Fundamental Baptist Christian

How can the Lordship of Christ be unchallenged, unchanging, and unending? It's because of the doctrine of the Trinity. Some deist cults that believe Jesus is just a prophet claim that the Trinity was only added centuries later. The Iglesia ni Manalo cult and Jehovah's Witnesses are among those who state that heresy. One reason why I usually avoid using modern English translations is because of missing verses. Yet even without 1 John 5:7 in those Bibles - the Trinity is still affirmed in some way. How can Genesis 1:26 be about angels? Can angels create? Genesis 1:27 says that God created man in His image. Who could God be talking to? That would be the Father talking to the Son and the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:2 confirms the eternal existence of the Holy Spirit. John 1:1-12 confirms that Jesus is the Word, the Word is with God, and the Word is God. The Trinity is that God exists as three Persons - one in essence yet three in Persons. Some say science disproves God. I beg to disag...

Today is Easter Sunday where it's better called as Resurrection Sunday. The declaration of Easter is to celebrate not a Savior who lives and dies all over again every year. Jesus doesn't die every Good Friday and rise again every Easter Sunday. Rather, the celebration of Holy Week and Easter signifies the very finished work on the cross. Jesus' triumphant entry on Palm Sunday showed that a New Testament was coming. Good Friday was the day when He finally offered that one sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:12-14) that was never to be repeated again. Black Saturday was when He was entombed. Why was it important for Him to be buried? It was prophesied that He would die among thieves yet be buried among the rich (Isaiah 53:9). The purpose of the burial was there to show that the grave couldn't hold Him because he's the King of Kings and Lord and Lords! But should the declaration of the resurrection of Christ just be on Easter Sunday? God forbid because the declaration o...

Although Jesus didn't make Mary the mother of humanity at the cross, although Christians shouldn't even try to get to Jesus through Mary but there's a lot of lessons to be learned by the humble woman in Mary. Do you remember when she got the visitation and she was frightened in Luke 1? She couldn't fathom the Creator of the Universe would be in her womb, she would be the earthly mother of Him who existed before her and she just told people in John 2:5 to do whatever Jesus told them. Mary herself showed her faithfulness by standing by the cross. She stood there out of full obedience to the plan of the Father. I remembered reading the late D. James Kennedy's book "Why I Believe" which I have the old edition. In page 127 where he talks about the virgin birth - he's an interesting passage that should make you realize how faithful Mary is as a believer and sister-in-Christ: The Virgin Birth is obviously something of a subjective nature - a very personal ...

There's the Christian hymn that would describe Good Friday. Here are the lyrics of the song that would describe the true purpose of Jesus' death: Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sov’reign die? Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I?  Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!  Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.  Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.  But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’Tis all that I can do.  Refrain (Hudson):  At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!  ...

The cross was a failure in the eyes of humanity yet it's God's greatest success. So what's the reality of the success of the cross? The cross is the Triune God's success to provide salvation for all who will receive. We can think of what the crucifixion of Christ did. People ask me what did Jesus do over the founders of their religion. Jesus did what none did - rise from the dead! The idea of resurrected dead men that saves with blood is loathed as "mentally unhealthy" yet Jesus Himself conquered death. The evidence of the resurrection itself is strong yet many still want to disprove it - yet the truth triumphs! The truth that the cross of Christ is indeed the greatest success that is viewed by the eyes of sinful humanity as a failure. So why it is viewed as failure humanly speaking? It's because the carnal mind is at war against God (Romans 8:7). The very idea that Jesus would allow all the beating and all the scourging when He is the Son of God is ab...

Good Friday 2018 is over and it's now Black Saturday 2018. That means it's just one more day and it will be Easter Sunday. It's such a sad thing that when Black Saturday ends and the Easter sunrise happens that so many people return to being worldly. That's why Lent is really more of a license to hypocrisy. But that's not the Bible way. Hebrews 12:14-15 Follow peace with all men, and holiness , without which no man shall see the Lord: [15] Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 1 Peter 1:15-16  But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I Am holy . Holiness is a characteristic of the Christian life To be holy means to be set apart for God. Just today, I decided to check out my Charles H. Spurgeon devotional which had written this entry dated for March 30: The spouse wh...

Today is Good Friday and nothing makes me cringe more than to think of people who don't quite get it when Jesus said in John 19:30, "It is finished!" In Luke 23:46 we said where Jesus says, "Father into Your hands I commit my spirit." Yes it is finished but why are people still trying to add to the finished work of Christ? There's your good news - Jesus said, "It is finished!" What's so good about "It is finished!"? He had finished His redeeming work. Hebrews 10:12 that Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins. It was never to be repeated again. There is only one sacrifice for sins. It's a once and for all sacrifice. Jesus doesn't get born every Christmas, gets crucified every Good Friday and rise up every Easter Sunday. If there's any reason to call Good Friday as good - it's because the good news is that "It is finished!" The finished work of Christ is done. He has fulfilled the Law that man couldn't l...

