This Particular LIFE (Part 6)
Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. (Acts 5:20)

This Altered Life Can BE Validated! (D)

(Guilty until proven innocent)

Theme for all missionaries who live to rescue the perishing:

“All men are guilty of living a life of rebellion toward King Jesus until otherwise proven innocent by His unmistakable marks of grace upon their life.”

Mark #2

He not only LOVES King Jesus but He LIKES Him:

All of humanity, outside of being in a relationship with Jesus Christ, is blind to the truth about Jesus. This blindness is the direct result of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. We, as natural men, were all born blind to the gospel. This blindness is specific to the essence of the gospel. The enemy, through the deceitfulness of sin, has caused an obscurity of vision in the understanding of those who are perishing.

I use the word perishing to describe someone lost in their own sin. Think about being lost this way. When someone is lost in a vast wilderness with no means of getting themselves out of where they are, they are perishing. Man outside of Christ, lost and helpless, is perishing in a sin-sick world. We, along with the rest of humanity, by nature have an appeal toward sin that cannot be altered, curved, or satisfied by sin itself. The pleasure we pursue is only temporary. The more we are involved in sin, the greater the degree of intensity and longing we have for it.
The only hope for man is the new birth brought about by God Himself. “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:18). Being born again is the work and wonder of a sovereign God. He uses a vessel of His mercy to preach His Good News of our redemption through Christ and we are enabled to believe the unbelievable. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation or the means by which He has ordained to birth us into His kingdom. The problem with men is they are blind to this gospel until God shines in their hearts and gives them the light needed to see and know Him through the life of His Son, Jesus. Who is it who effectually applies this work of God? The Holy Spirit does this awesome work of regeneration, birthing us into God’s kingdom. This is why God told Nicodemus no one could see or enter into the kingdom of God without first being born again.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

The new birth is how Jesus loosens the works of the devil over our life. Paul speaks of those who don’t have an affection or appeal for Christ as being still under the curse of the fall:

“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22).

If any man is not fond of Christ with that same natural appeal we develop toward a close friend, he is lost and perishing. This type of love is the kind of love you have when you meet someone for the first time and you really like them even though you don’t know them. You are naturally drawn to them with an appeal that cannot be denied. David and Jonathan were drawn to each other this way. “Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:3). They embraced and enjoyed a natural friendship that was born the moment they met. If you have been born again, you will not only love Jesus Christ, but you will also forever like Him. Do you really like Jesus? Paul wants us to see the distinct result and power of the new birth. Prior to being born again, we may have been fond of a false Jesus we let our secular culture shape for us, but not the Jesus who demanded all of our lives. Not a Jesus who calls on us to die to ourselves and reveals there is nothing beneficial in our flesh. Why has our culture shaped a Jesus who is not described in the Bible? It is because of an enemy who has clouded their vision of who Jesus is and has led them also to shape Jesus to their own liking.
Moreover, when a man is born again by the Spirit of the living God, he will not only love the authentic historical Jesus revealed in the Scriptures, but he will also like Jesus. He, because of his new nature, will have an unquenchable appeal for Jesus. He will have an
undeniable adoration and an unconditional appreciation for Jesus Christ, who has forgiven him of so many sins and made him into a new creature. He acts on this unquenchable appeal and makes a well thought out choice to love God based on a truth that will be continually revealed to him. On the other hand, if a man is not drawn to
Christ with an overwhelming fondness because he likes Jesus, he’ll never chose to love Him for what He’s done. His claims of loving Jesus do not match his affections and actions.
What is the difference between the man who is fond of Jesus and the one who’s not? Jesus Himself is the difference. The eternal purpose of the new birth is what has made the difference effective.

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

The difference maker is God, and the difference that He’s made is a new creation. He freely and forever forgives, reconciles, and rescues His subjects through Christ, to the praise and glory of His grace. Praise Him for this indescribable gift.
Before we move on from this thought, I want to help you see what Paul is saying when he says, “Let be accursed,” in regards to those who profess Christ as their Savior but show no evidence they like Him or His people. This does not mean you leave him there and
move on. He is teaching us to not claim someone is saved when they’re not. If you have a spouse, children, other family members, or friends who are not absolutely fond of Jesus, pray to God He’ll deliver them for His own glory. “Even with those who claim to be
saved?” “Yes!” Even those who go to church with you but show no affection and adoration for Jesus.
Men can fake many things and get away with it most of the time. But they cannot fake what they like and what they treasure. New creatures that have been saved by the grace of God will treasure and like the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to those you know when they
talk about what they treasure and like the most, and see if you can discern the presence of God in their thoughts. “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4). We all seek what we treasure and talk about what we like. God’s presence is not discernible or evident in guiding all the thoughts of the wicked. If we were to read the whole psalm, we would see the wicked think about God, but God is not involved in initiating or instructing the thoughts of the wicked. Why not? God has not established His thoughts. Why has He not established
His thoughts? The wicked has not surrendered His life unto the Lord. “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” (Proverbs 16:3). We commit ourselves to what we treasure, and we trust what we treasure. We will always be found
talking the most about three things: (1) what we treasure (2) what we like (3) what we know the most about. If it’s not Jesus, we’re lost and perishing in our sins!
When we know others don’t like Jesus, pray God will shine in their hearts so they can see and know Him through the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will never have an appeal for the authentic Jesus until they are born again. Pray for light to shine in them for God’s glory. Salvation is about God’s glory. Men become better people when they are saved, but this is not the reason we should pray for them to be saved. Salvation is not so we’ll go to church and enjoy it more, but it is completely for the glory of God.

When the Holy Spirit births us into the kingdom of God we become supernaturally fond of Jesus. Mark #2 of God’s redemptive grace is that ALL of God’s people will love and like Jesus.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. [7] Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. (Song 8:6-7)

LOVE, like death, CONQUERS and CAPTIVATES its subjects!

“All men are guilty of not liking King Jesus until proven innocent.”

Come back for part 7 as we continue to introduce the eternal marks of God’s grace.

Until then God bless!

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready (stumbling) to be slain (slaughtered); [12] If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works? (Proverbs 24:11-12)

Win the lost at His cost, and it will be According to Grace!