By God’s grace, we don’t have to live in one of these two areas! We can trust Jesus’ prayer that we will be set apart unto God more and more: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). In the power of the Holy Spirit, we can deny ourselves and seek out the steps of Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and even David (Psalm 35:11-14) according to the Scriptures.

Word and walk must be in step with each other. For those who engage people one-to-one or through open air preaching, our reactions to the lost are usually the only aspect of our daily walk that they will ever see. How should we react when hated for the sake of Jesus? How should we respond to the scoffer, the mocker, the insolent opponent and blasphemer that we once were? To quote Paul Washer from the sermon, Busyness and Spiritual Discipline, ”Should I listen to you when your message has so little impact of their own character?”

May God bless these Scriptures for the nourishment of His people, that they may say with Paul, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and that ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

All Scripture is from the English Standard Version.

Romans 12:14-18 (Marks of a True Christian, and their witness to those outside the church) “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not persecute them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

1 Corinthians 4:11-13 (Paul defending the true Apostolic ministry) “To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we retreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.”

2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (Paul’s commendation of the Apostolic ministry before God, as evidenced by their conduct) “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found in our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.”

(Verse 8b – 10) “We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”

Galatians 6:9-10 (Persevering in grace, not law) “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Philippians 1:15-21 (Rejoicing in Christ being proclaimed regardless of personal circumstances) “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this (Paul’s imprisonment while he wrote this letter) will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope, that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be in honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Colossians 4:5-6 (Gracious speech is weighty speech; salt prevents corrosion) “Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Titus 3:1-2 (Reminding the Cretans of the fruit that comes from pardoned sinners) “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

1 Peter 3:13-17 (The blessing of a steadfast witness. Note regarding Christ as holy precedes making the defense). “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile you may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

In human thinking, he could have come down from the cross. It makes sense logically, since Jesus Christ claimed to be God (John 8:58, John 10:36), He could have come down from the cross. Both bystanders that passed by and the chief priests of Israel shouted the deriding cry to come down from the cross (Mark 15:29-31).

But Christ did not come down. He himself said that everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34). A slave has no rights or privileges, rather he does the will of his master. Unbelievers are not self-sovereign; they cannot will or work their way out of their rebellion against God because sin is in their nature (Romans 5:12-14). Satan is the unbeliever’s master (John 8:43-44, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:1-2) and the unbeliever cannot please God with his actions no matter how seemingly self-righteous/pious (Romans 2) or well meaning (Isaiah 64:6). The penalty of sin, i.e. the breaking of God’s commandments, is death. It always has been (Genesis 2:15-17) and will be (Romans 6:23) until Christ returns to judge all mankind (Matthew 25:31-46), when eternal separation from God in hell to all eternity will the the sentence executed to the sinner who has not Christ’s perfect obedience of God’s commands.

Christ did not come down from the cross because he was forsaken as though HE were the slave to sin! He willingly remained on the cross to drink down God’s divine justice towards sin (Luke 24:41-44). Christ experienced the judgement slaves to sin face – consciously and willingly for the joy set before him, His bride the church!! (Hebrews 12:1-2, Ephesians 5:25). His blood, from flesh never acting in sin, was the payment to redeem (purchase from captivity) slaves to sin (Romans 3:24-25).

Slaves, remember, have no rights. Here is where the humility of Christ is so precious. After speaking of the His deity in Philippians 2:6 and His incarnation in Philippians 2:7, Paul the Apostle goes on to write about Christ: “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:8). Though he could have come down, he humbled himself to the point of death. He gave up His rights to be treated as slave of sin! Free though was, He was bound to the tree, all to demonstrate God the Father’s perfect love towards his people!

Christ went through the agony of separation and subjected himself to divine justice, though He knew nothing but perfect love from His Father and the comfort of the Holy Spirit for all eternity.

The wonder of the Cross is that Jesus did nothing to deserve hanging there. Christ was cursed in the place of those given to him before the foundation of the world (Gal 3:10-14 and Eph 1:4-10) who were under the curse that came from man’s breaking the first covenant made with Adam (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:17-19). The perfect Son of God kept the covenant Adam could not keep, yet was cursed as if he broke it. He died – the consequence of transgressing the covenant. But Hallelujah! Death could not hold the Christ!

