Weekend Musings
One of the greatest books that Chuck Colson ever wrote was his 1987 Loving God. The book is a lucidly written page-turner with one chapter leading into the next with the perfect set up to entice the reader to continue. Great subject matter does that. But Colson and his co-author bring their talents to bear in a marvelous way to produce a book that nurtures and informs the soul. You will love it.
This morning I am preparing to preach a Saturday night message in one of our church plants and in my preparation ran across this quote from the book on the difference between Christianity and every other religion.
“Understanding this is crucial, for it distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. The Christian faith rests not merely upon great teachings or philosophies, not upon the charisma of a leader, not upon the success in raising moral values, not upon the skill of eloquence or good works of its advocates. If it did, it would have no more claim to authority than the sayings of Confucius or Mao or Buddha or Mohammed or any of a thousand cults. Christianity rests on historic truth. Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead to be Lord of all – not just in theory or fable, but in fact”
Loving God, Charles Colson. (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1987), p. 38.
May your joy be deep this weekend as you contemplate the FACTS of the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Living Lord of History. Sometime soon I am going to get this one off the shelf and read it again for the gems of wisdom between its covers.
ChosenRebel's Blog 
True my dear friend true and here are my two cents on the subject:
1. All other religions of the world are fundamentally just one religion — one of salvation by works. Each religion sets up a particular set of religious rites, of commands and restrictions, and of ethical principles to follow, and then teaches that if a man does these things he will be saved.
2. The Bible, however, sets its moral and ethical standard as the very holiness and perfection of God Himself, and demands nothing less than this for salvation. Obviously, no man would invent a standard which was utterly impossible for any man to keep.
3. The man Christ Jesus, alone of all men who ever lived, maintained in every respect a life of perfect holiness and full obedience to the Father, thus demonstrating that He was the God-Man. He then died for the sins of all men and thus can offer full pardon and His own nature of perfect holiness to anyone who receives Him .
Christ alone offers salvation by grace alone, to be received only through faith in Him.
To the one who truly believes on Him, He then gives through the Holy Spirit a new nature, enabling that one to live a life pleasing to God.
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I’ve been reading a lot about Islam lately, my mechanic is trying to convert me – so I’m reading the Quran and Geisler’s book, “Answering Islam.” The more I read about Islam, the more grateful I am for a God who is both transcendent and Imminent; for a God who is holy and full of grace and deserving of glory.
Works righteousness is a self-glorifying system whereas in the cross, all glory belongs to God.
The gospel is amazing and unique and God honoring.
God bless you, Marty!
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