God's Children Don't Sin

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

(1 John 3:4-10 ESV) 

Earlier in this letter, John explained that speaking the truth about knowing Jesus Christ means having the actions to back up such a claim. Nobody who merely says they are Christian should be regarded as one if they do not do what Jesus commands.

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

(1 John 2:1-6)

The reason Christians do not sin is that they are God's children, children of light and not of darkness. If they were still in the world of darkness, unbelief and sin, they would have no problem living a sinful, self-righteous, or licentious lifestyle. But now they belong to God and have His seed within them through the work of the Holy Spirit in them. They will not do as the apostates do, who turn from the truth to practice lawlessness. Even if they do sin, they confess it and continue to repent. They cannot sin in the sense of ultimately turning from Christ. He guards them as His own. He set them free from Satan and made them new after the image of God, who loves righteousness.

Obedience is the sign of true and saving faith, not the root of it. It is the fruit that grows out of the tree planted in the soil stained with the Lord's blood. Those who do not have the works to back up their faith, simply do not have faith. But take heart if this worries you, God gives faith as a gift to all whom He chose for salvation before the foundation of the world.

Jesus Christ is the advocate in the sense that He appeals to the Father on behalf of sinners who repent and trust in Him. He has been raised to everlasting life, so His appeals will always be accepted before our God and Father. He is also their propitiation in the sense that His life was given over to death in exchange for sinners who repent and trust in Him. All of their sins are propitiated by His blood, so that they are completely forgiven forever and ever. Whoever does not repent and trust in Him is not forgiven through His blood. Not yet...

But if you turn to Jesus and repent and submit to Him as your Lord and God, doing what He says and not hearing it only, then you have faith and your life will begin to change. And when you commit errors and do not live in perfect obedience to the Lord, your confession of those sins to Jesus, your sadness and willingness to change and obey, will show that you are not sinning in the sense that John described about those who are not genuine. Seek the Lord and do what He says, but remember that He saves by grace as a gift through faith alone. Your works of obedience are simply His power in you causing you to live out your salvation in real life.

God bless!

What is your only comfort in life and in death?

What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer:

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

~ Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1

Proclaiming the Triune God

The following is a little tract I'm working on as part of a series of very brief evangelistic messages that I've been producing. During the long period of time I have spent not blogging, I have not stopped writing. Much of my writing has been in the form of making little tracts or doing personal Bible study. Here is one of my newest tracts titled:

WHAT IS THE TRINITY?

GOD has not hidden Himself from people so that they cannot know Him, but has revealed Himself in history and in the Holy Scriptures. In the Bible, God speaks of Himself as three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We read God saying, “Let us make man in our image,” in Genesis chapter one. We also read the Shema, a Hebrew confession of faith, which says, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This confession tells us that God is one. Yet God speaks of Himself as “us,” and also reveals Himself as Father, Word, and Spirit. In John 1:1 we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word refers to Jesus, the Son. In verse 14 it says, “And the Word became flesh.” That is, the Word, who is called God, became a real, physical man. Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Jesus also spoke of another Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit. At His baptism, the Father spoke of His beloved Son and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. Jesus also sent His disciples into the world to teach and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). God is three, yet one, which is why we use the term Trinity. While we may not understand everything about God, we can and must understand what He has clearly revealed about Himself. God has told us what He is like in the Bible, and the Bible shows that He is three distinct Persons in unity and harmony as one God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. See the New Testament for more.

Psalm 107:1-16 For the Homeless

Psalm 107
Let the redeemed of the Lord speak of his steadfast love.

I. This psalm starts off with a call to praise and worship God.

Why?

Because he is good and his steadfast love endures forever.

How do we know that?

Because he redeems people from trouble. He saves people. He saves all kinds of people. People from all places. He gathered them from the east and west, north and south.

Where are you right now? Wherever you are, God knows what you are dealing with. He can take you from any place.

II. Some of those he redeemed were homeless. They didn't even have a city to live in. They were in a desert where there is nothing. No food. No water. Nada.

What did they do?

They cried to the Lord in their trouble. You know, you can cry to the Lord. You can tell him all about it. He understands you better than anyone. Even better than you do. He made you. Don’t be mad at him for your troubles, he can save you out of them. Maybe that’s why he allowed them to happen to you, so that he can show you how much he cares for you?

