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HOW TO BE SURE YOU ARE GENUINELY SAVED Part 4

May 7, 2012 by Pastor James 0 Comments

To determine the genuineness of one’s faith in Jesus Christ, you must turn to the Bible and examine the objective biblical evidence that identifies authentic salvation. In the Book of 1 John, the Apostle John gave a list of spiritual character traits of biblical salvation. The third characteristic of the genuinely saved is a lifestyle of obedience to the Word of God (1 John 2:3-6). In fact, the lifestyle of the believer should reflect the obedient life of Jesus (2:6). In His incarnation among men, Jesus was the model of perfect obedience to God the Father (Heb 4:15). He never once violated the Word of God. Without a doubt, Christians are not perfect like Jesus, for we commit acts of sin. However the believer’s life will be characterized by an ongoing pattern of obedience to the Word of God. There will be an ongoing desire to please the Lord (Col 1:10).

Here is the difference between a Christian and non-Christian, a person genuinely saved will repent of their sin (1 John 1:5-10), and again seek to live in obedience to the Word of God. The true believer will never perfectly obey the Word of God, but his life will be characterized by an ongoing pattern of obedience (1John 2:3,5). In contrast, the non-Christian’s lifestyle will be characterized by ongoing disobedience to God’s Word. The unregenerate individual does not genuinely concern himself with living in obedience to the Word of God.

The truth is many people believe themselves to be a Christian, but in reality they do not routinely obey the Lord to keep His word or to do His will, thus betraying their unregenerate condition (Matt 7:21-22; Luke 6:46). A note of clarification, people are not saved because they seek to obey the Lord by keeping a list of do’s and don’ts, but genuinely saved people will seek to live in obedience to the Lord.

The Apostle John’s point is those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and yet do not live in ongoing obedience to the commands of the Lord (1 John 2:4) are lost. He stated that they are liars and do not possess saving faith. American churches and society are full of individuals who adamantly profess faith in Jesus Christ yet their lives are not characterized by an ongoing pattern of obedience to God. Once more, those who know the Lord will seek to live in obedience to His Word (2:5). The Lord Jesus stated “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine…” (John 8:31b).

For your own sake, honestly evaluate yourself to see if there is an ongoing pattern of obedience to the Word of God in your life. Ask yourself the question, ‘Is there a pattern of ongoing obedience to the Word of God in my life?’ Many who profess to be a Christian and yet their life is not characterized by an ongoing obedience to the Word of God are self-deceived and lost. Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service– yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote—“ (Isaiah 29:13 CSB).

“To believe in Christ is to obey Him.  Not to believe in Him is to disobey Him”.  (by Steven J. Lawson). 

 

Read Part 1 of this series HERE

Read Part 2 of this series HERE

Read Part 3 of this series HERE

 

American Christianity, Examine Yourself, Teachings for the Believer, Truth
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Longview Bible Conference

April 29, 2012 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

Plan ahead!  On May 10th New Life Baptist Church will kick-off a Bible conference featuring David Miller.  If you have never heard him preach, you are missing out!  He delivers thoroughly prepared, biblically sound messages aimed at bringing out the full meaning of a passage. These sermons will not be of the self-help variety nor will they qualify as spiritual pep-talks.  Instead, these messages will be rich travels through Holy Scripture, gleaning every morsel of truth from God’s inerrant word.  If there is one thing we can guarantee, it is that you will learn and be challenged.  The conference will be held at  New Life Baptist Church, 3001 W. Hawkins Pkwy at 6:30 pm every evening for three evenings, starting on Thursday May 10th with the fourth and final session being held Sunday morning May 13th at 10:45.  We will see you there!

 
“One of the most powerful preachers I know is a man by the name of David Miller”        —Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
 
Teachings for the Believer, Truth
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Many Are Decieved

April 4, 2012 by Pastor James 1 Comment

A friend sent me this quote from John Owen’s book, ‘Spiritual-Mindedness’. John Owen lived and ministered in the 17th century and yet this quote is spot on concerning many in the church of the 21st century. American churches are full of individuals fitting Owen’s discerning description.

 ”Many greatly deceive themselves when hearing the Word preached. They agree with the holy truths in their understanding and assent to them as good ‘ideas’. But these truths are not allowed to impress themselves on their consciences nor to judge their present state and condition before God. They think they believe, but in reality they do not. They hear, understand, assent to, and often approve of the things preached, but still they do not believe them so that the truth rules in their hearts. If they really believed the truth as they say they do, then they would judge themselves in the light of it. They are like a man who looks at himself in a mirror, and then goes away and immediately forgets what he has just seen (James 1:23-24). They hear the Word and agree with it, but their minds are so filled with other interests that they soon forget what they have heard.” —, John Owen

 John 8:31 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine…”

 Does this describe you? Is your life ruled by the Word of God?

