SALVATION BY WHOSE WORK?

False religion would have us believe that Christ died for all men so the sinner must do something to make Christ’s sacrifice effectual for them. That doctrine is heresy that makes salvation depend at least in part upon the work of man. The holy scriptures make plain that none of man’s works ever contribute anything to salvation. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

Salvation is the work of God only. The salvation of a sinner is a work ordained by God the Father in eternity, worked out by God the Son when He came in the flesh, and applied by God the Holy Spirit in the new birth. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5)

Sinner, if you would be saved there is one thing you must do. You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But don’t confuse faith for a work of man. No man by nature can believe God. Faith is a gift God gives His people. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8)

There are five things found in all saved sinners and no man will be saved apart from them: faith, repentance, love, good works, and perseverance. A sinner’s salvation is not dependent on them doing these things. Doing these things is dependent upon God saving them. If these things are absent, God never did a work of grace in the first place!

Pastor Todd Nibert

PEACE WHICH PASSETH


“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7)

While the peace of God itself certainly is beyond our comprehension, this verse speaks of God’s peace excelling beyond our understanding in another sense. When we don’t understand our circumstances, when we don’t understand God’s providential workings in our lives, when we don’t understand our trials, when we don’t understand what to do, we have peace from God that is greater than our understanding.

It is better to have His peace, than to understand everything. We don’t need to understand, because knowing Him, we have peace that He doeth all things well. We have peace that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We have peace that He works all things together for our good. We have peace that in Christ, we are without blemish and without spot and are well pleasing unto God. This peace is more excellent than understanding. I don’t need to know what, why, how, when or where, if I know Who.

Pastor Chris Cunningham

How great is our God whose hand paints every flower and shapes every leaf; who forms every bud on every tree and every infant in the womb; who feeds each crawling worm with a parent’s care and every insect that sleeps in the bosom of a flower; who opens the golden gates of day and draws the dusky curtains of the night; who measures every drop of rain, the whirling flakes of snow and the sands of man’s earthly life; who determines alike the fall of the sparrow and the fate of a kingdom; who so overrules the tide of human fortune that, whatever befalls a man, come joy or sorrow, the believer readily declares, “It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good.”