Human Manipulation In Conversion

(To read this in Spanish click here)



There are few things in life that I delight in more than to see someone come to Christ. It is something that all of God's children enjoy- to meet one more person that has experienced the love of Jesus Christ, and the joy of having your sins forgiven.


On the other hand, there are few things in life that upset me more than to see someone being manipulated into "Christianity".


At the age of sixteen I was manipulated into "accepting" Jesus (in reality I was still at war with Him). I was told that God had great plans for my life, that He wanted to mold me into a great leader, that he was going to fill me with love (all very nice things, but not the Gospel). I was then led to repeat a prayer. After the prayer, the person introduced me to the rest of the group as a new brother in the kingdom of God. Now, this person had good intentions, surely. But good intentions don't save souls. I am aware that many of our friends, and probably you reading this, have used similar techniques to bring others to "Christ", but rest assured that you are doing harm.


The attempt is usually to bring you into this emotional state where you will most likely be prone to make a decision for Christ. I wish to expose some of the obvious flaws in this so called gospel presentation (and techniques) that seeks to manipulate people into making a decision for Christ.

1) It is NO GOSPEL presentation


Paul tells us what the gospel in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4


¹Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ²and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.
 ³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures


In moden so called churches, when there is a "gospel" presentation, there is no mention of Christ dying for sins. Yet, this is exactly what stares us in the face when we see Paul delivering the gospel. But when we compare this gospel to the message found in modern churches, we find Paul's gospel missing. What we find is a pastor who will tell you about a Santa Clause in the sky who is willing to bless you financially if you would so just accept him in your heart (or start coming to church). We find messages on how past relationships have afflicted you, and how God now has a "season" of blessings to give to you. Or, (my personal favorite) how "God needs you, and is broken hearted by you not accepting him into your heart". These may have their place in The Oprah Winfrey network, but they are not the words of scripture.

The gospel answers the most vital question in regards to human existence: How can a holy God look upon a sinner like me, and declare me to be just in His sight? It has nothing to do with financial prosperity, teen heart beak, or God's lack of self esteem. 

2) It Is Dishonest

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor"- Exodus 20:16

Question 144: What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?

Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things: Whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requires; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of: Whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report. - West Minster Larger Catechism Question 144

I've seen it often- where members of a church would invite unbelievers to a "party" to have them visit their church. Or, they'll invite them to a "concert" just to have them attend an event where a Christian artist was invited to play. Such dealings with people are not honest- they are deceitful. I remember my friend admitting to me he did this once, just to have his friends show up with liquor to church. 


Dishonesty is issued when people are guaranteed health in times of sickness. When those with broken marriages are guaranteed matrimonial restoration. The honest truth is that we don't know if said person will be healed. We do not know if said marriage will be restored. The honest truth is that God does whatever He wills. And He does it according to " the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). What we are certain of is that if you repent and place your trust in Jesus you shall be saved and forgiven of your sins.

We ought to be honest with people. I find this to be useful in evangelism. There is no need for quick cheap tricks. 

3) It Doesn't Work

Now, of course, one cannot really be manipulated into Christianity. Christianity is a religion of the heart. And it is God and God alone who can change the heart (Eze 36:26). Even if they can intellectualize some facts about who Jesus is, this does not equal salvation.

The mindset seems to be- that as long as we get them in (through entertainment) we can then give them the gospel later. Two problems with this: 1) The gospel is mostly never given (and if it is- it is never the gospel), 2) Whatever it is you use to draw them to church is what you win them to, and will have to keep doing to keep them there (e.g. entertainment). 


Ask yourself this question: If they were to remove all your entertainment in church, and just give you the preaching of the word- week after week- would you survive, or would you leave? I sometimes wonder how many Christians we would have in America if this was the early church- a church marked by persecution, that did not have all the distractions that we see today.


