Perseverence.

Before we get started, I'd like to warn you, as the reader, that this most likely is going to get dense and heavy pretty quick, so take a seat, buckle up, and lets do some work. I'm praying that this, as always, is nothing less than an exegetical exposition of the text, that you find in it truth, and in truth, application. Lastly I want to state, before we get into this, that this is no attempt to "scare the hell" out of you, (literally) but simply an effort to maintain a healthy tension of doctrine. Here we go.

Here's the camp I fall into. First, in all honesty, I doubt that many who think they are saved and Heaven bound actually find themselves on the path to arrive there. (Hopefully this could go unsaid, but if you AREN'T on the path to get there, you WON'T actually get there.) Secondly, should you TRULY be justified by the grace of a gracious Creator, not only will you not leave the path heavenward, but by the same grace that saved you, you will be unable to leave it.

The above is my layman's definition of the final doctrine of grace, the perseverance of the saints. So let's break this down and see what this looks like in application.

Why do I think that many who believe they are saved, truly are not? Simply because I find the Bible testifying to that very fact. I know we've been through this before, but the text is extremely obvious that true salvation yields true results through grace driven effort. What am I saying? That works are necessary for salvation? By no means. Check out my post "Works" about a conversation with some Mormon missionaries about works based systems of salvation. What I am saying, however, is that works do indeed PROVE a TRUE conversion of the gospel.

"Bear fruits in keeping with repentance." (Luke 3:8 ESV)

"So faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:17 ESV)

"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14 ESV)

"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1st John 2:3-4 ESV)

So my question is: Are you REALLY saved? And how do you know? Is it because you go to church, and you've been to church? No where in the text does it state that a church attendance is a fruit of justification. This is not to say that where you have seen fruit in the past, and currently walk through difficulty or sin, grace has been retracted. Sanctification and becoming more Christ-like is a life long process. This is not an elitist message, nor one demanding of perfection. It is simply one mimicking the statement of the text. We know him if we keep his commandments.

I must again quickly state: These works do not save us! We are not to work ONLY for the sake that he wants us to, despite the fact that he wants us to! For more about this check out the posts Work. and People.

Secondly, should you be truly justified, than the grace of God that saved you, will also keep you.

"According to His great mercy he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in Heaven for you, who by God's power are being GUARDED through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1st Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those who he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30 ESV)

"our Lord Jesus Christ who will sustain you to the end..." (1 Corinthians 1:8 ESV)

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only one God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25 ESV)

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28 ESV)

See: 1st Thessalonians 5:23-24

See: Ephesians 1:13-14

See: Jeremiah 32:40

See: Philippians 1:6

See: 2nd Timothy 4:18

Quickly we're going to find our conclusion with what generally seems to be a problem text for this doctrine, and bring it to light in the comprehensive truth of the Word.

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirt, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God their own harm and holding him up to contempt." (Hebrews 6:4-6)

What does this mean? Does this not seem to contradict the fact that you can not lose your salvation? Almost more shockingly, in light of dozens of texts describing the assurance of salvation, it tells me that one can be enlightened, taste the heavenly gift, share in the Holy Spirit, taste the goodness of the Word of God and his power, and NOT truly be saved! How can this be? To hear the answer from the Christ himself flip to Matthew 13 and read The Parable of the Sower.

Hebrews 6 speaks of those on the rocky soil, and the thorny soil. Those whom hear the word, yet don't allow it to grow into fulfillment.

The gospel must take root. For the gospel to be legitimate, it MUST grow. It must flourish. It must shine. Are you saved?

Should you be a skeptic, I encourage you, as always to test yourself. I know that I fail to write effective apologetics when I do so strictly exegetically when you find little basis in the text of which I address. Perhaps one day we'll get to the authority of the text, but until then I pray you continue to have the intellectual courage to test these words by their outcome in hopes that the Spirit will move in you. There are answers, and, as always, I'd love to hear your questions.

Should you be a believer, I charge you to inspect yourself. Are you REALLY a believer? Does the gospel ACTUALLY take root and manifest itself in your life? To think that you've found the heavenward path while truly precariously walking the road to destruction will prove quite ineffectual when this life comes to a close. Make your calling and election sure. (2nd Peter 1:10) Live a life of love. (Ephesians 5:1-2) Lastly, know that while your works do not save you, you were indeed saved FOR them. (Ephesians 2:10, Titus 3:9, 2nd Corinthians 5:15)

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen

SIn.

I promise you that you will not enjoy reading this. I would almost bet on it. Not because it will be poorly written, not because you will find it untrue, but moreover because I believe that the truth herein will convict deeply, even to the nonbeliever or skeptic who finds themselves standing far from the cross of Christ, or even warring against it, throwing pebbles at it from the distance. Here we go.

You are evil. I am evil. WE are evil. There seems to be this ongoing, ridiculous debate about the state of the heart of man. Is man mostly good, or mostly evil? The very debate itself, at it's core is downright ludicrous, and is truly nothing but an exposition of the deep and deepening depravity of man. The corruption of the heart in seen is the eyes of a toddler who has been raised in the best loving, caring, and protecting family long before he has even had the ability to become a "victim or circumstance". Understanding the word "no" when it is spoken to him, his flesh, his NATURE says "yes". Test it. Tell a three year old they can't have a cookie, and then sneak around the corner and watch them steal it off the plate.

