Jesus Christ Is The Vine, We Are The Branches

"I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

(John 15: 1-8)

ALL CHILDREN OF GOD MUST BEAR FRUIT FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

Christ's Humility And His Eventual Exaltation Above All Creation

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality
with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-
even death on the cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
(Philippians 2:5-11)


When the Lord returns to earth and at the judgment day, everybody- saved and unsaved and even Satan and his minions, will be required to kneel down and bow before the King of kings and the Lord of lords- Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega. He left this world in shame and dishonor. He will return to this world in triumphant power, glory and honor together with the entire angelic host to judge the living and the dead. Only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will enjoy eternal bliss with Him in heaven. All those whose names are not written in the Book of Life shall be cast to the lake of fire to suffer eternal death and damnation with Satan and his minions.

WHEN THE LORD COMES, WILL HE FIND US FAITHFUL?

Above All

Jesus Christ - The Light Of The World, The Savior Of Mankind

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

"He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

"The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

(John 1:1-5; 11-14)

Salvation - Part Eight

Is It Salvation Through Good Works Or Salvation By Grace
Through Faith In Jesus Christ? (First Installment)


Before we use the word of God as argument to bolster the authenticity of which prescription for salvation is true, let us use first logic or reasoning.

Question # 1 - If man can really save himself through good works, then why did the Father have to send His only begotten Son to die an excruciating and humiliating death on the cross? Why did He not just give prescriptions for good works to be able to attain salvation like all the religions in the world?

Answer # 1 - Because man does not have the capacity to save himself. He is born under the state of depravity as a result of the fall of the first man- Adam. God's curses against Adam and Adam's loss of his divine birthright were handed down to all mankind and to all generations to come. Thus, without the saving grace and mercy of God through the death of Jesus Christ, man will never be able to pay his own price for salvation.


Question # 2 - But wait, did not God give the Ten Commandments and other laws and decrees as the very prescription for man's salvation?

Answer # 2 - God gave the Ten Commandments and other laws and decrees to guide the Israelites to norms of righteousness as God's chosen people. This was the First Covenant of God to the chosen people of Israel. Aside from these laws, He also sent prophets to guide them to moral paths of righteousness. But no one was able to fully obey the laws. God gave man these laws to show him the futility of striving for his own salvation without the grace and mercy of God. Jesus Christ is the end of all the laws and commandments and everything that were written in the Old Testament and is the very embodiment of the Second Covenant of Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ.


Question # 3 - If salvation is attained through good works, what good works merited the thief that was crucified together with Jesus and another thief on the cross to attain salvation as promised by Jesus Christ before He died?

Answer # 3 - Remember, all the people at the scene of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ were mocking and taunting Him except for His mother and followers and except for one other man. One thief, crucified with another thief and Jesus, also joined in insulting and mocking Jesus Christ. The other thief saw the grave injustice done to Jesus and turned to Him and asked that he be remembered when Jesus entered His kingdom. This in effect was an acknowledgment of Jesus Lordship over him and his belief in the words of Jesus. And to show that salvation is by grace through faith in Him, Jesus said that he would be with Him that day in Paradise.

That is the essence of divine grace. It is unmerited favor given by a magnanimous giver (Jesus Christ) to an unworthy recipient (the believing thief). The only condition is belief (or faith) in Jesus Christ which the thief did.

Salvation - Part Seven (Transformation- The Fruit And Evidence Of True Salvation)

Transformation - The Fruit and Evidence of True Salvation


As salvation is the door to heaven where we enter, transformation is the passageway, the very threshold to the majestic throne of God where we behold His glorious presence.

Transformation is not the work of man, although his cooperation is very much required. It is the handy work of the Holy Spirit in the realization of God's intentions for all His children to be transformed from glory to glory until they reach the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus Christ.

Are all men children of God? No, all men are creatures of God, but only those "who received Him (Jesus Christ), to those who believe in His name , He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12).

They become adopted sons of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God. That means they enjoy the same privileges and rights as the natural or only begotten Son of God.

Only Jesus Christ is acceptable to the Father. Remember, "He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him." Man cannot enter the kingdom of God by any other way except through Jesus Christ.

Man cannot develop his own kind of righteousness and expect the Father to recognize his own vainglorious efforts. That is a direct insult to the Father and an affront to the Son. Only the righteousness of Jesus Christ, imputed on the true Christian upon his born again experience, and further developed and perfected by the Holy Spirit through pious acts and good works in the name of Jesus Christ by the renewed Christian, is acceptable to the Father.

