The Messiah Cut Off

Daniel has an amazing prophecy of the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus is the Christ, also known as the Messiah. Both terms mean "the anointed one." Daniel prophesied about "Messiah the Prince" (Daniel 9:25). He prophesied that Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself (Daniel 9:26). To be cut off speaks of a curse. The word curse means marked for destruction and cut off. The Son of God died for the curse of our sins at the cross (Galatians 3:13).

Christ was crucified to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins (Daniel 9:24). On the cross, Jesus cried out, It is finished (John 19:30). Jesus came as the Messiah to take away the sin of the world. John the Baptist introduced Jesus as The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). 

Jesus the Messiah was crucified to make reconciliation for iniquity (Daniel 9:24). Iniquity is a synonym for our sin. As sinners, we must be reconciled to our holy God. Only the Son of God can reconcile sinners at the cross. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Jesus Christ was crucified and raised from the dead, to bring in everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9:24). This is the good news, known as the gospel of Christ. He not only died to take away all our sin, but believers receive His righteousness. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Living Faith Works

Dead faith will not obey the word and will of God. Dead faith does not do God's will. Dead faith will not work. God can do anything that He chooses to do without us. However, God has chosen to work through us. Living faith works to do the the will of God. Dead faith does nothing. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (James 2:26).

The Bible teaches that we are laborers together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). It is God's will for faith to work through us. You may put a glove on your hand to do the work before you. The glove does not do the work alone, neither can it. The hand works through the glove. So, it is God who works in you both to will and do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Dead faith says, There is nothing that we can do. What will be, will be. Nothing we can do will make any difference. To the contrary, living faith says, I will do the word of God. He has put it in my heart. He is working through me to the praise of his glory. I am a doer of the word. The Bible says, Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22).

Maybe you are in a situation where you are asking God to do something about it. Living faith prays like this: God what would you have me to do? Faith acts on the word of God. Living faith rises up to do something about it. Living faith works.

The Trinity of Salvation

The Trinity of salvation is the work of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is election by the Father, redemption by the Son, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. The three eternal Persons of the Holy Trinity work in perfect harmony from the beginning to the completion of our salvation.

Water baptism is in the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus commanded believers to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Praise be to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for our salvation. The Triune God saves us as believers, to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

God the Father chose to save sinners by grace through faith in his Son Jesus. God the Son came to reveal the fullness of God's grace (John 1:14). That grace was fully revealed at the cross of Jesus. His substitutionary death guarantees the complete salvation for all who believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). His glorious resurrection is every believer's justification. Jesus completely saves!

God the Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of grace, applying salvation to every believer's heart. The Holy Spirit seals every believer as the guarantee of our complete salvation unto glorification in the day Christ returns (Ephesians 1:13-14).

How to Hear God

God speaks to us. "Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15). God speaks today through the Bible. It's God's love letter to us. The Holy Spirit inspired the words of Holy Scripture centuries ago, and still speaks today through it. Hear God today through the Bible.

Hear God with your heart. The heart is your mind, will, and emotions. His word to you is through the Holy Spirit. God's voice has been seldom heard by the ears of men, even in Bible times. God's word in the Bible will speak daily to your heart. 

God speaks to all of his children. God has important things to say to us through the Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16). He is speaking in a personal and intimate way to every believer. God communicates that we may experience his love in our hearts, "because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5).

The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Holy Scripture, speaks to the hearts of all God's children. God shares His thoughts with us. They are eternal thoughts found in the Bible from the Father above. God speaks to encourage us, console and comfort us. He speaks to strengthen our faith and assure us. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God speaks to us with love.

How to Be Righteous

Be righteous through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21-22). Believers are justified and accounted righteous before God. It is never self-righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Christ. Righteousness is God's gift to believers in Christ.

Be righteous in Christ alone. The apostle Paul speaks of the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers in 2 Corinthians 5:21. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Martin Luther called it the great exchange. Christ takes away your sins and gives you His righteousness.

Be righteous by faith alone in Christ. The Christian life can never be based upon your self-righteousness, which is as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). You give up all hope in self-righteousness and become righteous before God in Christ alone. Only faith in our Lord Jesus Christ can impute perfect righteousness to you before God. Simply stated, you are accounted righteous by faith in Christ.

Be righteous by God's grace alone in Christ. Your sins were imputed or accounted to Christ at the cross. His righteousness is imputed or accounted to you by grace alone through faith alone. There is only one way you can receive the righteousness of God. That's by grace alone through faith in Christ.

Those Who Are Lost

C. H. Spurgeon wrote, "Election does not involve reprobation. There may be some who hold unconditional reprobation. I stand not here as their defender, let them defend themselves as best they can. ... If he be lost, damnation is all of man; but, if he be saved, still salvation is all of God."

Reprobation is a personal choice described in Romans 1:28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. Reprobation is not God's choice. Those who are lost have made their own choice. 

God gives people over to their own choice who reject the love and grace in Christ. Therefore, God gives the reprobate over to his own depravity. God is passive in reprobation, allowing those who are lost to go on in their sin and unbelief. Those who are lost are responsible for their own condemnation.

Election is God's choice; reprobation is the choice of those who are lost. God chose to save people in Christ before the world began (Ephesians 1:4-6). Those who are lost make an obstinate choice to reject God and His Son Jesus Christ. As Spurgeon stated, "If he be lost, damnation is all of man."

Christ at the Door

Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). 

While some Bible teachers say the words of our Lord in Revelation 3:20 were only to the church as a whole and not to individuals, Charles Spurgeon had another opinion. He was quite convinced that it was a personal invitation to anyone. That's Christ at the door.

Spurgeon pleaded, "Dear reader, hearken to His invitation, and let His good words sink into your soul. As you do so, your life will begin anew and you will be on your way to Heaven." 

Spurgeon exhorted his readers with Revelation 3:20, writing, "Therefore, I urge you not to refuse the Lord Jesus who is knocking at the door of your heart. Remember that He knocks with a hand that was nailed to the cross for you. Your good is His object, so incline your ear to Him and let Him come in."

This personal invitation is issued to you by the Lord Jesus Christ and to anyone who will hear His voice. The Lord's voice comes to us through these very words of the Bible. His promise is sure to you and all who open the door. Jesus Christ says, "I will come in to him."