I was doing some Good Friday readings and I decided to open the book "Hard to Believe" by Dr. John F. MacArthur for to reread the second chapter called "The Hard Truth" concerning the ugly truth called "The shame of the cross". There is one truth about the cross that can't be denied. It's a very unpopular topic. Here are some words that really make sense why preaching the Cross has never been an easy task: Crucifixion was a repugnant, demeaning forth of execution for the rabble of society. The idea that anybody who died on the cross was in any sense an exceptional, elevated, noble, important person was absurd. Roman citizens generally were exempt from crucifixion unless they committed treason. the authorities reserved the cross for rebellious slaves and conquered people, and for notorious robbers and assassins. The Roman Empire's policies on crucifixion led Romans to view any crucified person as absolutely contemptible. The Romans used it o...

It's Good Friday and I really believe it's time to address the issue of voluntary crucifixion. I would like to specify that the practice of voluntary crucifixion is not found in the official Roman Catholic catechism. It's just like the superstition of not taking a bath on Good Friday where it's not officially taught in the Roman Catholic institution but some Filipinos have incorporated something else into their worship not taught by the official Vatican canon. Please note that a group of heretics known as the Flagellants were even considered as a heretical sect by the Vatican Council. What makes the idea of voluntary crucifixion which is termed as "penitensya" (which means penance) an insult to the finished work of Christ? The very belief that you can earn your merit by voluntary crucifying yourself to get justified before God is absolutely not biblical. Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the Law, then Chris...

It's Easter Sunday and yes, I'm blasting on the paganism associated with it to bring the message that's already been declared for a long time, "Christ the Lord is risen." He's risen way back and that's proof He has conquered death and sin. He paid for the sins of mankind and He's finished His mission. His death paid the price and finished the atonement for sins. His resurrection brings proof of his victory. 1 Corinthians 2:8  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The resurrection is just as important as the virgin birth, the crucifixion and the burial because they're all part of the prophecies about Christ. His resurrection means that death is conquered to prove who He is. It's not enough that He paid for the penalty of sin by dying but He has to resurrect as part of the great redemption plan. 1 Corinthians 15:54-55  So when this corruptible shall have p...

Today is Black Saturday and here's what the Bible says about the Lord Jesus' death and burial: Isaiah 53:9  And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. The Lord Jesus' death was planned by God the Father for the redemption of man. The burial of Jesus on a Friday is an important testimony of this that Jesus really died physically for the sins of man on the cross. This is the testimony that He indeed died for the sins of sinful mankind. Here's the following facts that those who want to dismiss His death and resurrection have been conveniently ignoring these details that don't require a medical expert to disprove: The wound on the side of Christ bled both blood and water. This was already evidence that He had died. The Romans would always check the crucified victims before lowering them down. If they lived the legs were broken so they would be granted a swift de...

It's Good Friday isn't it? The Lenten season is one of the most hypocritical times of the year and Good Friday may be the most hypocritical part of Lent. Many pretend to go into sorrow during Good Friday to "commemorate" Jesus' death but when Easter Sunday comes, it would be just one day ahead before many people go back to living like the rest of the world.  Hebrews 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Hebrews 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? One of the worst teachings that people can have is to belittle the death of Jesus on the cross. If the works salvation crowd diminish it by adding works to it (Galatians 2:21) then the Antinomians make a...

The real message of Easter has been this one that Jesus was crucified and on Sunday before sunrise, He was resurrected. The whole meaning of Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday shows the sinful fickleness of man. During Palm Sunday, everyone started singing praises when Jesus came into Jerusalem but a few days later they cried out, "Crucify Him!" People chose the robber over the innocent Jesus but this was all part of God's plan. The more I thought about the people choosing Barabbas the robber, it shows the wickedness of man yet it also shows the mercy of God. The Scripture is silent about Barabbas but one thing I am certain like Barabbas, I should have been the one who was crucified. I felt like shouting, "That's not fair, Jesus should be set freed." He could have set Himself freed but instead, He was obedient unto death and people were probably given the picture He was going to die for the lost sinner. On the cross, Jesus really looked like...

Arthur W. Pink's quote above gives an exposition of what it means to have the cross. The empty cross is the symbol of the finished work of Christ. There are lessons to be learned from the crucifixion and what it means to be a Christian. When it comes to the cross, I really cannot help but think that Jesus' death on the cross was not only to pay for our sins but it also showed Christians how to live. Philippians 2:8 says, "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." It was at the Garden of Gethsheme he prayed saying in Luke 22:42 that it is the will of the Father be done and not His. Jesus gave perfect obedience to His Father in everything even to die by crucifixion. Crucifixion was the punishment reserved for the most evil of criminals in that day. An innocent man was about to get the punishment that was so undeserved yet it was the Father's plan. It was Jesus' sacrificial love that...

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Does that sound fair that the sinless Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ to be the one made sin for man? By the human point of view, it is not fair. In the default justice system, sin must be punished. But do you realize why the Son of God became the sin sacrifice. It is because the sin of man no matter how big or how small cannot be paid by man's own effort. James 2:10-11 says that if we break even one of His laws, we already are fallen short. The only way to pay for your sins without Christ's mercy and by yourself is to spend an eternity in Hell. There is no way that one's own natural goodness will ever deliver them. The whole message of the crucifixion is that Christ died for my sins so sin would be defeated. When Matthew 1:21 declares the timeless truth that Jesus came to save His people from their sins, one has to reme...