Quotes (#18)

A quote from Clement of Rome (1st Century AD to circa 99-101

“This is the way, beloved, in which we find our Saviour, even Jesus Christ, the High Priest of all our offerings, the defender and helper of our infirmity. By Him we look up to the heights of heaven. By Him we behold, as in a glass, His immaculate and most excellent visage. By Him are the eyes of our hearts opened. By Him our foolish and darkened understanding blossoms up anew towards His marvellous light. By Him the Lord has willed that we should taste of immortal knowledge, ‘who, being the brightness of His majesty, is by so much greater than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.’ For it is thus written, ‘Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.’"-Clement of Rome

Taken from Clement's Letter to the Philippians (1st Clement)

A Good Question

With all these flamboyant prosperity preachers running around, on channels like TBN, including Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Paul & Jan Crouch, etc., Ray Stevens asks a good question: "Would He wear a pinky ring, would He drive a fancy car would His wife wear furs and diamonds, would His dressing room have a star? If He came back tomorrow there's something I'd like to know: would Jesus wear a rolex on His television show?"

Quotes (#17)

"Only as the Holy Spirit takes the place of the human father in Jesus’ conception can it be true that the one conceived is both fully God and fully man. Christ must be both God and man to atone for sin, but for this to occur, He must be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a human virgin. No one else in the history of the world is conceived by the Spirit and born of a virgin mother. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior."-Bruce Ware

A Look at the Root of the Difference Between Catholics & Protestants

With today being Reformation Day, I thought this to be worth posting.









As Martin Luther has said:“Now the article of justification, which is our sole defense, not only against all the force and craft of man, but also against the gates of hell, is this: that by faith only in Christ, and without works, we are pronounced righteous and saved.”

Quotes (#16)

“For when man can find no power in himself to do that which is commanded, and does perfectly understand and believe that the curse of God is pronounced against all those that abide not in everything that is commanded in God's law to do them the man, I say, that understands and knows his own corrupt nature and God's severe judgment, most gladly will receive the free redemption offered by Christ Jesus, which is the only victory that overthrows Satan and his power.” -John Knox (c. 1510-1572)

Quotes (#15)

"You must understand that there is only one door to salvation, and that is Christ; there is one way, and that is Christ; one truth, and that is Christ; one life, and that is Christ. Salvation lies in Jesus only; it does not lie in you, in your doings, or your feelings, or your knowings, or your resolutions. In Him all life and light for the sons of men are stored up by the mercy of God the Father. This may be one reason why you have not found the light; because you have sought it in the wrong place. Though the Lord has placed it on record in His Word, in the plainest language, that 'it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy' (Rom. 9:16) yet most men in their hearts imagine that everlasting life is tied to duties and earned by service. You must abandon such vainglorious notions; you must come before God as a humble petitioner, pleading the promises of mercy, abhorring all idea of merit, confessing that if the Lord condemns you He has a right to do it, and if He saves you, it will be an act of pure gratuitous mercy, a deed of sovereign grace. Oh, too many of you hold your heads too high; to enter the lowly gate of light you must stoop. On the bended knee is the penitent’s true place. 'God be merciful to me, a sinner’, is the penitent’s true place. If God should condemn you, you could never complain of injustice, for you could not accuse the Lord, for you have no right to be heard. He could righteously withhold an answer of peace if He so willed.

Confess that you are an undeserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving sinner and begin to pray as you have never prayed before. Cry out of the depth of self-abasement if you want to be heard. Come as a beggar, not as a creditor. Come to crave, not to demand. Use only this argument, 'Lord, hear me, for you are gracious, and Jesus died; I cry to you as a condemned criminal. who seeks pardon. Deliver me from going down into the pit, that I may praise your name.' This harboring of a proud spirit, I fear, has been a great source of mischief with many, and if it has been so with you, amend it and go now with humble and contrite hearts, in lowliness and brokenness of spirit, to your Father whom you have offended, for he will surely accept you as his children. Your salvation does not depend upon what you do, but upon what Christ did when he offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin. All your salvation takes root in the death throes of Calvary; the great Substitute bore your sin and suffered its penalty. Your sin shall never destroy you if upon that bloody tree the Lord’s chosen High Priest made a full expiation for your sins; they shall not be laid against you any more forever. What you have to do is simply accept what Jesus has finished. I know your idea is that you are to bring something to him; but that vainglorious idea has ruined many, and will ruin many more. When you are brought empty-handed, made willing to accept a free and full salvation from the hand of the Crucified, then, and then only, will you will be saved." -C.H. Spurgeon

1834-1892

HT to the folks over at Defending Contending

Chris Rosebrough's Analysis of Rick Warren's Message

Many of you probably know that, a few weeks ago, Rick Warren, at the invitation of John Piper, spoke at the Desiring God conference. Furthermore, the next conference is to be at Saddleback Church (Rick Warren's church) out in southern California. To quote Chris Rosebrough: "Rick Warren's Lecture at the Desiring God Conference was a circus of Blatant Bible Twisting and Pelagianism. John Piper owes us an apology and must publicly rebuke Warren for his false teaching."

I also agree with Chris 100% that folks like John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Mike Horton, etc., REALLY NEED to call Rick Warren out on this.