Conclusion


Sad stories and piano's being played in the back round of an alter-call, might get someone to write their name on a card, but it is not conversion. I as well as many, have had to repent of using these methods. I pray that you would repent of these methods and share this message with others. The good news is that there is a method that God has given us in which He would save souls:


¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.- Romans 1:16

No human manipulation. Just Christ dying for sinners under God's wrath. This is the way God has ordained that sinners be saved. 

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1st Corinthians 1:18




In Christ, Awretchsaved

Book Give-Away For July 2011

First, I want to thank everyone who is a follower of this blog. We have just posted our 100th article since this blog began back in February. If you are blessed by any of our articles feel free to repost them on any social network you are part of. All feedback is highly appreciated. For those of you who came to this blog outside of Facebook, I will post my Facebook URL on the bottom of this post. Feel free to contact me. Now for the good stuff...


This month we are going to be giving away Louis Berkhof's systematic theology book. This book is considered one of the finest systematic theology books to ever be published. Our wish here at the blog is that you would grow in the "knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". Instead of taking that liberal position that "we cannot know", at this blog we believe that God has indeed spoken and thus we CAN know. We believe that God has equipped the church with teachers. These men have dedicated their whole lives to the study of God as He hath revealed Himself in His word. We would be foolish to not take advantage of all the resources that are placed before us. With that said, here are the rules for the book give away.

1. Must live in the U.S or Canada 

2. Become a follower of this blog. You can become a follower of this blog by clicking on the "follow" button on the top left corner.
3) Must answer book give away question correctly.

On July 9th at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, I will post a question on this blog- this will be a biblical question (it can be anything). The first person to answer correctly on the comment section of that post- will have won the book give away. I will then announce the winner on the comment section. We will then interact so I can have your home address to send you the book. Easy as that. See you Saturday, June 9th, at 12:00 PM for the contest.

My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Awretchsaved

In Christ, Awretchsaved

This Is Why I Love Vintage Books...

More George Smeaton:

"THE fact of sin with its vast and far-reaching consequences, of which no finite mind can adequately take the dimensions, is seen from every point of our inquiry. The Humiliation of the incarnate Son was primarily planned in connection with a remedial scheme, and is therefore a provision in the Divine counsels by occasion of sin. They who object, on speculative grounds, to the notion that God ever acts by occasion of anything, and who carry out their theory to the incarnation and its fruits, will find nothing in the Lord’s words to lend countenance to this opinion (Luke 19:10).

The terrible fact of sin is assumed and adequately provided for in the Divine plan which we have to survey. The omniscient God took the full measure of the evil. No created mind was competent even in idea to fathom the guilt of sin or measure its consequences—not to mention our utter inability to expiate the one or reverse the other. The Author of the atonement undertook both; and He alone fully knew what were His own claims as the moral Governor of the universe. To this I refer the rather because many, falling a prey to the excessive subjectivity of modern theories, have lost sight of their relation as responsible subjects to a personal God, and, saturated with a mystic pietism, repose on God merely as a fountain of influences, and not as an authoritative Lawgiver. That is a widely different element from Christ’s teaching. With a vivid sense of the relation in which men stand to the moral Governor, the Biblical doctrine evolves those truths that stand connected with the authority of law and the guilt of disobedience.

a. As to SIN IN ITS OWN NATURE, it implies the Divine Law, and can only be defined as the violation of that law which mankind were under obligation to fulfil. It is either the omission of a duty required—and, in this respect, to come short of love to God with all the heart, with all the soul, with all the strength, and with all the mind, or of love to our neighbour as ourselves, is a sin of omission—or it is the commission of an act which the tenor of the law has forbidden. And there are no sins venial in their own nature. Nay, he who offends in one point is guilty of all; because the mental state from which the disobedience flows argues an inward contrariety to the nature and will of God (Jas. 2:10). The only position which can be laid down as to the criminality of sin is this: the guilt of the offence is proportioned to the greatness, the moral excellence, and glory of Him against whom the offence is committed, and who made us for loyal obedience to Himself. Nothing else therefore comes into consideration in estimating the enormity of sin but the infinite majesty, glory, and claims of Him against whom we sin. Accordingly, the terms used by the Lord to designate sin are noteworthy. He calls it DARKNESS (John 8:12), implying a state of isolation from God, that is an element where God is not. He calls it a TRESPASS (Mark 11:25), implying a violation of law. He terms it a DEBT (Matt. 6:12), involving guilt or liability to punishment. He designates it a LIE (John 8:44), intimating a mental state which either resists or runs counter to divinely-manifested truth.