As a person confesses his sins to God and allows all his sins to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus, not only are his sins forgiven (how many and abominable they may be), but they are totally wiped clean, erased as though they never existed at all. And Jesus Christ's righteousness and holiness are imputed on the regenerated Christian as he becomes justified before the Father.

The proof of this is the unfolding of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in him- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. (Galatians 5:22-23). The born again Christian does not develop these traits on his own, but they unfold in him through the works of the Holy Spirit, as he abide by the will of God and walk in His ways.

Then, he truly becomes the light of the world and the salt of the earth, a conduit (or purified vessel) of God's amazing grace and unfailing love and mercy to all mankind.

As The Deer

Salvation - Part Six

Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with our heart that we believe and are justified; and it is with our mouth that we confess and are saved."

According to this verse, there are two elements that assure our salvation:
1. Confession with our mouth (that means oral or vocal affirmation) that Jesus is Lord.
2. Believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead.

For us to have the born again experience in our lives, we must orally say the prayer of acceptance that we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

This we do to proclaim to the heavenly realms where our true allegiance is. To orally proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is to disown the lord of this world- the devil.

Failure to do this means we are tacitly proclaiming that we owe our allegiance to the lord of this world by default.

Orally reciting the prayer of acceptance will be meaningless if this is not accompanied by a sincere repentance in our hearts and the strong faith in the promise of eternal life by the Lord as evidenced by His resurrection from the dead.

Without these two elements, there can be no genuine born again experience wherein the Holy Spirit will overshadow us and enliven our long dead and dormant spirit, to be awakened to the glorious realities of God's wonderful plans for us that includes enjoying eternal life with Him.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved- you and your household." (Acts 16:31)

"ALL WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."


I Give You My Heart - Hillsong

Salvation - Part Five

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boasts."


The difference between the idea of salvation for Born Again Christians as against other religions in the world, including Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox church, is that, these religions prescribe certain sets of moral precepts and code of conducts for their followers to observe to be able to attain salvation.

In their eyes, God is like the perfect Accountant that balances the credits (good works) as against the debits (sins or violations of moral laws of their respective religions) to determine where the deceased mortal will go.

On the other hand, Born Again Christians adhere (as what the Bible attests in Ephesians 2:8-9) to the dispensation of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, salvation is not contingent on the moral condition of the person but on the grace or free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

In other words, mere belief (faith) or acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior assures the person salvation and eternal life as attested in John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9. Then good works will follow as fruits or evidences of said salvation.

When the Lord Jesus Christ uttered one of His final words on the cross, "It is finished," He meant just that. Nothing more can be added to or subtracted from the grace of salvation He earned for the entire mankind by His death on the cross.

The assurance of eternal life for those who believe in Him was further evidenced by His resurrection from the dead.


"All WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

Still - Hillsong

Salvation - Part 4 (Why Do We Need Salvation?)

WHY DO WE NEED SALVATION? That is probably the question people, who does not yet have the assurance of true salvation, ask. Indeed, why do we need salvation? Because we were born under a curse, under the state of depravity.

We were born with the natural proclivity to sin. Sin is enjoyable and desirous, but sin will lead us to eternal death without the remedy of true salvation.

Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." This verse gives man the option where he wants to go after
his death. If he dies under the state of sin, he goes to eternal death and damnation.

But the free gift of God is eternal life with Him by means of Jesus Christ. In other words, believing in Jesus Christ assures us of eternal life with God.

Can we not effect salvation by ourselves through personal piety and good works? The answer is a big No. The only way to salvation is Jesus Christ. If there is any other way, do you think the Father will still send His only begotten Son to die on the cross just to save mankind? He would have just given us prescriptions for salvation like what other religions give and spare Himself the agony of seeing His Son die on the cross.

Do you mean to say I just have to believe in Jesus Christ to be able to attain salvation? Yes. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

To be saved by faith means to Trust In Jesus Christ Alone to save you. Good works are not the means to salvation; rather they are the evidences or by-products of your salvation.

"All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Here I Am To Worship - Hillsong





Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational

Salvation - Part Three

Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Again there is an exclusivity in this statement. It categorically states that salvation can never be found in anyone else except through Jesus Christ. Why?
Because there is no other name (aside from Jesus Christ) in the whole world
(under heaven) by which all men can be saved.

