Ironworks

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.”  Luke 13:3            Some men asked Jesus about two situations where some particular individuals faced a particularly heinous death. First mentioned are men of Galilee whose blood Pilate had mixed with sacrifices after their death (cf. Lk. 13:1-2). In another instance, they mentioned the eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them. The men asked in regards to the former, “Were these Galileans worse than other Galileans?” (cf. Lk. 13:4) They asked Jesus if He thought the latter were sinners above all the others living in Jerusalem. These are good questions, but notice the perfect answer that Jesus gives in both circumstances. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.”  We may think of heinous deaths and say, “Wow! That's a horrible way to go.” We may think of drug addicts and see how risky behavior leads to physical dea...

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.” John 5:24 Basis of Belief      What do you do when you hear some form of information? You may accept it as factual, or you might not believe it at all. When we are young, we may not believe the stove is hot. In fact, possibly the orange glow of the burner or open flame is appealing to the eye and the warmth is a nice feeling on a cold day. However, if you chose to touch it, you will certainly be burnt and certainly believe what your mother may have warned you about. Belief is established when one is presented with truth and when we hear truth, we have the option to believe it or not.  Continuation of Belief      In matters of faith, belief is an integral part of God's plan for saving man. Last week I wrote about the fact that we must hear the good news. We must hear, but ...

“So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  Romans 10:17 God’s Revealed Word Reveals Salvation     Over the next five weeks, I want to write about each of the steps of the Gospel Plan of Salvation. I will contend that the Bible teaches not a single man will be saved outside obedience to the Gospel. Additionally, I will address some questions regarding such.           The first thing one must do is hear the word. We often reference Romans 10:17 as I did above for this. For the origin of faith has no other source than hearing or reading the Word of God. How did Cain and Abel know what to offer? How did Noah know how to construct the boat? How did Naaman know how to be cleansed? The Word of God is the answer. This is the only place where we come in contact with the God-breathed, inspired Word (cf. 2 Tim 3:16). Our God is a gracious God who has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness (cf. 2 Pet 1:3). When we...