Blood Bought 1953

The only thing that makes us “acceptable” to God is the Shed Blood Of Christ and our faith in that Blood.Your “holiness” is laughable .God sees us as Holy in the same manner He sees us as righteous. It is imputed because of our faith in the Gospel.If you actually think you are Holy aside from the Blood Of Christ, please allow me to talk with your spouse— THEY know how “ Holy” you are.So do I.Thanks for the chuckle!

If you are trying to infer that the rich , young ruler decided to sell everything and give it to the poor so he could complete his delusional “ obeying all the commandments since his youth” and thereby merit his salvation by his good works, your exclusive “ vision” came straight from Hell. You are in my prayers .

I could not find a Biblical verse to substantiate this , but I thought I heard somewhere that God created the universe with his little finger , but Salvation was a tough thing to do. I understand also that even the Angels can not comprehend it.Christ indeed died for all of the sins of the world.It is a gift.If I get a coupon for a free gift out of nowhere , I may not have earned it and I may not deserve it,but unless I accept it and cash in on it, it will be my loss.Nobody to blame but myself if I don’t believe I have to make some kind of response to this gift.I am not smart enough to figure out the hows and whys of God’s workings—- I am just glad He did it.Simply because He loves us.God bless.

I dont think Jesus needs us to “accept Him”. He accepts US when we BELIEVE Paul’s Gospel , given to him by Jesus . Acceptance might be construed as a work, but simple belief is in no way a work. A mature Believer should surrender to God, but it is not mandatory for salvation.The walk Of faith is not easy, no doubt about that— but at least it is possible.Trying to obtain salvation by working for it, now that IS impossible!Surrendering to Grace is perhaps the best move.One would think that doing that would be easy.Human pride can get in the way of that most of the time.Some people reject the Grace of God because they are just positive that “ they” have to do something.They poison the Blood Of Christ and don’t even know it.Dangerous ground to be on.

I agree to some extent.The purpose of the Law was to show that we can’t keep it—- we must have a Savior. Nevertheless, what I said was Biblical. I know it is shocking if you hear it for the first time.Roman 5:20 says that “ the Law was brought in so sin might increase, but where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more”Some teachers say that God permitted the increase in sin so they could be like Him—-absolutely SICK of it.I am not sure about that but it makes more sense than any other explanation I have heard.Jesus said it through his mouthpiece, Paul, so take it up with Him if you don’t like what He said. As far as the “ heart transplant” is concerned , if you see yourself as a wretched sinner who has had his heart changed from a heart of stone to a heart that has been softened and made contrite in response to the insight given by the Holy Spirit, you have had your “ heart transplant”.If you lack that act of the Holy Spirit you are in BIG trouble.You strike me as one who has been given God’s Gift. I hope so. God bless.

We can never be worthy , that is certain.The good news is that we are MADE worthy by the Blood Of the Lamb.Christ got my sin—-I got his righteousness.All I had to do was accept a free gift.Faith plus nothing.

All members of the Body of Christ have obtained a license. I got mine.It’s a license to rest.I am not concerned with keeping the Law.I will let those who haven’t had a Holy Spirit heart transplant do that.The Law was given so sin would increase.If you want a guarantee that people will walk across your lawn,just put up a “No Trespassing” sign.The Law stirs up the sin nature.Grace defeats it.Quit obsessing over the Law , accept God’s Grace and forgiveness and watch yourself obey the Law more effectively by resting than by trying to conquer it with fear and will- power.That is the spirit behind true Sabbathing— resting in His finished work. We should Sabbath in that true sense every hour of every day.

Anybody that thinks they are good enough for Heaven are damned......that little nugget mystifies the world and much of the Church World...... I may not be perfect—— but I ain’t as bad as that guy locked up in the Penitentiary! I’m good enough to make it to Heaven—-Motto of the Fool’s Paradise.....home of the damned

