Saving Faith According to God's Word.

The Bible is a consistent record of eye witness accounts to Gods working with mankind spanning over 6,000 years. According to the Bible, Repentance and Belief on Christ (His Works and Righteousness) is needed for Salvation from Hell and entrance into Heaven. (Christ is Greek word for “messiah” which is the Hebrew word for “anointed by God”). 

Repent basically means “to turn and forsake”. Most people trust in their own works or goodness to get them into Heaven. The bible’s message to people is to turn by forsaking your own abilities and to trusting in God’s way to Heaven. To get to Heaven we repent to God and believe on the works of His Son Jesus Christ by “Calling on the name of the LORD”. We call out to God and tell Him that we will follow His ways only.

The monument we call out to God and commit ourselves to Him alone He will send us his Holy Spirit to us. When the Holy Spirit enters us it will quicken (make alive) our spirit and make us God’s Child. God’s Children cannot God to Hell and will go to Heaven no matter what they do. If they sin later God will chastise them until they repent of the sin but they will no never again be in danger of Hell. It is the job of every Christian to follow God’s Word in the way Jesus Christ showed us. The closer we follow God’s Word the more he sanctifies us and makes us holy.

Men’s spirits are dead in sin and their soul are bound for hell:

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

James 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death;

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 

Revelation 20:14-15 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

God paid the penalty for sin and death and quickened our Spirits through Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 15:44-49 There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 John 4:9-11 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Colossians 1:19-21 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Colossians 2:13-15 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

To take part of this salvation payment and quickening ourselves we need to repent of our old life (our righteousness and works, etc) and accept the life of Christ by calling on him for it:

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Acts 20:21 testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 10:6-13 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise….. 8 The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Genesis 4:26c ...then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Psalm 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

When you call on the name of the Lord you are making a covenant with Him to be adopted by His Spirit:

Psalms 89:26-34 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. 27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The Sons of God are not the Angels

If we go solely on the scriptures and not on extra-biblical sources we see:

ANGELS NEVER WERE SONS

Hebrews Chapter 1 makes it clear that the angels at no time were called sons.

Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Only the sons are heirs to salvation. Angels minister to the heirs but are not sons themselves. Both Genesis and Job and etc. are referring to the saved people of earth. Additionally if God meant "ANGELS" he would have said angels. The word is present in Genesis 11 times singular and 4 plural and in Job once plural (4:17). And in every instant of "Sons of God" in the N.T. never refers to angels but rather those who walk in the spirit of Christ.

THE SONS OF GOD OF GENESIS 6

To understand Genesis 6 we should never go outside of context to find the context. Rather we should see it as an integrated part of the passages around it. In Genesis 6 it is plain that God is striving with man not some angel hybrid.

Genesis 6:1-8 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Read starting with Cain in Chapter 4:16. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod and built a banished civilization in the wilderness. Cain's descendants did not walk with God and ended with Lamach threatening seven times violence on others who would try to punish him in the manner of Cain. In V.26 we see that the men remaining with Adam and God began to call on the LORD.

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

In Chapter 5 we see Adam's line beginning over, excluding Cain's line and Abel. Cain's line is no longer counted as part of  God's descendant through Adam even though they still existed as men. Notice carefully How the new line is called after God's and Adam's image up to Noah who was perfect in his "generations". Also notice that besides Christ Adam is also called the son of God in Luke 3: 22,38.

Genesis 5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; 2 male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. 3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Luke 3:22 and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,....38 which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Then in Chapter 6 "God's Sons" go to the "daughters of men". This is God's Holy Men taking wives of the banished Cain women. The Spiritual taking the fleshly.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the samebecame mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Because the lines were separate and pure from each other until 6:4, Cain's line had 50% or so of all genetic code material and Adam/Seth's line had the other half. This caused a genetic Heterosis effect (sometimes called hybrid vigor) in the descendants of the combined lines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterosis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD6vpheUoPE

God's people are referenced taking lost women several times later also. When Balaam recommended the locals intermarry with Israel (Numbers 31:16) and when the people returned from Babylonian exile (Ezra 10:2). In each instance it was referred as God's men with non-godly women. Never does the bible say lost men taking God's women or God's wemon taking ungodly men. There is clear president that "God's men" are responsible for this type of action.

Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

Ezra 10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

THE SONS OF GOD IN JOB

Job is referencing God's people coming before God in prayer, offerings, and supplication. (Hebrews 4:16, 12:22-24.) Satan was not one of these "Sons" but "came also among them". Satans purpose was to accuse the "Sons". (Revelation 12:10)

Job 1:5-7 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Deuteronomy 29:10 Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,

1 Samuel 10:19b ... Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands.

Jeremiah 36:7 It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the Lord hath pronounced against this people.

Daniel 9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 12:22-24 but ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

THE SONS OF GOD IN GOD'S DISCOURSE TO JOB

Job 38:4-7 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Some think these verses are one whole question referring to the creation of the earth and logic is used to say Man did not exist yet so this "must be" angels. But the passage does not say this. Notice the passage is actually five separate questions. They were not present at creation but the were present when the "Corner stone" was laid. In the Bible every time we see "Corner stone" in scripture we see it is only ever referring to Christ. Christ became this Cornerstone at his resurrection and this is when "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

Isaiah 28:16 therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Ephesians 2:20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

1 Peter 2 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Ephesians 2:20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

1 Peter 2 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

THE REAL FALLEN ANGELS

God's angels have always done God's will. Those that do not the will of God are the Devil's angels which fell with Satan when he was cursed for deceiving the woman in the garden of Eden and turning the heart of humanity from God. This is what Jude and Peter are referencing. They are not referencing the "Sons of God" from Gen 6.

Genesis 3:14-16 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:15 and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

ANGELS CANNOT MATE WITH HUMANS

According to scripture Kinds and Glories of God's creation that cannot crossover and mate with another Kind or Glory. Neither can we observe such things happening in verified history or modern times. There are none and yet we are asked to believe that God who formed us out of the ground would make us genetically compatible to Angels which are not even part of earth's creation?! Genesis 1:11-25, 1 Corinthians 15:35-44

Genesis 1:11-25 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day..... 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Hebrews 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

1 Corinthians 15:37 and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST

If angels could "mate" with humans it would make the virgin birth suspect. If following after offspring of angels cause God to destroy the world in flood how then how can we know this is not what is happening again with Mary's child whom Gabriel could have mated? Or perhaps Beelzebub came to Mary. Whose Child? It is clear in scripture the only Spirit which ever "mated" with a human was when God manifest Himself in the flesh of Christ Jesus. For it is only God who can create life.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Psalm 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

CONCLUSION:

The myth that "the Sons of God are Angels " is not actually found or stated ANYWHERE in the bible. It is derived from a Jewish Fable self imposed on scripture and spread in ignorance of the context of ACTUAL scripture. If we study the bible without the help of this myth and others like it we will see the true facts unfold.

The New Testament is very clear the "Son's of God" refer only to the Saved Human Race. What is true of the "Son" is true of the "Sons" as we are co-heirs with Christ. The Angels are not co-heirs with Christ but rather ministers to the Sons.

John 1:12-14 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,even to them that believe on his name: 13 which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

"Opps, I Missed A Step Salvation".

"Opps, I Missed A Step Salvation".

Romans 8:26-29

I was saved at the age of five. To be honest I do not remember a time that I did not believe Christ paid the price of my redemption through His Blood. (Having Godly Missionary parents, and learning to read from the Bible tends to have that effect.) So to be more accurate; At the age of five I made my profession known. And then at the age of 16, I confirmed that faith by being baptized at Gilead Baptist Church in Owosso, MI.

I bring this up to tell you that the greatest question I had as a child and as a young man was "Did I miss a step?" This question never came about from an unbelief in Christ or the Bible but from a strong desire to do all that I could to follow as closely as possible God's words for my "salvation".

Now as every Bible Believing Christian knows it is the faith in Christ work which saves us and this salvation is free. The problem though is the "application process" or a set of requirements in order to qualify your faith. "Things you must do before this "event" that show you are truly "accepting" salvation "correctly" and things you must do after the event to "prove" you have been "saved". (Sounds harder then doing my taxes in order to get money that is already mine!)

Also, each process is fully backed up by random verses which promote their process with a additional caveat that if you ascribe to any other model then you are not correct and are now bound for Hell! If their model is not popular among other Christians they will add the fact that Christ said "few there be that find it".

On one small point I appreciate the Catholics because they are honest and say it is all part of a process of salvation but for many Baptist (because they play gymnastics with words and separate the process in our minds) will pay lip service to "faith in Christ alone" but then doubt a person's salvation if they failed to complete a "process of sanctification" to which many unconsciously ascribe.

