Articles by Edward Thomas

We are saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ. Here are the scriptures that clearly show how to be saved. Romans 10:9 says it all:

“That if you shall confess with your mough in the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

This collection of writings  is not an apologetic for the Christian faith as this has already been accomplished by much greater means by the likes of CS Lewis in “Mere Christianity” or “The Case for Christ” or “Letters to a skeptic” or “Know why you believe” by Paul Little.  Nor is this a comprehensive commentary on the wisdom of the Christian faith and why His path to salvation is the best one that could be conceived.  This is just a brief examination of how God’s wisdom is far above our wisdom and confirmation that the gospel is true, the resurrection is real and the future victorious and beyond our wildest imaginations.

Salvation in Christ

How to be saved (born again…what does it mean? (Holy Spirit like the wind—not predictable)

In Faith alone, in Christ alone-total Grace

No works involved-Ephesians 2:8-9)-however, we are created for good works which Christ prepared before hand. (read verse 10)

A new creation-the Holy Spirit in You-changed foreverOnce a new creation, always a new creation, you cannot undo it. Scriptures that support the fact that you cannot lose your salvation-if genuine

Dealing with tough scriptures that seem to say you can lose your salvation-there are some scriptures including Hebrews 6:4-6 that seem to suggest you can lose your salvation, but when taken in context of the entire passage they can be explained.  If hope to get to these eventually, but if not there are great resources available.  Andy Woods is always a good one.

Is there a 2^nd working of the Holy Spirit? (the working of the holy spirit is like the wind…you don’t know whether it is coming or going.  He is not predictable.  I think He works differently in other times and cultures.  In my experience there is not a 2^nd working of the Holy Spirit.  Once we believe, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee for salvation.  He lives inside us.  We are a new creation.  This is a one time event in our lives.  That is not to say that we do not get special “fillings” of the Holy Spirit when needed.  There may be some that get the gift of tongues, but this has not been my experience.)

How does salvation works in other religions? (All other religion emphasize works has the basis for salvation.  Christianity is just the opposite.  Our works are useless filthy rags.  We can never earn our salvation.  It is a free gift of God.  Read Ephesians 3:8-9.

Free Will (explains evil, sovereignty of God, God chooses us)(both God’s sovereignty and our free choice are true at the same time.  This is a mystery just like how Jesus could be both all God and all human at the same time)

Role of repentance-not a condition of salvation.  To be saved, one must “believe”.  That is the only requirement for salvation.  Repentance is the “changing of one’s mind” to turn away from sin and follow God.  Though we should do this often as followers of Christ, we fail miserably at it.  Our righteousness is as dirty rags.  If repentance is a requirement for salvation, what degree of repentance is required? Daily?  Hourly?  How successful do we need to be? What if a follower of Christ is a little more successful at repenting than others.  Are they more saved?  No.  What if a follower of Christ fails or forgets to repent of some of their sins?  Are they less forgiven?  No!  We are all saved by grace through faith and not of works.  (see J.D. Farag for a more thorough explanation of this)Dealing with Doubt-it is normal to face doubts.  Persevere through it by reading the Bible.

All things work together for good (there are examples in my own life-see Dad’s notes in the book provided me from Rene and Jenny)

Justification, Sanctification, Glorification (justification is not a gradual process, but a definite time and place/sanctification is the ongoing pursuit of holiness/glorification is our resurrection)

The Jesus Dilemma-what do you do with Him? You cannot sit on the fence with Him.  You must either accept or reject Him.  If you believe that He rose from the dead, then you must accept Him! This is not a blind faith, it is based on the evidence.  Study the scriptures yourself and make that determination in your heart.  One day you will see God face to face and your eternal future will be based on that decision.

Genesis 6:6 “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth and it grieved Him to His heart” (ESV)–why start over? Why not just eliminate all humans? John 3:16 gives us that answer.

The gospel is denied by many people who cannot humble themselves,  become like a child and totally trust the Lord God. Many cannot do it.  They have to interpret who God is based on their own preconceptions.  God is too big for that. He cannot be put in our self conceived box.  It will take an eternity to get to know Him, so it is wise to trust Him completely on things we don’t understand. Yet He has made it clear who He is through His son Jesus.  We will be without excuse.

