The Gospel Of Repentance

Yesterday I was watching a program where a girl found out she would not be able to have children because there was something wrong with part of her reproductive system. She was a teenage girl and was involved with the youth at her church. She became angry and blamed God saying He is not good. She told her mother that she was never going to attend church again.  It was her way of getting back at God for not loving and being there for her - in her mind. This young girl's resentment toward God is nothing new. People are yelling, screaming and cursing God every day when things go wrong in their lives. Once again the proverbial question is, "If God is so good and loving and He has all power, then why is this happening to me? I don't deserve it!"  This is the time when a person should do a very careful inventory of their lives. Because I see two possible scenarios. 1) The person is in sin and has refused to repent and ask for forgiveness so they are being puni...

For those readers who are not familiar with the doctrine of Predestination and election, it is the teaching where God before time began decided of His own initiative to chose those whom He wanted to be recipients of His saving grace for His own glory. Paul in Ephesians 1:4 said those who have been chosen were chosen before the foundation of the world.  Well, obviously if there are those who are chosen, then there are those who were not chosen. This is where the tension begins when dealing with this contentious yet Biblical doctrine. Those who militate against this doctrine will continue to cry out, "Why would God chose some and not all? That's not fair!" Since when do we believe we have the right to determine for God what is and what is not fair? God never needs our approval or denial to do anything. Romans 9:20-21 says, "But who are you O man to reply back to God? Will the thing formed say to Him that formed it why have you made me like this? Does not the po...

So, how do we harmonize the two ideas when they are apparently mutually opposed to one another and both are true at the same time? You see, in the mind of God, He can have perfect compassion for the lost, and perfect anger against the wicked simultaneously. When the Bible discusses the wicked, it is describing people in what they are actively doing versus who we essentially are. You see all men are wicked naturally speaking until that person recognizes they are sinful, lost and in need of a Savior then we become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The overarching attribute of God is love. However, within His love the Lord does become and displeased and angry, It should be no great wonder about God. We do the same thing in our own relationships. When parents get upset with their children and become angry with them for something they have done wrong, it does not negate their love they have for them, they just have to resort to discipline to correct the bad behavior. I see...

The word prevenient is a Latin word that means something happening beforehand. So when we are talking about prevenient grace in theological circles, it is making reference to the grace that God grants to those who He will save in time. This grace is distinct from the common grace everyone receives every day in the form of the air we breathe, and the daily provision God provides.  Whenever God decides to save someone, He will use the instrument of the gospel message to inform the sinner why they must repent of their sins. Once the gospel has been effectively preached, God will open the heart and mind of the person so they understand and hear the truth, respond in faith and be saved (Acts 16:14; Luke 24:45). The grace, of course, has to be granted by God before the sinner can respond positively to the gospel message. This grace is the power or enablement that God must give to the sinner or else one can never believe unto salvation. There are many that believe that God's grace ...

This would be another of one of those age-old questions, wouldn't it? If someone has never been preached the gospel then obviously they cannot believe what they do not know. They can neither accept or reject the truth. So, what has to happen? God has to manifest Himself in some other way to them. When one refers to those who have never heard of Christ, often we are talking about people who live in the most remote parts of the world, far from what we regard as normal civilization.  God has left His handprint all over the place - on the earth and in the heavens. This is what is known as natural or general revelation. God made absolutely sure all mankind could know Him in the natural sense. The Bible says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). God has also made Himself known through the conscience. Romans chapter one tells us the things that are made - that we see clearly tell us that the invisible God is real because without Him none o...

A subject my wife and I discuss frequently is that if you're looking for flaws in people you're sure to find them - guaranteed! That is the view of the pessimist. They always look at life from a negative point of view. Think about it for a moment, if people criticize God 24/7 and He is absolutely perfect in every way, how much more do you think we will be criticized?  Just a thought. Back to the subject at hand, "If God is so good, then why"....everyone can fill in their own blank(s). This is an age-old question that for most has not been answered satisfactorily. I recently heard a person on social media raise this question from those who do not attend church because they do not see the need to worship a God who allows death and tragedy every day. Believe me, I understand the frustration and disenchantment people are experiencing. We want things to be better. We want the world at peace and harmony. We want to cure every sickness and disease and get rid of wo...

I realize this is a question that many are not familiar with so I will explain it. When someone dies and they are eulogized at their memorial service, what you often hear is "Well they are in a better place." Sometimes this is true, but it is not always true. In other words, if we believe that everyone goes to heaven when they die, we believe in a false doctrine called universalism, or justification by death. What this means is many believe that a person automatically goes to heaven because they are dead - their death justifies or makes them righteous in the sight of God. Why do so many people believe this? Because of their ignorance of Biblical truth. In the world's eyes, their loved one who was a loving, kind, giving soul who would not harm a fly is just the type of person God would (or perhaps in their eyes  should ) welcome into His kingdom. While this is a novel and heartwarming sentiment, it is a master deception by the enemy. Mankind continues to make the perpe...