He heard their cry. God hears. He knows. Remember, Jesus went through it, too. He was homeless, hungry, thirsty, rejected, tired, betrayed, beaten, murdered. He understands all pain, all betrayal, all mistreatment, all heartache.

God delivered them. He led them on the straight way. He gave them a permanent place to stay. This is why they thank him. He worked when they prayed. Some say, “Prayer works.” Well, God works. He satisfies the longing soul. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” God loves to satisfy those who are in need. This may be one reason why he allows trouble in our lives. Do you feel dissatisfied? Are you hungry for what is right and good in your life? Look to God. He doesn’t have the answer, he is the answer!

They thank him for his “steadfast love.” Love that keeps on keeping on, no matter what. God doesn’t stop loving. He loves those he redeems. There are those that God does not love. Just read Psalm 5 if you don't believe me. God will punish sinners for their sins in Hell. Hell never ends. Israel was God's chosen nation, a people he redeemed out of slavery for himself. he certainly wasn't going to let them starve in the desert, especially when they cried to him for salvation. The soul who seeks him will find him. God never let's anyone down who genuinely wants to be saved. He will redeem everyone that he chose from before the foundation of the world. That's what Ephesians chapter 1 says.

Are you redeemed? that’s the question.

Maybe you think your situation is different. So many say that for them, Hell is here on earth. It's not. Christ went back to heaven to prepare a place there for you if you follow him. Cry to him. Talk to him. Trust in him. He’ll show you.

Let’s move on...

III. Some were criminals. Stuck in prison. They rebelled against his word. They lived their own way. They didn’t listen to God’s counsel, his word, his instructions. You know, God gave us everything we need to know about living his way right here in the Bible. They ignored that. They did their own thing, and paid for it in chains and slave labor. Nobody cared for them.

Then what did they do after that?

It says in verses 13 & 14, “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.”

That’s why they should thank him. He loved them enough to pardon them. He loved them enough to set them free. It says he burst their bonds apart. He loved them so much he destroyed everything that held them captive.

What is holding you captive? Have you been rebellious against God’s Word? Are you sitting in darkness and bound by the chains of sin? Don’t fear. Don’t be downcast. Don’t be discouraged. You can cry to the Lord in the midst of your distress. He’ll set you free. Jesus said that only the truth will set us free. He is the truth.

Conclusion:
I wish I had more time to expound the rest of this Psalm. I could say a lot more about it. There is something here for everyone. Not all of us have the same problems, come from the same backgrounds, have had the same experiences, felt the same pain, cried the same tears, had the same anger or frustration. But all of us have one thing in common. We have a Creator who loves us enough to save us from our troubles when we call out to him.

Jesus didn’t die for nothing. He died to pay for the sins of his people. Everyone who comes to him will never be cast out. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know him. How can they come to him? Oh, certainly many people say they believe in him. They say they have a personal relationship with him. But how do they live their lives? Do they live as if their life depended on him? Because it does. Do they see him as their Lord who tells them what to do? Or do they see him as the one they get to tell what to do? See prayer is first about our submission to God, our love, delight and praise to God. We ask him to give us what he knows we need. Sometimes he gives us what we want. Sometimes he doesn’t. Most of the time it is because we ask for the wrong things and we have the wrong motives. But he loves to save. We see that from this Psalm. He loves to redeem people from every walk of life. He loves to help those who recognize they truly have a need for him. See, if you need God, then God is there for you. If you don’t need him, don’t expect to be blessed by him. Many people live as if they don’t need Christ. They live as if they don’t need anyone or anything but themselves. They tell their girlfriends that they need them, until they find another girl. Likewise, many women are just using men to get what they want. True love is not getting as much as you can from others, it is giving yourself away for the sake of the one you love.

God gave everything. He gave his Son. Shouldn’t we gladly give ourselves to him? Our desires, hopes, dreams, aspirations, needs, wants, sins, burdens, troubles, hurts, fears, anxieties, angers, frustrations, complaints, love, affection, obedience, loyalty? He is waiting to hear us cry to him. Pour out your heart to him. You may not feel relief right away. It may take some time. You might not see your full reward until you reach God’s heavenly throne room. Remember, he raised Jesus from the dead. We must die also. We die to our way of life in order to live his way, by his strength and help. If we die physically, he will raise us to eternal life when Christ returns. After death, God's children get to be with him in heaven, waiting for the time when he will make this world new again.

