calls to my dead heart, "ARISE," and displays His infinite glory and worth to me. That is the way I picture my salvation and you should too, because apart from the grace of God you were deaf to God. And apart from the grace of God you were dead to God. Those who understand the reality of their deafness and deadness will picture their salvation like this, because it makes much of the grace of God. When I get to Heaven I am going to blame God for getting me there, because the same grace that grabs me is the same grace that guides me home. And that is how grace makes much of God.

Romans 9:16

"So then it depends not on human will and exertion

but on God who has mercy."

Photo Credit: Carissa Gallo

Would it not be an encouragement to a subject, to hear his prince say to him, You will honour and please me very much, if you will go to yonder mine of gold, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away? So, for God to say, Go to the ordinances, get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count myself glorified.

_thomas watson




I took this from a post on Of First Importance (http://firstimportance.org/). you would not regret subscribing to this blog. one Gospel truth quote posted each day. brilliant. :)

Basketball Meets Grace

new birth

"A dead man can not assist in his own resurrection."

-W.G.T. Shedd

grace in effect

"To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect"

-John Owen (puritan hero)

why did they believe?

Was it because they mustered up enough will to choose?

Acts 13:48

"When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed."

Because God is Eternal, Omnipotent and Sovereign over time, space, and sinful man's will.

Life Changing

Our church has just finished going through a mid-week Bible study on the doctrines of grace. It was an awesome time as we learned about what God has done to bring us to Himself.

As I reflect on what these doctrines mean I have to say that they have brought about dramatic changes in my life over the past several years. Here is the effect God has wrought in my life through these scriptural teachings.

1. God has put in me a stronger love for the people in our church.
2. God has put in me a stronger love for sinners to come to Christ.
3. God has removed the fear of evangelism and given me courage to witness to many people.
4. God has helped me to make my preaching God-centered.
5. God has caused me to be more discerning over my theological influences.
6. God has helped me to rejoice in Him much more than in my circumstances.
7. God has helped me to hate my sin more and more.
8. God has removed the professionalization of ministry from my mind. Oh, how wonderful it is to be free from this mentality.
9. God has elevated the work of Christ to greater heights so that His grace abounds all the more.
10. God is establishing me in the faith more and more.

I know that there are some who think that these doctrines results in withering churches, divisions, arguments, grouchy people, pride, lack of evangelism, lack of prayer, over-emphasis on the sovereignty of God to the exclusion of man's responsiblity to believe the gospel, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Though there are some who can take these Biblical truths to a level of unbiblical living, that is more attributed to our depraved logic rather than reasoning from teachings of Scripture. For instance, I had a gentleman say to me the other day, "Since God has elected people to salvation then it doesn't matter what we do. He's going to save His people, right?" His argument is the same one I hear people consistently bring to the table. This is NOT what Scripture teaches. That is a faulty logical conclusion that Scripture does not lead us to. I say this to say that a right understanding of these doctrines should lead to godly living for they are from the mind of God.

Pastor John Piper offered a list of ten effects that Calvinism should have on the believer. He states that if these ten things do not result in your life then either he has failed to teach them properly or the individual has a hard heart.

1. These truths make me stand in awe of God and lead me into the depth of true God-centered worship.
2. These truths help protect me from trifling with divine things.
3. These truths make me marvel at my own salvation.
4. These truths make me alert to man-centered substitutes that pose as good news.
5. These truths make me groan over the indescribable disease of our secular, God-belittling culture.
6. These truths make me confident that the work which God planned and began, he will finish – both globally and personally.
7. These truths make me see everything in the light of God's sovereign purposes – that from him and through him and to him are all things, to him be glory forever and ever.
8. These truths make me hopeful that God has the will, the right, and the power to answer prayer that people be changed.
9. These truths reminds me that evangelism is absolutely essential for people to come to Christ and be saved, and that there is great hope for success in leading people to faith, but that conversion is not finally dependent on me or limited by the hardness of the unbeliever.
10. These truths make me sure that God will triumph in the end.

Perhap you have your own list to contribute.

A Wonderful Surprise

The first time I was confronted with the Doctrines of Grace I hated them! How cruel God seemed to me if these things were true. How dare my "free will" be infringed upon. Yes, God chose me for salvation, but that was only because I first chose Him. That was my Arminian view and it destested the doctrines that I have now come to love.

As a matter of fact, almost everyone that I have talked to that believes the doctrines of grace has at some point resisted them. But them someone lovingly helped them press into the Scriptures that they might see these truths for themselves and then finally come to understand what they mean. How detestable are these truths until the Lord enlightens our minds and causes us to love them--for they reveal the nature of God. And how can a child of God not love his Father's nature?