American Christianity, Examine Yourself, Teachings for the Believer, Truth
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New Feature… Audio Sermons!

June 27, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

Good news!  We have added a page of mp3 sermons so you can access various teachings online.  These sermons are from New Life Baptist Church here in Longview, as well as other locations both local and national.  Please understand, listening to a sermon online does not replace the “gathering of yourselves together” in the local church every week!  Instead, it is offered so as to provide solid spiritual food that you may chew on throughout the week.  Check out this great new resource by clicking HERE now!

American Christianity, Teachings for the Believer
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What do you think the Gospel is?

May 26, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

American Christianity, Teachings for the Believer
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The True Nature of Rob Bell’s Teachings

May 2, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

I came across this short and to-the point teaching from John MacArthur today and thought it worthy of sharing.  The subject?  Rob Bell and his “Love Wins” theology that is sweeping through the land.  As usual, MacArthur brings Scripture to bear on the subject instead of emotion, opinion or philosophy.  Take a look…

No one in all the Scriptures had more to say about hell than Jesus. No stern messenger of doom from the era of the Judges, no fiery Old Testament prophet, no writer of imprecatory psalms, and no impassioned apostle (including the Boanerges brothers)—not even all of them combined—mentioned hell more frequently or described it in more terrifying terms than Jesus.

And the hell Jesus spoke of was not merely some earthly ordeal, some sour state of mind, or some temporary purgatorial prison. Jesus described hell as a “place of torment” in the afterlife (Luke 16:28)—a place of “unquenchable fire” (Mark 9:43), “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (v. 48). It is a “place [where] there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30)—a place of “eternal punishment” (v. 46).

Rob Bell is clearly unhappy with Jesus’ teaching about hell. He finds the very idea of hell morally repugnant and believes it is one of the main reasons “why lots of people want nothing to do with the Christian faith.” He scoffs at the idea that divine justice requires endless punishment for unrepentant sinners. In direct opposition to what Jesus Himself taught in Matthew 25:46, Bell insinuates that it would be a gross, cosmic atrocity if the doom of the reprobate is everlasting in the same sense that heaven’s blessings for the redeemed are everlasting.

Bell’s notion of sin seems to be that its main evil consists in the hurt it causes to the sinner rather than the offense it causes to a righteous and almighty God. His concept of “justice” makes the punishment of sin wholly optional. His idea of mercy falsely holds forth a false promise of automatic leniency and a second chance after death to people already inclined to take divine clemency for granted anyway.

Rob Bell’s god is clearly no one to be feared.

That all stands in direct and deliberate contradiction to everything Jesus ever taught about sin, righteousness, and judgment.

By thus pitting his own ideas against Jesus’ message, Bell makes it inescapably clear that he “advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. 1 Timothy 6:3). He is wrong—seriously wrong—heretically wrong—to question the justice of God and to hold out false hope to unbelievers. He is, as we have seen from the start of this series, a textbook example of the false teacher who secretly introduces destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1).

That must be said plainly and emphatically.

Just how serious is Rob Bell’s heresy? It is not merely that he rejects what Jesus taught about hell; Bell rejects the God of Scripture. He deplores the idea Read more…

American Christianity, Teachings for the Believer
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Do you have an Accurate Testimony?

April 25, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

So much teaching about evangelism these days focuses on “sharing our testimony” as if the fact we as Christians live better lives will somehow save people from sin, death and the devil.  It won’t.  Our new & improved life, sense of purpose and accomplishment, along with freedom from addictions is NOT the Gospel.  A good therapist, exciting career or the Mormon church can provide all these things, and send people to Hell in the process.  So now you think I am going to tell you to avoid sharing your testimony and simply preach the Gospel, right?  Wrong.

Sharing your testimony (how you came to Christ) is a great idea, but make sure it is accurate.  It cannot simply be filled with your emotions and the results of your salvation.  Why not?  That isn’t accurate!!  That isn’t how you came to know Christ!  Everyone who is truly saved has repented of their sins, believed the Bible’s teachings about Jesus Christ, and trusted in His work on the Cross to pay for their crimes against God.  This is how you became a Christian.  So when sharing your testimony, make sure it is accurate by including these things.  Of course, it is impossible to explain how you repented without explaining how you knew what you needed to repent from.  So, you must explain how you became aware of what sin is and the punishment it carries (the Ten Commandments are a nice summary you could use for this).  You can’t tell someone how you believed without telling them what you believe, so share how you learned who Christ is according to the Bible (sinless Son of God, God in the flesh).  And you can’t explain your trust without also explaining what you trust Christ  has done (paying for your sins on the Cross and giving you a righteous standing before God).  This is the truth about how you became a Christian, so if you are sharing your testimony, it has to be included.  If it isn’t, than you aren’t truly sharing your testimony, are you?

