What does faith have to do with it anyway…
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Journal,
Just have to share something funny, then we’ll move on to other things.
What do you think the pug on the right is saying? Since I don’t speak monkey or pug, my guess is he is saying, ‘Get away from me you dumb preacher!’
Sorry - Just had to do that.
Actually I clipped the picture from USA Today. And since we’ve had a pug, I thought the picture was down right comical. Anyway, this is what the caption read:
Blessing of the pets. In Madrid: Juan Manuel Villar blesses a dog Thursday during the feast day of San Anton, Spain’s patron saint of animals. Hundreds of Spaniard bring their pets, farm animal or work animals to churches on Jan 17 each year to be blessed by clergy.”
OK, so I’m a bad, bad boy. But if you’ve ever had a pug, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. A pug will look at you with a perplexed expression, and cock his head one way and then the other, like they are trying to figure you out. Sort of what some of the congregation does when I am preaching. 
Well now, I can’t wait until Saturday coming…
Course I’ve already touched on this. So this is just a friendly family reminder.
My sweet lady says we Martin-Fletcher clan had ought to put some of our country-gospel music and not so country gospel, and maybe even a bit of not so gospel music together to hand down to our younguns and to our youngun’s younguns.
Now ‘had ought to’ is my Betty’s way of saying, ‘Git with it!’
So come 2 p.m. this Saturday afternoon, that’s purtie much what we’us gonna do. We will sho nuff put together a smidgen of old timey bonified foot-stomping, hand-clapping, music. Now, we plan to put in some tear jerkers also. Fact is, we is gonna make one of them modern new-fangled things called a ‘CD.’ Now whiles this is just family stuff, we do welcome anyone who has the wants, to come and discover our cultured sittings.
Funning aside…
By the way, our 39th School for Christian Workers begins the weekend of February 10, 2008…
Go here for a description of the courses offered: 
http://www.christianchallenge.org/scw/index.html
The strength of our school centers on a personal walk with Jesus. We believe that true Biblical discipleship is a communication of life as it is described in the book of Isaiah 50:4,5:
”The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.
“He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back.” (Isaiah 50:4,5 nasb)
Notice especially the words in bold. These are things the Lord does.
So what’s this have to do with faith —
It has much to do indeed. In the following study I want to share on an area that people often struggle over with regard to what a walk of faith is really all about. The short side is that neither our salvation, nor our walk with the Lord is based on what we can achieve on our own. All is based on our believing in the Lord Jesus and trusting in Him to guide us through life.
We sing a song at Christian Challenge, entitled ‘Knowing You,’ by Graham Kendrick. This song reaches into the very heart of our walk with the Lord. Perhaps you would like to listen to the song. Here it is:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TcWNwSan5u4
The issue is that there is no part of our salvation experience that we can earn. No person can become good enough to be saved. The very idea of getting good enough to be saved is an idea that works contrary to faith itself. It comes under the term of ’works righteousness,’ rather than under believing unto righteousness. The apostle said,
“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
“‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.’” (Rom 4:5-8)
Works-righteousness doctrines set forth the premise that salvation is something that has to be earned on our part. The end result of a works-righteousness system of believing is teachings that generate to fear. The adherents never quite know for certain when they are ultimately saved. The truth of the matter is that we were ultimately and eternally saved at the cross. There is nothing to add to this. Nothing can be taken from it.
In these fear doctrines, people wonder which work will determine when their salvation is complete. And if there is one sin left undone, this one sin could very well mean a sentence to hell.
But is this what our salvation is really about? The answer is never! Believers can know that they are ultimately saved the moment they receive Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior. They just need to understand the true message of the cross.
The apostle John said,
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears [punishment] is not perfected in love.” (1Jn4:18)
John is saying that as long as a believer is living in fear of punishment, or in fear of losing their salvation, then God’s love has not completed its work in that believer’s life.
The apostle Paul said,
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom8:1)
The literal Greek expresses it this way - ‘There is not now nor can there ever be a damnatory sentence against any who are in Christ Jesus.’
