After I was saved I kept it to myself. I feared ridicule from my friends and, frankly, I wanted to be able to continue doing the things which I had always done. Before becoming a Christian, I was seldom tempted. I belonged to Satan already. He left me to my own wiles. Satan doesn't care whether a person recognizes him or not; he relishes it when we dishonor Jesus! After, I honored Jesus by becoming a Christian, Satan certainly didn't like that. He did all within his power to cause me to lose faith. The biggest lie to which I fell was that I could still live a sinful lifestyle yet be a child of God!
Dogmatists say that living Christlike is legalism. That's true if a person is not a born-again Christian, but a lie of Satan if anyone already is! Legalism is what's called "works salvation". Some believe that by being "good", as discussed before, is a ticket to Paradise. That's legalism and the Pharisees, called "vipers" by Jesus, tried it that way. However, a Christian trying to be as Christ is NOT legalism, it's obedience!
James 2:14 "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
"Faith "complemented by "works" is perfect! What works? 1) Love God, 2) love others, 3) spread the gospel. 1) is The Greatest Commandment, 2) is likened into it and 3) is The Great Commission. The Greatest Commandment has already been discussed, but what is The Great Commission?
Before we look at the latter, examine firstly, what God says about "works":
John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Jesus said that! Those who love Him (the saved) are still to keep God's Commandments. That isn't Mosaic Law by any means, but is God's Law which is written on stone tablets and summarized by loving God and others! Jesus was speaking to Christians, not the unsaved. Hence, this is not "salvation by works", but is obedience as a result of belief!
Now for The Great Commission.
Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost..."
This passage was addressed to the apostles to be exact, ministers to Christ. It is applied to us as well because we are all priests:
1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light..."
This passage shows our appointment as ministers and that we too are to "shew forth the praises of him who hath called you". We too are part of The Great Commission!
Proposal #16: If we are saved there will be evidence of our salvation. That evidence is "works". We are to be as much like Christ as humanly possible. (Sinning does not "unsave" a person, but living a lifestlye in sin is abandoning God in one's life is the path to destruction!)
The first step in spreading the gospel is confession: "Hello, my name is Larry and Jesus saved me because he died for me!" That's a good start. We are to confess:
Matthew 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
2 Timothy 1:8 "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God..."
There are no secret Christians! We are to testify that Jesus is Lord of our life!
Proposal #17: Those whose faith is in Jesus will testify to that faith. They will tell others about Jesus and what Jesus did for them personally. (That's testifying to a personal salvation in contrast to being a "Christian" because a person's parents brought them up that way).
The last offering is the significance of The Resurrection; not to be confused with "reincarnation", which is your spirit being restored in a new body and maybe into a different life form. "Resurrection" is a return to life in the same body! Jesus was resurrected. Thomas saw the scars in his hands from his crucifixion. Jesus had the same body, albeit a healthy healed body!
John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live..."
John 6:40 "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
It's then clear that those saved will be resurrected just as Jesus was. To disbelieve that saved persons will be resurrected from the dead denies that Jesus was resurrected. Not only do those who deny resurrection calling Jesus a liar, but they are denying that he was God, who has the power to create and resurrect! Why would a person even think of being a Christian? It is for hope! Hope in what? Eternal life; that we will be resurrected immortal with a perfect body! That's my hope! That's the reason for my salvation. I will be resurrected because Jesus was and still IS!
Belief in the resurrection of the dead is imperative to salvation, being your hope of salvation:
1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."
What are we saved from? Eternal death! What does that mean to each? We shall have eternal life when we're resurrected. Hence, the resurrection IS the "hope of salvation"! Paul taught about Jesus, but included the resurrection:
Acts 17:18: "Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection."
Jesus is our hope! He was resurrected. Because Jesus was, we have the same hope that we shall also be! Paul believed that belief in the resurrection was critical to salvation because that's where hope lies. The effect is salvation; the cause is hope in the resurrection. The implemention of that cause/effect relationship is the death and resurrection of the crucified Christ!
Proposal #17: The hope for resurrection is why we desire to be followers of Christ. It's the incentive given by the Holy Spirit of God to have us desire salvation. (That "hope" is of God and is what John Wesley called "prevenient grace"; God working on your heart before you're a Christian).
Now, to the core argument: Was Abraham Lincoln a Christian?
I can't go there. As was said in Matthew "Judge not lest you be judged!" Abraham Lincoln was held in high esteem by those who know his legacy. Most know him to be a "good" man. He quoted scripture often. He guided the nation based on his interpretation of scripture. Lincoln even attended church!
There's a quip which says "Just because you're in a garage doesn't make you a car." Likewise, "Just because you're in a church doesn't make you a Christian." Furthermore, quoting scripture was not listed as a one of the proposed means to salvation. (I could quote and misquote much scripture before I was a Christian!). However, I will ask these questions:
1) Lincoln never joined a church. He attended, but never joined. When joining almost any church a person must ascribe to the faith. He must testify that he or she believes in Jesus as the savior of mankind.
2) Lincoln never testified to being a Christian according to his presidential secretaries Nicholay and Hay in their many works.
3) Lincoln denied the resurrection when his first son died back in Illinois. I've shown that the resurrection is our hope. (If Lincoln continued to adhere to this, no wonder he was melancholic!)
