The Only Hope

                              The Only Hope

As the world implodes and is cast asunder,

Yet still only One Hope,  One Way,  One Truth to ponder.

Sinful fallen race, rescued from rebellion and death; 

shame and rebuke, destruction's wide path. 

 Christ's  blood, that  narrow road, an end to God's wrath. 

Once a blind callous heart, dead and ruined; that flames await;

God's grace and mercy proclaims, enter in My kingdom, through the narrow gate.

No other name, no man inspired, no contrived  false illusion.                                        

All but idols of the cursed, hearts seared, condemned conclusion.

Jesus Christ,  Savior and Lord,  the Word in the beginning with and was God.

Beckons, renews and saves, opens cold, spiritually dead hearts.

God's Word proclaims Jesus came to save his people from their sins.

Born again, born from above; even before time begins.

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you, 

 not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Behold now is the accepted time, confess, repent, trust, obey.

In the only name under heaven that saves, Jesus  Christ;                                           

For there is No Other Way.

                                                                                        

The Human Condition Flawed /The Divine Cure God's Son

                                                        

The Human Condition is violently flawed. (all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.) Yet brilliantly arranged in divinely inspired fashion. Every sinew of musculature, every connecting ligament, every active  organ functioning, spoken out and brought to life. The Flesh and Bones of formulated dust. Pumping, fighting, removing, protecting, healing.                                             

                                                   
                                           

 A divinely inspired and spoken out entity. Seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing, tasting, contemplating, originating, with a mind conscious of its existence and aware of what is called life. Nevertheless humankind is fallen, disobedient, rebellious, and destined for the dust from which it was formed.    

                                                           

God himself subjected all of creation to futility for it was the price for not believing God. And succumbing to the LIE of satan that our representive  federal heads of the human race,  would be like God if they (Adam and Eve) disobeyed God.**  Yet the Creator, the One, True and Only God has provided a way and a Blessed Hope that delivers Fallen Humanity from the dire straits that plugs them into the grips of death. 

                           

                                                                                                                              

A Son was born a Child was given a redeemer to rescue his people from their sin. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and of his kingdom there shall be no end. As prophesied a virgin gave birth to a son through the power of the Holy Spirit. And thus was born into the world a Savior who is Christ the Lord.                                                           

                                     

                                                                 

 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. By grace through faith and not of ourselves, it is a gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast. For he saves not because of the righteous things we have done. For there is no one righteous, no not one, no one understands, no one seeks after God, all have turned away, they have together become worthless. There is no one who does good no not one.***                                                      

That's  the kind of good that God demands . For to us Jesus himself say's "you must be perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect." But because of His love, when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son born of a woman( a virgin conceived and bore a son) born under law. Not to destroy the law and the prophets but to fulfill them in himself. The Word who was in the beginning with God and was God that Word became flesh and dwelt among us.                                           

                                                    

For all of us must all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ. Will you stand before him in your own filthy rags of unrighteousness. Or be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ? Imputed to your account by faith in the only name under heaven by which anyone is saved, from the wrath of God that is coming.**** And to everlasting life in the presence of God and the glory of His power.      

                                                     

                                                                                     

The time is neigh, God will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has ordained. He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead. The  Blessed Hope, the Glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and the angels of God patiently wait for their descent to the Earth when Christ shall catch up his people to himself, defeat the enemies of God and create a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.

                                   

     

**Romans 5:12-15 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.  But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 

*** Romans 3:10-12  As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one; 

There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God. 
They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.” 
“Their throat is an open tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

“The poison of asps is under their lips”; 
“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 
“Their feet are swift to shed blood; 
Destruction and misery are in their ways; 
And the way of peace they have not known.” 

                              “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”                                                                                                                                                                                              ****2 Thess. 1:7-10  when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,  when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

The God of Scripture....The God of Love

                                         The God of Scripture.... A God of Love 

The God who saves, The God who Redeems....The God who changes a person from one who hates God, and is at enmity with God to One who loves God and is loved by God. God's love cares and fortifies us through His indwelling Spirit that abides in all God's people.                                                     

                                                   

                                                                                

You've heard it said, "God is Love." In fact that itself is in scripture...1John 4:8 (see 1 John 4:7-12) Who doesn't know John 3:16...."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." But let's look at John 3:17 as well where the Apostle pens, " For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."                                                                                                                                                               

                                                            

Jesus did not come to condemn but to live a perfect sinless life, something none of us, as human beings  can, would or could do. For all our righteous acts are as filthy rags. (Is.64:6)  Those rags being the rags used to absorb the issue of blood during a womans menstrual period. Referred to as an "unclean Thing." Seen as an abhorant thing to the Israelites."If a man sleeps with a woman during her menstrual period and has sexual contact with her, he has exposed the source of her blood flow and she has uncovered the same. Both of them will be cut off from their people." (Lev. 20:18)                                                                                                     

God's love is the epitome of His desire for each believer to exhibit in their lives. Something all of us fail exceedingly to accomplish in our existence. God loves the unloveable. God loves the rebellious. (not their rebellion)  God loves the sinner but sin still separates all people from a holy, righteous, perfect God. Jesus Himself made it very plain that no fallen human being will escape the weeping and gnashing of teeth that is the fiery furnace, the unquenchable fire, the eternal punishment that awaits those who do not believe and thus trust not in His Son. The only name under heaven by which anyone is saved. The Way, the Truth and the Life. For no one comes to the Father except though the Son of God, Jesus Christ, The Word that became flesh and lived a sinless life while He walked upon the earth. (John 14:6;Acts 4:12)   

                                                     

                                                                                                                                                     

But God desires all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) He does not delight in the death of the wicked. (Eze. 33:11)   He wants all of His people to come to a knowledge of the truth. For as the Holy Scriptures say: 

 “There is no one righteous, not even one;

   there is no one who understands;

    there is no one who seeks God.