"As it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;" (Romans 3:10 ESV)

This excuses us not from seeking, pursuing, and chasing righteousness. This exists a sharp contrast between being righteous, and living within it. As we stand, by our nature, we are evil. We're not righteous, we're not clean, and outside of the pursuit and active cleansing of God we are not holy. If you disagree, remain extremely cognizant of your thought life, just for a day. You and I have thoughts that would land us in jail, leave us friendless, lifeless, and and outcast if ever spoken, or acted upon. Then pay attention to what you actually DO. Watch how you treat people: friends and family, the baristas at Starbucks and the people driving cars in front of you. You, I, we, are not clean. Admit it. To fight it, to run from this fact, to oppose it will leave you standing on your own power, which in the end will find you on your back, reaching up and crying for help from anything greater than yourself.

"And you were DEAD in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of the world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:1-2 ESV)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one- to his own way." (Isaiah 53:6a)

Here's one that has absolutely been wrecking my life:

"For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." Romans 14:23b

Read that last one again, and then let it sink in.

This one for me is two fold. One. Even in my pursuit of righteousness, my pursuit of holiness and sanctification I sin a lot. In fact, I've probably sinned much, unknowingly, even while writing this post! Anything that derives not from faith is SIN! I sin when I walk into WalMart and rent a movie, and don't consistently, constantly, and continually make my life, my days, and seconds about faith. I sin as I walk, and fail to see from the eyes of Christ. I sin as I live apathetically and without mission and purpose. I. Am. Evil. Yet the flip side to the coin is this, and here is where I'm sure I'm going to get in trouble.

If you don't know Christ as the risen Savior and Lord then ALL that you do is sin. Everything. If it doesn't derive from faith that you don't have you're sinning. You're sinning as you read this. You're sinning as you go to the lake, you're sinning sitting in class. You're sinning reading stories to your kids, and helping the old lady across the street. You are evil. I am evil. We are evil.

There is good news, I promise. The best. You and I, who are lost and confused, evil, depraved, twisted and are by nature objects of wrath, (Ephesians 2:3) who are unable to see the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:1-6) have hope. The fact that our own depravity blinds us from his divinity keeps him not from revealing himself to us and shining the light of his knowledge into our hearts.

"But God, being rich in mercy because he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV)

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ dies for us." (Romans 5:8 ESV)

Our hope is Christ, hung on the tree who purchased for us, with his blood, grace, life, peace, faith, hope and love. Without him we are hopeless. You are evil. Yet in him, and him alone does his substitutionary atonement make you clean in the eyes of a holy and blameless Father. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

Should you be a skeptic: Sorry this one was rough, and I pray you hear it not in judgement. I pray that I made it clear that I am just as hopeless and evil as I said you are. I challenge to see what happens should you accept this. The state of your heart being clear, in light of the perfect divine, is there anyway your "good works" can save you?

Should you be a believer, your good works don't define you, grace does. In light of Romans 14:23 I think you would be hard pressed to even call your "good works" good works. His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3) Own up. We are not, you are not perfect. This, again, excuses us not from our pursuit of holiness. Yet, within that pursuit never place legalistic action above the God who calls us to work hard that it may glorify him. You are his, your deeds are his, and your glory is his. May you stand on his grace, and be desperate for it.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen

Glory.

God is ALL about his glory.

Today I want to touch on some Biblical concepts that may be harder than most to accept and discern. Immediately, if you're reading this, you most likely fall into one of three camps. The first is someone who may read this, yet completely disaffirms the Word of God. This post may be the hardest for you to read, but at the conclusion of it, should you chose to, and I pray you don't, you may throw it all away as useless religious rhetoric. The second is the person who may read the Word, and know Christ as their Savior, but allow their flesh to deny the truth of the scriptures below through the simple denial of the text. The last is the person who reads what is written below, struggles with them, finds truth in them, and in truth finds comfort. Wherever you land, here we go.

God is ALL about his glory. In fact a God who is all about himself, to me, is the best news that I have ever heard. Looking at myself, and the rest of humanity I am hard pressed to find much that should be made much of in ourselves. A God who enjoys perfection, even if it is the perfection of himself, sounds much more appealing.

Self-glorification is seen everywhere within our depraved, retrograding culture. We see it on the television, the evening news, the wife on an extensive shopping spree and on ESPN. Unfortunately we walk a fine line when we allow our perception of the world to shape our theology. Because we want the world to be about us, we want a God who makes much of us. We want the cross for us, we want Heaven for us, and we want blessings for us. This is NOT to say that God doesn't want good things for us, because the Word unyieldingly works against that notion. It is only to state that we have a misperception about how we are made much of. We are made most of, when we make most of the glorified God of the universe.

Here's a simple misconception I think the church has engrained into me: Christ died for ME.

Now to clarify, that statement does indeed hold some truth, so I want to define what I mean quickly.

"Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known." (Psalms 106:8 ESV)

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:25 ESV)

"I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake."

