The Cutting Edge Gospel: Faith December 7, 2013
Posted by Henry in The Cutting Edge Gospel.Tags: belief, Christ, faith, law, repentance, salvation
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So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17
In order to repent one must first have faith in the saving Grace of God through Jesus Christ. This faith however comes when the gospel is preached and the word of God is heard.
Faith by definition is, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1).”
Though we cannot physically see the end of our life we believe in Christ’s death and resurrection that at the end of life we too will be resurrected to be with Him in glory if we abide in Him.
It is important to understand that before faith came there was the Law which acted as a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ by the justification through faith (Gal 3:23-24). Does this mean that the Law is no longer important? Scripture tells us that without Law there is no sin so the purpose of the Law is to convict man of sin because sin was in the world before the Law came into being (Rom 5:13). The problem however is that one (except Christ) could keep the Law and as such no one could be justified by the Law (Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16). But thank our God that Jesus came to fulfill the Law so that the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us who walk by faith in Him.
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Rom 8)
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The Cutting Edge Gospel: Repentance March 13, 2013
Posted by Henry in The Cutting Edge Gospel.Tags: faith, gospel, Jesus Christ, repentance, righteousness, sin
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38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The gospel of repentance requires us to be remorseful or penitent of our past sins, turning to God and ask for His forgiveness and to seek to live a life of faith in Jesus Christ, recognizing that only His saving Grace can cleanse us from all our sins.
However, we can sometimes deceive ourselves that we do not need to repent of certain sins – these could be our “secret sins”. Sometimes we seek to justify the sins in our lives instead of repenting fully. Just to give a few examples: we want to follow Christ but at the same time we want to yield or succumb to the flesh to commit fornication and seek to justify it. We lust after the things of the flesh and of the eyes; covet our neighbors wife, husband, property secretly; tell little white lies and think it is ok; or refuse to forgive someone who did something to us in the past yet expecting God to forgive us our sins.
A call to repentance means that we must repent of ALL sins and stop deceiving ourselves.
The scriptures says:
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. (Gal 6:7)
Sin cannot enter heaven.
9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6)
The Cutting Edge Gospel: What is the Gospel? March 11, 2013
Posted by Henry in The Cutting Edge Gospel.Tags: faith, gospel, repentance, resurrection, salvation
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The Cutting Edge Gospel: What is the Gospel?
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 12:4)
What is the Gospel? The Gospel essentially is the good news of salvation first spoken of by the Old Testament prophets and which was delivered and fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel calls us to repent and to turn away from our sins so that in the fullness of time we will be saved from eternal damnation. In a world full of many voices and many messages even in the church, the Gospel can sometimes be hard to pin down precisely. However, Paul speaking to the Corinthian church summarizes the Gospel in the following verses of 1 Cor 15:
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Since Christ died was buried and resurrected we too can one day be resurrected to eternal life if we believe this Gospel message, repent of our sins and live a life of faith in Jesus Christ.
Spirit of Discernment 