Is Time closing for salvation.

“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” 2 Corinthians 6:2 

People today are getting worse and worse, time is closing in on us, and people are distancing themselves from God more and more. Just before God flooded the earth and killed every living soul, God gave this warning, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3 The warning today is “…now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” I am fearful that the people of this world are ignoring God’s warning as they did before the flood, God is angry and wrath is coming, why, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5 If God looked upon the earth and saw the greatness of human wickedness thousands of years ago, just imagen what is seen of God on this earth today. As Christians and churches, we are supposed to be working in a partnership with God, “We then, as workers together with him…” 6:1 This does not mean that God has a need of human help, because God is eternally self-contained and needs nothing from no one. But one of God’s blessings to us is that He chose to give us the grace to work with Him, in salvation, teaching His word, and working with other believers in many ways. God said in 1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” This is God’s grace to us, and if we fail to do our part then God will do it a separate way and use someone else. However, we need to understand that God using us is also a gift of grace. The blessing of planting and watering is God’s grace to us, but also God’s commandment to us. The Great Commission to the churches is clear, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19 – 20. The first message the world needs to hear from us is simple, “…now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” Salvation of the lost is getting lost and most of it is our fault. We are, as both churches and Believers losing our fire to preach the gospel to the world, and this is the time it is most urgent. I understand that we live in a time of few salvations, we are simply not seeing many saved. However, this should strengthen our urgency, not make it dwindle. God said, “…I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation…”. I believe, as most believers and churches do also believe, that we are living in the last days. It does not matter what God is doing, God has a right to do as He choses because He is God. However, God gave us a work to do and for us to do that work is a gift of His grace, but are we failing to be receptive of God’s kindness to us and failing in our commission from Jesus Christ? Jesus told us to “go”, and He never told us to stop or even slowdown. The measuring stick of our goal, is not only getting the gospel to the world, but to every lost soul. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 Are we wasting God’s grace and our opportunity for souls to be saved? Can we all, as individual believers and even as churches say what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Are we truly laboring more abundantly than they all?

The Good Black Doctor

 

The Good Black Doctor
Author Unknown

Some years ago, Dr. C. J. Davis, a native of West Indies, familiarly called the "Good Black Doctor," was traveling by train in England. As the train moved along, the black doctor became conscious that an elderly lady sitting opposite was regarding him with marked attention.” What an interesting looking person that is, she at length remarked to her companion.” "What a fine race of people he must belong to! I wonder who he is?" "I think he is an Indian," said the young

"I wish we could speak to him," continued the elder lady; "I long to tell him the way to Heaven. How sad it is that such a fine, intelligent-looking people should bow down to images and stones! What a pity we can't speak to him, for he doesn't seem to understand a word we say." "Perhaps he may be able to read English, if he cannot speak it," suggested the young lady. "You might offer him a tract," said one of the gentlemen. The elder lady opened her bag and from a number selected one, which she presented to him with a smile and a motion to read it. He received the tract, bowed his thanks, and read it in silence.

Having finished reading, he thanked the lady for her interest in his welfare, telling her it was an all important subject to him, adding:

"I heard you say, Madam, you long to tell me the way to Heaven; will you kindly tell me how I may be sure of going there? This tract does not tell me how I may be sure I shall be saved. It tells me to repent of my sins, and to pray, and to confess; but how can I know when I have prayed and repented and confessed enough? Can you tell me plainly how I may be sure of getting to Heaven?

"If you read the Bible and pray," replied the lady, "you will be sure to go to Heaven."

 "Have you a Bible, Madam? And can you tell me where it says that if I read the Bible and pray I shall go to Heaven? I am very anxious to be sure of so important a matter."

She had no Bible in her bag. The other passengers were appealed to for one, but no one carried a Bible with them. At length the black doctor drew the precious Volume from his pocket and holding it out, said, "Is this the Book you mean, Madam? Will you not show me where it tells me just how I may be saved and sure of going to Heaven?"

The lady took the Bible and turning over the leaves confusedly, said, "I do not know exactly where to find what I want to show you, but it says if you repent of your sins and pray earnestly you will be saved." 

"How can I know when I have prayed enough to satisfy God? Can you not find where it tells me that?"

Turning to her companion, she said, "Can you find it?" "No," she answered.

The poor lady asked the others in turn and the Bible was offered to each, with the entreaty that they would point out some portion that told plainly how a sinner was to get to Heaven; but all confessed their inability to recollect where such passages were.

The lady returned the Bible and said, "Well, I cannot find the place, but if you will call upon Mr. _________ when you reach Folkestone, he will tell you. He is a very good man, and he will be happy to direct you."