b. As to the far-reaching CONSEQUENCES OF SIN, these are so manifold and various that they may be said to be the antithesis, or the opposite column, to all the benefits secured to man by Christ’s atonement. It is scarce necessary, therefore, to enumerate the evil effects or consequences of sin; because all that is reversed or annihilated by Christ was entailed on us by sin, was caused by sin. When we trace this contrast and look on the different sides, we win breadth and precision of view. Under the effects of sin we may classify a vast number of bitter evils, such as the forfeiture of our right relation or standing before God; the deterioration of our nature and the entrance of death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal; the departure of the Holy Spirit from the human heart, formed to be His temple; the tyranny of Satan; the gulf formed between men and all holy intelligences, and the like. In a word, whatever is restored by Christ was forfeited by sin."*

This is why I find myself reading more of the older literature from theologians. Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

*Smeaton, G. (2009). The doctrine of the atonement, As taught by Christ Himself (Second Edition) (20–22). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Martyn Lloyd- Jones And Charles Spurgeon

Some may think that I'm off of my rocker but I think Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a better preacher than Spurgeon. Don't get me wrong, Spurgeon was called the "Prince of Preachers"  for a reason; Spurgeon is probably one of the most quoted preachers. Interesting enough I have a hard time reading through the "Prince's" sermons. Perhap's that says more about me than it does about him. When I read Lloyd-Jones's sermons I'm in awe. Maybe I like his style a bit more. Spurgeon was a topical preacher and Lloyd-Jones was a book- by- book kind of preacher.

Both were certainly gifted by God to herald His Word. Both, boldly, proclaimed the Gospel of Christ and defended it from the pulpit. The Lord used both to call many unto Himself and restore others. Both were men of a dying breed. Still I tend to favor the "Doctor." His book "Preaching and Preachers" is one of my favorites and his sermons on the Beatitudes truly impacted me. Now, before some soul accuses me of praising men rather than God, let me quote 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."

Here are some random quotes from Spurgeon:

"Upon no sermon I have ever preached, though God knows I have preached my very soul out, am I able to look back without a measure of shame and confusion of face."

"I wish that I knew how to preach. I have tried to do so for thirty years or so, but I am only now beginning to learn the art."

"I rejoice that Jesus forgives the sins of my sermons"

"If preaching is not a supernatural exercise, it is a useless procedure."

"Ministers who do not aim to cut deep are not worth their salt. God never sent the man who never troubles men’s consciences. Such a man may be an ass treading down the corn, but a reaper he is certainly not."

"My motto is cedo nulli—I yield to none. I have not courted any man’s love; I asked no man to attend my ministry; I preach what I like, and when I like, and as I like." 

"Take care, O preacher, that you do not blunt the word, or try to cover over its edge; for that would be treason to the Lord who made it to be sharp and cutting. There is much about the true gospel which offends, and it should be our desire never to tamper with it, or tone it down, lest we become enemies to the Lord’s truth. Truth which is meant to offend human pride must be stated in its own way, even though seen to produce anger, and annoy self-right-eousness. Doctrine which is cutting and killing must not be concealed or softened down." 

"How many are proclaiming a mutilated gospel, and are not telling “every whit!”

"The Christian minister may keep on, and on, and on with the same theme,—Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus; the same cross, the same crown of thorns, the same bleeding wounds,—from the first time that he enters his pulpit to the last when he lays down his charge; and the people may always say, and he can always feel, that the gospel has the dew of its youth upon it, and is always fresh and ever new."