Why does God require a blood sacrifice? This is insanity, right? What kind of God requires that? Who is this God….a God of love? We underestimate the holiness of God.  He cannot tolerate sin.  And yet He provided a way to save us and actually forgets our sins by the work of His Son on the cross.  What kind of God does that? In God’s wisdom (which is infinitely higher than ours), He decided a blood sacrifice was the best way (perhaps only way) for there to be reconciliation between a holy God and a people with the freedom to choose evil, but have repented and ask for forgiveness.

Christianity is not a blind faith-there is overwhelming evidence—still requires leap of faith but it is based on reasonable and convincing proofs. 2 Peter 1:16-21 says, “for we did not invent cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 

Obstacles of suffering, presence of evil, existence of hell and all the chaos on the earth are stumbling blocks to our faith.  This is probably the greatest stumbling block in society.  How could a just God let the world go on in evil and violence? But God has the answers in the Bible.  Search it out and ask for understanding.

Can you figure out a better way that God could have done it and maintain free will for His creation?  Surely, God would take no pleasure in creating robotic beings.

How will it play out during the tribulation-the “earth dwellers” want nothing to do with God even though they know who He is and what He stands for. They will refuse to repent from their sins after given every opportunity. (Revelation 6:17)

There will be accusations that the God of the Bible is not fair will be the mantra during the tribulation. The anti-christ will claim that the God of the bible is false and just a myth. He will claim Jesus is either a fictitious person or has abandoned the people of earth an never coming back.

He is loving, good and just in all His decisions—especially His judgements on mankind. But not everyone will agree with His judgements. They will say He is unfair and too narrow.  They will reject Him knowing fully well that He is God.

So how will you choose? Ultimately with our limited human reasoning abilities, there is the perception of a degree of foolishness in the whole concept of God’s purposes for mankind and the earth.  But that is of necessity.  If it all made sense to us, then we would be equal to God.  If it all made sense to us, then what is the use of faith or pleasing God?  Is it really possible to worship God freely on this side of eternity while knowing how it all works and understanding the inconceivable vastness of the mind of God?  I contend it is not possible.  Could a spark of genuine love even exist in us if we were able to calculate the exact reasoning of all the paths of God? There is something profound in the not knowing, the lack of understanding, in the mysteries of how God acts and how His mind works.  This is why God’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).  It is this human weakness that allows love to be expressed.  Is it this human weakness that allows grace to be administered.  It is this human weakness that allows forgiveness to be offered and accepted.  It is from this perspective of weakness that salvation is made powerful and able to save. It is from this stunning vulnerability and scandalously exposed weakness that God’s power thrives.  If Satan had understood it, he would never have rebelled against the God of this universe (I Cor. 2:8).  Is God bound by this weakness to express the attributes mentioned above. Of course not!  But that is the way He chose for mankind and there is not conceivably a better way, or God would have chosen it.

  So do you have to understand it all?  No.  But I encourage you, examine the evidence, and also put on the innocence and trust of a child and believe it.  Despite the overwhelming evidence, you must take the leap from the mind to the heart and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.  It is that simple!  He is alive and sits at the right hand of God.  He is coming back.  He is in total control of events on earth and in the heavens and in the last days He will raise us up to be with Him forever.  Sometimes that seems like foolishness!  But what incredible, unfathomable wisdom and truth and hope!  Embrace Him and all that He is, for it will take an eternity to really get to know this remarkable God.  The only God.  There is no other. You might accuse me to being blinded by hope and have made up a God to conform to my system of reasoning.  That might be an accurate charge if Jesus did not rise up from the dead.  But if He has, then that changes everything. A resurrected Jesus confirms all the words of the old and new testaments.  A resurrected Jesus confirms that Christianity is true.  A resurrected Jesus confirms that Jesus is God and coming back to this earth to judge and redeem it.

 I leave you with the words of Jesus at the last supper, shortly before His crucifixion:

“Let not your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself that where I am you may be also. “ (John 14:1-3, ESV)