Isn’t that something to cry out to him for? Isn’t it worth our pleas for help to be given what our souls most long for? They long for God. Jesus is God in human flesh, who reconciles us back to the Father. They long for life. Jesus is the life. They long for light. Jesus is the light of the world. They long for freedom. Jesus is the truth that sets us free. They long for satisfaction. Jesus satisfies completely. They long for peace. Jesus is our peace. They long for justification. Christ is our justification, who has taken away our sin, put it upon himself, and has given us his righteousness, making us accepted forever. He delights to save those who cry out to him!

You can apply this message to yourself in a couple of ways. First, if you are living your own way, doing things your way, ignoring God's Word, then you can apply this message by calling out to him for a change in your heart and for a change in your life. You need to be rescued from all the things we just talked about, and the only way for you to be redeemed, like the Israelites spoken of in this Psalm, is by putting your full confidence in Jesus Christ as your righteousness before God. Don't get me wrong. Christ demands repentance. To repent is to recognize your guilt for breaking all of God's righteous Laws and to turn back to him in confession, sorrow, humility, fear and obedience. Nothing less will be accepted. But Jesus also taught that you cannot come to him unless the Father draws you to him. That's why we need God's Holy Spirit to change our hearts and make us new first, before we can surrender and believe. Cry to him in prayer, confessing your waywardness, and trust fully in his power to save. Salvation is the gift of God from start to finish. You need repentance, you need forgiveness, you need a new way of life, you need to live by God's Word, you need to persevere, to keep on keeping on, you need to be faithful and to do what God wants. All of this must come by God's powerful grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Cry out to him in your prayers for this salvation.

Second, if you know you have eternal life and you trust fully in the King of kings, the Savior of sinners, the Judge who has pardoned every last one of your sins forever and has already accepted you as his very own, then you can take courage. You can be fully confident that he cares about every need of yours and hears when you call. By his help, you can live your life in obedience to Scripture. Just keep reading it and learning to do what it says in the power of God's Spirit. If you don't, you can be sure God will discipline you for disobeying, but he will never leave you or forsake you. If you are not disciplined by God as your Father, it is because you are not one of his children. In that case, you ought to examine yourself and seek the Lord for salvation and the assurance of your salvation, which only he can give.

Let us give thanks to him for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Let's pray.

Practical Advice for Street Witnessing

With over five years of experience preaching the gospel of God's grace to strangers in streets, university campuses, and marketplaces, I can safely admit that I've had to learn the hard way, having made many mistakes. My purpose is not to write a list of practical "How Not To's", but "How To's" with a few "Not To's" included.

So here it goes:

1) Study your Bible with a heart to love, revere, worship and obey God before trying to teach others. Remember your priorities: God made all of us, and it is therefore God first, God in the middle, and God last. God in Christ is our primary object of love, knowledge, obedience, respect, and authority. He is our Sovereign LORD to whom we owe complete loyalty. When we see God as He has revealed Himself in the gospel of Christ, and He really amazes us, we become all the more persuasive toward outsiders. (The Holy Spirit is He who converts people, however, we are responsible under God's Sovereignty to strive at being persuasive by His grace within us).

2) People can sense your attitude, despite how "right" you are. If you want to persuade others of the beauty, sweetness and love of God's grace through Christ, then show it both with an attitude and by words that are genuine and full of grace (see Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person”).

The message of the cross is offensive to natural sinful people, but the messenger does not have to provide backing to their revulsion by exhibiting unattractive behavior and manners himself. In support of this point, carefully read Romans 12:9-21; Ephesians chapters 4-6; Colossians chapters 3-4; Philippians 2:1-15; 1 Peter 3:8-22; 2 Peter 1:5-8; the book of Proverbs, especially noting those that speak of the use of the tongue; etc.

3) Just to emphasize and build on that last point, think about how you yourself speak on a daily basis, and then think about what the Bible says about how we should use our speech. Take Proverbs 12:18 for example: “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

In other words, if you are wise you will speak words that will help, comfort, heal, and give life, not words that will harm or hinder the spiritual health of your hearers. Doctors don’t needlessly criticize their patients and then intimidate them into accepting treatments. That would be ridiculous! (This is clearly one of the “How Not To’s” I said would be mentioned, and it’s worth repeating! So, speak courteously, as befits a winner of souls. Too many of us are already experienced enough at failing with this.)

