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От Иоанна 3:16-17
Russian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV-RU)
16 Потому что Бог так возлюбил мир, что отдал своего единственного Сына ради того, чтобы каждый, кто поверит в Него, не погиб, но имел вечную жизнь. 17 Не для того послал Бог Сына в мир, чтобы осудить мир, а для того, чтобы спасти мир через Него.

От Иоанна 3
Russian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV-RU)
Иисус и Никодим

3 Среди фарисеев был человек по имени Никодим, один из иудейских предводителей. 2 Однажды вечером Никодим пришёл к Иисусу и сказал: «Равви, мы знаем, что Ты — Учитель, посланный нам Богом, потому что никто не был бы в состоянии совершать знамения, которые Ты творишь, если бы Бог не помогал Ему».

3 Иисус ответил: «Истинно тебе говорю, что только тот, кто снова родился, может увидеть Царство Божье».

4 Никодим сказал Ему: «Как может старый человек родиться снова? Ведь не может же он возвратиться в материнскую утробу и родиться во второй раз?»

5 Иисус ответил: «Истинно тебе говорю, что тот, кто не родится от воды и Духа, не сможет попасть в Царство Божье. 6 Рождённое от плоти есть плоть, а рождённое от Духа — дух. 7 Не удивляйся, что Я сказал тебе: „Вы должны родиться снова”. 8 Ветер дует, куда ему угодно. Ты слышишь шум его, но не знаешь, откуда и куда он дует. Так и с тем, кто родился от Духа».

9 «Как же это возможно?» — спросил Никодим.

10 Иисус ответил: «Ты же наставник израильтян и не знаешь этого? 11 Истинно тебе говорю, что мы свидетельствуем лишь о том, что знаем, и о том, что сами видели, но вы не принимаете свидетельства нашего. 12 Я рассказывал вам о земном, и вы не верите. Как же вы сможете поверить, если Я расскажу вам о Небесном? 13 Никто не восходил на Небо, кроме того, кто спустился с Неба — Сына Человеческого.

14 Моисей поднял на шест змею в пустыне. [a] Так и Сын Человеческий должен быть поднят, 15 чтобы все, кто поверит в Него, имели вечную жизнь».

16 Потому что Бог так возлюбил мир, что отдал своего единственного Сына ради того, чтобы каждый, кто поверит в Него, не погиб, но имел вечную жизнь. 17 Не для того послал Бог Сына в мир, чтобы осудить мир, а для того, чтобы спасти мир через Него. 18 Тот, кто поверит в Сына, не будет осуждён, а кто не верит, уже осуждён, потому что не поверил в единственного Сына Божьего. 19 Вот почему они осуждены: Свет [b] воссиял в этом мире, но люди предпочли тьму Свету, так как дела их злы. 20 Каждый, кто делает злые дела, ненавидит Свет и избегает его, чтобы низость его поступков не вышла наружу. 21 Тот же, кто поступает по правде, выходит к Свету, чтобы видно было, что его дела сделаны в согласии с волей Божьей.

Иисус и Иоанн Креститель

22 После этого Иисус отправился со Своими учениками в землю Иудейскую. Он оставался там некоторое время и крестил народ. 23 В то же самое время Иоанн крестил людей в Еноне, что неподалёку от Салима, потому что там было много воды. Люди приходили к Нему и крестились. 24 В то время Иоанна ещё не заключили в темницу.

25 Некоторые из учеников Иоанна Крестителя, затеяв спор с одним иудеем об очистительном омовении [c], 26 пришли к Иоанну и сказали: «Учитель, Тот, Кто был с тобой по ту сторону Иордана и о Ком ты свидетельствовал людям, Он также крестит людей, и все идут к Нему».

27 Иоанн ответил: «Человек может иметь только то, что дал ему Бог. 28 Вы сами были свидетелями того, что я сказал: „Я — не Христос, я всего лишь впереди идущий, посланный Богом”. 29 Жених тот, кому принадлежит невеста, а друг жениха стоит, прислушивается и наполняется радостью, услышав голос его. Так и радость моя сейчас полная. 30 Ему надо возрастать, мне же становиться всё меньше».

