MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/9/2026
8:37 AM
My
Worship Time Focus: The
Nature of the Decision”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Luke
6:46
Message of the verse: “Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord,’ and
do not do what I say?
I will begin to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary
for this section: “Religion thrives in
the world because people want to life after death in heaven, however they
define it. Whether conceived of as the
nirvana of Buddhism, the paradise of Islam, the eternal progression of godhood
of Mormonism, or the freedom from the cycle of reincarnation and union with Brahman
of Hinduism, religions offer some form of bliss, happiness, fulfilment, or
reward on a higher place after this life.
“In this age of tolerance and
rejection of absolute truth (especially religious truth), there is a widespread
belief that anyone who is sincere in their faith will go to heaven. Even many professing evangelicals hold to an
inclusive view of the gospel. God, they
maintain, will accept those who are sincere in their religious commitment, even
if they never leave their false religions, or profess faith in Jesus
Christ. In fact, some even argue that
they may actually be aided in coming to God by those false religions.
“But the gospel is uncompromisingly
exclusive. Jesus declared, ‘I am the
way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’
(John 14:6). The early Christians
proclaimed the truth that ‘there is salvation in no one else [other than Jesus
Christ]; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men
by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12).
“If there were any religion apart
from biblical Christianity close enough to the truth its followers might get to
heaven, it would be Judaism. After all,
Christians and Jews have much in common.
Both believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Both believe that God is holy, sovereign,
omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, creator, sustainer, holy, sovereign,
omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, creator, sustainer, and judge. Both believe in the reality of sin and the
need for righteousness. Both believe in
virtues such as humility, honesty, kindness, and forgiveness. And Jews believe in the Old Testament
Scriptures.
“But it was to people who held those
very beliefs that Jesus addressed this sermon.
Many were fascinated by Him, as evidenced by the huge crowds that
followed Him wherever He went. Some even
identified themselves as His disciples and affirmed Him to be in some sense
their master or teacher. Yet despite all
of that, many fell short of salvation because, as the Lord’s pointed question ‘Why
do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?’ makes clear, they
failed to obey Him.” (8/9/2026 8:55 AM) (8/9/2026 1:48 PM)
“Submission to Jesus Christ as Lord
is a non-negotiable element of true salvation.
Romans 10:9 says plainly, ‘If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved’
(cf. 1 Cor. 12:3).”
(cf. 1 Cor. 12:3)
“3 Therefore I want you to understand that no
one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says accursed “Jesus is accursed!” and
no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.”
“Saving
faith is obedient faith. Acts 6:7
relates that ‘a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.’ Three times in Romans the apostle Paul spoke
of obedience in connection with saving faith (1:5; 15; 18; 16:26).”
(Romans 1:5; 15:18; 16:26)
“5 through whom we have received grace and
apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name
among all the nations,”
“18 For I will not venture to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to
obedience—by word and deed,”
“26 but has now been disclosed and through the
prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command
of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith”
“Jesus is ‘to
all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation’ (Heb. 5:9), and Peter
wrote that the goal of salvation is ‘to obey Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 1:2). Those who love Jesus will keep His
commandments (John 14:15, 23; 15:10; cf. 1 John 5:3).”
(John 14:15, 23; 15:10; cf. 1 John 5:3)
“15 ¶ "If you love me, you will keep my
commandments.”
“23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me,
he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him.”
“10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide
in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”
“3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
“On the
other hand, ‘He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of
God abides on him’ (John 3:36), because ‘not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord,
Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father
who is in heaven will enter’ (Matt. 7:21), Paul pronounced a curse on those who
reject Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 16:22).”
(1 Cor. 16:22)
“22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him
be accursed. Our Lord, come!”
“But prove
yourselves doer of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves,’
warned James (James 1:22). To have God
on one’s lips but not in one’s heart is profane blasphemy.
“The non-negotiable requirements of confessing
sin, repenting of it, and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior
are necessary for salvation. Those who
fail in those respects but trust in good works and religious ritual will not
see heaven, no matter how sincere their religious beliefs.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life: I heard a story about what one will
be surprised about when getting to heaven.
Who is there; who is not there; and you are there.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Trusting the Lord to do a work in
my heart in order to be with me in a special way as the mourning over my wife
going to heaven will bring healing to my heart.
8/9/2026 2:08 PM
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