1 Samuel 2:2   "There is none holy  as the Lord:   for there is none  beside Thee:  neither  is there any rock  like our God."

THE LORD  IS SPOKEN OF  AS  A ROCK  IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

IN  THE NEW TESTAMENT  HE IS SPOKEN OF AS  THE CHIEF CORNER STONE.

1 Peter 2:6   "Behold  I  lay  in Sion   a chief  corner stone,  elect,   precious:  and  he that believeth on Him  shall not  be confounded."

THERE IS NO ROCK LIKE OUR GOD.

Psalm 71  God the Rock of Salvation.

1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.

2 Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;

   Incline Your ear to me, and save me.

3 Be my strong refuge,

  To which I may resort continually;

  You have given the commandment to save me,

  For You are my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,

  Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

5 For You are my hope, O Lord God;

  You are my trust from my youth.

6 By You I have been upheld from birth;

  You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.

  My praise shall be continually of You.

7 I have become as a wonder to many,

  But You are my strong refuge.

8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise

  And with Your glory all the day.

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

  Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

10 For my enemies speak against me;

   And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,

11 Saying, "God has forsaken him;

   Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him."

12 O God, do not be far from me;

   O my God, make haste to help me!

13 Let them be confounded and consumed

   Who are adversaries of my life;

   Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor

   Who seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually,

   And will praise You yet more and more.

15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness

   And Your salvation all the day,

   For I do not know their limits.

16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God;

   I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

17 O God, You have taught me from my youth;

   And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded,

   O God, do not forsake me,

   Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

   Your power to everyone who is to come.

19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,

   You who have done great things;

   O God, who is like You?

20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,

   Shall revive me again,

   And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21 You shall increase my greatness,

   And comfort me on every side.

22 Also with the lute I will praise You—

   And Your faithfulness, O my God!

   To You I will sing with the harp,

   O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,

   And my soul, which You have redeemed.

24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;

   For they are confounded,

   For they are brought to shame

                       Who seek my hurt.

AMEN.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?

Salvation  is not like a coin  that we carry around  in our pockets all day long  and  that we might lose.  

SALVATION,  IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.   

HE,  IS GOD OF VERY GOD. 

YOU EITHER HAVE CHRIST JESUS IN YOUR HEART,  OR  YOU DO NOT HAVE CHRIST JESUS IN YOUR HEART.

YOU EITHER TRUST CHRIST JESUS HIM ,  OR  YOU DO NOT TRUST CHRIST JESUS.

THERE  ARE NO OTHER  ALTERNATIVES. 

YOU  EITHER  STAND  FOR  CHRIST  OR   YOU  STAND  AGAINST  CHRIST. 

YOU CAN ONLY STAND ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER. 

THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN WHEREBY MANKIND CAN BE SAVED.

Acts 4:12   "Neither  is there salvation  in any other;   for  there is no other name  under heaven  given among men,  whereby  we must be saved."   

THE NAME JESUS IS ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME GIVEN AMONG MEN.

AND AT THE NAME OF JESUS  EVERY KNEE WILL BOW   -   SOONER  OR  LATER.

WE  ARE  ALL  GUILTY,   LOST,  HELL DOOMED,   SINNERS  BEFORE  HOLY, RIGHTEOUS  AND  JUST  GOD.

ALL OUR GOOD WORKS ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS IN HIS SIGHT.

THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONDEMNED.

EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS A SINNER BEFORE GOD.

Romans 3:10   "There is none  righteous,  no,  not one."  

Romans 3:12   "There is none  that doeth good,   no,   not one"

WE  LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS IN REBELLION AGAINST GOD.   

Jeremiah 17:9  "The heart  is  deceitful above all things,  and desperately wicked:   who can know it?" 

Once we can see ourselves  as God sees us,  we  are able  to comprehend  just what it cost God,  the Father,  to send  His One and Only Son,  our Saviour,  the Lord Jesus Christ,   into the world to  save us.  

John 3:17   "For God  sent not His Son  into the world  to condemn the world,  but  that the world  through Him  might be saved."

GOD  SENT  HIS ONLY SON  TO PAY THE  RANSOM  FOR US.  

THE PENALTY OF OUR SIN WAS LAID UPON HIM  WHEN  HE  WAS CRUCIFIED  ON THE TREE  OF  CALVARY.

HE BORE OUR SIN IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE TREE.

WE  ARE NOT  BOUGHT  WITH  SILVER  OR  GOLD  BUT

WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  

1 Peter 1:18-19   "Forasmuch as ye know  that  ye were not redeemed  with corruptible things,  like silver and gold,  from your vain manner of life received by tradition from your fathers, 

 But  with the precious blood of Christ,  as of a lamb  without blemish  and  without spot.  Who verily was foreordained  before the foundation of the world,  but  was manifest  in these last times  for you. 

Who  by Him  do believe in God,  who raised Him up  from the dead  and  gave Him glory,  that  your faith  and  hope  might be in God."  