Пришедший свыше

31 «Тот, Кто явился свыше — величайший из всех. Тот же, кто от земли, принадлежит земле и говорит о земном. Тот, Кто сошёл с Неба — величайший из всех. 32 Он свидетельствует о том, что видел и слышал, но люди не принимают Его свидетельства. 33 Тот, кто принял Его свидетельство, тем самым подтвердил, что Бог истинен. 34 Тот, кто послан Богом, говорит слова Его, потому что Господь даёт ему Духа беспредельно. 35 Отец любит Сына и наделил Его властью над всем. 36 Тот, кто верит в Сына, имеет вечную жизнь, тот же, кто не повинуется Сыну, никогда не увидит этой жизни, и гнев Божий будет на нём».

Footnotes:

От Иоанна 3:14 Моисей … пустыне Во время скитаний в пустыне, когда многие из народа израильского погибали от укусов змей, Бог повелел Моисею укрепить на шесте бронзовое изображение змеи, при взгляде на которое ужаленные исцелялись. См.: Чис. 21:4-9.
От Иоанна 3:19 Свет То есть Иисус Христос, Который принёс миру истинное понимание Господа.
От Иоанна 3:25 очистительном омовении Согласно Закону, Иудеи обязаны пройти особый обряд омовения, прежде чем принять пищу, поклоняться в храме и т. д.

The phrase “unequally yoked” comes from 2 Corinthians 6:14 in the King James Version: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” The New American Standard Version is a little more forthright: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

A yoke is a wooden bar that joins two oxen to each other and to the burden they pull. An “unequally yoked” team has one stronger ox and one weaker, or one taller and one shorter. The weaker or shorter ox would walk slower than the taller, stronger one, causing the load to go around in circles. When oxen are unequally yoked, they cannot perform the task set before them. Instead of working together, they are at odds with one another.

Paul’s admonition in 2 Corinthians 6:14 is part of a larger discourse to the church at Corinth on the Christian life. He discouraged them from being in an unequal partnership with unbelievers because believers and unbelievers are opposites, just as light and darkness are opposites. They simply have nothing in common, just as Christ has nothing in common with “Belial,” a Hebrew word meaning worthlessness (v. 15). Here Paul uses it to refer to Satan. The idea is that the pagan, wicked, unbelieving world, is governed by the principles of Satan, and that Christians should be separate from that wicked world, just as Christ was separate from all the methods, purposes, and plans of Satan. He had no participation in them, He formed no union with them, and so it should be with the followers of the one in relation to the followers of the other. Attempting to live a Christian life with a non-Christian for our close friend and ally will only cause us go around in circles.

The “unequal yoke” is often applied to business relationships. For a Christian to enter into a partnership with an unbeliever is to court disaster. They have opposite worldviews and morals, and business decisions that must be made daily will reflect one or the other. For the relationship to work, one or the other must abandon his moral center and move toward that of the other. More often than not, it is the believer who finds himself pressured to leave his Christian principles behind for the sake of profit and the growth of the business.

Of course, the closest alliance one person can have with another is found in marriage, and this is how the passage is usually interpreted. God’s plan is for a man and a woman to become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24), a relationship so intimate that one literally and figuratively becomes part of the other. Uniting a believer with an unbeliever is essentially uniting opposites, which makes for a very difficult relationship.

Act 16:30 -31 Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ……“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved..”

To begin with It’s not just believing and trembling like satan, James 2:19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Nor is it just believing that Jesus was a teacher come from God. That’s not enough to save you! John3:2. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

So how are you born again, saved and how do you escape hell and enter heaven.

Believe!! Believe what?

*Believe that you’re a sinner, believe you’re in a desperate situation, you’re desperately alienated from God and must truly repent and turn from your sin.

*Believe that you have no hope of reconciliation and you will in this life live godlessly and in the next life you will suffer eternal torment.

*Believe that you are “condemned already” and need a pardon.

* Believe  that God sent His Son into the world in the form of a man to die as your substitute.

* Believe that Jesus took your place and that He took the full fury of the wrath of God upon Himself and He is waiting to pardon you.

*Believe that the affirmation that God’s justice was satisfied by the fact that God raised Jesus…from the dead. And when God raised Him from the dead He was saying, “I am satisfied.” And then God exalted Jesus to His right hand where He sits at the right hand of God on the throne and God says when that was done, when He offered Himself and satisfied My justice, I gave Him…Philippians 2…a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee in the universe must bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus is Lord. Romans 10:9 That’s what you believe. That’s the gospel.