The overarching reason Christ died is for the glory of God on high. More than the cross was for me, the cross was for God. Since I grew up a church kid, this was a radical understanding for me to come across. I, as a four year old, sat in the Sunday school room with the cardboard cutouts of Christ on the cross and was told by a loving teacher that God loved me so much that Christ died for ME. Yes. But if we stop there we enter into a self centered, self loving theology that produces glory-less lives.

Here's what these truths have done for me.

All of a sudden, sin becomes a whole new game. Quite possibly sin in the past was approached from the angle of grace. Grace had been extended to me at the point of the cross, and because of that grace I could not lose the salvation I had been granted. Christ came to abolish the law, and legalism, and the rules of which once needed to be followed. I found within myself a terrible understanding of the love of God which told me that my sins were already forgiven. All of the above is scriptural, and veritable, yet unfinished. By simply extending all of the previously mentioned statements out to my flesh, the truth was allowed to be distorted to the point that I found a license to sin, while covered by grace. The entirety of Romans 6 would passionately work against this type of mindset, but the fact that it was written within the text gave me confidence that I wasn't the only person in history to struggle with it.

In light of the fact that Christ died for me that it may glorify the Father threw my understanding of sin out the window. All of a sudden I realized that I was covered by grace, yet to walk in his glory. It's as if the sky was grace, yet the sidewalk was his glory, of which I was to spend every moment of my life walking on. With each and every sin, I take a step off of the sidewalk, and while still under grace, completely damn the reason of which Christ had saved in the first place. Grace can be misused; glory can not.

To bring this to some sort of functional conclusion, I beg us, myself included to take our eyes off of ourselves. To retreat from our room of mirrors that we live within.

"The really wonderful moments of joy in this world are not in moments of self-satisfaction, but self forgetfulness. Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and contemplating your own greatness in pathological." (John Piper)

Should you be a skeptic, I challenge you to look within yourself. Can this world truly be about you? About us? I vehemently believe that the simple grandeur and magnitude of things would prove otherwise.

Should you be a believer, you may have fallen into the same trap that I, and many others have in regards to the abuse of grace. May he lead you to an understanding that most of this has little to do with you, and much more to do with him. We are loved; we are saved; and we are known. For his glory. May we never forget his sovereignty.

"bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, WHOM I CREATED FOR MY GLORY, whom I formed and made." (Isaiah 43:6-7)

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen

Light.

First and foremost, I've got to state that I typically make a fairly cognizant effort to write these posts for a wide spectrum of readers on many different walks of faith and life. I may often fail in these regards, but tonight I will preface this post by making myself clear that this will most assuredly resonate most effectively within the hearts and minds of those who already find their home within the grace and cross of Christ. If this isn't you, and you're still testing the claims of Christ, or even stand far from him in every sense, I still would love for you to read what lies below in hopes that somehow you may find in them truth. Here we go.

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."

Should you have any kind of childhood history in the church as I do, this familiar childhood tune may ring a bell of nostalgia deep within. The theological truth of the song I sang as a five year old finds itself within the book of Matthew, chapter five.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 5:16 ESV)

In a quick side note I must again reiterate, as I have in past posts, that EVERYTHING happens and occurs for his glory. Good things, and bad things. We will glorify him as objects of his mercy, or objects of his wrath, and claim absolutely no hold over the choice to glorify him or not. Ironically the finger shaking atheist ends up glorifying that which he defies in his finger shaking rage. Do we always, in our finiteness, always see it? Absolutely not. Does the God, who sits outside of time and space? Yes. He. Will. Have. His. Glory. He is sovereign, he is God, and he sits in the heavens and does all that he pleases. None can stay his hand and ask of Him, "What have you done?"

See: Psalm 115:3

See: Daniel 4:35

We see the word "light" throughout the Word being used a plethora of times, for a multitude of different instances.

We are light.

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as LIGHTS in the world..." (Philippians 2:14-15 ESV)

"For you are all children of LIGHT, children of the day. We are not of night or of the darkness." (1st Thessalonians 5:5)

Christ the son is light.

"Again Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the LIGHT of the world." (John 8:12a ESV)

"The true LIGHT, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world." (John 1:9 ESV)

God the Father is light.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of LIGHTS with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17)

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is LIGHT, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

"...the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who alone dwells in unapproachable LIGHT..." (1 Timothy 6:16)

Textually, at first glance, there could seem to stand a bit of tension. Are we the light? Is Christ the light? How is everything tied together comprehensively?

The most accurate answer I can put forward is: Yes. WE are the light. Being us, the Christ, and the Father.

God the Father being the light leads quite logically to the man of Christ being the light.

"But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible IS LIGHT." (Ephesians 5:13 ESV)

Christ, being the light of the world, shines upon those who follow him in spirt and truth whereby we become the light as he is the light. I think the most practical understanding we can take away from this is found in the book of 1st Peter.

"but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (1st Peter 1:15-16 ESV)

How do we truly accomplish this? If Christ is the light, and we are to be the light as he was the light, by what means can we actively live this out day to day? Another way the scriptures use the word "light" may provide some insight.

"Your WORD is a lamp to my feet and a LIGHT to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

His word is the key. By it his spirt moves, and his will is discerned. By it we learn the truths of morals, of ethics, and the right-standing of righteousness. By it we find truth, and the existence thereof. By it we meet the man of Christ, the author of faith, and the substitutionary atonement for our depraved and wicked souls. In the Word stands the way of life, the way of truth, and the way of which leads to the everlasting.