4) Don’t put the gospel through a cookie-cutter. The gospel is a glorious, magnificent, world-tilting message of truth, salvation, love, promise, and glory to the repentant and humble, and God has given 66 books in our language to teach it to us. It can be explained from many different passages of Scripture, so I recommend getting real familiar with some and using them often. You can read Matthew 5-7 and Romans 1-8 for a number of useful texts. But also use a variety of other passages whenever possible, or when a different situation calls for it. You may not have time to give a full presentation of the gospel in every situation, so be ready to be clear and helpful with whatever you can say.

5) Each person you meet is different, so I believe you can preach the good news in a different way to everyone you meet, depending on individual needs. To illustrate this, let’s say you meet Sally from the local baptist congregation. She grew up in the church and never thought of herself as anything but saved, yet she doesn’t seem to have come to grips with how great her sin and her need for a spotless sacrifice really is. You will preach truth to her according to what she needs to know about the gospel, which she may not have grasped yet. Next you meet Mohammad, an immigrant Muslim. Now things are different. Mohammad, on the other hand, doesn’t think of God, sin, or salvation in the same way you do. You may have to define what you mean by your terms, such as repentance, justification, mercy, justice, the Triune nature of God, the deity of Jesus, and so on, before Mohammad can grasp what must be accepted for true light and life. Don’t change the message of the gospel, it is the same for both, but change the method. Speak to Sally and Mohammad according to what they need to come to terms with.

This list was inspired by another list that I read from theCripplegate.com, called Street Evangelism in Six Steps.
Also check out An Alternative to Cold Evangelism.

Apologetics in Real Life

My wife and I started our first podcast on the topic of apologetics as it is used in our everyday lives and when we are out witnessing with the gospel of God's grace.

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The Surpassing Wealth of His Grace

Ephesians 2:5-7 says,
"...and you, being dead in trespasses, he made alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and he raised [you] together and seated [you] together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in order that he might show in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

The very next verse following this long sentence is this: "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you, it is the gift of God" (v. 8).

What did Paul want his readers to understand about the "surpassing wealth" or "riches" of God's grace? Well, first of all, that for us who have been saved by faith in God's Son, the ages to come are going to be a showcase of the super-abundance of His favor (grace) and kindness toward us in Christ. It is through Jesus Christ that the ages to come in eternity will display how much of an abundance of favor and kindness we have received from God. He died on the cross, the perfect Savior, God in human flesh, paid the penalty for our sinful crimes, rose from the dead and lavished this favor upon us.

All the abundance of favor, the riches of God's kindness and mercy, His never ending, age-enduring, ever-bestowing love is ours in Christ. Jesus is truly awesome! God our Father is truly loving! The Holy Spirit is truly our Comforter!

We Christians have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to. May all the glory be to God and to the Lamb!

Why and How to Read the Bible, part 2

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!”

(Psalms 96:3 ESV)

The Bible is not just a book. It is a book of books... made up of many writings by different writers, from different ages and different cultural settings. That's all it is from most non-religious points of view.

But from the Christian's perspective, the Bible is the Book of books, because it is the very Word of God (1 Thes 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16)! It is God's message to humankind in the timeless form of writing, so that all people around the world are able to understand it if they have access to a good translation. Ancient Scripture certainly must be understood in light of the time and culture in which it was originally written, but a lack of that knowledge should not stop any of us from perceiving the main subject and theme.

God is the main subject of the Bible, and the theme is his glory. Sure, it does focus on many different characters, such as Abraham and his wife, Sarah; their son, Isaac; Jacob; Jacob's family; Moses and the Israelites; Jesus and his apostles, and so on. However, it is God who constantly makes himself known to every new generation throughout Biblical history. As God was revealing himself to his people through his Word, those who were called were able to know him more intimately and were changed by that experience of knowing him.

This is why we must read the Bible: to know God as he has revealed himself in Scripture as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How we read the Bible will determine whether we know him rightly. As Peter said, there are those who, because of their ignorance, twist the Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). Christians, of all people, should be the most careful and humble of its readers.