And when you believe that by faith, simply believing that, God in His mercy takes the righteousness of Jesus Christ and credits it to you because your sins were credited to Christ when He died on the cross. The Father knew you were there when the Son died. Your name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world and the atonement that Christ made was for you. And you come to believe and you receive the credited righteousness. And then you live in this life with God in your life and in eternity in the presence of God in absolute perfection.

That’s the gospel. That’s Christianity. That’s it. 2 Cor 5:21 For he (GOD) hath made him (JESUS) to be sin for (US) who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The BENEFACTOR – is GOD – it’s all His plan, it comes out of His love.

The SUBSTITUTE – is JESUS CHRIST, who took your place, the perfect God/Man. He knew no sin, but was declared sinful with your sin.

The BENEFICIARIES – all of us for whom Christ died, those who will believe.

AND THE BENEFIT – you receive the righteousness of God credited to you as if you were equal to Jesus Christ in holiness. You are declared holy, and some day you when you receive a glorified body, will be made holy. But until then you’re covered with the righteousness of God in Christ. And it becomes yours through faith.  Believe, repent, put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Are we all infected with the SIN virus?

This weeks verse is 2 Corinthians 5:21 –  It reads “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

The Bible makes it clear, first of all, that all people are sinners by nature and by choice. In fact, all people are sinners from birth. And thus all people are born alienated from God who is holy. He cannot look upon sin, nor can he fellowship with sinners. That alienation because of sin prevents us from knowing God. He is too perfectly holy to have anything to do with sinners, except to reject them.

Now that kind of reality proves that the most deadly virus in the world is not the HIV virus, it is the SIN virus. Like the HIV virus, it kills everyone it infects, only unlike the HIV virus it infects everyone. It kills not just in time but in eternity, it kills not just physically but spiritually. There is no cure for the HIV virus, but thankfully there is a cure for the SIN virus. In fact, God has made it possible for sinners to be cured so thoroughly and completely that they can be reconciled to God and have eternal fellowship in His presence.

And that is the good news, that is what Christianity preaches, that’s the gospel. There is a cure for the SIN virus so that the hostility between people and God can end now and forever and sinners can be reconciled to holy God. In fact, if you look back at verses 18, 19 and 20 you see several times the word “reconciled” in one form or another. Verse 18 says, “God who reconciled us to Himself.” Verse 19, “That God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” And at the end of verse 20 we call on sinners to be reconciled to God.

This is the good news that you don’t have to live godlessly in time, and you don’t have to live godlessly in eternity. You don’t need to suffer through this life without God and to suffer eternal torment without God in the life to come. Reconciliation is possible.

Now as we analyze this verse together I want to consider three aspects:

* the benefactor,

* the substitute,,

* the beneficiaries and benefits.

That really sums up how God can reconcile sinners.

Who is the benefactor. The verse begins, “He made…” Now if you’re a Bible student the first question you’re going to ask is to whom does “He” refer? The answer comes quickly, look one word back at the end of verse 20…God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. The point is it’s God’s plan, He’s the benefactor. God is behind the whole reconciliation plan. He designed it. He worked it out. It is His plan.

There could be no reconciliation unless God initiated it. There could be no reconciliation unless God activated it. There could be no reconciliation unless God applied it. He had to design it and He has to execute it. It cannot come from any human source. Nothing man could do,  could produce reconciliation with God. It isn’t anything we do or don’t do. In fact all of our efforts in the religious realm amount to filthy rags, the Bible says.

The world is literally filled with religion and all of that religion apart from Christianity is man producing a plan with the aid of Satan in which he can initiate reconciliation with God. That is the fatal flaw of all world religions no matter what name they come under.

Who is the substitute? He made Him who knew no sin.” That’s the identification of the substitute. Who is it? Him who knew no sin. That narrows the field to one. It’s not a human being for there is none of them who is righteous, no not one. They’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. There’s no human being who qualifies.

Who is the one who can bear the full wrath of God against sin for somebody else because He doesn’t have to bear it for Himself? No sinful person could be a substitute, no sinner could die for another sinner because he would have to pay the penalty for his own sin. There had to be a sinless offering. And it had to be a human being because it had to be man who dies for man, but he couldn’t be a sinful human being or he would have to die for his own sin and couldn’t provide atonement for somebody else’s. So it had to be a sinless man.