"But, Madam, we may never reach Folkestone. The train may run off the line, and we may all be killed. I may not live to see Folkestone. Can none of you “Christians” tell a poor foreigner how he may be saved? You are moved with pity for his darkness and ignorance; can you not help him to the light?" "I told you, you must pray," said the lady. "The Bible says so."

He took the Bible, and opening it, read John 3:16. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And John 5:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." Also Acts 13:38,39: "Through this MAN is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things."

 

"Are these the portions you mean, Madam?" he asked.

 

"Yes, that is what I could not remember." "But you told me that I must pray and repent. This precious Book tells me to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and I shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Praise His Name! The poor foreigner can trust that blessed Word, and know he is safe for Heaven—saved through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, finished on the cross. He is happy in knowing he is justified from all things by the blood of Christ shed for sinners, and not by his own good works, prayers, repentance or confession."

Our black friend then proceeded to set forth to his astonished fellow - travelers the love of God in giving His Son to die for sinners, and the love that led the Son to do the will of His Father. He told them how He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

"Stop, sir," said one of the gentlemen angrily. "This is no place for such holding forth. It is neither the time nor the place, sir." "When is the time and where is the place in this Christian(?) land, for a Christian to speak of Christ?" calmly but earnestly asked the doctor.

"Sunday is the time, sir, and the church is the place, but not a railway carriage: This is a very improper place."

"Allow me just one word more," earnestly pleaded the doctor. "We are nearing our journey's end and may never meet again on earth. Let me tell you, on authority of this Book, there is only one way to Heaven. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

"It is a good thing to read your Bible, but if you do not receive the Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him and Him only for salvation, all the praying, repenting, and confessing this side of Heaven will not save you. God has provided a salvation in His beloved Son and He offers it to you as a free gift, not to be asked for, not prayed for, not to be worked for, not for anything that you can do, but just to be received.

"But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." God has offered you a gift, even His own beloved Son. The only right thing you can do is to accept the gift and thank Him for it. The moment you offer the smallest thing, a prayer, a tear, a good resolution, an act of charity, you are refusing the gift and seeking to buy your way into Heaven with things God says are filthy rags. In parting, let me give just one more portion from this blessed Book: "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8, 9

The Good Black Doctor went on his way rejoicing, leaving his would-be teachers to consider the sad consequences of neglecting to learn what GOD HAS SPOKEN.

Reader, have you learned? Do you know you are saved?

Grace is given to us; God has a measure for every believer.

Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

There is no question that God’s grace is a gift, therefore everything God gives us is by grace, and as a gift. Knowing that grace is a gift from God should keep us humble. The Lord tells us “to think soberly” that means to think clear headed and wisely. To think with a humbled heart, not to allow pride and arrogance to destroy us. As Christians we must remember who we are in this life and in our churches. We are sinner whom God graciously redeemed by the blood of His Lamb, and we will die sinners saved by grace. Life is a fight between living godly and sinning. We sometimes forget what sin is, what is classified as sin, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. We must never forget who we were as lost souls, and who we are as redeemed believers in Jesus Christ. We are still sinners, but our sins are hidden in Christ and forgiven before God in Christ. Our goal as Christians is to never sin, and to be as close to being Christ-like as we can. However, we can rest assured that in-Christ we are as pure as pure can be defined. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” 1 John 3:5. God has forgiven every sin we will ever commit, none will not be forgiven. The difference between sinner and non-sinners is grace given to us by God and through Jesus Christ. Everything we are as Christians we are by God’s grace and through Jesus’s blood. What we are as Christians depends on the measure of grace God gives us and the measure of faith God gives us. No Christian can be a good and godly believer until we recognize in our hearts the measure of grace God has given us to accomplish that godliness. However, it expands beyond grace and includes our faith. The Apostle Paul speaks of both grace and faith in 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul wrote that everything he was as a believer he was by God’s grace, the faith here is “but I laboured more abundantly than they all” this is his faith, his Christian life was full of trials and tribulations, but His faith kept him strong. Now notice Paul’s last words here, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul never was filled with pride, but he had a very humbled heart, He gave God all credit by understanding that is was not Him, even though he labored more abundantly than the rest, it was still not him but rather that measure of grace God gave him in faith and strength to accomplish. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 “And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” Paul wrote “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves” why, because we are all just an instrument in the hands of God. Whether it’s our living godly, being a church member, or pastor of a church, we live, we move, and have our being by grace, and all accomplishments are by the measure of our God given faith. Let us always remember these words “to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;”

Grace is given to us; God has a measure for every believer.