Christ is the light. God the Father is the light, whom dwells in unapproachable light. We are the light, having been shone upon by the light. The Word is the light. May we be people of the light, and in the light.

"for at one time you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8 ESV)

Should you be a skeptic, as I forewarned and acknowledged, most of this was not for you. At all. Yet, I beseech you here, as I have when I started writing this blog two months ago. Should you act upon the impulsions of his word, I am confident you will find them sufficient. Meaning this. Test the word for what it says. Should the text read: "Come to me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.", I dare you to truly seek what that looks life for where you stand, and see what fruits are sown from your action.

Should you be a believer, may you be of a people who let your light shine among men. Do so not for your own glory, for if you try to please man, you will not be a servant of God. See: Galatians 1:10. Do so that God, in every sense, fashion, and form will receive every bit of glory he deserves. May we be people who stand firmly on the truth of his word, and refuse to shrink back and be destroyed, but believe and are saved (Hebrews 10:39). May we be people of action. See: James 1:22, 1st John 3:18, 1st Peter 1:13.

May we be children of the light.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen

Works.

I pray for this simply to be an exposition of the emptiness of a works based system in which we attempt to EARN salvation through the things we accomplish. Some of this may sound a bit familiar if you have read my posts in the past, but I pray we arrive upon an enlightened conclusion which impulses us to truth by the grace of his Word.

Should there be an eternity, the perceptions of how to attain it are as numerous as the stars. However, one prevailing thought seems to rise to the top within the modernized worldview of our culture, being this: Be good. Do good things, and hopefully the righteous will outweigh the depravity enabling one's soul to be justified eternally.

"None is righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10 ESV)

We will return here later, but to avoid being misheard I must quickly state that there lies a stark juxtaposition between BEING righteous, and living within righteousness.

Recently I had two Mormon missionaries knock on my door. Since I had a pocket of time, I invited them into my apartment to spend some time in discussion. After spending sometime talking through the divinity of Christ, we arrived at the topic of salvation, to which I inquired of how it could be attained. "Salvation is from grace, through faith, by good works." This sounded close to my own theology, but with enough contrast to stand completely separate from it, so I asked them to clarify.

"So there are things that I must do, actions I must live within, and deeds that I must perform in order to obtain salvation?"

There response was a quick yes, confirming my question, and claiming that works are indeed necessary to gain eternal life. Therein, biblically, lies the problem.

"For by GRACE that you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that no man can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

See: Titus 3:5

See: 1 Peter 1:8-9

See Galatians 2:21

Sitting in my dining room, the two missionaries and I walked through this:

I broke every single on of the ten commandments by the time I was nine years old. Kindergarten ethics failed. At the time of my speaking this, they both looked at me as if I was insane, to which we jumped to Matthew 5, where Jesus states that to hate is to have killed in your heart, and to lust is to commit adultery. With that understanding, they seemed to reach a point where they understood that they were in the same boat. As are you. We. All. Have. Failed. We fall much short of the cross, much short of glory, and grace, which is why all three of them had to be given through the man of Christ.

It must be further expounded upon that if we all have failed miserably, how then can any works save us? Works are immensely important, and are truly a mark of a true believer, but can they SAVE?

See: Ephesians 2:10

See: Titus 3:9

See: James 2:17

See: 1 John 5:3

See: 2nd Corinthians 5:15

If they can, and we fail so often, how can one be legitimately secure in their salvation? They can't. Grace MUST fill the void as the scriptures point to. This grace is not to be taken advantage of, or abused. See: Romans 6:1-4 But because of his great love, we are to love him in return through righteous action. See: 1 John 3:18. Though none of us are born righteous, once sanctified we are entitled to live in righteousness having become a new creation. See: 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Should you be a skeptic, perhaps you have viewed the church as a legalistic set of responsibilities of which you wanted nothing to do with. I pray you would understand that this truly is not the heart of faith, and that the failures of man have set it askew. You do not have to be good enough to be loved and accepted by the God of the universe. In fact, the cross came to abolish that very thing.

Should you be a believer. May you never forget that it is the immeasurable grace of the Savior that saved you. Not your church attendance, and not your good deeds. Please. Continue in action, but may it be impulsed by love and not legalism.

Today we end, standing upon the cornerstone of which Paul ended almost everyone of his letters:

"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you." (1 Corinthians 16:23 ESV)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen." (Galatians 6:18)

"Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible." (Ephesians 6:24)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philippians 4:23)

"Grace be with you." (Colossians 4:18)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." (1st Thessalonians 5:28)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." (2nd Thessalonians 3:18)

"Grace be with you." (1st Timothy 6:21)

"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." (2nd Timothy 4:22)

"Grace be with you all." (Titus 3:15)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philemon 1:25)

Grace. It is all that saves. May we all accept it.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen

Evil.

