“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” – Eph. 2:10
We are saved FOR good works, not BY good works.
Tag Archives: Seminary
Victory That Has Overcome The World
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.” – 1 John 5:4
The victory is already won and is complete.
We Are His Workmanship
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” – Eph. 2:10
So many great truths in one verse:
We are His “workmanship,” which literally means “a thing made”… not evolved.
“Created in Christ Jesus” – “in Christ” might be Paul’s favorite expression; that’s your true identity.
“for” good works = not saved “by” good works, but to do good works.
God prepared these good works beforehand (in eternity past): God is sovereign over every single little thing… ever. [God’s part]
… so we might walk in them; there’s Man’s responsibility. [Man’s part]
And that’s just scratching the surface.
God Does Not Give Help To Angels
“For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.” – Heb. 2:16
It is not angels God helps, it is Man.
There is no salvation for fallen angels, only fallen amen.
“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;” 2 Pet. 2:4
Has God Indeed Said?
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” – Gen. 3:1
The root of all false teachings asks: Did God really say… ?
Jesus Is Before All Things
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” – Col. 1:17
Jesus is pre-existent and He holds the universe together. Without Him, all things would unravel.
What is this cry that we hear? (Charles Spurgeon)
What is this? What is this cry that we hear? (Charles Spurgeon)
“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” Genesis 4:8
“The blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24
“The sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].” Hebrews 12:24 (NLT)
There is a cry heard in Heaven; the angels are astonished; they rise up from their golden seats and inquire, “What is that cry?”
God looks upon them, and says, “It is the cry of blood; a man has been slain by his fellow; a brother is slain by him who came from the womb of the same mother, has been murdered in cold blood, through malice. One of My saints has been murdered, and here he comes.”
And Abel entered into Heaven, blood-red, the first of God’s elect who had entered Paradise, and the first of God’s children who had worn the blood-red crown of martyrdom.
And then the cry was heard, loud and clear and strong; and thus it spoke: “Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!” And God Himself, rising from His throne, summoned the culprit to His presence; questioned him, condemned him out of His own mouth, and made him henceforth a fugitive and a vagabond, to wander over the surface of the earth, which was to be sterile to his plough.
And now, beloved, contrast the blood of Christ with this. There is Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God; He hangs upon a tree; He is murdered–murdered by His own brethren. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him–but put Him to death.
He bleeds; He dies; and then a cry is heard in Heaven.
The astonished angels again start from their seats, and they say, “What is this? What is this cry that we hear?” And the mighty Maker answers yet again, “It is the cry of blood; it is the cry of the blood of My only-begotten and well-beloved Son!”
And God, uprising from His throne, looks down from Heaven and listens to the cry. And what is the cry? It is not revenge; but the voice cries “Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!” Did you hear it? It said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”
“The sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].” Hebrews 12:24 (NLT)
Another Jesus
“For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” – 2 Cor. 11:4
Another Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel cannot save.
A fake Jesus offers a fake salvation.
Preach the real Jesus or else sit down.
“I am the wheat of God” – Ignatius
“First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” – Jesus (Matt. 13:30)
As Ignatius was martyred, he prayed, “I am the wheat of God. Let me be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found the pure bread of Christ.”
Jesus says there are only two crops: wheat and tares. There are no hybrids.
Which are you?
Jesus also says there are only two destinations: the fire or His barn.
Where are you headed?
Follow the Lamb Wherever He Goes
“These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes!” Rev. 14:4
Do you follow Jesus wherever He goes?