 

Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

There is no question that God’s grace is a gift, therefore everything God gives us is by grace, and as a gift. Knowing that grace is a gift from God should keep us humble. The Lord tells us “to think soberly” that means to think clear headed and wisely. To think with a humbled heart, not to allow pride and arrogance to destroy us. As Christians we must remember who we are in this life and in our churches. We are sinner whom God graciously redeemed by the blood of His Lamb, and we will die sinners saved by grace. Life is a fight between living godly and sinning. We sometimes forget what sin is, what is classified as sin, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. We must never forget who we were as lost souls, and who we are as redeemed believers in Jesus Christ. We are still sinners, but our sins are hidden in Christ and forgiven before God in Christ. Our goal as Christians is to never sin, and to be as close to being Christ-like as we can. However, we can rest assured that in-Christ we are as pure as pure can be defined. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” 1 John 3:5. God has forgiven every sin we will ever commit, none will not be forgiven. The difference between sinner and non-sinners is grace given to us by God and through Jesus Christ. Everything we are as Christians we are by God’s grace and through Jesus’s blood. What we are as Christians depends on the measure of grace God gives us and the measure of faith God gives us. No Christian can be a good and godly believer until we recognize in our hearts the measure of grace God has given us to accomplish that godliness. However, it expands beyond grace and includes our faith. The Apostle Paul speaks of both grace and faith in 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul wrote that everything he was as a believer he was by God’s grace, the faith here is “but I laboured more abundantly than they all” this is his faith, his Christian life was full of trials and tribulations, but His faith kept him strong. Now notice Paul’s last words here, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul never was filled with pride, but he had a very humbled heart, He gave God all credit by understanding that is was not Him, even though he labored more abundantly than the rest, it was still not him but rather that measure of grace God gave him in faith and strength to accomplish. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 “And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” Paul wrote “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves” why, because we are all just an instrument in the hands of God. Whether it’s our living godly, being a church member, or pastor of a church, we live, we move, and have our being by grace, and all accomplishments are by the measure of our God given faith. Let us always remember these words “to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;”

Do not seek personal inventions.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”

God created both Adam and Eve upright or "right in His eyes". This is the state that God wants His people, He wants us to hear His voice in the scriptures and obey His command. God did not create Adam and Eve to sin, but He also did not create them immutable. God made them with the ability to sin because it was His ordained will that they fall. Before the foundation of the world God had already elected a remnant of souls to save, God had already ordained a Saviour for this remnant, and God had already given this remnant to His Son, all before He even created the world. John 17:6 It was Adam and Eve that “have sought out many inventions.” Vines defines this, this way (translated "engines," i.e. devices, ways of going astray and deviating from original righteousness.” Apparently, Adam and Eve were not satisfied with what God had given them, because they elected to disobey God by looking beyond what God had blessed them with. Since this event mankind has never obeyed God, even Christians saved by God’s grace disobey God and the reason is we are always looking beyond God “seeking out our own inventions”. We, as mankind and as God’s blessed children have a hard time understanding that obeying God’s commandments delivers blessings. For example, if Adam and Eve had never listened to Satan and sought out their own inventions, they would still be alive, living in the garden and the world would be heaven on earth. But they sinned and God did as He promised, they died spiritually, and started dying physically. Our problem as an offspring of them is we are just like them, always looking beyond the gifts of God. God promised that if we followed His commandments His blessing would follow. Listen to His conversation to Moses about the bitter water, Exodus 15:26 “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” God’s promise, not just to Moses and Israel, but to us also, just stop seeking inventions and follow God’s word to the letter and His blessing are ours. But look at History, God blessed the children of Seth and then this happened, “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”    Genesis 6:2 The “sons of God” were the descendants of Seth, the daughters of men were the descendants of Cain. Once they mixed, we see nothing but sin, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Genesis 6:5,6 Sin delivers punishment, even with Christians we are “chastened, and chastised” by God Himself because of our own inventions. God said, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” James 1:14 and in Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Never look beyond the scripture, never lust, never want more than God gives, and always obey God’s every commandment and God’s blessings are yours. But our flesh sometimes is uncontainable. We always want more and that is what gets us into trouble with the Lord. Adam and Eve wanted more, the sons of God wanted more, the Israelites wanted more, and we as Christian want more. The Apostle Paul wrote these words, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11 Paul said he had to learn, “in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” He is saying, whatever God has given me, in life I am now content. He learned not to push for more, not to seek his own inventions. Always remember these words, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” 2 Corinthians 9:8