Terrible things happen. Everyday. This simply cannot be mistaken for sin’s ineluctable blemish upon our days is seen everywhere our eyes turn to. Amidst the glory of the world’s beauty lies the deterioration of it in every way. Whether this is unbelievable acts of nature, which destroy hundreds of thousands of lives, or men acting upon sinful impulses that not even the depraved world understands, evil often seems to prevail. How can this be so when a good, just, creator God fashioned the beginnings of everything? The following example most assuredly will not suffice for our finite thinking minds, and simply putting it into words doesn’t mean that it’s not something that I myself struggle with, but the Bible does seem to comprehensively present it to us

“And his disciples asked him ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents but that the work of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:2-3 ESV)

Here it is. Bad things happen for the same reason that good things happen: that in all things God, the creator, sustainer, whom is all-sufficient and good will be glorified. As stated earlier, this makes no sense to our humanistic, time bound, finite minds. The truth is that we fight this concept until we see the glory and redemption. For years I am sure that the blind man in John 9 searched for WHY he was born blind. Yet in the moment of his healing, grace and redemption shone through years of misunderstanding to bring forth the truth. All things, whether good or bad in the eyes of man occurs to bring God, good and true, glory.

See: Genesis 19:30-38

On the heels of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot’s daughters find themselves in an interesting situation. With no man to help them birth a child in order to continue their family decent, they decide the most appropriate decision is to get their father drunk, and rape him in order to impregnate themselves. Awful. Disgusting. Seemingly quite glory-less to say the very least. Yet each of these two daughters birthed a son, on of them being Moab, the father of the Moabites.

See: The book of Ruth.

Ruth was a Moabite. Who was Ruth? The wife of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse.

Jesse. The father of King David, and the bloodline to the man Christ.

We find this awful, terrible event in history which plays a part in the Messiah entering the planet, needing of salvation.

God. Will. Have. His Glory.

See: Psalms 46:10

See: Luke 19:40

See: Mark 4:35-41

“He said to them ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Truthfully, considering the prior circumstances the disciples found themselves in, I once found these words harsh. Should the wind be fierce enough to almost capsize a full sized boat, which was filling with water, and I found Jesus sleeping in the stern, I know I may have been a found bit doubtful myself. Yet growing up, and reading this story, I think I often missed the first words Jesus spoke in the passage.

“Let us go across to the other side.” (Mark 4:35)

Through the bad, through the good, mountain high or valley low, rain or shine, pain or contentment, I am, and we are, His. His glory will not always be evident, and our depravity often blurs his divinity. Yet, in all things, he stands alone good. May we be of those who live and love in his goodness, though it may not be seen.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and glory.” (1 Peter 1:8)

Should you be a skeptic, it may be due to an event. Something which happened in the storm, from which you have shook your finger at God in anger which has fed disbelief. To you, I am sorry, and am praying that his glory will be shown so that you, like the blind man may stand upon understanding and redemption within his unexplainable grace.

Should you be a believer, may we be of people who stand in faith in the storms. May we not forget his goodness and blame him for the repercussions of the fall. He is ever faithful, we are never faithful. May we sit in his goodness and inquire only of ourselves in regards to our faithfulness when we fail to see his.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen

Movement.

Simply put, this post is going to take a brief departure from the route that I've been taking in my writing, and so I pray you will still find it appealing and enjoyable. I pray that, having read these words will impulse you to action, to steadfastness, and to love. Please give me your thoughts!

"What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice." (Philippians 1:17 ESV)

This past Monday night I made the hundred mile drive to Waco, Texas to attend Vertical Ministries led by Afshin Ziafat.

(See his story here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0XvEaVcf3A&feature=related)

I've known Afshin for a couple years, and am always absolutely moved by the words the Spirit leads him to, and couldn't miss the chance to worship with Shane and Shane.

Needless to say, I made the trek.

Upon realizing I needed gas, I pulled into the closest Chevron I saw and proceeded to run inside to make payment for the gas and to purchase a Five-Hour Energy for the ride home. As I was walking back to my car, a man driving an old beat up Ford Taurus drove in front of my car, perpendicular to it sitting at the pump. Being night, and traveling alone I was a bit wary as he called out:

"Hey... sir?"

His car was indeed old. Tan. And old. The driver side mirror was missing, and it seemed as if the vehicle had sat near one too many little league batting practices. As I approached the vehicle I saw not only a weary looking man in his mid-thirties or so, but also his three year old son, whom barely looked big enough to be sitting in the front seat. The back seat could not hold him though, for it was full of belongings.

"Hey man, what's going on?", I respond.

"Is there any way you can point us in the direction of Buda?"

Knowing all too well the drive from Dallas to San Antonio, I knew that Buda was a city south of Austin, to which I gave him brief directions continuing down I-35.

His next words have stayed with me, and still cut deep. Brian, the man's son, had sported an amazingly bright child-like smile until this point in our encounter. Often, as we meet others in this lifetime whom need a bit of help navigating through this world, we find it easy to question their motives. Often we are unsure of their integrity, or their story, or if we are truly being of assistance or funding a beer jar. The conviction on this three year olds face spoke to me of the validity of the story that his father proceeded to tell.

"Awesome! Thanks so much!... I hate to ask, but... See this is Brian, and within the past week or so, our home has become a dangerous place for us to be..."

At this point, Brian had stopped smiling, and with somber expression simply nodded...

