CHRIST IS OUR ONLY HOPE

Scripture says that the wickedness of man is great and that every imagination of the thoughts of our heart is only evil continually. (Gen 6:5) Then, every way of salvation that man thinks up is wrong. The Lord said “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” (Matt. 15:19) Then there is no use for a person to give their heart to Jesus. There is nothing in our hearts that would please the Lord. Scripture says that “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:3) Then there cannot be any salvation in anything we try to do for God. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” (Rom. 3:20) There can’t be any hope of salvation in anything in or about man.

But scripture also says “Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.” (Psalm 130:7) There is hope of salvation for a sinner in God’s mercy. Scripture says “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3:24) There is hope of salvation for a sinner in God’s grace in Christ. There is no hope of salvation for a sinner in our ability, but there is in Christ. “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” (Heb. 7:25) The scriptures make is clear as the noonday sun that Christ is our only hope of salvation. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Now quit your works and come to Christ. He is the only hope you have.

Pastor

God’s Election

“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:” (2 Thess. 2:13)

Knowing something of the wickedness of my own heart; knowing that I would have never come to the Christ of the scripture on my own; knowing that I would have chosen destruction, and loved darkness more than the salvation and light of life with Christ. That makes God’s election to be the sweetest, kindest, most loving thing I have ever heard in my life.

Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

The Myth of Unconditional Love

Men love to talk about God’s “unconditional love”. God’s love for his children is eternal (Jer. 31:3), and it is immutable (Mal. 3:6), but it is not unconditional. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness Ps 11:7. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is IN Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:39). Christ Jesus the Lord is the condition by which God is able to love us. Because He is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, and because He is the same yesterday today and forever, we need never to fear the loss of God’s love. We are secure not because God’s love is unconditional, but because The Condition cannot change.

Pastor Greg Elmquist

The robe that God provided Adam was an effectual covering, BECAUSE He provided it. The robe that Adam provided for himself was ineffectual, because he provided it. Now Adam clothed with God’s coat was a safer person outside the fence of paradise than he had been inside. Why? For within, his dependence was upon himself, whereas outside his life dependence was on another, even the promised Saviour.