Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: love

  • Kaph

    Kaph

    What does it mean to be saved? (What is salvation?)

     The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

    And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

    Light has dawned.” – Matthew 4:16 NKJV (quoting Isaiah 9:2)

    Luke 3:6 KJV And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

    Psalm 119

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

    Kaph

    81 My soul longs for your salvation;
    I hope in your word.
    82 My eyes long for your promise;
    I ask, “When will you comfort me?”

    The word salvation occurs 164 times in the KJV of the Bible. Do you realize the importance of your salvation in Christ Jesus?

    In the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) salvation of God is hoped for and anticipated in the Person of the Messiah. It is a time of darkness and sin into which Jesus was born as a Son of Man in a manger in Bethlehem and sacrificed for our sins on a Cross in Jerusalem. Jesus IS our salvation.

    A thousand years before Christ, when David and Solomon ruled as Kings of Israel, the Law of God and His statutes were the present hope of Israel. The true hope of Israel was born in Christ Jesus, prophesied and predicted in the Psalms and by many Prophets during and following the fall of the earthly Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

    83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
    yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
    84 How long must your servant endure?
    When will you judge those who persecute me?

    85 The insolent have dug pitfalls for me;
    they do not live according to your law.
    86 All your commandments are sure;
    they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
    87 They have almost made an end of me on earth,
    but I have not forsaken your precepts.

    88 In your steadfast love give me life,
    that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

    Even unbelievers know a portion of salvation:

    John 3:16-19

    16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 

    He has not saved our life for ourselves, but for His own glory.

    Jesus IS Lord and Savior.

    Into the world is born a Messiah, prophesied by John the Baptist, prophesied by his father, Zechariah, the high priest of God:

    Luke 1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
    77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
    78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
    79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

  • Waw

    Waw

    Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

    Waw

    41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise;
    42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
    for I trust in your word.

    Ah, what sweet words are these; to have the steadfast love of the Lord.

    What man of flesh is steadfast in his (or her) love for you? Do any compare to the unfailing love of Christ Jesus?

    In the KJV: VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

    Thy mercies… even thy salvation. Some versions translate: ‘your unfailing love,’ your lovingkindnesses.

    Couldn’t we all use a little more of those embracing emotions of God’s steadfast love? And how well we know our salvation is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

    Our God is a merciful God, our Lord our salvation of his steadfast love.

    43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
    for my hope is in your rules.
    44 I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever,
    45 and I shall walk in a wide place,
    for I have sought your precepts.

    And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. – KJV

    46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
    and shall not be put to shame,
    47 for I find my delight in your commandments,
    which I love.
    48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
    and I will meditate on your statutes.

  • Are you Christ’s? Or are you NOT?

    Are you Christ’s? Or are you NOT?

    Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJV 

    4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

    Going forward, do we backslide?

    This question of our christian life, as witnessed by the church and especially others is most serious.

    What does it mean that we “were once enlightened?” Do you, fellow believer have the saving knowledge of the cross of Christ Jesus? If so, you are also enlightened.

    Have you been offered the heavenly gift of grace, forgiveness from your sins of the past? Have you tasted the good word of your redemption in Jesus Christ as your Lord IF you follow Him? Do you follow OR did you just hear of it once or more?

    Here is the point of the sharpened word (in verse 6): IF you or any fall away, it is a most serious matter of your salvation. You do NOT have salvation and eternal life (you cannot lose it, IF you have it) if by not ‘following’ Christ you actually sin against the Cross of Christ by your worldly unrepentant actions.

    Yes, christians are NOT covered by the grace of Christ’s cross IF we will not repent of our former lives of sin and turn back from our worldly ways of the flesh. Die to the flesh and live as Christ! Christ Jesus must be our Lord. We must be obedient to Jesus as our personal Lord. (It is not enough to just say that we are christians, while in fact we witness against His Holy Sacrifice on the Cross.)

    Repentance of such christians is a most serious matter for Christ’s church; for an unbeliever might be persuaded that your unholy life is one acceptable at the judgment seat where He will say to these, “I never knew you.”

    Let us, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, look to the context of this important teaching for us as we look forward into a new year (and hopefully not backward onto our sinful nature, before our commitment to follow Christ Jesus as our Lord) – personally, and in every aspect of our lives.

    Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.

    Do you, unrepentant christian sinner, sit in church week by week as a kindergartner who ought to be held back?

    Is your desire to learn the doctrine of Christ so immature that your daily life is constant witness to a grace without foundation?

    Christ’s church, His bride for whom He will return, is His constant love. Christians have a relationship of love – a constant and loving relationship with Jesus, the Groom and our Lord. And as members of His perfect royal family, Christians have constant and loving relationships with one another – this is the doctrine of His love – this is the maturity of our witness.

    This is the essence of our vow and witness: Jesus IS Lord.

    4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

    How are you ‘celebrating’ this New Year?

    Are you Christ’s? OR are you NOT?

    Happy New Year OR Blessed New Year (as our Lord would say in the Beatitudes: blessed are you).