The Salvation of Sinners is Due to God’s Grace

NO truth is more plainly taught in God’s word than this, that the salvation of sinners is entirely owing to the grace of God. If there be anything clear at all in Scripture, it is plainly there declared that men are lost by their own works, but saved through the free favor of God their ruin is justly merited, but their salvation is always the result of the unmerited mercy of God. In varied forms of expression, but with constant clearness and positiveness, this truth is over and over again declared. Yet, plain as this truth is, and influencing, as it should do, every part of our doctrinal belief, it is frequently forgotten. Many of the heresies which divide the Christian church, spring from a cloudness upon this point. Were that word “grace” but fully read, marked, and learned, the great evangelical system would be far more firmly held, and plainly preached: but forgetfulness that “by grace ye are saved,” is a common fault among all conditions of men. Sinners forget it, and they seek salvation by the works of the law; they refuse to surrender to the sovereign grace of God, and entrench themselves behind the tottering fence of their own righteousness. And saints forget this, too, and therefore their minds become dark, their spirits fall into legal bondage, and where they ought to rejoice in the Lord unceasingly, they become despondent, and full of unbelieving dread. Brethren, I am incessantly preaching here the doctrines of grace, they are growingly dear to me; but often as I preach them, I trust they are not wearisome to you; and if they should be, that sad fact would not induce me to be silent upon them, but rather urge me to proclaim them more frequently and fervently, for your weariness of them would be a clear proof that you required to hear them yet again, and again, and again, until your souls were brought to delight in them. There is no music out of heaven equal to the sound of that word “grace,” save only the celestial melody of the name of Jesus. One of the early fathers was called the angelic doctor; surely he is most angelic who preaches most of grace. Grace among the attributes is the Chrysostom, it has a golden mouth; it is the Barnabas, for it is full of consolation; it is the Boanerges, for it thunders against self-righteousness. It is man’s star of hope, the well-spring of his eternal life, the seed of his future bliss.

Charles H. Spurgeon–Sermon No. 958 “Dei Gratia”

Atheist Presuppose God

Do atheists really go where the evidence leads or are they biased before they ever examine the evidence?

This question is simple to answer because Romans1:18 plainly tells us that all natural men (those not born again of God) suppress the truth of God. In other words they refuse to believe the truth about God, before they even look at the evidence of the creation of the world. Romans1:22 tells us that they profess to be wise and by so doing, they become fools.

So the answer to the question above is simple. No, Atheists do not go where the evidence points, but instead rejects the evidence first hand.

I want to point you to an article from a man who has debated Atheist. He has even gotten them to admit that their world view does not provide a metaphysical foundation and even though Christianity does, they still believe Christianity is false while Atheism is true.

 

Proofs for the Existence of God – Even Atheists Presuppose God’s Existence by Dr. Patrick Johnston

After debating this topic with atheists, I have had them admit that their worldview does not provide the metaphysical foundation of what they all do when they express moral outrage, employ logical analysis or inductive reasoning in scientific experiments or in their scrutiny of Christianity. And they will simultaneously admit that Christianity does provide such a foundation! Yet they still insist on an empirical and naturalistic basis that Christianity is false and atheism is true, all the while admitting that atheism cannot provide the basis for the assumptions they make in their very criticism of Christianity! And who’s the one with blind faith? The naturalist excludes supernaturalism as a premise rather than as a conclusion, and so he is unwilling to go wherever the evidence leads. If they were, they would be led to the truth of Jesus Christ, because the transcendental evidence leads one inevitably to the Christian God. As long as they remain stubborn in the face of such thorough refutation, they demonstrate that their problem is not a lack of knowledge, but rather, a hard, sinful heart. The Bible confirms this truth: unbelievers are not ignorant, they’re not sincere seekers who just can’t find God, but rather, all sinners know the Creator but they’ve changed the truth of God into a lie for selfish reasons (Romans 1:18-32). Truly, “the fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1)

You can read the rest here.

There is no such thing as an Atheist

I know, I know, you are saying to yourself that the writer of this blog is completely delusional because you the reader are an atheist and therefore there is at least one atheist in the world.

In my response, I would tell you that you are no atheist. First to be an atheist, you would have to have all knowledge. You see the word ‘atheism’ basically means ‘no God.’ Of course, you knew this, right. But what you do not seem to be able to comprehend is that you can’t state that there is no God, unless you are omniscient or all knowing. By stating that there is no God, then you are trying to convince the rest of us, that you are God.

Secondly if there is no God, then why do you live as if one exists? You get up every day and go to work. You feed your family, pay your bills, and even run to the doctor when you are sick. If there is no God, then you have no basis for doing these things. You are living as if life has meaning, yet no meaning exist according to your own world view.

Thirdly if there is no God, then why are you living according to my world view? In other words you try to treat other humans with respect. You do not go out and run people over for the heck of it. You do not rob others. You do not rape other people’s kids. Finally when these things are done to you, you cry foul or you want the perpetrator arrested. Why? If there is no God, then every man has a right to do what is right in his own eyes. Therefore you are robbing from my world view in order to live your life and are inconsistent with what you claim to know.

I leave you with an article entitled “Why the Atheist doesn’t Exist”

“There can be no such things as an atheist. This is why: Let’s imagine that you are a professing atheist. Here are two questions for you to answer: First, do you know the combined weight of all the sand on all the beaches ofHawaii? We can safely assume that you don’t. This brings us to the second question: Do you know how many hairs are on the back of a fully-grown male Tibetan yak? Probably not. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that there are some things that you don’t know. It is important to ask these questions because there are some people who think they know everything.”