Well the only way to have a sinless man was to have a man who was God because God alone is sinless. So if you’re going to have a sinless man you have to have a man who is God. And that’s exactly what God designed…that the second member of the trinity, sinless and perfect, equally holy with the other two members of the trinity would come into the world in the form of a man. He was not to have a human father, Joseph was not the father of Jesus and Joseph knew it. The angel told Joseph, “That which was conceived in her was of the Holy Spirit.” So that Jesus had a human mother that He might be a human, but God was His Father so that He was the God/Man, the sinless human being.

The beneficiaries are all of us for whom Christ died and who will believe and receive the benefits. And what did He provide us? “In order that,” we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” There’s that imputation. What is the benefit? We become righteous before God. This is what justification does. And the righteousness that we are given is the very righteousness of Christ. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:9, “We are now found in Christ not having a righteousness of my own,” he says. Not some righteousness derived from keeping the law but a righteousness through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God. It’s imputed to us. He’s holy. God imputed sin to Christ and imputed righteousness to us sinners. We’re sinful, God imputes holiness to us.

By. Way of summary,

The benefactor is God, it’s all His plan, it comes out of His love.

The substitute is Jesus Christ who took your place, the perfect God/Man.

The beneficiaries, all of those who will believe.

And the benefit, you receive the righteousness of God imputed to you as if you were equal to Jesus Christ in holiness.

And some day you will be made holy. But until then you’re covered with the righteousness of God in Christ. You can do nothing except ask and it becomes yours through faith, believe, repent, and put your faith in Jesus Christ.

I am confident that a number of those who would describe themselves as “reformed”  are born again believers. However, there are some dangerous  unbiblical doctrines within the Presbyterian church. I would like to address two big issues: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

These are described as sacraments.  To begin with, the teaching of “sacraments” is NOT found in the Bible. A search of the Word of God will not find any mention of the word “sacrament.” Jesus never instituted any sacraments. A sacrament is defined as “A formal religious act conferring a specific grace on those who receive it.” In simpler words, you get something by doing it. The Word of God does NOT teach this. The Presbyterians in their small catechism define a sacrament as…

Q92: What is a sacrament?
A92: A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

That words “sealed” and “applied” are very dangerous words. The moment that a lost sinner acknowledges his sinful condition and turns to Christ for forgiveness, he is regenerated Ephesians 4:30 declares that it is God’s Holy Spirit that “seals” the believer, NOT baptism, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Baptism DOESN’T “apply” anything.

We should be extremely alarmed when the Presbyterians (or anyone) teaches that Christ is applied by baptism. Just as the Lutherans, Presbyterians speak double-talk. Presbyterians are teaching heresy when they teach that baptism and the Lord’s supper are sacraments by which grace is imparted to the believer. It is very important for anyone reading this article to realize that there are NO mystical or magical powers in baptism or the Lord’s supper.

The Constitution of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Chapter 27 – “Of The Sacraments,”

TESTIMONY 3: “We reject the view that sacraments are mere symbols and not means of grace.”

That is erroneous and unbiblical

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are Only Symbolic

Jesus clearly said in Luke 22:19 concerning the Lord’s supper, “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” Thus, the Lord’s Supper is simply an ordinance (a command) for believers to REMEMBER His work of atonement. Remembering is NOT a means of grace.

Likewise, baptism is only symbolic of the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. Romans 6:4 reads, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Notice the word “like.” In baptism, the believer identifies with Christ. Just as Christ died, was buried, and rose again, so should we crucify the old man unto life anew. Jesus was baptized to identify Himself with a rejected people, whereas the believer is baptized to identify with a rejected Christ.

The Word of God does NOT teach sacraments. There is no mention of being sealed or having anything applied to us by baptism. Baptism will get you wet my friend, that’s all.

Baptism and Repentance

There is a great misunderstanding about “repentance.” Such verses as Mark 1:4 confuse many people because they do not take into account the rest of the Bible. Mark 1:4 reads, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” By itself, this verse seems like It is teaching baptismal regeneration, but it certainly is NOT. This verse is referenced in Acts 11:16, “Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” And a few verses later in Acts 11:21 we read, “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.”

This is Biblical repentance…turning to the Lord. Please note that NO mention of baptism is found in Acts 11 other than the one reference to John the Baptist in verse 16. Clearly, baptism was not required for their salvation in Acts 16, just as it has never been required. John preached the same gospel of Jesus Christ as we preached today, salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Presbyterians are correct in their church constitution to admit that Baptism is NOT necessary to become a Christian. The Bible often mentions faith without baptism, but never mentions baptism without faith. Faith is all that God requires to be saved. Unfortunately, Presbyterians are wrong in their understanding of baptism…

The Constitution of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Chapter 27 – “Of Baptism,”

CONFESSION 1: “Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church; but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ.  Although reformed theology teaches this, it is an unbiblical concept.