"There are many points and particulars in which the gospel is offensive to human nature, and revolting to the pride of the creature. It was not intended to please man. How can we attribute such a purpose to God? Why should he devise a gospel to suit the whims of our poor fallen human nature? He intended to save men, but he never intended to gratify their depraved tastes." 

"This is how grace works; it enters the soul, penetrates the heart, saturates the conscience, abides in the memory, affects the affections, gives understanding to the understanding, and imparts real life to the heart, which is the seat of life."

* All Spurgeon's quotes taken from: Exploring the Mind and Heart of the Prince of Preachers: Five-Thousand Illustrations Selected from the Works of Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Some quotes from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

"We live in an age in which we do not hear very much about doctrines, and there are some people who are even foolish enough to say that they do not like them, which seems to me to be a very pathetic and regrettable attitude" (Great Doctrines of the Bible. Kindle Locations 51-53. Kindle Edition.). 

"Lectures or sermons on biblical doctrines were once very common but they have become comparatively uncommon, especially during this century" (Great Doctrines of the Bible. Kindle Locations 53-54. Kindle Edition).

"What do we mean when we talk about a biblical doctrine? The answer is that the Bible is particularly concerned about teaching certain truths, and nothing is more important than that we should grasp that and that we should start with it. The Bible is a book which has a very definite objective. All its teaching is designed to a certain end; it is concerned with putting before us its doctrines, the particular truths which it wants to emphasise and to impress upon the minds of all of us" (Great Doctrines of the Bible. Kindle Locations 56-59. Kindle Edition).


"What, then, is the Bible about?' asks someone. Surely there can be no hesitation about answering that question; the Bible, in its essence, is the grand story of redemption. It is the history of what God has done about men and women as the result of their sin, and everything else that we find in the Bible is, in reality, incidental to that. The Bible is concerned with presenting to us the message of redemption by God and from God, in a way that we can understand and see and believe. So when we talk about biblical doctrines we mean these aspects of redemption which are unfolded to us in the Bible. They are the various truths that we find in the Bible about this great question" (Great Doctrines of the Bible. Kindle Locations 70-74. Kindle Edition).


"Our Lord comments on this: `So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.' That is exactly the same teaching. But does it teach that I am forgiven only because I have forgiven? No, the teaching is, and we have to take this teaching seriously, that if I do not forgive, I am not forgiven. I explain it like this: the man who has seen himself as a guilty, vile sinner before God knows his only hope of heaven is that God has forgiven  

him freely. The man who truly sees and knows and believes that, is one who cannot refuse to forgive another. So the man who does not forgive another does not know forgiveness himself. If my heart has been broken in the presence of God I cannot refuse to forgive; and, therefore, I say to any man who is imagining fondly that his sins are to be forgiven by Christ, though he does not forgive anybody else, Beware, my friend, lest you wake up in eternity and find Him saying to you, `Depart from me; I never knew you.' You are misinterpreting the doctrine, the glorious doctrine of the grace of God. The man who is truly forgiven and knows it, is a man who forgives. That is the meaning of the Sermon on the Mount at this point" (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Kindle Locations 181-185. Kindle Edition).

"I am profoundly convinced that the greatest need of the Church today is a return to expository preaching" ( Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Kindle Locations 27-28. Kindle Edition).

"I do not think it is a harsh judgment to say that the most obvious feature of the life of the Christian Church today is, alas, its superficiality. That judgment is based not only on contemporary observation, but still more on contemporary observation in the light of previous epochs and eras in the life of the Church" (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Kindle Locations 53-55. Kindle Edition).