But…this post is called slave. I suppose a post called “Free” would talk about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, justification, imputed righteousness, victorious and holy living, loving Jesus more than sin, freedom with regards to sin and becoming a slave to righteousness (which is really freedom in that we are united not to a slave, but to the risen Lord and King of the universe), a new heart that loves God and neighbor but never perfectly on this side of eternity. Perhaps God may grant me the a meditation of the heart to produce such a post. My desire here is to point people to the cross, what Christ’s death means.

Reader, it is your place to respond. Please consider what you have read. If you died today, do you have assurance that Christ was cursed in your place for your evil deeds? Is your conscience clear or weighed with the guilt and burden of your evil deeds? Do you at this very moment sit under the wrath and displeasure of God? For those who do not obey the Son that shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God remains on them (John 3:36). The Lord Jesus Christ began his earthly ministry announcing the Kingdom of God had come and that men should repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).

He bids you come, lay your burden of sin down, see its filth and turn from its poisons. Look the blood-stained cross, where wrath for sins was satisfied. Look to empty tomb, and confess along with Thomas, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28) when he saw his Lord raised from the dead and walking among his disciples. Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification, and true peace with God comes from knowing him through faith alone in Jesus’ work alone (Romans 4:25, 5:1). Christ promised that the debt of sin is paid for: “It is finished” (John 19:31); God the Father does not repay the Christian for his sins, as his sins have been paid for in full (Colossians 2:13-15) and are not remembered against him for judgement (Psalm 103:12). The divine gifts of justification (Christ’s punishment as guilty is what is accepted as the satisfaction of divine justice) and Christ’s perfect life in exchange for all born of the Spirit (John 3:3) who receive Christ by faith (Romans 3:21-26, John 1:12-13).

Please consider today what will happen to you after you die. Thank you for your time.

Alex

Preaching Location Two Hours Before First Pitch

On April 8th and 9th, believers from the Athens and Atlanta went out to Turner Field to declare in the open-air the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Atlanta Braves hosted the Philadelphia Phillies, and with both teams enjoying success last year it was a great match-up for opening day. Over the two days, seven believers preached and handed out tracts. Praise the Lord for Ty and Matthew Yoshimura, Scott Phillips, Peter Salas, Canyon Shearer, and Tyler Martin.

Our location was near the left field gate. We had foot traffic from off-site parking in addition to shuttles that dropped folks off every 10-15 minutes right in from of the corner where we were preaching. The picture is a view from under I-75/I-85 of where most of the outreach took place. Peter is standing in the street ready to hand out some tracts! In addition to this location, Ty and Matthew handed out tracts on the opposite side of the stadium on Friday while Canyon and Tyler went over to the opposite corner on Saturday.

Over the two days we gave out at least 1,300 tracts, exposited portions of Psalm 75, Jeremiah, Galatians, and Luke 18, and preached the gospel at least 15 times. We distributed 450 baseball trivia tracts and 850 tracts including I Love Jesus and Are You Born Again? The Word of God went forth with power. Preachers were being poured out by Christ as they pleaded with baseball fans to repent towards God and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. We had great fellowship after the game on Saturday, ending with purchasing a meal for a homeless man named Barry. Praise the Lord!

Believers in a Middle Eastern nation where evangelism is prohibited are going to pray and fast for the peoples and governments of North Africa and the Middle East on Friday, March 11. Please join me alongside them.

We do not know exactly what the outcome of all of the uprisings are, but we do know apart from brokenness over their sin and personal belief in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ for their pardon, these people are without hope. Separated from God by their sins, they will die in their sins and spend eternity in hell. Democracy is not the greatest need. Jesus is.

We must pray as Jesus taught us, that the Father’s name be hallowed and His kingdom would come on earth as in heaven. Pray for God to flood this area with His Word in the languages of the peoples. Pray for conversion, that God may pour His Spirit out in these places, that people would receive new hearts to repent and turn to God. The Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers!