The Lord’s Supper is not a sacrament!

According to the Larger Catechism, as Received by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church…

Q168: What is the Lord’s Supper?
A168: The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness, and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.

To their “spiritual nourishment and growth?” Show me that in the Bible. When Jesus said “…Take, eat; this is my body” in Matthew 26:26, He wasn’t literally saying that the disciples were eating Jesus. This is obvious from Scriptures such as 1st Peter 2:7, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” It is the Word of God that nourishes us to grow in grace, NOT the Lord’s supper. The Bible never mentions anything about the Lord’s supper and growing in grace. It is dangerous to add to the Scriptures what it does NOT say.

OSTEEN: “I DON’T KNOW” by Clint Archer

Bestselling author Joel Osteen is the preaching pastor of the biggest church in America. There are regularly 30,000 attendees who pitch up to hear his sermons. This is quite a responsibility. Especially considering Hebrews 13:17 warns that pastors will give an account for each soul in their flock.

And I’m not even referring to the zillions who plug into the televised programming, nor the touring success of sold-out stadiums that hold 60,000 fans (at $10 a ticket).

But when he was interviewed on the Larry King Live show, the result of being ill-prepared for ministry was painfully obvious. I feel for him as Larry grills him on this sensitive topic.

KING: Where were you ordained?

OSTEEN: I was ordained from the church there, Lakewood, under my dad’s ministry.

KING: So you didn’t go to seminary?

OSTEEN: No, sir, I didn’t.

KING: They can just make you a minister?

OSTEEN: You can, you can.

KING: That’s kind of an easy way in.

… [then Larry turned up the heat; I italicized the repeated phrase that makes my point] …

KING: …we’ve had ministers on who said, your record don’t count. You either believe in Christ or you don’t. If you believe in Christ, you are, you are going to heaven. And if you don’t no matter what you’ve done in your life, you ain’t.

OSTEEN: Yeah, I don’t know. There’s probably a balance between. I believe you have to know Christ. But I think that if you know Christ, if you’re a believer in God, you’re going to have some good works. I think it’s a cop-out to say I’m a Christian but I don’t ever do anything …

KING: What if you’re Jewish or Muslim, you don’t accept Christ at all?

OSTEEN: You know, I’m very careful about saying who would and wouldn’t go to heaven. I don’t know …

KING: If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They’re wrong, aren’t they?

OSTEEN: Well, I don’t know if I believe they’re wrong. I believe here’s what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe. But I just think that only God will judge a person’s heart. I spent a lot of time in India with my father. I don’t know all about their religion. But I know they love God. And I don’t know. I’ve seen their sincerity. So I don’t know. I know for me, and what the Bible teaches, I want to have a relationship with Jesus.

[…Then Larry pounces on the fact that Osteen is known as a prosperity preacher…]

KING: What is the prosperity gospel?

OSTEEN: I think the prosperity gospel in general is—well I don’t know. I hear it too. I don’t know. I think what sometimes you see is it’s just all about money. That’s not what I believe. It’s the attitude of your heart, and so you know, we believe—but I do believe this, that God wants us to be blessed. He wants us to be able to send our kids to college, excel in our careers. But prosperity to me, Larry, is not just money, it’s having health. What good is money if you don’t have health?

[…Then Larry asks about the tragedy of 9/11 terrorist attacks…]

KING: But don’t you want to know, why would an omnipotent—assuming he is omnipotent—God permit that?

OSTEEN: I don’t know, Larry. I don’t know it all.

KING: A deformed baby had nothing to do with free will.

OSTEEN: Exactly. I don’t claim to know it all. I just think that trusting God means we’re going to have unanswered questions and God is so much bigger than us we’re never going to understand them all. And I tell people that have lost a child or that have gone through some kind of tragedy, you’ve got to have a file in your mind called an I don’t understand it file. And you’ve got to put it in there and not try to figure it out and not let it ruin the rest of your life and not get bitter. And that’s what we see so many people do.

[…then a caller phones and asks …]

CALLER: …Do you know why it’s not God’s will that everyone is healed of cancer?

OSTEEN: You know, I can’t answer that. I think it’s a good question.