"Now this particular danger tends chiefly to manifest itself in the matter of the relationship between law and grace. That has always been true in the Church from the very beginning and it is still true today. Some so emphasize the law as to turn the gospel of Jesus Christ with its glorious liberty into nothing but a collection of moral maxims. It is all law to them and there is no grace left. They so talk of the Christian life as something that we have to do in order to make ourselves Christian, that it becomes pure legalism and there is really no grace in it. But let us remember also that it is equally possible so to overemphasize grace at the expense of law as, again, to have something which is not the gospel of the New Testament" (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Kindle Locations 93-94. Kindle Edition

Note the similarities in their preaching. How they both deal with negatives and state the positives. Let me put it this way- how they both point out error to highlight truth. Give me this kind of expositional preaching... any day! I want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Ti 4:1–2). Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,

Fernando

Freedom

"Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."(Jn 8:34–36)


I am very thankful for the freedom of my country. A freedom that I fear most of us take for granted. A freedom that many men have laid down their lives for. A freedom that has been granted to us by our gracious God. However, I must always keep it in perspective. This physical freedom of the United States is only temporary. One day, when the the King returns, their will be no U.S.A. Only the Triune God and His people will remain.

While I am so very thankful for America my allegiance is to Christ. I am Christian before I am American. Think me unpatriotic if you wish but the U.S. could never grant me the freedom that matters the most. That freedom is:  "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (Ro 5:6–11) and "Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."(Jn 8:34–36)


This is the only freedom that ultimately matters and the only freedom that remains for all of eternity. It was won by a vicarious death, victorious resurrection and glorious ascension of the one who accomplished this freedom for His people- none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Our great God and King took it upon Himself  out of His grace, love and mercy to enter the realm of His rebellious and sinful subjects who had broken His commandments and broken His laws. In doing this they incurred His righteous anger against them. Justice must be met. Not only is Christ the King loving, merciful and gracious, He is also thrice holy, righteous and just. So the sovereign King Jesus steps off of His glorious throne and enters the world of His rebellious subjects to keep God's laws perfectly for them and suffer their punishment for breaking them. At the cross His body was broken and blood was shed. He took the wrath of God for us. Not only that but He clothes all that are His (repentant believers)with His righteousness. His perfect obedience is credited to all that are His, which means that believers are viewed as never having committed any sin. Forgiven and declared righteous. This is why we sing Amazing Grace!

Reconciled to God and freed from the bondage to sin. We are freed from the wrath that is to come and from the power and reign of sin. No longer is the Christian's life dominated by unrighteousness and worldliness but now by godliness and holiness. Our lives are no longer aimed at pleasing self but honoring the Christ who accomplished and granted us our freedom. Ephesians 2:1-10 says this: "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:1–10).


Concerning the Beatitudes Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this: "Having considered the people to whom the Sermon on the Mount applies, let us ask ourselves this: Why should we study it? Why should we try to live it? Let me give you a list of answers. The Lord Jesus Christ died to enable us to live the Sermon on the Mount. He died. Why? `That he might ... purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,' says the apostle Paul-the apostle of grace (see Tit. ii. 14). What does he mean? He means that He died in order that I might now live the Sermon on the Mount. He has made this possible for me" (Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount Kindle Locations 186-189 Kindle Edition). 


This is true freedom. The freedom which God bestows on His children. Those that have heard this message "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ"(Ac 20:21) and have responded with repentance from sin and faith in Christ Jesus. Let freedom ring!
"To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen"(1 Ti 1:17). Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

Jesus: The Spring of Living Water

<sup>On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. - John 7:37
There is a universal call Jesus makes to sinners- the call is that "anyone who is thirsty  "should "come to me and drink". He adds that whoever drinks of the water that He gives, "will never be thirsty again" (John 4:14). These sort of invitations using water are also given in the Old Testament (Isaiah 55:1, Jeremiah 31:25). They are invitations to satisfy one's thirst on that which will actually work. Jesus makes this invitation to a woman, face to face.

7</sup> There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹ Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” ¹¹ She *said to Him, “^[Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? ¹² You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” ¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵ The woman *said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” ¹⁶ He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” ¹⁷ The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; ¹⁸ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” ¹⁹ The woman *said to Him, “ Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” ²¹ Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. ²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” ²⁵ The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” ²⁶ Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” ²⁷ At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” ²⁸ So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; - John 4



<sup>Here, Christ tells the woman of a water and that if she drinks of this water she will "thirst no more". The woman wants of this water, and here Christ points to her, her sin. He tells her of her past five husbands and that the one she is living with now (or sleeping with) is not even her husband. It is then shortly afterward that Jesus tells her who He is- The Messiah. The disciples come and wonder why He is speaking to her (as if it was a waste of time). Now, they could have been bothered by this because 1) She is a woman, 2) because she is a Samaritan. Yet, behold the compassion of our Lord with sinners- that does not make distinctions upon race. His elect are from "every nation and tongue" (Revelation 5:9). The woman leaves her water-pot, and goes into the city to speak of someone who "told me all things I have done".

