Orange Moon "The Impossibility of Salvation"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe...

 

"The Impossibility of Salvation"   

 

       "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:24-26).

 

    The disciples held the standard view of their day.  If a person possessed many material things, he must certainly be favored and blessed by God.  The Lord Jesus Christ countered this notion, declaring that the wealthy would have more trouble than most in becoming citizens of God's kingdom.  This shocked the disciples, who then raised the issue of salvation in the general sense.  The Lord surprised them even more, proclaiming redemption to be a matter of impossibility for all according to human understanding and perceptions. "With men, this is impossible."

 

    "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:19-20).

 

   Even the perfect law of Moses, given by God, could not redeem and justify human hearts.  In fact, such a law actually condemns all who attempt to find salvation by keeping its tenets.  "The letter killeth" (II Corinthians 3:6).  "Impossible!"  This is the message of both the law and the Lord Jesus regarding human ways and means to enter into the family of God.  

 

    Thankfully, of course, the consideration does not end with such futility.  "With God all things are possible" declared the Savior.  "The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ" echoed the Apostle Paul, who before coming to Christ sought more than any other to achieve righteousness by the law's tenets and rituals (Galatians 2:24; Philippians 3:1-6).  Human impossibility leads to Divine certainty for all who humbly accept their complete inability to justify and make themselves worthy of God's favor.  "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5).  Only those who realize the utter futility of our own works forging a key to Heaven's door can freely discover the gates of glory flung open wide by the grace of the Savior's sacrifice on our behalf.  "Through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18).

 

    Can the rich be saved?  Impossible!  Can the poor be saved? Just as impossible!  No one can be saved according to the standard mode of human pride and self-affirmation.  This is the humbling message of the Gospel of Christ to every heart.  For those who acknowledge the shattering truth, the Gospel then shines its light of grace on "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8).  God does completely for us what we could never do for ourselves.  Completely!  "By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.  It is the gift of God, and not of works, lest any man should boast… For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 10:14).  

 

    Wondrously, the impossible bows before the accomplished, the assured, the guaranteed, and the freely given grace of the Lord Jesus for all who join the hymnwriter in his joyous exultation, "Nothing in my hands I bring.  Only to Thy cross I cling!"  This is truth, stark and hard truth to the pride of humanity.  To the broken, humble, and trusting heart, however, this the most blessed of all truths, given freely by the most blessed of all Beings.  Yes, God has obliterated the door of impossibility that barred us from His eternal presence and glory.  Through Christ and His suffering sacrifice, He has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.  Let us then avail ourselves of the access made possible by the agony.  And let us unabashedly proclaim the gift so breathtakingly free to human hearts because no other possibility exists for finding our way to God.

 

Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way."

(John 14:6)

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, and having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith."

(Hebrews 10:19-22)

 

Weekly Memory Verse

    "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."

(Psalm 145:9)

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6136

 

 

Orange Moon "Teach Us To Pray"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe...

 

"Teach Us To Pray"   

 

    What things happen because we have prayed about them?  What things do not happen because we have not prayed about them? We do not fully know. However, we must realize and grow in the awareness of our privileged responsibility to communicate with God about the fulfillment of His eternal purposes in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10).

 

    The prayers of born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ arise to the the throne of Heaven as a vital component of the outworking of His will. Our Heavenly Father both acts and refrains from acting in response to our requests. "I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice and my supplications... Ye have not because ye ask not" (Psalm 116:1; James 4:2). Our first response to such truth must first be stunned bewilderment that mere creatures such as ourselves have so significant a role in His purposes. How could an almighty Being confer such a calling on those prone to forgetfulness, neglect, and even willful departure from our callings? Indeed, if asked about their life of prayer, even the most devout believers among us will shake their heads and confess how far they have to go in availing themselves of so precious a gift, and in fulfilling so important a responsibility. How then does God work out so much of His will through our prayers?

Much of the answer remains ever hidden in the wonders of our Lord's wisdom and way. The heart of prayer does not emphasize the ones praying, but rather the One answering our prayers. Too many considerations of prayer focus on our calling and responsibility. Certainly, a place exists for such pondering of the path to which our Heavenly Father beckons us. However, our best praying always proceeds from focusing on the One to whom we pray, and the One who leads and enables us to pray effectually and fervently. Just as our faith flows primarily from gazing upon God's faithfulness, so prayer rides upon the wings of realizing His desire and even delight in communion with us, and that He graces us with participation in the fulfillment of His purposes. "In Thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:9).

"Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). The disciples of the Lord Jesus voiced the wisest of prayers in their request for His guidance regarding the wonder of communion with God. We do well to join them in the request throughout the days of our earthly lives. The infinite, almighty Creator of all things calls us to commune with Him. He also confers upon us the privileged responsibility of serving as a prayerful participant with Him regarding His glorious purposes. Overwhelmed wonder must descend upon us as we descend to the knees of our hearts in prayer. Such amazement will always best place us in the frame of heart and mind that leads us to pray effectually, fervently, and most of all, in the grateful love that flows from our Father's gracious love whereby He delights in us, and works through us.

"The prayer of the upright is His delight."

(Proverbs 15:8)

"Ask and ye shall receive" (John 16:24).

 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (I Timothy 2:1).

 

Weekly Memory Verse

    "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."

(Psalm 145:9)

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6135

 

Orange Moon "Warning Every Man"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe...

 

"Warning Every Man"   

 

    God is wondrously kind, merciful, gracious, loving, and desirous to bless His creation.  "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 145:9).  He will not, however, be played for a fool, nor does He suffer fools gladly.      

 

    "Turn you at My reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded, but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof" (Proverbs 1:23-30).

 

   An accurate understanding and portrayal of the God of Scripture must include a proper fear regarding those who will not receive His grace, along with a proper fear by His trusting children of His disciplinary chastening and scourging (Psalm 9:20; Hebrews 12:6).  Certainly, we would not want to hold any other perspective of Him.  We could not begin to respect a Lord who tolerated evil, or who failed to act in accordance with the best interests of His glory, His creation, and His trusting children in Christ.  Thus, our sharing of the Gospel includes not only joyful affirmation of God's promises, but also solemn warning to those who will not respond to Him in faith and submission.

 

    "Christ… whom we preach, warning every man" (Colossians 1:27; 28).

 

     As one writer suggested, "God is not the kindly old grandfather who just wants all the children to be happy."  Again, we cannot begin to fathom the goodness of His loving heart and its desire to redeem and fill our hearts with His joy.  However, our Heavenly Father does not bestow grace at the expense of His holy integrity.  We either come to Him in the way through Christ He made for us, and with a reciprocal attitude of humility, repentance, faith, and devotion, or we do not come at all.  As the Apostle Paul declared, "Be not deceived.  God is not mocked" (Galatians 6:7).  Indeed, the Lord of grace and the Lord of holiness are one and the same.  He bestows grace in a manner that correlates with His holiness, and His holiness administers the abundant dispensing of His grace. We do well to remember both aspects of His perfect character, and to rejoice that both guide Him in relationship toward all, and toward ourselves.

 

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… of knowledge."

(Psalm 111: Proverbs 1:7).

 

Weekly Memory Verse

   "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."

(Psalm 145:9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6134