There are small numbers of believers in each of these nations. Pray for them too! How beautiful are the feet if those who bring the good news! Operation World is a great resource to help pray for specific nations and people groups.

Grace and Peace,
Alex

Brothers and sisters, we must examine ourselves. I confess I have in the aftermath of that event. How often am I preaching just to preach? What about soul-winning and making disciples? Please understand that one cannot manufacture such a brokenness as I experienced; it only comes from the Holy Spirit. But we must pray! We must pray hard for the Holy Spirit to fill us with compassion and brokenness over man’s sinful condition. We must be emptied of self and let God make is appeal of reconciliation through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). We should meditate on the gospel and exegete Scripture when preaching on the streets, for the purpose of ascribing our great and glorious God the glory due his name, that sinners see their wickedness and find rest in the Lamb.

Shortly thereafter, an Egyptian revolutionary rally broke out in the hilly portion of the Plaza near the Grassy Knoll. The protest lasted about two hours. When the group saw that we were not going anywhere – though we were not supporting the existing government but rather proclaiming Jesus – the protests were directed at us. Chants of “Muslim, Christian, we’re all Egyptian” was a valiant effort on their part to try and drive us away, but we knew the battle here transcended flesh and blood but was taking place in the heavenly realms.

The rally began with pleas for a secular government and slogans were chanted in English, but the longer we stayed and preached Christ the chants were lifted up in Arabic and took on more of a Islamist tone. There were a few “Hezbollah” chants along with “Allahu Akbar.”

One of the slogans in English was “No Justice, No Peace.” What a great springboard for the gospel! There is no perfect justice outside of God’s perfect justice, and there is no peace for men apart of justification by faith in what Jesus Christ has done – to suffer perfect justice for sin, yes, the just Son of God crushed by God the Father and resurrected from the dead to declare unjust and wicked men as just. Glory! These are what these people needed to hear above all else. The message of eternal life! No human government or false religion can save them from the wrath of God. Many of the people were Muslims who perhaps heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and truth from the Bible for the first time in their lives. Several one-to-one conversations broke out, tracts were distributed to those in the crowd.

Despite the “Muslim, Christian, we’re all Egyptian” chants, when the rally was winding down and it was time for prayer, no one was praying to Jehovah, but Allah. They even had an Imam and began to read from their literature while prostrating themselves toward Mecca. I’d seen these images on TV but seeing in person was absolutely heartbreaking. Dozens of people prostrating themselves before a god who does not exist, who cannot save their souls from condemnation, who knows nothing of grace because the entire religion is set up on works-righteousness. This is Islam. And it was 50 feet away. We took our 10 foot cross, moved it into their line of sight, and prayed that they would turn from these vain things to serve the living God (Acts 14:15).

After their time of prayer, God gave us the opportunity to proclaim Christ to the protesters that were left. After a few more “Allahu Akbar” chants the leader of the rally declared that it was over. Praise the Lord so many Muslims and tourists heard the gospel that day! Please pray the seeds that were sown for Christ.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Psalm 29:1-2 (ESV)

The word ascribe, yahab in Hebrew, means to give or place. We don’t give God the attributes of glory and strength, for they belong to Him. We must be careful in making statements such as “We want to bring glory to you, Lord” because he is already glorious and would be glorious if there were no humans on the Earth. In addition, there is certainly nothing glorious about us even as believers. For God’s redeemed people, to ascribe to the LORD means we live, speak, and testify to the truth about God. Verse two says we ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. A person can only ascribe glory to God in this way after believing in the glorious work of the Jesus Christ to redeem their souls from slavery to sin, to cleanse the sinner’s conscience from dead works to serve the living God. When believers speak about Jesus to the lost or to encourage believers, when we submit to the Word of God and its instruction, when we deny ourselves daily in love and service of our Master, we ascribe glory to God. He is glorious to us, He is our strength, among many other things – and our lives are to represent that!