Sorry for the delay and thank you for your consideration in trying not to involve me in this cantankerous debate .I don’t care to wade in with my 2 cents. i have been having trouble trying to figure out how to respond to your post —— it’s kinda all over the place, no insult intended . I agree that there is no “ one size fits all” when it comes to preaching the Gospel—- all Paul seemed to care about was getting the message out.He was kinda sneaky about it.He would be one thing to one group and he could feign interest and respect for those that had many false gods , patiently waiting until he got the chance to talk about the idol dedicated to the “ unknown god”.He always seemed to go out of his way to be kind and patient with his audience— no hint of a slobbering, finger- pointing message of condemnation a la Jimmy Swaggert. In your continuing debate, I think It would be of great value to see how Paul actually handled things.An excellent example one could follow is how he handled King Agrippa......sorry.....gotta go....got daughter trouble....I will try to continue tomorrow......please read Acts 26 to see how Paul handled repentance,etc and we can take it from there while learning from the best......apologies again.... Back.......PLEASE pray for my daughter.....God bless you all Back to Agrippa......Paul informed this King what Jesus told him to do and he explained how he went about things. Jesus told Paul the reason He chose him.Paul was sent to be a witness to the things Jesus taught him—- to open the eyes and deliver people from the power of Satan and that they could be delivered from sin and receive forgiveness by faith in Him. He preached repentance and turning to God and doing good works to show that they had repentant hearts.Seems to be a lot of sin and Satan stuff in Paul’s message.Perhaps your preaching of the Gospel should resemble Paul’s manner to get better results.I think I understand what you mean with your method.A man could hear the Gospel and not immediately respond with faith, but years later could remember it and respond correctly with belief in it ,IF and WHEN he saw how desperately he needed it.That could be a terrible gamble to take.He May never get that future chance. “ Fear Of God is the BEGINNING of Wisdom”. Moses was the friend of God but shook in terror at His presence . Jeremiah said that the fear of God causes man to depart from evil.I know from my own experience that I had no use for God until I saw the truth of what I was in God’s eyes and had the you- know-what scared out of me.Funny how an agnostic fool can be turned around so quickly when confronted with the reality of Hell.The change of mind that happened to me that changed my entire life has to be the repentance God wants for Salvation.As I have said before, I changed from a person who was deluded and quite content in my Fool’s Paradise That said “ I’m good enough” to a person who could only say, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I would advise any Soul-Winner to convince a man he is subject to some very, very bad news before I told him the “ Good News”. Convince your audience what they need to see - the whole scary picture— while you have them listening. You are leaving them short with a timid Gospel if you don’t. on another note .....I agree with your thoughts on unbelief.......Christ died for every sin ever committed......The sins of Adolf Hitler were paid for 2000 years ago.....He is in Hell today because of his unbelief......just like your average Joe Schmoe non- Believer........their sins were forgiven, but because of unbelief they did not “ cash - in”, so to speak.....(Sorry Adolf for using you for an example all the time)

Nice song here......I don’t know how it got here and I wish I knew how to get rid of it.....I don’t, so enjoy it if you like......I think it’s kinda catchy.......lol

Sin away! Have a blast! Be a fool.Experience a chastisement you never knew could be so painful.Let God strike you dead . Stand before your Savior in utter shame.You can have it all.Your choice.

Very tired tonight.......will attempt to respond to this post tomorrow( Tuesday ) God bless.

I was the “ somebody” that sent the Ironside stuff.He wisely points out that we just can’t take anything that is pleasing from the Bible and declare it the “Gospel” . Paul defined the Gospel in 1 Cor15:1-4.It is specific.There is much good news in the Bible, but that does not mean it is the Gospel.” This is the Gospel thAt we proclaim” said Paul— specifically it is the Resurrection of Christ and belief in that is what saves. “Anyone can come to God, but no one comes lest the Spirit draw him.”The initiative is God’s—- not ours.He is the One, by means of the Holy Spirit who sets the whole thing in motion by gifting us with a contrite heart.That heart that has been broken and humbled.The heart of the man who had come to the end of himself as being good enough to be saved...... “God, have mercy on me a sinner” or any equivalent is what God wants to hear.......then and ONLY then can He work with you.I’ve heard hundreds of preachers over the years who disagree on almost everything, yet I have NEVER heard a preacher say a Man did not have to see himself as lost before he can be saved.Any presentation of the Gospel should include the scary parts of the Sermon on the Mound ( you commit adultery if you simply have a lustful thought) and a healthy dose of the first chapter of Romans ( NO man has really obeyed or wanted to obey God) Preaching the Gospel without showing a man WHY he needs to believe it will be a weak presentation of the PURPOSE of the Gospel.Responding to the saving message of the Gospel just to stay out of Hell isnt the most romantic of notions, but it will work.” Anything to get them in” is how I have heard it put.Only a fool would not fear Hell .The Gospel is the remedy.

Chances are, if it is unbiblical it could be a smash hit! One thing is certain,If it turns out to be Biblical (and God help them if they mention the name “ Jesus” ) it will be cancelled faster than “ My Mother the Car”.......