[…then another caller…]

CALLER: … I’m wondering, though, why you side-stepped Larry’s earlier question about how we get to heaven? The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the father is through him. That’s not really a message of condemnation but of truth.

OSTEEN: Yes, I would agree with her. I believe that.

KING: So then a Jew is not going to heaven?

OSTEEN: No. Here’s my thing, Larry, is I can’t judge somebody’s heart. You know? Only God can look at somebody’s heart, and so—I don’t know. To me, it’s not my business to say, you know, this one is or this one isn’t. I just say, here’s what the Bible teaches and I’m going to put my faith in Christ. And I just I think it’s wrong when you go around saying, you’re saying you’re not going, you’re not going, you’re not going, because it’s not exactly my way. I’m just…

KING: But you believe your way.

OSTEEN: I believe my way. I believe my way with all my heart.

KING: But for someone who doesn’t share it is wrong, isn’t he?

OSTEEN: Well, yes. Well, I don’t know if I look at it like that. I would present my way, but I’m just going to let God be the judge of that. I don’t know. I don’t know.

Ok, so Pastor Osteen doesn’t know who goes to heaven, he doesn’t know why Muslims/Hindus/Jews are wrong, He doesn’t know what the prosperity gospel is, he doesn’t know why God permits suffering, or why God doesn’t heal everyone. These are pretty important topics for the pastor of America’s biggest church.

It would seem that a few years of seminary could have helped prepare him for the ministry of preaching God’s word and pastoring God’s flock. The “success” of Osteens ministry goes to show that oratory, charm, and dare I say good looks, can draw a crowd. But what is the content that the crowd is imbibing when their host isn’t quite sure of the gospel?

I often think of the parable of the CEO – Business Owner who had to leave town on urgent business. He did not have time to meet with his key leadership or any of the employees in his company before leaving, so on his flight out of the country, he wrote a lengthy letter.  He informed them that he would be gone for some time, and while he was gone, they were to accomplish a number of things. He was gone for six months.

Without notice, the CEO returned. He pulled into the company parking lot and immediately noticed the weeds growing next to the building. He had left instructions on the landscaping that he wanted done while he was away.

As he entered the reception area, he immediately noticed the dust that had collected on the furniture. The receptionist quickly put away her nail file, sat up and said, “Good morning, sir.”

He walked past the receptionist, into the warehouse where some of his staff had put up a Ping-Pong table. The equipment was silent and his staff was involved in what seemed to be a party.

They stopped when they saw him and came over to him.

He stammered out, “There were things I wanted accomplished, but the equipment is silent, the weeds are growing outside, and the staff is playing instead of working the phones. Didn’t you get my letter?”

“Oh, that! You bet we got it! We made photocopies for every employee and we all took an entire day off just to read it. Man, what a letter! It was great! In fact, we’ve created smaller groups of employees who meet weekly to discuss the letter.  Some of our employees have even memorized parts of the letter. It is so good!”

Then, everyone fell quiet under the gaze of the CEO. He asked, “Did you do what I told you to do in the letter?”  “Oh, no sir.  You see, sir, we’re still studying the letter.”

Submitted by Pastor Bruce Daughtery, Woodland Park Baptist Church.

Forgiveness, justification and sanctification are three distinct blessings that the believer is blessed with at the moment of trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour (Ephesians 1v3). The act of accepting Christ as Saviour is one act, yet it results in many specific benefits including these three.

Forgiveness for the judgment of our sins is one event with a permanent effect, but forgiveness for sins that interrupt our fellowship with the Father is a continuous process (1 John 1v9). While justification is one event with a permanent effect, sanctification is both one event with a permanent effect and a process. We will consider only justification and sanctification.

JUSTIFICATION

Meaning

The Biblical meaning of the believer’s justification is not the same as it generally means today. Today justification means to find the falsely accused person innocent. However in the New Testament it means something better. Romans 4 verse 2-3 says “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Therefore “justification” means to be “counted {or reckoned} righteous” before God. So God makes the guilty righteous in His sight at the point of faith in Christ.

The sinner’s Answer

Who personally qualifies to be justified?  Romans 3v19 says “Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” So every individual of all generations and all nationalities in the whole human race is guilty before God’s justice, stands condemned in His sight and is subject to His divine wrath on sin.