I chose this text because it describes the Super Bowl Outreach. Our desire was to point men and women to the King of Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the salvation from the wrath of God only found in trusting in his finished work of redemption. I have never been around so many people consumed with spreading the fame of Jesus Christ, passionately proclaiming life-giving truth to the spiritually dead. Many prayers were offered up that we would be shattered by the Holy Spirit, constantly reminded of our own frailties and sinful tendencies, and simply conduct our lives worthy of the gospel that has set us free. You can believe our gracious God answered our prayers! The teaching we received fed our thirsty souls. Praise the Lord (Psalm 150)!

In the text above, Paul is wrapping up this letter to Timothy, his true child in the faith. He is in prison in Rome, and expects his Christian race to end. Verse six says that Paul has been poured out as a drink offering. The Old Testament has nearly four dozen references to drink offerings, and the New Testament has two (the above passage and Philippians 2:17, also wrote by Paul).

When described as to their function before God, drink offerings are described as having a “pleasing aroma” (Leviticus 23:13, 23:18; Numbers 15:1-10) to the LORD. Drink offerings were consumed in the fire of the altar as they were either wine or a stronger alcohol (Numbers 28:7). They were offered not for atonement, but rather for peace, grain, and burnt offerings. Paul used this language to describe this: He has been poured out by the Lord Jesus Christ, led by Christ and enabled by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. Paul was a man consumed by His Master’s love, freely offering himself as a sacrifice and exhorting believers to do the same (Romans 12:1-2). The result was a life lived constantly being poured out as drink offering by the Lord Jesus Christ, constantly producing a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The text says he was already being poured out, and there isn’t a sign this condition would change while in prison even though his time for death had come.

Verse six gripped me a couple of weeks ago and I desire to know the fullness of its implications for Christians. What does it mean for us to be poured out as a drink offering? It means there is no room for “us” as slaves of Jesus Christ. There is no room for what we want if it is outside of diligently praying and seeking the will of God through the Word of God. There is no room for compromising what the Scriptures say for what is easier for us to do or less challenging. We have been bought with a price, Jesus’ very own blood has secured redemption in that we are no longer enslaved to sin but enslaved to Him. He is the King of Glory. We are dust.

Lord willing, by the end of the week I will write about what took place in Dallas on Saturday and Arlington yesterday. Thank you for all of your prayers!

One person I would ask you to pray for would not give me her name. I gave her a tract and she she said she was a Christian – and I asked her why. This is a great question to ask professing believers. When they answer, they speak out of their nature. If they are born again, they will speak from a position of trusting in Jesus from self-denying faith that loves Jesus and has a hatred of sin. If not, excuses are made for sin, and repentance not deemed necessary.

Well, her answer was that she did not sin! I explained 1 John 1:8 saying she was a liar if she said she had no sin. Then she said that sins. Obviously that was blasphemy and I warned her that no unsaved person would speak of God that way. Then she called me judgmental. I then took her through John 7:23-24.

She was not receiving truth but she stayed around long enough to hear truly what a true Christian life is like. Several friends tried to take her away but she stays. Praise the Lord! Her conscience was pricked, and the Word of God cut her.

We will be going to Dallas tomorrow. Thank you Father for your kindness!

I read this passage a couple of weeks ago, and it has stayed with me. It won’t leave my conscience! This event occurred almost two thousand years ago and still has profound implications for us today.

Understand that prior to the quoted verses, Jesus’ apostles were arrested by the High Priest and the Sadducees, who denied bodily resurrection. They were, according to verse 18, in the Jerusalem public prison. The prison in a city all of them were familiar with, even if they all were not from the city. Then a miracle happens! An angel of the Lord sets them free and gives them the command found in verse 20.

Jesus did not send the angel in order to free those men to go home. The angel gave a command. The command was from Jesus. The command was to speak the words of this Life, with a capital “L,” to the people. And they did.

What are some implications of the statement “words of this Life”? Why were the apostles asked to speak it?

1. Only in Jesus Christ – the Word of God in the flesh (John 1:1-2) – is spiritual life possible. People are spiritually dead and need spiritual life to be reconciled to God. Therefore people need Jesus

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.’” John 6:53

“Lord, you have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

2. A Christian is dead to sin and alive to God because Christ suffered for sin and then was raised to life. This is the basis of our justification (Romans 4:25). If Jesus had just died and not raised, our faith would be in vain (1 Cor 15:14) and we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Cor 15:19).

