The readings for the day have been running through Romans and I have been looking at other things, But today I better do my duty, and simply put up one of the core passages of the gospel.
For the natural order of this world will lead to death. It is only by the Spirit of God that we can please God. And there is no way to that spirit but by the work of Christ, who took, upon his body, the penalty for our sins
As death clears all debts, so have our sins been cleared. Besides, it is unjust to punish twice for the same crime.
Now I can hear some say that we should respect those of other faiths, for they are good, and the claim to worship the same God. I’d suggest that the Jews worship the same God, and have the same difficulty — as Peter said, none of them could keep it.
I’m less sure if the Islamists and the Mormons are worshipping the same God or something in the guise of the same. But there is only one way to salvation. The tolerance we are told to accept is a lie, and it is not part of the gospel.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
(Romans 8:1-11 ESV)
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
(Matthew 22:1-14 ESV)
Here the second passage, a parable, makes it clear. We can only come to God if we meet his conditions. He rescues us not because we are worthy, but because we are chosen. As the parable says, many will hear toe call, but only those who God places is spirit upon will be chosen. Most will believe the pretty lies expounded by those who should be preaching the gospel but instead are trying to score political points.
On this issue, we need to be bold: but the spirit of this age opposes us and I find it far easier to talk about the difficulties in speaking freely than speaking freely. But the gospel is plain. There is but one faith, one hope — and that is in Christ, and one baptism. There is but one holy Spirit. Within the spirit we have life.
If we rely on our good works and the qualifications we have got.as if God reviews our curriculum vitae, we will fail, and we will be cast out of the light to live in a hell of our own devising. The way of the cross is painful, but in it is life.
All else leads to destruction. Choose well.