    All have turned away,

    they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

    not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12)

We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. We are born that way. "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me".....said David in Psalm 51:5.               

Our federal heads of all the human race, our first parents Adam and Eve, believed the lie of the serpent, that devil of old known as satan. That if they partook of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would not die, as God had said, but they would be like God knowing good and evil. They did and the rest is history.      

                                                       

                                                                                                                

God subjected all creation to futility (vanity, ineffectiveness, failure) and death came into the world. For Adam and Eve desired to be like God. That grievous sin has been passed down to all their progeny from which all of us have descended. "Have it your way" Is the clarion call of humanity.  People don't want to be told that they may be in objection to the will of God. Most people it seems think they are bascially good.  

                                                       

                                                                                                                                    

Jesus said "you must be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect." Only one human being qualifies us to that state of righteousness. Jesus Christ, The Holy One of God; The Word who was in th beginning with God and was God.  The very Son of God.  By whom all things were createrd in heaven and earth. (Col. 1:15-18) For in and by ourselves we do not have the capacity to please a Holy and Righteous God with so called good works.  Because those works in and of themselves are likewise tainted with our sin. For there is no one who does good. No not one. And thus as the Apostle Paul proclaims in Romans chapter 5 verse 12 " "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned."  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" (Romans 5:8-9)                       

                                                 

                                                                                                                                   

Imagine that kind of love. Perfect; undefiled; without sin; acceptable; called; chosen; approved by God through Jesus Christ his Son.  And it was God that poured out His love on a lost and dying world. That he might save His people from their sin. And bestow upon them everlasting life, a citizenship in heaven. forgiven, redeemed, seen as perfect by grace through fasith and not of ourselves, but a gift of God not of works. (Eph. 2:8-10) For God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us. So that in Him we might become the righteous of God. (2 Cor 5:21)  

                                           

                                                                                     

That is the agape love exhibited, practiced and unheld by Jesus Christ of whom the Father said, "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him." This is the kind of love advocated by the Savior of the world. The one who came down from heaven, walked among the people, evangelized, healed the sick and raised the dead. Signs and wonders proved that he indeed was the Son Born, the Child given, the Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace and Mighy God that Isaiah the prophet spoke about over seven hundred years before His birth.   

                                                       

                                                                     

In the orginal text of the New Testament it is the Koine greek word "Agape". This is often considered the highest form of love, which embodies selflessness, sacrifice, and unconditional care for others.  This kind of love transcends mere feelings, emphasizing actions and commitment.                                      The orginial text of the New Testament has a number of words used to describe the varying degrees of Love. The other word used in scripture is Philia which describes brotherly or friendship love. The other two words for love Storge (familial or love of family) and Eros (romantic love or intense sexual desire for someone) are never used in the original texts of the New Testament.                                             

 

In the english language there is but only one word for love that can cover the  words used in the greek.  It can be used to say you love a certain food, or sport or activity. Yet can also mean you have feelings for a person or even a pet. Or it can enter into the realm of lust one wanting to become physically intimate with another individual.               

                                         

                                                            

 In John 3:16 and 1 John 4:10 The word the Apostle used for "love" is agape. It was God's unconditional love. A perfect love for a rebellious race  that wants to have it their own way. And we are told are "blinded" by the god of this age. There is a vail and hard heartedness that makes it impossible for us to believe God's truth. Yet God knows His own and sends His Holy Spirit to regenerate, renew and allow one to believe his truth. The vail is removed, spiritual glasses are applied (in a figurative sense) and one crosses over from spiritual death to life. From the darkness of this present evil age to the Way, Truth and Life that Messiah Jesus bestows on His closen people.                                                                           

We find that in Eze. 36:26-27 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of 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 keep My judgments and do them."                                     In Psalm 51:5 King David asks of the LORD "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."     

                                                                                                                 

And in Ephesians 2:8-10 Paul the Apostle writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:8-10)   

                                                 

                                                                                                                 

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.   

                                                                                                         

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)   We see God's love displayed for the world in His Father..."But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Gal 4:4-5)                                                                                

                                                

Jesus Christ proclaimed “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Matt. 5:17)                                                                                                           And the Holy Spirt guides us into all truth. He glorifies Messiah Jesus by declaring what is Christ's and declares it to you. (John 16:13-14)                                                                                                       

“Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:5-7)                                                                

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done,but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,” (Titus 3:5-6)                                                                                         

“He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Galatians 3:14)                             

As Peter proclaimed in 1  Peter 1:1-2 To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.  God's Love for the sinful, fallen, lost human race goes beyond what any of us can really imagine. 

"It's not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:10)                                                                                                                                                                                                      

No one loves the God of scripture. Why would I say such a thing?  Scripture, that's why. Romans chapter 8:5-7  says "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity (hatred) against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." 

                                            

So don't shove that love of God aside. If  you believe, trust and obey it's not because you loved God and there was something good in you that made you acceptable and deserving of His grace. But  because before the foundation of the world He chose to regenerate your heart, to bring you from the darkness of this present evil age. And give you the blessed Hope of everlasting life now and in the life to come with God in eternity.               

                                           

             

"Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” Know this. Your coming to Jesus Christ isn't because of anything you did or who you are. But it was God's choice, God's grace, God's mercy that you are a child of God. Washed, sanctified and justfied in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God... who so Loved the world.