I don’t agree with everything Luther taught, but his commentaries on Romans and Galations are truly inspired works.Luther said “ sin boldly” .Some never understand what he meant by that provocative statement.It says a lot about one’s spiritual discernment, I think.If your panties do not get twisted in a knot when seeing Luther’s insightful “ advice “, you are well on your way.

....another brilliant post.....God has blessed you, Chrisy by sending you here .Poor teaching has shipwrecked many a Believer.God does not want his Chidren to live in fear and doubt.Listen to the wisdom on display here. Learn how to rest in the finished work at the Cross and obtain that “abundant” life Jesus paid the price for.God bless you, I will be praying that you find God’s peace.

Yes......I know I sound like a broken record when it comes to Gandolf’s posts.......for that I will apologize, but nevertheless I will say it—- your post is a sheer masterpiece.Please listen to him , Christ , this man has God’s blessing upon him

It sounds like you have come up with a true Christian approach.......congrats!

The sin of gluttony could apply.....lol.....The religionists must always have a rationale for their sour faces

I used to love Groundhog Day......now I am not so sure.....I could be accused of setting up Punxsutawney Phil as a false idol.....”Thou shalt have no fun” is somewhere in the Bible , probably somewhere in the back...

If you are one who does not accept the Gospel,usually due to pride( I don’t need Jesus as a Savior, i’m good enough to make it, I’m going to do things MY WAY) if you TURN TO GOD and change your mind about your sin condition, and believe the Gospel thAt you formerly dismissed, you have repented . You have had “ a change of mind” (metanoia in the Greek).This change of mind was a gift of the Holy Spirit.You possess “ears to hear”.The preaching of the Gospel is the Word being spread like a sower sows seed.Only the hard soil that has been broken by the Holy Spirit will receive it.Nobody comes lest the Spirit draw him....the Spirit draws only those who have been given ears to hear and eyes to see.God is looking for contrite hearts—- those are the only ones ready to receive the Gospel.

Stinginess? Nope. Unbelief? Bingo.

I am borrowing the following from Dr.Harry Ironside.Borrowing heavily would be closer to the truth.....lol Jesus said, “REPENT ye, and believe the Gospel” The repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him . No man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the Truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God.And this is repentance. I agree with Mr. Ironside.Totally.Anybody have problems with his take on repentance? As far as the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus is concerned .......At first both thieves were hateful,demanding Jesus prove Himself by getting them out of their terrible dilemma.The next time we are told anything, we see that one of the thieves had a “ change of mind” ( repentance).He acknowledged his sin fullness and turned to the Savior to save him ( pretty much what we do, huh? )when he asked Jesus to “ remember me, when You arrive at your Kingdom” that pretty much showed that he believed that Jesus would conquer death and the grave— he believed Jesus was who He said He was.His repentance and his belief were enough to save him.That same formula works today.I know it because I have lived it.God bless.

How true it was when Jesus said that He came “ bearing a sword”. Nothing can divide like a sword......or the Word of Truth