Also, I think at this point I may have been so moved because, whether I remember it or not, at one point of my life, I was that little boy.

"My wife has been struggling with addiction problems, and we just needed to get out. We're headed to my parents house in Buda, but only have a quarter tank to get there... Do you think there is any way you could help us with some gas?"

I immediately told him to pull up to a pump before I changed my mind. His integrity was confirmed to me as his three year old boy gave me a high five and said thank you. He also stated:

"Please, we don't need a full tank. Just enough to get us there..."

At this point I was finally able to get a couple words in, and stated:

"I have been given much from a man named Jesus. And in Him I live, and love, and give. It's my joy to give to you because I've been given to, and in it I hope you are blessed."

I put $15 dollars in his tank and asked if I could pray over him and his boy. He said yes, and yes please. I spoke over them words of the scripture, and prayed for protection, and providence and peace. Above all, I prayed, that the Lord would be glorified and shown through the situation. Upon ending the prayer, I received one more high-five from Brian, and parted ways with the two as they headed down to Buda.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Truth is, I may never truly know if the man was telling the truth. I may never know if they made it to Buda, or if Buda was ever truly the destination.

Above all, the gospel moved.

I was able to participate in an event in which the name Jesus was spoken, and his cross glorified. Therefore, it matters not what the grounds were, nor the reason spoken. The gospel MOVED, and in the end, I find this fulfilling.

Should you be a skeptic, I am not convinced that increased knowledge and understanding shall ever be enough of an eye opener to reveal your eyes to the gospel of grace. Until then, I will be praying fervently for people of faith full of love that care for you more then themselves. For Christ cared more for you more then he cared for himself, (

See: The cross)

and believe it or not, his church is supposed to do as he did.

Should you be a believer. Be an active catalyst in MOVING the gospel. For any and every reason. Under any circumstance, may his gift and grace be breathed from you in word and deed. May you seek to see from his eyes, and live in such a way that says: "Whatever, wherever, whenever. I want Jesus."

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2 ESV)

May the word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory,

-Matt Allen

People.

While the population of Earth can be broken down into many different groups, sections and subsections pertaining to race, religion, wealth brackets, belief systems, and genders, we're going to inspect four groups of people in regards to their relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Essentially, and many subsections and variations arise from these four main sections, you will fall into one of four categories. The first is complete separation from God. This takes upon many faces, but all hold the same outcome. Secondly, you believe that a prayer saved you at Vacation Bible School, and due to grace and freedom in Christ you find yourself living whatever life style you would like to. Thirdly, and this can be all of us at one time or another, you find yourself living within goodness and righteousness, but for all the wrong reasons. Whether it be legalism, to be seen by men, or for selfish gain, the God whom dwells in unapproachable light has nothing to do with your righteousness. Lastly, and greatest of all, are those whom accept the grace of our forgiving Savior, and worship him because of it through grace driven effort.

To the skeptic, who stands apart from the risen Christ, the charge is simple. Seek him. One day you will. In fact, one day you will worship him and bow at the very sound of his name. For your sake, with love as my charge, I pray it is sooner than later.

See: Philippians 2:9-10

Should you truly have never heard it before, the gospel is this:

We, in our flesh have fallen and are sinful.

See: Romans 3:23

See: Ephesians 2:1-3

See: Your (admit it) depraved thoughts and heart.

Our sin separates us from the perfect Lord, and the price for our failings is the eternal manifestation of the separation we exhibit here on earth in hell.

See: Romans 6:23

Because of his great love for us, even while we sinned and turned away from him, he sent his son to be the reconciliation and to bridge the gap between our depravity and his perfection by dying on the cross to be the sacrifice for our sins.

See: John 3:16

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 ESV)

While you sin, and while you have sinned, he still loves you and died for you. You have never fallen too far from the grace of Christ.

See: Ephesians 2:4-10

You are blemished, you are fallen, and should your life end, you know you would stand unjustified in front of the Lord. Please, I beg of you to see the cross and find in it your salvation. He wishes not for you to attempt to clean yourself up before coming to him, he simply wants you to come. Should you find yourself with any question, please shoot me a message on Facebook, or respond below in the comments section. The cross stands sufficient.

Secondly, and this burdens me much, I believe that we will find those everywhere whom truly believe their eternal security does not lie in the balance. Possibly you were saved as a five year old, as I was, and think that a prayer after running down the isle saved you. Yet, should you pursue the scriptures, we'll find that a prayer NEVER saved a soul. The genuine, veritable belief in the thoughts and words and faith spoken in the prayer do. Paul addresses this when he asks the Romans:

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2 ESV)

While works do not participate in the salvation of one's soul, they are the outpouring of true salvation.

See: John 14:15

See: 1 John 5:3

Test yourself here, and seek the scriptures in these regards. Are you truly justified in the face of the Savior? Did a prayer long, long ago TRULY hold the power to save you, without yielding any fruit in your life? Pray. Seek. Ask. Repent. Bluntly, your seeking my prove that you never obtained the salvation of the Christ in the first place, which is an extremely perilous situation to sit within.