Some things needed before true faith can "become available" Some say a various level of repentance or sorriness for your past sins is needed before salvation. Another relies on various levels of hearers knowledge or the presenters accurately voicing the truth; they have to understand the events correctly as presented in the correct bible (1611 KJAV Pure Cambridge Edition only for English speakers or it won't work).

Now we come to the "Free Gift" hopefully you chose the correct "pre-approval process. At this point you have three options (but be careful because if you chose wrong you don't understand salvation and will have to start over or go to Hell!)1. "Ask for salvation" by prayer. 2. Just acknowledge Christ work but don't say anything or it proves you do not believe Romans 3:18. 3. Be baptized by immersion before believers to show your belief.

Now you are saved but you we're not really saved you did not give God Lordship authority or do not do these following things in six months/rest of your life or when we all discover a mistake in our model.

By this time you understand what I'm getting at through my exaggerated examples and may even ascribe to a milder form of one or two points my intent is not to prove or disprove anything but to also share the model I used for salvation. Look. Believe. Follow. (John 3) Simple desire of the heart words.

What I learned as a young man is that while information, knowledge, physical actions, etc can help me better understand Christ redemptive work and to grow in faith and wisdom, there are no steps, no process, no "things" I can do to pre-approve myself mentally or verbally. These things will merely amplify what the Spirit has already done in my heart. The Spirit gives the birth and I merely cry Aba! Father! (Galatians 4:6)

At this point many out of concern will perhaps wish to present a step we must keep in mind or risk leading a sinner down a wrong path. Remove that link to head knowledge and let Christ work in the man's heart. Lift up Christ and let Him worry about the steps and you might be surprised that a few extra lost people find the narrow way into heaven without all our extra steps and sign post.

People "being saved" require a process and teachers but people which are saved required only a Saviour.

John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; [not head] and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Cain the Model Modern Christian

Cain the Model Modern Christian.

Genesis 4:1-15

Introduction: Why is it that many Christians today seem to be following and serving God but do not seem to be blessed by God and in the end fail? Cain is a perfect example of Why....

I. Why He is a Model Christian.

A. Sacrificed to God. v.3
B. God spoke to him and he spoke to God. v.6, v.13
C. Cain asked for forgiveness. v.13
D. People saw God's mark on him. v.15

II. Why He is a Modern Christian.

A. Sacrificed the wrong things.
B. Ignored God's words and followed his own.
C. Asked God to forgive punishment but did not admit to wrong doing.
D. God's mark was a mark of warning to others.

III. What we need to do.

A. Sacrifice the right things.
B. Obey God's word and pray properly.
C. Admit our wrong doings to God (and refer back to point B).
D. Seek to have a good mark.

Conclusion:

Even Cain in his sinful fall received warnings and mercy from God in every step he took to failure as a Christian. We today receive the same warnings. The question is will we heed the callings of God? Will we continue down our own path or submit to God?

Your Local Pastor vs. Your Youtube Pastor

Your Local Pastor vs. your Youtube Pastor. 

Here are some of my ramblings on the topic.

Its all the rage nowadays. "So and so is the best Pastor alive today!" Have you met him or attend his church? "No he is on the internet and I read his books though.....he is so knowledgeable". "I wish my pastor......"

Do not forget! The Bereans did not search the internet or watch other pastors on Youtube in order to find out if what their pastor said is true! They searched the scriptures! In this age of technology the false teacher does not have to be in your church. Nor do they even have to be false. As Baptist we declare local church importance on one side and yet on the other follow a non-local pastor's leadership!

Even though these non-local preachers are often a blessing in head knowledge they lack much of what a local church pastor can offer. That youtube preacher cannot love you, minister to you, or have an understanding heart towards you. You also cannot see how he leads and shepherd his church all you see is a snippet.

Your Local pastor loves you and knows you personally and God gave him to pastor your local church congregation. He may not be the best preacher and you see his faults and he has some weird belief that Jesus will come back in the month of September, etc. But he wants the best for you so give him the benefit of the doubt.

If you feel your local pastor needs to change or improve because of what your "non-local pastor" said or teaches, give your local pastor the benefit of the doubt and confirm it through the Bible first then humbly seek his advice rather than having a critical spirit toward him. That youtube preacher may be "right" but often your local pastor has more insight to the subject at hand and he too was "right."