4) Lincoln never directly spread the gospel, his duty as a "priest" and of The Great Commission.
Lincoln may have turned his life over to Jesus anytime and just not revealed it to those who wrote biographies. He may have come to believe in the resurrection of the dead later in life. He may have had a private Christianity due to his position. I cannot judge. My wish and hope is that he sits there in heaven with Jesus saying "Well done! My good and faithful servant." However, my point is that "good" men exist as non-believers and that being "good" to obtain salvation is contrary to scripture. However, Lincoln's perceived "goodness" may have been a "work" because he was saved.
We can't judge Lincoln because the documentation isn't there. He never denied Christ although he never professed publicly to being a Christian - and I believe testimony is crucial as a consequence of salvation. (How could anyone who's a Christian saved from eternal damnation, not have joy?)
So as that no one ever doubt my salvation here is my testimony:
1) I'm a forgiven sinner who was saved by the blood atonement of Jesus on calvary.
2) I'm remorseful when I sin and turn to Jesus for continued pardon knowing that he died for all my sins.
3) I desire to do the will of God. This is the close as I can come to knowing that I love Jesus.
4) I love everybody; albeit I'm intolerant of certain behaviors.
5) I am testifying to the world my belief in Jesus.
6) I endeavor to keep God's commandments as a lifestyle. When I fail I know that God is merciful.
7) I have steadfast faith.
8) My faith is in the truth of Jesus and the general resuurection of the dead.
9) My belief is a personal decision. I did not inherit Christianity nor is it ritualistic.
10) I acknowledge that I'm a sinner and am damned without the grace of God.
11) I believe that Jesus is the Way and only way to be saved.
12) I'm thankful that God had a plan for me and all mankind to save us from our own quest to be as God.
13) This blog is one of my feeble attempts at fulfilling The Great Commission. (Any writers' pride I have hopefully will be forgiven because I am sincere).
There should be no doubt after I'm dead. I am a professing Bible-believing Christian. One may say "But his life wa so filled with sin!" Welcome to humanity! I wish it wasn't so, but it is. Thank you Lord, for your mercy!
Now, to the core argument: Was Abraham Lincoln a Christian?
I can't go there. As was said in Matthew "Judge not lest you be judged!" Abraham Lincoln was held in high esteem by those who know his legacy. Most know him to be a "good" man. He quoted scripture often. He guided the nation based on his interpretation of scripture. Lincoln even attended church!
There's a quip which says "Just because you're in a garage doesn't make you a car." Likewise, "Just because you're in a church doesn't make you a Christian." Furthermore, quoting scripture was not listed as a one of the proposed means to salvation. (I could quote and misquote much scripture before I was a Christian!). However, I will ask these questions:
1) Lincoln never joined a church. He attended, but never joined. When joining almost any church a person must ascribe to the faith. He must testify that he or she believes in Jesus as the savior of mankind.
2) Lincoln never testified to being a Christian according to his presidential secretaries Nicholay and Hay in their many works.
3) Lincoln denied the resurrection when his first son died back in Illinois. I've shown that the resurrection is our hope. (If Lincoln continued to adhere to this, no wonder he was melancholic!)
4) Lincoln never directly spread the gospel, his duty as a "priest" and of The Great Commission.
Lincoln may have turned his life over to Jesus anytime and just not revealed it to those who wrote biographies. He may have come to believe in the resurrection of the dead later in life. He may have had a private Christianity due to his position. I cannot judge. My wish and hope is that he sits there in heaven with Jesus saying "Well done! My good and faithful servant." However, my point is that "good" men exist as non-believers and that being "good" to obtain salvation is contrary to scripture. However, Lincoln's perceived "goodness" may have been a "work" because he was saved.
We can't judge Lincoln because the documentation isn't there. He never denied Christ although he never professed publicly to being a Christian - and I believe testimony is crucial as a consequence of salvation. (How could anyone who's a Christian saved from eternal damnation, not have joy?)
So as that no one ever doubt my salvation here is my testimony:
1) I'm a forgiven sinner who was saved by the blood atonement of Jesus on calvary.
2) I'm remorseful when I sin and turn to Jesus for continued pardon knowing that he died for all my sins.
3) I desire to do the will of God. This is the close as I can come to knowing that I love Jesus.
4) I love everybody; albeit I'm intolerant of certain behaviors.
5) I am testifying to the world my belief in Jesus.
6) I endeavor to keep God's commandments as a lifestyle. When I fail I know that God is merciful.
7) I have steadfast faith.
8) My faith is in the truth of Jesus and the general resuurection of the dead.
9) My belief is a personal decision. I did not inherit Christianity nor is it ritualistic.
10) I acknowledge that I'm a sinner and am damned without the grace of God.
11) I believe that Jesus is the Way and only way to be saved.
12) I'm thankful that God had a plan for me and all mankind to save us from our own quest to be as God.
13) This blog is one of my feeble attempts at fulfilling The Great Commission. (Any writers' pride I have hopefully will be forgiven because I am sincere).
There should be no doubt after I'm dead. I am a professing Bible-believing Christian. One may say "But his life wa so filled with sin!" Welcome to humanity! I wish it wasn't so, but it is. Thank you Lord, for your mercy!
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