Spiritual Nuggets

To Ponder 052508

51. It is not only possible to lose our salvation, but a physical healing from God too. Because much of our materials prove the former, especially our books, that won’t be restated here. The latter is shown in John 5:13-15:

The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Also, notice the word again. That man once had health, became an invalid and then got healed by Jesus.

52. The authoritative religious leaders and spokesmen in Jesus’ day were so evil it is shocking. We see their murderous and anti-christ hearts in various locations, including John 12:9-11:

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead and Lazarus too. What was Lazarus’ crime against them? He was raised from the dead by Jesus and many people were rightly putting their faith in Jesus because of such!

53. Jesus was so hated at one point that the people actually preferred a murderer to be released instead of him:

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23:13-25)

Peter mentions this:

When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. (Acts 3:12-15)

54. Calvinism denies that we can tell who is saved and who is not. They say election is secret. This is as far from the truth as one can get. The truth is: even unsaved people can tell who are saved, according to Jesus:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34,35)

Another time we read of the same is here:

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:19)

The world can tell Christians are different and they hate them for it.

55. There are many horrible things that false teachers do to those who get deceived by them. A striking one is cited here:

Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering. When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say. (Luke 11:52-54)

In our ecumenical day, false teachers are viewed in a favorable way to the harm of all who are listening to them. These false teachers need to be refuted with Scripture. False teachers were the alleged experts or doctors of that day (Lk. 5:17; Acts 5:32; 1 Tim. 1:7) and can be in our day (2 Tim. 4:3).

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