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

“Now if we have died with Christ, we also believe that we will live with him. We know the Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no dominion over him. For the death he died he to sin, once and for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:8-11

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also with appear with in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

3. A Christian’s hope is in Christ, their living Savior. Hope for divine retribution for all the injustice in the world, hope for victory in battles already won, hope in eternal life to enjoy Jesus! Rejoice in God’s marvelous, free grace!

1 Corinthians 15:20-28

“To them (the saints) God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”Galatians 2:20

“For they (churches in Macedonia and Achaia) themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

Hebrews 10:19-22

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

Jesus is Life! Christians, read the Scriptures, pray for God to open doors for witnessing for Him, and speak to the people all the words of this Life!! If you are outside of Jesus Christ, reader, and have not come to him for mercy, you have no life in you. Unless you repent and cast yourself upon Christ alone by faith, you will perish. Jesus is Life!

All Scriptures from the English Standard Version – Copyright Crossway.

I just got back home from witnessing with Scott, Keith, and Bobby. It was so cold out that I had to go inside to go through the painful warm-up process, and while I was at Walkers I got a coffee – so I reckon I’ll be up for a while. There was one conversation I had that prompted me to start blogging again.

A girl named Amanda took a tract from me. As she did so she talked about her love for Jesus. Then she stopped a few feet down the line and said, “What about sinning? I love Jesus – I keep on sinning!” She was very emotional – probably a by-product of alcohol – yet she stopped when I asked her if she wanted to keep on talking. The rest of her friends stopped briefly while we talked. I sensed I didn’t have much time so I told her to walk away. If she wanted Christ, she should walk away from her friends who soldier down the broad way that leads to destruction. The Spirit was pleading with her through me to walk away. To separate. Then something amazing happened. Another girl came up and said:

“Come on, that’s for Sunday.”

Now I did not get to talk to Amanda or her friend for that long, but when someone remarks that conversation about Jesus should be delegated only to Sundays, that gives clear evidence of one’s spiritual condition. Amanda’s friend (and ultimately Amanda) hated the light being shone upon them. The girls looked like they were in their late teens.

As her friend took her away I continued to tell her to turn away, that there’s no life in the party scene, etc. Tonight, she chose the world, storing up God’s wrath for herself due to her hard and impenitent heart. Please pray for Amanda to be convicted by the Holy Spirit with repentance that leads to life.

Amanda’s friend, by her words, believed that Jesus was only for Sunday. Saturday morning was not time for Jesus. It was time to indulge in the lust of the flesh. On Sunday, everything could be aired out before the Jesus that forgives but doesn’t hate sin or call people to account.

A regenerated blood-redeemed believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is not going to say that they will render Jesus some time on Sunday morning and that’s all. No, they will confess

JESUS IS LORD

and will live lives reflective of his lordship. Live lives in the power of the Holy Spirit that abase self, seek repentance from sin, and deeper fellowship with the Bridegroom. A saint can say that though he be a sinner like Amanda, he has cast all his hope in Christ’s redemption, and out of love and thanksgiving gives his life for His first love. Christ is the believer’s life, every day of the week.

College-age folks like Amanda and her friend are why we must still preach the biblical gospel in the Bible Belt to people born and raised in the Bible Belt. Many have grown up in churches where God’s justice, wrath, holiness, love, omniscience, and other attributes were never taught, accompanied with an incomplete doctrine of God’s love. Many have grown up in churches where a gospel of sovereign grace as a gift apart from any human effort or work leaves many with a belief that if they prayed a prayer and were sincere, accepted Jesus into their heart and were sincere, attended Christian events with regularity, or obeyed the Ten Commandments as best they could that they are saved. What is the hope for these people?

Preaching Christ crucified and resurrected from the Word of God. Calling people to repent and believe the good news. Not witnessing using a formula to coerce someone into answering, but rather rightly handling the Word of Truth to answer people’s questions and dialogue on God’s terms with His word. Trusting that God the Father will grant repentance that leads to live in the power of the Holy Spirit to those predestined in love to be called sons through adoption – for salvation is of the Lord.