What Is The Gospel? By Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951) It might seem almost a work of supererogation to answer a question like this. We hear the word, "Gospel" used so many times. People talk of this and of that as being "as true as the Gospel," and I often wonder what they really mean by it. First I should like to indicate what it is not. THE GOSPEL IS... Not The Bible In the first place, the Gospel is not the Bible. Often when I inquire, "What do you think the Gospel is?" people reply, "Why, it is the Bible, and the Bible is the Word of God." Undoubtedly the Bible is the Word of God, but there is a great deal in that Book that is not Gospel. "The wicked shall be turned into Hell with all the nations that forget God." That is in the Bible, and it is terribly true; but it is not Gospel. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." That is in the Bible, but it is not the Gospel. Our English word, "gospel" just means the "good spell," and the word "spell," is the old Anglo-Saxon word for, "tidings", the good tidings, the good news. The original word translated. "Gospel," which we have taken over into the English with little alteration is the word, "evangel," and it has the same meaning, the good news. The Gospel is God's good news for sinners. The Bible contains the Gospel, but there is a great deal in the Bible which is not Gospel. Not The Commandments The Gospel is not just any message from God telling man how he should behave. "What is the Gospel?" I asked a man this question some time ago, and he answered, "Why I should say it is the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, and I think if a man lives up to them he is all right." Well, I fancy he would be; but did you ever know anybody who lived up to them? The Sermon on the Mount demands a righteousness which no unregenerate man has been able to produce. The law is not the Gospel; it is the very antitheses of the Gospel. In fact, the law was given by God to show men their need of the Gospel . "The law," says the Apostle Paul, speaking as a Jewish convert, "was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But after that Christ is come we are no longer under the schoolmaster." Not Repentance The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past. Not Giving Up The World Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all. THERE ARE SEVEN DESIGNATIONS OF THE GOSPEL in the New Testament, but over and above all these, let me draw your attention to the fact that when this blessed message is mentioned, it is invariably accompanied by the definite article. Over and over and over again in the New Testament we read of the Gospel. It is the Gospel not a Gospel. People tell us there are a great many different Gospels; but there is only ONE. When certain teachers came to the Galatians and tried to turn them away from the simplicity that was in Christ Jesus by teaching "another Gospel, "the apostle said that it was a different gospel, but not another; for there is none other than the Gospel. It is downright exclusive; it is God's revelation to sinful man. Not Comparative Religion The scholars of this world talk of the Science of Comparative Religions, and it is very popular now-a-days to say, "We cannot any longer go to heathen nations and preach to them as in the days gone by, because we are learning that their religions are just as good as ours, and the thing to do now is to share with them, to study the different religions, take the good out of them all, and in this way lead the world into a sense of brotherhood and unity." So in our great universities and colleges men study this Science of Comparative Religions, and they compare all these different religious systems one with another. There is a Science of Comparative Religions, but the Gospel is not one of them. All the different religions in the world may well be studied comparatively, for at rock bottom they are all alike; they all set men at trying to earn his own salvation. They may be called by different names, and the things that men are called to do maybe different in each case, but they all set men trying to save their own souls and earn their way into the favor of God. In this they stand in vivid contrast with the Gospel, for the Gospel is that glorious message that tells us what God has done for us in order that guilty sinners maybe saved. THE SEVEN DESIGNATIONS OF THIS GOSPEL are called... 1. The Gospel Of The Kingdom, and when I use that term I am not thinking particularly of any dispensational application, but of this blessed truth that it is only through believing the Gospel that men are born into the Kingdom of God; We sing: "A ruler once came to Jesus by night, To ask Him the way of salvation and light; The Master made answer in words true and plain, 'ye must be born again.' " But neither Nicodemus , nor you, nor I, could ever bring this about ourselves. We had nothing to with our first birth, and can have nothing to do with our second birth. It must be the work of God, and it is wrought through the Gospel. That is why the Gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdom, for, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3,7). "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. . . And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you" (1 Peter 1:23-25. Every where that Paul and his companion apostles went they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and they showed that the only way to get into that Kingdom was by a second birth, and that the only way whereby the second birth could be brought about was through believing the Gospel. It is the Gospel of the Kingdom. It also called 2. The Gospel Of God, because God is the source of it, and it is altogether of Himself. No man ever thought of a Gospel like this. The very fact that all the religions of the world set man to try to work for his own salvation indicates the fact that no man would ever have dreamed of such a Gospel as that which is revealed in this Book. It came from the heart of God; it was God who "so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He first loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:9,10). And because it is the Gospel of God, God is very jealous of it. He wants it kept pure. He does not want it mixed with any of man's theories or laws; He does not want it mixed up with religious ordinances or anything of that kind. The Gospel is God's own pure message to sinful man. God grant that you and I may receive it as in very truth the Gospel of God. And then it is called 3. The Gospel Of His Son Not merely because the Son went everywhere preaching the Gospel, but because He is the theme of it. "When it pleased God," says the apostle, "who called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me that I might preach Him among the nations; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal. 1:15,16). "We preach Christ crucified . . . the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:23,24). No man preaches the Gospel who is not exalting the Lord