Let us look at one more verse in the old testament:  13</sup> For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.- Jeremiah 2:13


Here, The Lord speaks of the nation of Israel and their fleeing after Idols. He says that Israel has forsaken Him (the spring of living water) and have dug their own cisterns. The digging of their own cisterns is Israel going after idols. These idols cannot do anything for Israel (can hold no water). They are empty, they can give NOTHING to them, they are of no value. Often, we are the same. We run to those things that can offer us nothing. Sin can provide some temporary relief, but after, we are empty and once again we thirst. But, Jesus offers us a water that will satisfy our thirst.

And to close, a commentary by Matthew Henry:

Grace in Christ is compared to water from a fountain, it being cooling and refreshing, cleansing and making fruitful: to living water, because it quickens dead sinners, revives drooping saints, supports and maintains spiritual life, and issues in eternal life, and is ever-flowing. To forsake this Fountain is the first evil; this is done when the people of God neglect his word and ordinances. They hewed them out broken cisterns, that could hold no water. Such are the world, and the things in it; such are the inventions of men when followed and depended on. Let us, with purpose of heart, cleave to the Lord only; whither else shall we go? How prone are we to forego the consolations of the Holy Spirit, for the worthless joys of the enthusiast and hypocrite!  - Matthew Henry

In Christ, Awretchsaved

OF GOD, AGAINST MOLINISM: FIRST CAUSE DICATES ALL SECOND CAUSES

 Genesis 1:1:  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

And so following the account of the creation of all there is extant.

John 1:1-3:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The “all things” here is immediately apparent.

Colossians 1:16-17:  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The context shows this to be Christ, again the “all things” is immediately apparent to those who are regenerate, and even the claim can be recognized, if not accepted, by those profane who believe not the Scriptures. Also, the fact of this is that those things created are “held together;” they cohere, by the will of God in Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Triune God.

Colossians 2:3:  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Again, the context shows this is our Lord Jesus Christ, and these are but some of the “invisible things” created by and for Him. Logic and reason, therefore, have their foundation and basis in God, and do not exist outside of Him; they are a part of His creation, as He precedes all things, being the First Cause, that is, the Creator, of “all things, visible and invisible, in heaven and on earth.”

Hebrews 1:3:  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

The radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature cannot be understood to be a limited exhibition or definition of such, especially since He upholds “all things” (rendered universe in the ESV, but more properly, “all”) by the word of His power, the “all” being that which He created, the “upholding” properly the “moving along.”

Ephesians 1:3-4:  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

2 Timothy 1:9:  who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

Of God this is said, and “before the ages began” is understood as from all eternity, which God, being infinite, did not exist in, but apart from, having created it. This is also the meaning of “before the foundation of the world” in the previous verse – before the world, and time, and man began, reason, logic, good and evil, were fixed in the mind of God, as to who He is, and what they should be, once He created man, in the image of Himself, who failed the test of simple obedience, knowing nothing of these things (refer again to the Genesis account, where Adam was “innocent” without the knowledge of “good and evil” until he purposely sought the devil’s advice to be as God, in complete innocence, yet of the ability to make choices, when wrong choice is shown to be passed onto His progeny throughout history, God showing the perfect man could not save himself without the grace, new birth, and indwelling of God’s own Spirit Himself in that gracious rebirth).

Titus 1:2:  in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.

Again, of God, the promise was made of eternal life to those whom He willed to be “in Christ Jesus,” and the words here “before the ages began” specifically use the word for ages and time together, to show they did not exist before they were created by God.

Soli Deo Gloria - Bill Hier