How could the apostles make such ultimate-salvation statements? It is easy. These statements belong to the finished work of the cross.
Jesus not only died for our sins, that is, for the whole of our sinful existence from the beginning of our birth until our passage out of this life, but at the cross a life exchange took place. He exchanged His life for our life. This is why the cross is called `the finished work of Christ.´ If it is finished, then there is nothing to be added to it.
The finished work of the cross means that the enemy can never again bring a charge against any of God’s people. Every believer’s life is now hidden in Christ. This is what makes our salvation complete. (Simply keep in mind that we are not dealing with consequences, but with the issue of security.)
How can this be? The reason is that the finished work is so complete that the death, burial, resurrection and ascension and glorification of Jesus Christ is placed on the account of every believer. Out of the cross God covered us with His own righteousness. Who can bring a charge against God or against His Christ?
John explains why God’s love is able to cast out all our fears of condemnation and of punishment. Listen carefully -
“By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Christ] is, so also are we in this world.” (1Jn4:17 - We have literally been clothed with the life of Christ.)
What John is saying is that as Christ is in heaven, so are we on earth. This is why Paul said that nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord. (This is how Romans 8 completes itself.)
Is any of this contingent upon anything we can earn by our own efforts? Not one little bit. Any idea of earning our salvation is a distortion of the true message of the cross. The only thing a person is called to do to be saved is to truly believe in Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. Believing is something that is done with the heart. True believing implies a repentance is in place. And true believing also sets forth a change of heart which results in a change of life. Out of a heart of faith comes our confession of faith in Him.
Listen to these Scriptures:
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the son (obedience involves repentance) will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (Jn3:35 - Especially directed to the Jewish people during time of Christ.)
“Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (Jn5:24)
“The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.” (1Jn5:10)
I would encourage any member who is struggling over the message of salvation to take time to read the book of Galatians.
Keep in mind that every apostle preached the same gospel. The one thing required for 
salvation is for a person to called upon Jesus as their own Lord and Savior. Peter and Paul both said, “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
When a person confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, there is a transfer of that person from the authority of darkness, into the kingdom rule of God’s beloved Son. In this transfer the believer is given a change of clothing. They give up their old sinful garments and are given the very garment of Jesus. They are clothed with Christ.
In this transfer of kingdom rule, the newly born human is also given a Christ-like nature. Though they can and will stumble at times, their new nature will not allow them to remain in a stumbling state. Sin will forever remain contrary to their new nature in Christ.
There is more - Not only is this newly born human clothed with Christ, but he becomes a member of God’s family. He is positionally seated with Christ on His throne. He belongs to the royal family of God. Thus he is a heavenly citizen in an earthly body.
And it doesn’t stop there. This new child of God is made a full heir of all that Jesus has inherited out of the cross. Paul said that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
If all this is truth, what then is the problem? The problem is in the believing.
If we no not believe rightfully, we then go about trying to earn our salvation by works. Once again the doctrine of earning our salvation will distort the word of the cross. These distorted message become a source of religious bondage.
On our Ask the Pastor site I am often asked which religion is right. My answer is always the same. There is no right religion. There is only a right relationship with the Lord. And this right relationship is found by believing in Jesus Christ.
The answer? It is never faith plus works. Salvation is the free gift of God. Certainly there are good works to be had. For believers our good works will always be an after-the-fact of our having been saved by grace through faith.
Salvation by grace is the message of the cross. By faith we experience the death side and the life side of the cross. We die to our selves, to our works, to our self-righteousness, to our pride of life, and thus we die to our old sinful life. In coming to the cross we accept Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sinful life.
Out of the death of the cross we then enter into the life side of the cross. The work of the cross is placed on our account. We receive our new life in Christ Jesus. Eternal life is not simply about duration of life. It is about a quality of life that is only found in Jesus.
What does faith have to do with it anyway? I say it has everything to do with it.
Just something to think about.
Much love coming your way,
Buddy