However God found the answer by sending His only begotten Son to the cross so that He might bear our sins (1 Peter 2v24) and His blood be shed (John 19v34) as the basis of justification. See Romans 5v9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Faith is the means of Justification

So how can a sinner receive the righteousness of God (Romans 3v22). Romans 3 verse 28 says, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”  Romans 5 verse 1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Consequently by faith in Christ a sinner receives justification as Romans 5v17 says “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” So on the basis of Christ’s obedience, death and resurrection God can justly justify believing sinners. Belief means total reliance on. Also the Greek word “logizomai,” meaning ‘to put to one’s account,’ appears eleven times in Romans chapter 4, but it is translated by three different words – ‘count, reckon, and impute’. So God takes His righteousness and credits it to the believing sinner and declares him righteous.

The Present and Future Condition

The believer has been declared righteous. Romans 8v1 says “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, …” shows that this is a once-and-for-all declaration which saves him from the sins of the past, and secures his spiritual future. But as believers continue to sin, but to a lesser extent, after they are justified how can they still be righteous in God’s sight? 1 Corinthians was written to an assembly/church when they were in a low spiritual state but 6v11 says “And 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.” This is positional truth (or our standing in Christ or our relationship to Christ), and is what the Godhead makes the believer based entirely on faith in Christ alone. The believer’s sins do not affect the believer’s position, standing or place, in this case of justification, before God because it is based upon Christ alone. But the believer’s sins do mar the believer’s practise (or state before God or his fellowship with the Father) and produce a feeling of guilt and separation from God. The believer needs then to confess their sins and God the Father will forgive them and restore their fellowship. 1 John chapter 1 verse 9 declares, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’.

SANCTIFICATION

Although sanctification is found in both the Old and New Testaments, our consideration below is how it applies to the believer in Christ. This is in four stages:

2 Thessalonians 2v13 “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.” God chose us in His sovereignty and the Holy Spirit, as the Divine Agent, sanctified and separated us to believe the truth. It is a Divine act that precedes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s own Saviour. See also 1 Peter c1v2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” which in that verseincludes the activities of the Triune God

2. Positional Sanctification

So whenever a person is born again, he is positionally sanctified because of faith in Christ alone. So all believers came into the state of separation to God from the world when they are born of God. The practical truth, or our daily state, is the working out of such truth. 1 Corinthians 1v30 says, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made (i.e. becomes, is made the source or basis of) unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” This is a once-for-ever eternal separation unto God is part of our salvation.

This is the present practical setting apart of the believer to God from the world, sin and self. It is a process by which he becomes more Christlike. This is the sanctification that Paul prays for the Thessalonians and isfound in

So sanctification is brought about by the Holy Spirit when we are obedient to the Word of God. Such practical sanctification is a process that should continue as long as the believer is on earth. He will never achieve perfection or sinlessness on earth (see Galatians 5v17), but he should ever be pursuing that goal.

When the believer goes to be with the Lord, he will be morally and physically (Philippians 3v21) like the Lord. This glorified state will be our ultimate separation from sin and total sanctification to God in every respect.

So justification and sanctification are different Biblical teachings.

The Council of Trent, held in the 16th century, was Rome’s response to the Reformation, and pronouncedanathema on anyone who says “that the [sinner] is justified by faith alone–if this means that nothing else is required by way of cooperation in the acquisition of the grace of justification.” They said in the “Decree Concerning Justification,” Chapter 7, “… Justification itself, which is not only a remission of sins but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man through the voluntary reception of the grace and gifts whereby an unjust man becomes just and from being an enemy becomes a friend, that he may be an heir according to hope of life everlasting.” The Roman Catholic church, and probably others, confusesjustification with sanctification and even links it with good works. It was not until the Reformation that its true meaning of the great truth of “Justification by Faith alone” began to emerge and with its blessed effect.

What are the Implications?

If sanctification is included in justification, then the justification is a good works process and not an event. That makes justification progressive and not complete. Our standing before God is then based on subjective experience and not secured by God’s happy and objective declaration based on His perfect Son. Justification can therefore be experienced and then be lost. Assurance of salvation in this life becomes practically impossible because security can’t be guaranteed as it depends on us. Then the ground of justification is, ultimately, the sinner’s own continuing good works, not Christ’s perfect righteousness and His sacrificialwork on the cross.

What’s so important about the doctrine of justification by faith alone? It is the teaching upon which the confessing individual stands or falls with its implications for the church. Without justification there is no glorification – nothing but judgment for our sins. So God sanctifies whom He justifies and justifies those whom He sanctifies. So it is really important.