The apostle Peter is speaking of the objective work of salvation  -  redemption.

WE STOOD UNDER  JUDGMENT  FROM  GOD.

PEACE HAS BEEN MADE WITH GOD THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE CROSS.

Ezekiel 18:4   "The soul that sinneth  it  shall die." 

GOD HAS NEVER REVOKED THAT LAW. 

GOD NEVER CHANGES.

HE IS THE SAME GOD TODAY,  AS  HE WAS  IN THE PAST,  AND AS  HE WILL BE  IN THE FUTURE.

THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD 

IS  THE TERROR OF THE WICKED   -   that is,  if they give any thought to it at all.  

We today  live in  a new age  of  thoughts  and  values  but  God   has not changed.  He  has no need to change  because  He  knows   the end from the beginning.   He  has no need  of any information  because  He  knows  all things.   He  knows  what has happened to you  in the past,  and  He  knows  what is happening to you  right now.  He also knows  what is going to happen to you   in the future.  He  knows  exactly   what  is in your heart  right now.  

This  is so wonderful,   because  even though  people  think up  all sorts of evil  about us,   God  knows our true heart.  He  knows  it  better  than  we know  it  ourselves.  He  knows   a  heart  that will  seek   after  Him.   A  heart that will  seek  after  Him,  and  love  Him,  for   who  He  is,    and because  He  gave Himself   freely  for us.  

It is only  through  Christ Jesus dwelling  in us     that  we are able   to  love  Him.  

Why?   

BECAUSE  HE  IS LOVE.

ALL TRUE LOVE COMES FROM  CHRIST. 

WE CANNOT LOVE GOD APART FROM  CHRIST JESUS.

HE  IS THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION   AND  THE FINISHER OF  OUR  FAITH.

Hebrews 12:2    "Looking unto Jesus  the author and  finisher of our faith;  who  for the joy  that was set before Him  endured the cross,  despising the shame,  and  is set down  at the right hand  of  the throne of God."

SALVATION  BEGINS  IN CHRIST AND IT  ENDS  IN CHRIST.

WE MUST BE  IN  HIM   TO HAVE TRUE SALVATION  BECAUSE  WE STAND COMPLETE  IN HIM.

WHEN WE ARE IN  HIM  WE HAVE ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS.

WE HAVE  HIS  RIGHTEOUSNESS   IMPUTED  TO US.

WE  MUST NOT  LIVE  CONTINUALLY  STRUGGLING WITH SIN,  BUT RATHER  PUT  ALL THAT BEHIND US.

A BELIEVER   COMES UNDER  THE DOMINION OF SIN  WHEN  THEY  ACT  INDEPENDENTLY     ALLOWING  THEIR   APPETITE  TO RULE.

THE FLESH  KNOWS NOTHING OF THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST.

IT  WANTS TO  DICTATE  MOVES,   DECISIONS,  AND  PLANS.

GOD'S INTENSION IS  THAT  HIS CHILDREN  SHOULD  ENJOY  HIS    RULE  AND  NOT  THE  DICTATORSHIP  OF THE FLESH.  THE  FLESH  WILL  NEVER  IMPROVE  AND  ITS SINS  CANNOT  BE REFINED.

ONCE  WE ARE  BORN-AGAIN   OF  THE SPIRIT, OUR  SOULS    -  intellect,  emotions  and  will  -    ARE   BEING SAVED  DAY BY  DAY    -  THE  INNER  MAN  IS  BEING  RENEWED   (2 Corinthians 4:16).

WHEN WE MAINTAIN  A PROPER DIET,  WE SHALL FIND THE HOLY SPIRIT  COMMITTED  TO  TRANSFORMING  US.

IT IS NOT OUR  WORK,  IT IS HIS WORK  -  WE SIMPLY HAVE TO CO-OPERATE.  

EVENTUALLY  WE WILL BE PRESENTED TO  GOD   "WITHOUT SPOT  OR  WRINKLE"   (Ephesians 5:27).

WE  ARE  JUSTIFIED     (Romans 3:24).  

WE ARE BEING SANCTIFIED   (Hebrews 10:14).

Sanctification  is  the work  of God  in  the  heart  and  life  of  the believer.  This  is God's  eternal purpose.

WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM   (1 John 3:2).

Romans 8:1    "There  is therefore,  now  no condemnation  to them  who are  in Christ Jesus,  who walk  not after the flesh,  but after the Spirit."

THE REAL QUESTION IS,    

Are we walking after the Spirit?

We are  being  sanctified  daily  through  the Holy Spirit  who  is  at  work  in  us.  And one day  we will be   glorified  -  we  will receive  our glorious  new bodies,  our  full  reward   of  SALVATION.  

1 Peter 1:5   "Who  are kept  by the power of God  through faith  unto SALVATION   ready  to be revealed  in the last time."  

"KEPT"  IS ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL WORDS  THAT WE HAVE IN THE BIBLE.

WE ARE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD.  

WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT HE WHO BEGUN THE GOOD WORK OF SALVATION IN US ,  IS ABLE TO PERFORM IT.

HE  WILL KEEP US  TO  THE VERY END. 

Dear reader,   do you  believe  that  Christ  can  keep  you?  

Do not  put any emphasis  on the flesh. 

Please  don not  follow  any  man-made  set of rules  -  we can never ever  become  adequate  Christians.   

WE ARE PRESSING ON   TOWARDS THE MARK   FOR THE PRIZE   OF  THE HIGH CALLING  OF  GOD IN CHRIST JESUS WHO IS LORD.   

We cannot live the Christian life down here on this earth,  because  we still have an old sinful nature,  and we cannot change that sinful nature by a little set of rules.  

It  is like pouring  a bottle of the best perfume on a heap of manure.

WE NEED TO BE  REGENERATED  -  BORN AGAIN  -  BORN FROM ABOVE.

WE MUST BE BORN  OF THE SPIRIT  OF GOD.

THE  ONLY WAY TO  LIVE  THE  CHRISTIAN LIFE  IS  BY  THE  POWER  OF THE HOLY SPIRIT  IN OUR HEARTS  -  CHRIST JESUS ABIDING  IN  OUR HEARTS.

Our personal relationship with Him,  is  in Him   -   this,   is  preserving    faith  because  it will  keep us  until  the day  when  He  will deliver us to the Father in heaven.

1 Peter 1:6   "Wherein  ye greatly rejoice,  though now  for a season,  if  need be,  ye are in heaviness  through manifold temptations."  

The suffering of the believer  will produce  joy  because,   God  has begotten us,  given us rebirth  -  a  new nature  and  a  living hope  by the resurrection of Christ Jesus  from the dead,  and  in the future  we  have an inheritance  waiting for us.  

Therefore  we can greatly rejoice in "heaviness through manifold trials."   

Today  there is too much emphasis  placed  on the present life.    

Psychology  and  materialism  have slipped  into the church.  

We  are told  that  we are to  "develop"  ourselves  to  "reach our full potential" .  

THIS IS FALSE.

IT  IS  GOD,  WHO  THROUGH CHRIST JESUS  ALONE,  WILL BRING US,  TO  MATURITY  IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE.

THIS  IS  SALVATION.  

GOD  WILL PROVE US,  HE  WILL   LEAD US TO MATURITY  AND  PERHAPS HE  MIGHT  USE  A  LITTLE SUFFERING.

EVERY CHILD OF GOD WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION  BECAUSE  THE SERVANT  IS  NOT GREATER THAN  HIS MASTER.

WE HAVE NOTHING,  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING,  TO OFFER  TO  GOD.

EVERYTHING WE DO IS LIKE  FILTHY RAGS  IN GOD'S SIGHT.

GOD  ON THE OTHER HAND,   HAS EVERYTHING TO OFFER US  -  SALVATION.

HE GIVES TO US HIS OWN DEAR SON TO  ABIDE IN US.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE  GREAT SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP AND  HE WILL BRING EACH ONE OF HIS SHEEP HOME TO GLORY.

SALVATION  MEANS  THAT  WE  REST  ENTIRELY  IN THE  FINISHED WORK  OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ON THE TREE OF CALVARY.

HE DIED ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY TO SAVE US, HE AROSE FROM THE DEAD AND  HE  LIVES IN HEAVEN TO KEEP US.

Will you  make  a  decision  to  accept  His  gift of salvation?

HYMN:   We have heard the joyful sound,  Jesus saves.   

Sankey's sacred Songs & Solos 1079.

Verse 1.

We have heard the joyful sound,  Jesus saves!  Jesus saves!

Tell the message all around,  Jesus saves!  Jesus saves!

bear the news to every land,  Climb the steeps and cross the waves;

Onward!  -  'Tis our Lord's command:

JESUS SAVES!  JESUS SAVES!

Verse 2.

Wait it on the rolling tide,  Jesus Saves!  Jesus saves!

Say to sinners far and wide,  Jesus saves!  Jesus saves!

Sing ye islands of the sea,  Echo back ye ocean caves:

Earth shall keep her jubilee:

JESUS SAVES!  JESUS SAVES!

Verse 3.

Sing above the toil and strife,  Jesus saves!  Jesus saves!

By His death and endless life  -  Jesus saves!  Jesus saves!

sing it softly through the gloom,  When the heart for mercy craves:

Sing in triumph o'er the tomb  - 

JESUS SAVES!  JESUS SAVES1

Verse 4.

Give the winds a mighty voice:  Jesus saves!  Jesus saves!

Let the nations now rejoice  -  Jesus saves!  Jesus saves!

SHOUT SALVATION FULL AND FREE

TO EVERY STRAND THAT OCEAN LAVES;

THIS OUR SONG OF VICTORY,

JESUS SAVES!  JESUS SAVES!

AMEN.

SALVATION IS A PERSON:  

THE PERSON OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

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THIS PAGE UPDATED: 25-3-2007.