Repentance

Commands for those "saved by grace through faith" from Ephesians

Ephesians 2:11 Remember that we were formerly gentiles in the flesh
Ephesians 4:25 Speak truth to your neighbor
Ephesians 4:26 Be Angry, Do not sin in your anger, Don't let the sun go down on your anger
Ephesians 4:27 Don't Give the Devil an Opportunity
Ephesians 4:28 Thieves must stop stealing and must start working (changed behavior)
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let unwholesome words out of your mouth.
Ephesians 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:31 Put away bitterness, wrath and anger
Ephesians 4:32 Become kind to one another
Ephesians 5:1 Become like God
Ephesians 5:2 Walk in love
Ephesians 5:3 Immorality etc. must not be named among you.
Ephesians 5:5 You must know that [sinners] have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ.
Ephesians 5:6 Don't let anyone deceive you with empty words.
Ephesians 5:7 Don't be partakers with [the deceivers]
Ephesians 5:8 WALK as children of light!
Ephesians 5:11 Don't participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, rather expose them
Ephesians 5:14 [the OT quote is a command to WAKE]
Ephesians 5:15 Watch how you walk
Ephesians 5:17 don't become fools, understand the will of the Lord.
Ephesians 5:18 Don't be drunk... be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands LOVE your wives
Ephesians 5:33 Each husband must love his own wife! (very intriguing that this is repeated)
Ephesians 6:1 You children must obey your parents
Ephesians 6:2 O.T. quote:"Honor your father and mother"
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, don't provoke your children [to anger], but raise them in godliness
Ephesians 6:5 obey your masters
Ephesians 6:9 Masters do the same things! (see context)
Ephesians 6:10 Be strong in the strength of the Lord
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God
Ephesians 6:13 Take up the full armor of God
Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm
Ephesians 6:17 Receive the helmet of salvation

From Truth is Still Truth blog

How Are You Doing Today?

If you can't say for sure 'I know I'm saved by grace' or you are not obeying the above commands, try reading Ephesians today.

John Piper - What does it mean to get saved?

Quoteworthy from Adrian Rodgers

"Salvation is not a reward for the righteous; it's a gift for the guilty."

God's Patience Abused

Presume not upon God’s patience. The exercise of it is not eternal; you are at present under His patience, yet while you are unconverted you are also under His anger: (Ps 7:11) “God is angry with the wicked every day.” You know not how soon His anger may turn His patience aside, and step before it. It may be His sword is drawn out of the scabbard, His arrows may be settled in His bow, and perhaps there is but a little time before you may feel the edge of the one or the point of the other, and then there will be no more time for patience in God to us, or petition from us to Him. If we die without repentance, He will have no longer mercy to pardon, nor patience to bear.

Sinner, won’t you come to the Saviour? Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Who knows when your soul will be required of you. The Lord is calling to all the earth, “come now, and let us reason together. . .though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool.” Do you not have strength? He tells you that you are to take hold of his strength. “Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.” The call goes forth “turn ye turn ye for why will ye die?” Call upon the name of the Lord and thou shalt be saved.

~ Stephen Charnock

The Ultimate Test - Can You Pass?

Try the ultimate test…

Do you consider yourself to be a good person? Most people do. However, most of us differ on the definition of “good.” The Bible says that God is good, and the Ten Commandments are His standard of goodness. So, we will look at God’s Law. With a tender conscience, ask yourself if you have obeyed the following:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
   (Have you always loved God above all else?)

2. You shall not make yourself an idol.
   (Have you made a god in your mind that you’re more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)

3. You shall not take God’s name in vain.
   (Have you ever used God’s holy Name as a cuss word?)

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and mother.

6. You shall not murder.
   (God considers hatred to be as murder.)

7. You shall not commit adultery.
   (“Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” — Matthew 5:27-28; this also includes sex before marriage).

8. You shall not steal.
   (Have you ever stolen anything? — the value of the item is irrelevant.)

9. You shall not lie.
   (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions.)

10. You shall not covet.
    (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)

The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. He will even judge our words and thoughts. On Judgment Day, will you be found to be guilty or innocent of breaking His commandments?

Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice.

Have you kept the Commandments?

The Bible says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)? Will you make it to Heaven?

You may say that you are still good, but God says you’re not (see Psalm 14:2-3). So one of you is lying, and the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible for God to lie.

Remember that all liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). God’s Law demands justice, and the penalty for sinning against Him is death and Hell. Listen carefully, if you want to live.

God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Law. God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life!

But you may still think that you can (from now on) keep the Ten Commandments. But isn’t it true that the best of us have lied, stolen, lusted, hated, failed to love God above all else, and failed to love our neighbor as ourselves?

How can we then, live a “good” life if we have already sinned against God? At best we are reformed liars and thieves … but still Lawbreakers.

Think of it this way…

Would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? Would you sell both for $50 million? I’m sure you wouldn’t. Your eyes are priceless, yet they are merely the windows of your soul. What then must your life (soul) be worth?

With these thoughts in mind, what would be a fair price to pay for everlasting life? It is utterly without price. Yet, if we trust in our own goodness to enter Heaven, we are saying to God, “I should enter Heaven because I have done good - I have earned my way in.”

Imagine if you wanted to give me a brand new (very expensive) car, but I said, “I can’t take it! I feel embarrassed receiving such a gift … here’s 10 cents for it.” I’m sure you would be very insulted by such a pathetic offer of payment. Besides, if I pay for it, it is no longer a gift, it’s a purchase … it’s mine by right.

When we talk of entering Heaven by being good, by trying to keep the Ten Commandments, etc., we are tossing God 10 cents of “self-righteousness,” which is a terrible insult to Him, in the light of His sacrifice. The only thing we can do is humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and receive the gift by trusting Jesus Christ alone.

Almighty God demonstrated how much He loves you when Jesus suffered for you on the cross. If you want to trust in your own goodness, then you are saying His agonizing death on the cross was in vain.

The Bible says, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” You cannot earn a gift.

When Jesus said to “believe” on Him, He was saying we should have faith in Him, in the same way you would trust a parachute to save you when you jump from a plane. You don’t merely believe in the parachute - you put it on.

Please don’t “jump” without Jesus. If you die in your sins there is no second chance. God will give you justice, and you will end up in Hell forever. Any troubles you have at present are dwarfed by the trouble you are in with your Creator. His wrath abides upon you (John 3:36).

God doesn’t want you to go to Hell. Neither do you want to go there, so confess your sins to God right now, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life.

Then read the Bible daily and obey what you read. (See John 14:21). Your obedience to God is the proof of your love. Have faith in God, He will never fail you.

Say something like this to God:

“Dear God, today I turn away from all of my sins (name them). This day I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He is the only way for me to be saved. He is ‘The way, the truth, and the life.’ Please forgive me, change my heart, and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Author: Ray Comfort. Text copyright, 2003, Living Waters Publications. The text above is available as a tract booklet from Living Waters Publications.

Open Their Eyes: Doing What Only God Can Do - John Piper

John Piper describes how the world views our evangelistic efforts and how God has marvelously transformed our lives by His grace of salvation. Has this happened to you?

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." - Eph 2:1-10