See: Matthew 7:21-23

Thirdly, you may understand the inner-workings of grace and are knowledgeable of the Word of God. Maybe you know that Ephesians 2:8-9, "for it is by grace that you have been saved..." is quickly followed by Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS." Maybe you are fully aware that Titus 3:5 is shortly followed by Titus 3:9. You know and have read that "faith without works is dead." (James 2:17) and that the love of God is to keep his commandments. (1 John 5:3) Yet. Potentially, and probably you miss the second half of 1 John 5:3, which states: "And his commandments are not burdensome."

There is no worship without love, and if you have somehow fallen into the trap of acting within righteousness simply because you know you "have to", I fear you will find your offerings rejected.

See: Cain and Able

See: Hosea 6:6

See: Amos 5:21-25

Think of the difference between the child whom cleans his room out of frustration and obligation juxtaposed to the child who cleans his room because he knows it will please his mother. While both children's rooms will be cleaned, who's mother will be happier while watching their child?

Do you work for God in order to please man? This is no service whatsoever.

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10 ESV)

See: John 12:43

There stands a middle ground between legalism and license named love.

The ground upon which we all, myself included should strive to stand is one upon which we examine the grace and love of Christ, and instead of misusing, and abusing the grace and freedom we have been given, we allow it to impulse us to love him more and act out that love through grace driven effort. In this we work, not because we have to, but because the cross births in us a desire to. Do you work out your salvation because you have gone to church, and been told it is what you are to do? Seek him, find him good, and worship him because of it through action.

"Little children, let us not love in word or in talk but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18 ESV)

Where do you stand?

Should you be a skeptic: I plead with you to seek the Christ. I have no gain whatsoever your pursuit of the Lord, but should you be wrong in your standings and belief of the Savior, the repercussions are catastrophic. Jesus is the answer, the cross is the bridge, and the answer is found in the Word. Feel free to ask any questions on anything left vague or insufficiently explained.

Should you be a believer. First and foremost; are you truly a believer? How do you know? Are you counting on your church attendance to fill the void between your depravity and Christ's divinity? Why do you act? Is it out of love, or to be seen by man? Is your "love" really love? Seek his word, ask questions in the comment box or Facebook if need be, be square away the validity of the salvation on which your soul rests. Nothing could be of greater importance.

May the word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory,

-Matt Allen

Running.

Here we go.

Before jumping to the Word I want to briefly touch on some quick housekeeping issues of which several of you have brought to my attention: "Matt, you challenge me as a skeptic, yet approaching the scriptures from an infallible perspective does little for me finding them contradictory and invalid." Fair. Extremely fair. As a large advocate for the pursuit of knowledge I would charge you two action steps. Check out "A Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel who came to the truth of Christ after years of atheism. He has an entire chapter devoted to the validity of scripture on a historical level outside of the church and the faith. More than that however, because love surpasses knowledge, I would encourage you simply to approach the gospel with an action based conviction. Meaning that if Christ spoke, and he did: "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.", then test those words. Judge the authoritativeness of the Word simply by testing what it says and assessing the outcome. Meaning that for me, simply, this blog is an outlet to bring forth his Word, and the truths found therein. I may or may not ever write of the validity of the Bible, for I am a passionate believer that Christ reveals HIMSELF through his Word, leaving me with no job except to proclaim it. I hope this comes across clear, for it was not a brief as I had hoped.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's inside of grace that I find my home.

"But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13b-14)

We'll start here. Typically I think I would choose to close with this statement, but today I think we will begin with the end and work our way backwards.

Biblically, we are to pursue Christ in holiness.

See: 2nd Corinthians 5:14-15

See: Ephesians 2:1-10

See: 1 Timothy 6:11-12

See: Colossians 3:1-18

See: 1 Peter 1:14-16

Yet, as products of the fall, we will often fail.

See: 1 John 1:8

See: Romans 7:18-20

See: Any Biblical character, excluding Jesus. Or any church staff member. Or... anyone.

The truth of the fall is that Christ came to restore, reconcile and empower. Moreover, we do nothing but prove that we don't understand the gospel, grace, or the cross when we, having fallen, run from the all-knowing God in an attempt to clean ourselves up before pursuing his goodness. The cross stands sufficient.

Currently my favorite biblical example of Christ's full circle restoration is found in the story of the disciple Peter. In John 13:38 Christ looks at Peter, who had just professed his devotion, and says: "Will you lay your life down for me? Truly, truly, I say to you the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times." We see this prophesy brought to life in John 18:15-27, when Peter is approached by three different people in regards to his connection with the imprisoned Christ, and three times he denied the Messiah.

Very quickly, and carefully I would like to state that while I hold a firm belief that any, and all sin will damn us to eternal separation from God, I do believe that on a humanistic level, the blatant denial of the physical manifestation of God incarnate is a greater err than I believe is possible. I say this simply because the point of sin is only the separation between God and man, and I don't find any other sin that produces this direct effect than the statement of: "I don't know the Christ."

You have never fallen or run too far from the grace and love and pursuit of Christ.

See: John 3:16

See: Romans 8:37-39

See: James 4:7-8

John 21:15-17 shows the reconciliation of the risen Christ and Peter as three times, which happens to be the same amount of times that Peter denied his Savior, Christ accepts Peter's love.

"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

He said to him, "Yes Lord; you know that I love you."