Changed lives are great.  I thank God that He changed mine.  But a changed life will save nobody (not even me).  If you don’t give an accurate testimony, all you have done is given somebody a feel-good story that leaves them still headed to Hell, the same place they were headed before you even met them.  By all means, share your testimony…just make sure it is accurate!

Teachings for the Believer
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Missing Leviticus?

April 13, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

Right now, I am in the middle of a fairly thorough study of the book of Leviticus. While it is not my intention to post a 500 page discourse on this book, I would like to give you a brief fly-over of what, so far, has been the most striking impression thus far. Sinful man trying to approach a Holy God is a big deal. A really big deal! This book deals with the sacrifices and rituals necessary when man approaches God (in Old Testament times), and while many tend to go into a glassy-eyed daze as they read all the ritualistic details, we should pause for a moment to ask an important question; Why all the blood?

This book is filled with details of the sacrifices necessary so that man may be in legal right-standing with God, and these details are bloody. Slaughter this animal, splash blood here, slaughter another animal and splash blood there. Put the animal’s blood on your ear, your hand and on your foot. Burn the flesh… cut out the entrails… burn the body outside the city. Wow! I won’t go into all the symbolism here (this is just a fly-over, after all), but even from high altitude, we can see that it took a lot of blood and death to set the things right that sin had twisted. Rest assured there was no doubt in those coming to the Lord for forgiveness that to do so was a very serious affair indeed. Contrary to popular modern teachings, they knew it is not good deeds that made them right with God, nor even a genuine desire to fellowship with Him. God is Holy, that is, set apart in power and righteousness unable to allow sin into His presence. He is in a category by Himself, unapproachable without the cleansing that the Law dictates, and that is blood and death to pay for sin. So what did all that blood do? While it was a bloody and graphic reminder of the severity of sin, and the holiness of the God they were approaching, it was also a symbol of the Christ who was to come. Those approaching God for forgiveness were demonstrating their faith in a savior who would atone for their sins in the future in the same way we believers now grasp, through faith, Christ’s atoning death in the past.

I suggest to you that many a modern Christian has neglected this book of the Bible, probably due to the lengthy and tedious details of a sacrificial system long since replaced. But it is the tedious details, the bloodletting, and the carnage that speaks to the seriousness of sin and to the holiness of the Lord. The basic flavor of this book, even at fly-over height, soundly condemns the casual attitude so many Christians and even Churches have toward sin, atonement, and how they approach the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. May I encourage you not to neglect this book? Even if you read through it quickly, take some time to think of what is actually going on here. Our God does not change, nor has He become complacent toward sin. It is humbling to read this and to realize that a sinful creature such as I has been made right with God, not through the blood of goats, but through the divine blood and slaughter of Jesus Christ. I will conclude this article with two passages from the tenth chapter of Hebrews:

 1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 19

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. – Hebrews 10:19-23

Teachings for the Believer
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Reformed Baptist is What?

April 12, 2011 by ChurchSalt 7 Comments

As this website is an outreach of New Life Baptist church (which can be described as a church of Reformed persuasion), we thought it might be a good idea to give a brief description as to the beliefs of a Reformed Baptist church.  A Baptist church that describes itself as reformed is sure to adhere to these Biblical truths:

Sola Fide – Those being redeemed are justified through faith in Christ alone, not works.

Sola Gratia – Salvation is by God’s grace alone, not man’s merit.

Sola Scriptura – The Bible is the only basis for faith and practice.

Solus Christos – Salvation comes exclusively through Christ and His work alone.

Soli Deo Gloria – God alone receives the glory for the salvation of sinful men.

The Reformed Baptist faith holds to the same beliefs as the historic Baptist faith, which is far different from many Baptist churches in these modern days.  In short, we have a lot in common with C.H. Spurgeon preaching Christ crucified for our sins, but not much at all in common with Rick Warren preaching that Jesus came to “give us another chance”, which contradicts the Biblical teaching that He came to rescue us.  Our beliefs can be explored more thoroughly by reading through the 1689 Confession of Faith (click HERE to view).  However, before you browse the beliefs contained in the confession let us clearly state one thing:  We believe these things because we have found Scripture to clearly teach them.  We do not hold creeds to be some high and lofty thing of themselves, and to be valued above Scripture; they are simply a summary of teachings that are found in Scripture, and Scripture truly is a high and lofty thing!

American Christianity, Teachings for the Believer
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