Jesus. It is God's wonderful message about His Son. How often I have gone to meetings where they told me I would hear the Gospel, and instead of that I have heard some bewildered preacher talk to a bewildered audience about everything and anything, but the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel has to do with nothing else but Christ. It is the Gospel of God's Son. And so, linked with this it is called 4. The Gospel Of Christ The Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost of the risen Savior, says, "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." And He speaks of Him as the anointed One, exalted at God's right hand. The Gospel is the Gospel of the Risen Christ. There would be no Gospel for sinners if Christ had not been raised. So the apostle says, "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). A great New York preacher, great in his impertinence, at least, said some years ago, preaching a so-called Easter sermon, "The body of Jesus still sleeps in a Syrian tomb, but His soul goes marching on.: That is not the Gospel of Christ. We are not preaching the Gospel of a dead Christ, but of a living Christ who sits exalted at the Father's right hand, and is living to save all who put their trust in Him. That is why those of us who really know the Gospel never have any crucifixes around our churches or in our homes. The crucifix represents a dead Christ hanging languid on a cross of shame. But we are not pointing men to a dead Christ; we are preaching a living Christ. He lives exalted at God's right had, and He "saves to the uttermost all who come to God by Him." The Gospel is also called 5. The Gospel Of The Grace Of God, because it leaves no room whatever for human merit. It just brushes away all man's pretension to any goodness, to any desert excepting judgment. It is the Gospel of grace, and grace is God's free unmerited favor to those who have merited the very opposite. It is as opposite to works as oil is to water." If by grace," says the Spirit of God, "then it is no more works. . . but if it be of works, then is it no more grace" (Rom.11:6). People say, :But you must have both." I have heard it put like this: there was a boatman and two theologians in a boat, and one was arguing that salvation was by faith and the other by works. The boatman listened, and then said, "Let me tell you how it looks to me. Suppose I call this oar Faith and this one Works. If I pull on this one, the boat goes around; if I pull on this other one, it goes around the other way, but if I pull on both oars, I get you across the river." I have heard many preachers use that illustration to prove that we are saved by faith and works. That might do if we were going to Heaven in a rowboat, but we are not. We are carried on the shoulders of the Shepherd, who came seeking lost sheep When He finds them He carries them home on His shoulders. But there are some other names used. It is called 6. The Gospel Of The Glory Of God I love that name. It is the Gospel of the Glory of God because it comes from the place where our Lord Jesus has entered. The veil has been rent, and now the glory shines out; and whenever this Gospel is proclaimed, it tells of a way into the glory for sinful man, a way to come before the Mercy Seat purged from every stain. It is the Gospel of the Glory of God, because, until Christ had entered into the Glory, it could not be preached in its fullness, but, after the glory received Him, then the message went out to a lost world. It is also called... 7. The Everlasting Gospel, because it will never be superseded by another. No other ever went before it, and no other shall ever come after it. One of the professors of the University of Chicago wrote a book a few years ago in which he tried to point out that some of these days Jesus would be superseded by a greater teacher; then He and the Gospel that He taught would have to give way to a message which would be more suited to the intelligence of the cultivated men of the later centuries. No, no, were it possible for this world to go on a million years, it would never need any other Gospel than this preached by the Apostle Paul and confirmed with signs following; the Gospel which, throughout the centuries has been saving guilty sinners. THE GOSPEL DECLARED What then is the content of this Gospel? We are told right here, "I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." There is such a thing as merely believing with the intelligence and crediting some doctrine with the mind when the heart has not been reached. But wherever men believe this Gospel in real faith, they are saved through the message. What is it that brings this wonderful result? It is a simple story, and yet how rich, how full. "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received." I think his heart must have been stirred as he wrote those words, for he went back in memory to nearly thirty years before, and thought of that day when hurrying down the Damascus turnpike, with his heart filled with hatred toward the Lord Jesus Christ and His people, he was thrown to the ground, and a light shone, and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" And he cried, "Who art thou Lord?" And the voice said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." And that day Saul learned the Gospel; he learned that He who died on the Cross had been raised from the dead, and that He was living in the Glory. At that moment his soul was saved, and Saul of Tarsus was changed to Paul the Apostle. And now he says, "I am going to tell you what I have received; it is a real thing with me, and I know it will work the same wonderful change in you. If you will believe it. "First of all, "That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." Then, "that He was buried." Then, "that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." The Gospel was no new thing in God's mind. It had been predicted throughout the Old Testament times. Every time the coming Savior was mentioned, there was proclamation of the Gospel. It began in Eden when the Lord said, "The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head." It was typified in every sacrifice that was offered. It was portrayed in the wonderful Tabernacle, and later in the Temple. We have it in the proclamation of Isaiah, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and with His stripes we are healed." It was preached by Jeremiah when he said, "This is His Name whereby He shall be called, the Lord our Righteousness" (Jer.23:6). It was declared by Zechariah when he exclaimed, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones: (Zech.13:7) All through those Old Testament dispensations, the Gospel was predicted, and when Jesus came, the Gospel came with Him. When He died, when He was buried, and when He rose again, the Gospel could be fully told out to a poor lost world. Observe, it says, "that Christ died for our sins." No man preaches the Gospel, no matter what nice things he may say about Jesus, if he leaves out His vicarious death on Calvary's cross.