It came as a wonderful surprise to me the other day when I found out that an administrator and my professor from my first year in Bible College (1991) converted to the Doctrines of Grace. I was shocked and esctatic! I am not alone is coming to these glorious truths! Here was a godly and extremely intelligent man who, by God's grace, came to believe what is commonly called Calvinism. God gave rise to another reformer. And don't you just love it! I do! Here is his bio from Sermonaudio.com. (Give a listen to some of his sermons on church history.)

Pastor Jeff Massey had been a pastor for eight years, when he came to a full conviction of the Doctrines of Grace. He left his Denomination in 1995 to become part of the Reformed Baptist movement. He joined Sovereign Grace Baptist Church , and was ordained as an Elder in 1999. He is married to Melissa, and they have three children, Justis (23), Jeremy (20) and Joseph (18). Pastor Jeff is continuing his education as a full-time student at Westminster Seminary California and the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies in Escondido. It is his goal to obtain an M.Div degree. At SGBC, Pastor Jeff regularly teaches Adult Sunday School during the regular year and Church History classes in the summer. His primary focus is on teaching, and pastoral oversight.

There are little reformers rising all around and I get all goose-pimply thinking about it. It seems to me that God is causing a revival to take place amongst His people. A modern reformation seems to be on the prowl and only the Lord knows the impact this will have on the world.

In our church we have spent Monday and Tuesday nights going through a series of lessons on these doctrines. There are twenty-something year-olds spending two hours on a weeknight in my home listening and desiring to know more of God and His grace. That puts a grin on my face that won't go away. God's people are hungry for doctrine and as a result they are growing in holiness as the come to see their Savior clearly in the Word.

This post might seem like a ramble and I'm sure it is. I just wanted to say that I'm wonderfully suprised at what God is doing. Young and old are being drawn away from a pragmatic, program-driven, self-help, pyschology preaching churches. God is putting them under shepherds who will teach the Word in unadulterated fashion. God is bringing us back to know what it truly means to be saved by His grace!

If you are hostile to the Doctrines of Grace/Calvinism, I lovingly urge you to dive into them to see what they are really about. If you rightly understand them, your evangelism will soar through the roof, your worship of God will be uncontainable, your desire for the Word will intensify, holiness will increase, fellowship will come more naturally and God will be glorified through it all.

Simply Irresistable Grace #4

The great theologian Robert Palmer had it right when he wrote, "Simply Irresistable."

Here are some wonderful Scriptures to meditate on in regards to several aspects of the effectual call.

1 Peter 1:3

Deuteronomy 30:6

John 5:21

John 6:64-65

Acts 16:14

Philippians 1:29

1 Peter 2:9

James 1:8

Irresistable Grace #3

To add to Josh's "thunder", and his post down under; I would like to point out a couple of specific details about Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus.

What did Jesus mean by:

*"unless one is born of water and the Spirit,"

and

* "The wind blows where it wishes,"

and

*Why was Nicodemus so shocked and ask "How can these things be?"

and

*Why did Jesus respond "“Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?"

Well, I believe Jesus was referring to the teaching of the Law and the Prophets. Specifically this verse (which is often cross-reference to the John 3 passage:

Ezekial 36:25-27

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

I believe that being born of water and spirit was referring to regeneration. Jesus expected Nicodemus to know this since he was a teacher of the law.

Can we resist God from putting into us a new heart? Can we resist Him as he "causes" us to walk in His statutes"? It says "YOU WILL be careful to observe My ordinances" after he puts a new heart in us.

The greek word for wind is "Pneuma", which is the word Jesus used when he said "the wind (pneuma) blows where it wishes"
The greek word for spirit is also "Pneuma". Jesus also used it in the same context saying:

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. (Pneuma)"

Jesus was clearly using a 'play on words'. Comparing the spirit to the wind in the way in which the spirit works like the wind - blowing (working) where He wishes.

The spirit works regardless if we are resisting or not. This is why Nicodemus was so shocked. God's sovereignty didn't rub him the right way.

Irresistable Grace

We are not more powerful than God's grace.
If we were to be able to somehow resist God's effectual call of regeneration, then we would be able to take credit for the faith by which were saved. But as Ephesians 2:8-9 states, faith is a gift of God. Not of ourselves. Faith is a gift of grace. Let's see how we know that it's irresistable...

Look at what Jesus said:

John 6:44

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."

verse 37:

"All that the Father gives me will come to me."

How many that the Father gives to Christ? ALL

Look at Romans 8:29

"And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."

So WHO does he end up justifying? Those whom HE CALLS! Who does he call? Those whom HE PREDESTINES!

ALL glory be to God. Thanks to His power and love we are able to know Him.

Evangelism & The Doctrines Of Grace

Does rightly understading the doctrines of grace affect your understanding and method of evangelism?