He said to him, "Feed my lambs." (John 21:15b)

Lastly, and much of the book of Acts is an example of this, but after the fall of Peter, after the restoration of Peter, came the empowerment of Peter. In the book of Acts we find Peter say things, do things, and be a part of a movement that is rarely seen in church history. Literally the man, being so full of the Holy Spirit, mimics the signs of Christ healing the lame.

See: Acts 3:6

See: Acts 2:14-47

Here we close. Should you be a skeptic, possibly it is because you simply think that the things you have done define you. With the places you've been, and the things you have seen, a God, should there be one, could never love you. I want to encourage you with the fact that the God of the universe came to abolish that. It is within grace that we find our home, and this world and it's pleasures will never fill you to the extent of the one who made, created, and loves you in your failure.

Should you be a believer, accept your insufficiencies, repent and stand upon the grace which first saved you. We are not to wallow and allow our sins and struggles to define us; for at the cross the great exchange was made in which Christ traded his righteousness for our sin. Run the race and strain towards the goal ahead in holiness and truth.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory,

Matt Allen

Things.

Before we get into this I must state that I pray this is not simply a blog for believers. While I do hope that believers will read and be encouraged by the living and abiding word of God, I also pray that as a skeptic, you read these words and test me on them as an intellectual. The things of eternity hold too much merit for any individual to remain uninformed. Even the choice to believe in nothing is to believe in something, and should the something you believe in truly be nothing, than upon further examination I think you’ll find yourself guiltier of intellectual apathy and cowardliness than anything else.

Also, I want to warn you from the onset of this post that it may be a bit lengthy, and somewhat dense if I’m not too careful, but by the end of the read I pray we’ll find ourselves, myself included, enlightened by the glory of the Word.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)

“If then you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2 ESV)

If we are completely and wholly honest with ourselves, I believe we’ll find that we fight these verses with every single bit of our flesh. We WANT things of the earth, and things of the flesh. Whether it be items that simply detract our eyes from his glory, things of this world that the God of the universe has distinctly sanctified us from, things that are good inside of boundaries of which we cross, or lastly good things that the Lord of creation wants to bless us with that we seek before seeking him.

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into this world, and we can bring nothing out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and found themselves pierced with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10 ESV)

In a society of things, we find our eyes allured by pretty things. Even more so, it becomes all the more difficult not to pursue nice things when our society tells us that our identity is defined by them. Yet, in my pursuit of what that world has to offer me, I have found nothing but disappointment. You may oppose me in this point, but I would argue that you simply haven’t felt true joy in light of the risen Son. Yes. The things of this world have enticed me, and have been pleasing. Yet: “The world is passing away along with it’s desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17 ESV) Outside of the God-man on the tree, and risen, this world will never fulfill us.

“Put to death therefore whatever is earthy in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

Simply put, we desire things of which the Lord has simply stated that we are not to partake in. Sexual immorality. Lust. Passion. The world glistens and shines, and in it we think we find our joy. Yet if we examine the scriptures closer I believe we’ll find the point behind the tree in the Garden of Eden was simply an example of the Lord’s voice resonating: “Pure and total submission to me leads to pure joy.” I am happiest and most fulfilled when I sit in the center of his good and perfect will, and I charge all of us to pursue his will enough to test those words.

Speaking of the garden I think that it is important to state that at the fall, creation fractured. What was once meant to lead us to worship shifted and leads us to sin. The fall took God’s perfect creation and distorted its’ focus. In the garden sex, food, and wine led Adam and Eve to inspect the goodness of the gift and worship God because of it. Post-fall instead of leading us to worship, sex leads to lust, food leads to gluttony, and wine to drunkenness. We must stay within the boundaries marked by the fall.

“Truly, truly I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (John 6:26 ESV)

I am convinced that many times we inspect the blessings of the Lord, and immediately start to worship the blessing. This becomes muddled in our mind, because we truly seek something that is good and praiseworthy, and clearly from the Lord. Yet anywhere, anytime, that an object of creation is worshiped over the creator, idolatry occurs. We see this perfectly displayed in the life of Abram in Genesis 15. The Lord says to Abram: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will be very great.”

Abram’s first response? “Oh Lord God, what will you give me…” The things he has given us were not meant to be worshiped, but simply to lead back to the worship of the Father.

“…Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” (Exodus 16:18 ESV)

“But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV)

We want things. I must say that I find no fault in having nice things that the Lord was provident enough to bless us with. Yet, at the end of my days I do not want to have to look back upon my life and say: “I couldn’t give to others as much as I would have liked because I was too busy pursuing the things of the world.” I don’t want to have to say: “I sought the pleasures of the world, which stole my attention from the heart of God instead of seeking his goodness and finding him sufficient.” Or: “I pursued good things that the Lord desired to bless me with, and worshiped them instead of worshiping the sovereign Giver.”

May we, in all things, seek him first, and find ourselves complete. Should you be a skeptic, than test these words. Be true to yourself. Does this world TRULY fill you? Seek him, and find out. Should you be a believer, then may you pursue him in holiness and grace, and never allow his gifts to supercede him himself. Study the word, and in it find truth.

He is good. He is good. He is good.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory,

-Matt Alen