This truth correlates with the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way. Since
He is the only way to salvation, it just rationally follows that His name is the only name by which man can be saved. The Bible says, "those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place, and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."

And the name of the Lord is Jesus Christ.


Jesus - Name Above All Names


Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual

Salvation - Part Two

John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Jesus did not say I am a way. He specifically said, I am the way. Why? Because He was the only begotten Son who was sent by the Father to effect the salvation of the whole mankind.

So the saying that all streams lead to the same sea is false. There is no other way to the Kingdom of God except through Jesus Christ.

And He is the truth, not just one truth. Theologically speaking, to the Father, He is the only truth that is acceptable to Him.

And He is the life. Apart from Him, no life could ever have taken place because the whole of creation was created through and by Him.

He is also the resurrection and the life. Through Him we can attain eternal life if we believe in Him.

He was the only one who has come back from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, thus giving us the opportunity to enjoy eternal life with Him.

Thus the eternal message of the Gospel is: Jesus Christ lived and died; He has risen; He will come again to judge the living and the dead.


One Way - Hillsong-United (2006) Australia



Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational

Salvation

Who shall be saved? Have we ever consider that? Is salvation contingent to our acceptance or rejection of certain sets of religious beliefs? I will not venture to comment on what other religions or beliefs say regarding this matter. Suffice it to say that they have their own prescriptions for salvation. I will delve on what the Bible says regarding this subject matter.

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Let us reflect on this most important statement. It shows the great love of God for the world that He was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son to save mankind from certain death and eternal damnation. And what is the prescription for salvation in this verse? It says belief in His only begotten Son, who is Jesus Christ, will merit for the believer, eternal life.

Why must Jesus Christ sacrifice His own life to save us? Because we were born under the state of depravity and were unable to attain salvation on our own merits. No amount of good works could ever suffice to save ourselves because the only good and finished work that the Father will ever recognize was that of His only begotten Son.

What does belief in Jesus Christ mean so that we can attain eternal life and salvation? That means, we have to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior, confess our sins to Him, and have His most precious blood wash away all our sins and iniquities, then surrender our lives to Him.

How can we do this? By praying the prayer of acceptance containing all the requirements mentioned above. The wordings are not that important and may vary from person to person as what the Holy Spirit may lead him. The main contents of the prayer of acceptance are as follows:

1. Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and personal Savior.
2. Confess all our sins to Him. Sins we committed in thoughts ,words and
deeds, from the time we were born up to the time of acceptance, including
sins we inherited from our parents and great, great grandparents up to the fourth degree of affinity.
3. Allow His most precious blood, that was shed in Calvary, to wash away all our
sins, however depraved and abominable they may be.
4. Surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and strive to avoid sin and walk under His
will and guidance.


If we consciously and sincerely do this, the following events will occur:

1. We become children of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ in God's Kingdom.
2. Our names will be written in The Book of Life in heaven and we will be
assured of eternal lives and salvation.
3. All the sins we ever committed in our entire lives will be erased clean as if they were never committed at all.
4. The holiness and righteousness of Jesus Christ will be imputed upon us, thus
giving us the right to have access to the most holy presence of God.
5. The Holy Spirit will overshadow us and will bring to life our dead spirit, thus
enabling us to be born in Spirit and in truth.
6. The Holy Spirit will open our eyes to the eternal truths of God's words, thus
empowering us to overcome all the wiles of the enemy- the devil.
7. As we walk in the will of God and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we
will be transformed from glory to glory, until we reach the whole measure of
the fullness of Jesus Christ.


Join me in praying this prayer of acceptance and experience spiritual rebirth
and the overflowing power, love and joy from the Holy Spirit.

Dear Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and personal Savior. I confess all my sins
to you, sins that I committed in thoughts, words and in deeds, since the time
I was born until now; sins I inherited from my parents and great, great
grandparents. Wash them clean by your most precious blood that You shed in Calvary. I surrender my life to you and I will love and serve
You for the remaining years of my life. Let my name be written in the Book of
Life in heaven. Pour out Your Spirit upon me and strengthen and empower me
to overcome all the wiles of the enemy. Father God, this I declare and affirm
right here and now, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

I Love You Lord - Acappella

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."(John 3:16)

"Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."(John 14:6)

"Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."(Acts 4:12)