Read the rest here.

A Sermon on God’s Mercy, Truth, Righteousness, and Peace

A God of Mercy and Truth, Righteousness and Peace

by Jeremy Walker

 This is a sermon on Psalm 85:10 and is an absolute must hear sermon if you want to be blessed with God’s plan of salvation in Christ Jesus.

 Click here to download.

Concerning My Blog, Web Site and other areas of Ministry

To give just a short history of the struggle to maintain my sites, blogs, etc…

I have for many years tried to build a web site, blog, Facebook fan page, and several other Internet sites in order to spread and promote what I believe to be the true teachings of the Bible. As most know the doctrines that I believe the Bible teaches is primarily contained in the doctrines of the Reformation, particularly the five solas, the doctrines of Tulip, and what is commonly branded today as Calvinism. (I would stress that I am Reformed Baptist-Covenantal, Amillennial, and believe in the sovereignty of God in salvation). I have wanted to build an interconnected group of resources that would help the Theology student or layman learn as much as possible about the Reformed faith.

I have worked with a dial-up Internet connection spending many hours at a time on the Internet while trying to only place 10 new links on my web site every other week.  In order to get the 10 new links I would have to crawl out of bed on a weekend at 3:00 to 4:00 A. M. and spend 5 to 6 hours on the Internet a day in order to gather the material. I would then spend around 6 hours on a Friday trying to post this material (only ten links) to my web site. Once you add in the blog, the Facebook fan page, Vodpod, Twitter accounts, and trying to find good links in order to expand my web site, then you can see the hours every week I have had to spend in order to gather much material in order to expand these pages and sites. (Throw on top of this a 53 hour work week at the job, maintaining my own cars, house, etc….and trying to spend time with family, then you can see that I have no time for anything else.

I eventually upgraded to a Blackberry that has Internet access and began tethering with it. This made life so much easier. I was surfing the web with greater speeds, therefore it was cutting down the time in which I had to spend on the Internet. The only problem is that I am on AT & T’s service. The problem with AT & T is that their service is rather pathetic. They actually came forward at the beginning of 2011 and apologized to the city ofTalladega, here where I live, because the service was so pathetic. Upon doing this they done something to the towers and my Blackberry then was allowing me to surf with ease. Yet the past few months my service has fell in to such a slump that I can’t even make calls without the calls dropping. Also trying to get on the Internet takes many attempts and much time seeing that the service will not provide an adequate connection.

So it is with great sadness that I will say that I am going to post pone this blog for the time being. I have no way to get on the Internet. The only decent means of getting a connection in my area would be with a Verizon Pc card or air card. The only problem with that is the fact that it runs around 80 dollars a month. I just can’t afford that type of cost for Internet service. Reformed on the Web receives no outside support and the cost for web space, etc…, comes from my own pocket.

Therefore until I can find some support or some cheaper method of Internet, then I must put on hold my sites. I hate to do this, but have no other choice. Some could say that I could go to my public library and get on their free Internet in order to maintain my site. It is true I could do this and have done this many a time. I have also gone to McDonald’s and Jack’s Hamburgers where free wi-fi access is available, but who has time to live at the library or a burger joint? Not I. I could also appeal for donations, but I believe that God’s people are in enough strain financially in the economy we live in. Nevertheless if someone feels led to do this, then I would thank God for it.

Anyway I hope and pray to eventually get back to upgrading my site, for I have much material right now that I would like to add, and also to get back to maintaining my blog. I ask everyone to pray for the means to do this.

God bless,

Hershel Lee Harvell Jr.

P. S. From someone who has struggled with dial-up for many years———–People who have Internet access do not know how blessed they are. I wished I had high speed and have prayed for this for many years.

 

Truth above all Else

Peace if possible, truth at all costs.

Martin Luther

We are to Protect wherever the Truth is being Attacked

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Concerning Creeds

A Christian’s creed should enlarge, and not diminish, up to the last utterance of revelation in order that each article might be transmitted into experience. A church with a little creed is a church with a little life. The more divine doctrines a church can agree on, the greater its power, and the wider its usefulness. The fewer its articles of faith, the fewer its bonds of union and compactness.

The modern cry: “Less creed and more liberty,” is a, degeneration from the vertebrate to the jellyfish, and means less unity and less morality, and it means more heresy. Definitive truth does not create heresy – it only exposes and corrects. Shut off the creed and the Christian world would fill up with heresy unsuspected and uncorrected, but none the less deadly.

Very solemnly I would warn the reader against any teaching that decries doctrines, or which would reduce the creed of the church into two or three articles.

B. H. Carroll  Interpretation of the English bible Colossians, Ephesians, Hebrews

Lies Travel Faster

If you want the truth to go round the world you must hire an express train to pull it; but if you want a lie to go round the world. it will fly; it is as light as a feather, and a breath will carry it. It is well said in the old proverb, ‘a lie will go round the world while truth is putting its boots on.

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) Gems from Spurgeon 1859.

 

Seducers have a Sleight to Deceive

Seducers are the devil’s factors; they are of all others the greatest felons that would rob you of the truth. Seducers have silver tongues, that can put off bad wares; they have a sleight to deceive. Eph 4:14. The Greek word there is taken from those that can throw dice, and cast them for the best advantage. So seducers are impostors, they can throw a dice; they can so dissemble and sophisticate the truth, that they can deceive others.

Thomas Watson A Body of Divinity (A Preliminary Discourse to Catechizing)