We don't read everything in the same way. We don't read the newspaper like we read a text book, or a historical biography as if it were a fictitious novel. There are certain things we need to know before we begin reading anything. We need to know what we are reading and why it was written.

When you pick up a newspaper, you already know that it's a newspaper, and you know what it is intended for as a whole--to inform you about the news. It is a compilation of different kinds of literature, such as reports, articles, advertisements, announcements, and entertainment, which are intended to provide readers with a variety of news, facts, opinions, entertainment, coupons, and other information. You don’t read every section of the newspaper in the exact same way, but you take into account the differences in type of literature and purpose. We must do the same with the Bible.

By understanding what kind of book the Bible is and what it intended to make known to its original readers, things become significantly clearer to us. Learning these basic facts isn't hard if you have some basic information available. People often go wrong when they fail to take some of that information into account. We’ll look at ways that often happens later.

You can find helpful information about the Bible in study Bibles, Bible dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias and Bible handbooks (all of which can be accessed free on the Internet). They can help provide you with historical background to what you are reading, as well as other important facts to help you better understand Scripture. Such tools are meant to assist, not hinder your reading of God's Word. Wise disciples should put them to good use, seeking to handle God's Word with great care (Prov 18:15; 1 Tim 1:6-8; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:15).

Why and How to Read the Bible, part 1

Is reading the Bible necessary for everyone? Is this question even important?

First, yes this question is important. Here's why: only in the 66 books of Holy Scripture is God's perfect will and purposes revealed to human kind concerning our relationship to Him. This may sound bold, or even radical, but it is the testimony of Scripture itself. When people tell me they can believe in Jesus without accepting the Bible as the authoritative Word of God, I ask them, "And how is it that you came to know what you do about Jesus, if it was not passed down through people who read the Bible?"

Now to answer the first question, I don't want to say that all people must be able to read and possess a translated copy of the Bible if they will be saved. But rather, what I will say is that the information the Bible communicates to us, as creatures made by God in His own image, is absolutely essential for us to be saved. Note the word "message". It is not the physical Bible, or the ability to read that is necessary, but the message contained in the Scriptures that all people must know to be saved.

Do you read it or listen to it? Do you tell it to others?

The fact that we have this communication given to us from our Maker and God is absolutely wonderful. Something we ought to give heartfelt thanks to the Savior for over and over again.

Grace to all in Christ Jesus our Lord!

I'm Dead and I'm Not Dead!

Dead to the passions and sins I once walked in, I've been made alive to God in Christ! (Romans 6:1-4; etc.)

I'm also still alive as far as blogging goes, even though my blogging has slowed down considerably. It may not gain me a lot of followers, but that has never been a big goal for me. Rather spreading the Word of Christ together with those faithful believers who love our Lord God and Savior has always been the main thing here.

God bless to all who read this post! :)

-Penn Tomassetti, a sinner, saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:1-10).

Spiritual Giftedness

Each Christian is called and gifted by God according to His will, not according to their own will or the will of other people. It is God who determines the function of each part of the body of Christ (see 1 Cor. 12:1-12).

According to 1 Corinthians, it is a good thing for us to pray and ask God to give specific gifts and equip us for the correct use of them. God is indeed glorified in the healthy function of all the various parts of the body, as well as in all the various gifts in the Church. Therefore, as Paul warned the Corinthians, we must not despise others for their gifts and calling from God, but we must rather edify one another with the gift of brotherly love after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers, show your spiritual health by your love for the parts of Christ's body that do not have the exact same function as you do. Show your love as members of Christ and of His diverse Church, and not as members of "the Church of Discerning Eyes", or "the Church of Sensitive Noses", or "the Church of the Working Hands", for such divisions do not glorify Christ.

You know what I am referring to. One gifted brother in the church looks at fellow Christians with great suspicion and doubt for the genuineness of their salvation because they are not gifted as he is. Such spiritual arrogance is not only evidence of the clear absence of love (the greatest gift), but is also greatly damaging to the health and upbuilding of Christ's Church.

May our God and Savior make you abound in His grace, truth and love.
Amen

ETERNAL SECURITY

ROMANS 8:29-39

-----------------------

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” [Psalm 44:22]

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(English Standard Version)