Great message as we roll into the end of the year. Paul also had a few words about the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15. And Romans 1:16-17. And Manfred is right….” concept of Scripture not ever contradicting itself” Is huge and is often revealed as one uses context well.
Category: Confessions and Catechisms
Efficacious Faith vs. Man-made Faith
Thanks Mike this is a pretty deep topic. I wish in my own sphere I had fellow believers who could dialogue on points like this. Unfortunately at my church I can’t name one person I could rationally discuss the ideas with.
Years ago I did some study of Dr. S. Lewis Johnson’s sermons and among them he had some good teaching on the topic which is still available.
https://sljinstitute.net/johannine-theology/efficacious-grace-of-the-drawing-of-the-given/
by Mike Ratliff
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.” John 4:13-14 (NASB)
Efficacious adj. producing the desired effect – from The Oxford New Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus Third Edition.
Christian faith has appeared to many an easy thing; nay, not a few even reckon it among the social virtues, as it were; and this they do because they have not made proof of it experimentally, and have never tasted of what efficacy it is. For it is not possible for any man to write well about it, or to understand well what is rightly written, who has not at some time tasted of its…
View original post 1,491 more words
What is the Offense of the Cross?
Mike makes a great point here!
“The Gospel, when preached correctly, as obviously Paul did, uses the Law to show people the dire need of a Saviour and then He gave them the Good News, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, which included the Offense of the Cross. Those who wanted their own way, not THE WAY, were scandalized by it, turned from it to their ruin. On the other hand, those broken by it, regenerated, reborn by it, by God’s grace, turned in repentance to Christ as Lord and Saviour and by Grace through Faith were saved. Nothing has changed. This same Gospel saves today. So, why aren’t we preaching it?”
by Mike Ratliff
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written,
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” Romans 9:30-33 (NASB)
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ must always be offensive to the unregenerate. It is that offense that makes it clear to people that they have nothing with which to bargain with God. They are sinners lost with nothing to offer the one condemning them. The Gospel, the real Gospel preached with the Law…
View original post 1,163 more words
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening
For 2022 I’m thinking about following Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening mediations. I’ve dabbled in Spurgeon but never committed to a full reflective reading. On the direct Bible reading side, it’s been a bit of a struggle keeping up with the 5 Day Bible Reading Program, but my wife and I have been faithful, listening to… Continue reading Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening
Rainbow Trout 