In this two-minute video Dr. Stephen Lawson, preaching on Worshiping the Triune God, explains why the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:10-11 cast their crowns before the throne of God.
May we all live throughout the new year with a deep and abiding awareness of this truth.
“All that I am I am by your grace.”
Amen.
The problem with Mormons is that they want to wear the crown and sit on the throne!
Since they believe they are going to be gods, that\’s the point of all the work and the Mormon reward system.
To a Christian, all glory and honor go to the Lord Jesus Christ. I\’ve never even heard a Christian talk about the \”rewards\” he thinks he\’s earning as a part of good works or participation in religious rituals or activities.
The orientation of saved Christians is to live a life that is pleasing to God. It\’s about transforming our outward behavior to match the spiritual reality that God has bestowed on us through Jesus. That spiritual reality is that through our faith in Jesus and the acceptance of His finished work on the cross, God has declared us as not guilty before Him. We have been pardoned not on the basis of our works, but on the basis of Christ\’s atoning sacrifice on the cross.
Paul talks about this when he contrasts his life in Judaism and adherence to the Law with his life under grace after coming to faith in Jesus. The Law was there, Paul said, to be our tutor until the coming of the Lord Jesus. The Law condemns us. It doesn\’t save us. Only our faith in Jesus can provide for us eternal life.
I can\’t imagine what kind of a reward God would give me beyond the gift of eternal life. The way I struggle in the crucible and the refining fire of my daily walk, I don\’t know if I\’ve racked up any merit badges at all. Even if I thought I was, that\’s not my motivation for godly living. My motivation is based on my desire to please God who loved me enough to save me.
Maybe it is my computer, but there is no video to watch, not even a empty spot saying there ever was a video. If it is my computer can you maybe send me a link, or post one in the comment section? Thanks.
Although it was not referenced in this message, a large part of what he was saying appears in the first chapter of Paul\’s letter to the Ephesians.
One time I took some colored markers and highlighted which of the pronouns referred to Jesus, which to the Father and which to the Holy Spirit. It may sound like an easy exercise but there were a couple of references that made me stop, think and process exactly who was being (referenced).
For example:
Ephesians 1:5-9 says, \” He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He make known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.\”
God, through the Apostle Paul, reveals much about Himself here and the process by which we become adopted children.
Ephesians 1:11 says: \”……we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.\”
Who is being referred to here with \”His purpose\” and \”the counsel of His will\”. The verse also points out the sovereignty of God.
Finally Ephesians 1:13-14: \”In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God\’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.\”
God\’s glory, not ours!
Sharon, because of the dedication of reaching out to the Mormon people with the love of
Jesus by MRM staff there were many saved this past year . I know even more will come
to experience complete forgiveness and receive eternal life from Him in this coming year .
Happy New Year .
Good thought Mike.
I don\’t know if the Mormon posters understand that we\’re really not here to debate them. The whole point of this blog is to bring Mormons to Christ. Mormons who show up here to read do so because they are looking for answers. Some are at the beginning of their contemplative stage. Others are further along on their quest. I\’ve calculated that it takes about eighteen months from beginning to end for a person to leave Mormonism. The first five years out are a real emotional and spiritually challenge. After that these former Mormons want to only see Mormonism in the rear view mirror of their lives.
My hope is that these former Mormons come to Jesus in faith and receive the free gift of eternal life God is offering them. Unfortunately, too many former Mormons have had the religious pool so poisoned by Mormonism that they don\’t want anything to do with God. We need to pray for these folks that the Lord will lead them to salvation.
Falcon, that sums it up rather well. Great comment .
Great message and great comments Falcon and Mike R. The process that Falcon described goes on for Mormons I think actually goes on for everyone in some way. I know that as a Christian my false ideas, my flesh, my sinful person is challenged by God\’s Word – that\’s why I need to continually hear of Christ crucified for my sins, and daily let God put to death my sin. Everyone struggles to hold on to those false beliefs they accumulated from growing up and just from within our hearts. And by struggle, I mean it\’s really a life challenging struggle! We all struggle with trying to think \”I\’m good enough\” or \”I can do this on my own\” – we may not put it in those words, but the struggle is there. Thanks be to God that through Christ even these sins are covered by the cross!
4/5
I\’m pretty open about my Catholic up bringing and I can relate, to a point, what a Mormon must experience coming out of the Mormon religious system. For me, however, I made a clean and final break without having to go through some of the emotional turmoil Mormons who leave go through. Just one day I said, \”This is bogus\” and I was done with it.
I did have some prior consideration of the religious system that led me to my conclusion, but I never looked back. I didn\’t have the cultural pressure many Mormons experience and pressure from my family was subtle. But I was a baby boomer sophomore in college and it seemed like everybody was rebelling against something so I wasn\’t that far out of the norm.
I made my peace with the Catholic church a long time ago and can now value some of the positive aspects of the religion. I even watch the Catholic channel now and then especially if they have some Church historian speaking on the history of the early Church.
Like you, I never tire of hearing about God\’s love, mercy, benevolence and His drawing of us to Himself through His grace. I can\’t tell you how much freedom I feel not being bogged down by religion and a system of works-righteousness. Serious Christians understand the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus and the continual cleansing that takes place in our lives.
If we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
I think the guy who wrote that was on to something.
God did not become a man and go through the shame and humiliation of dying on a cross in order to put us back under the Law. He gave the Law to Moses as a training device to reveal to people what sin is.
God knew that no one could keep the Law. It is impossible.
Interestingly enough religious leaders keep wanting to put people under the Law. Now in Mormonism, the purpose of their Law is suppose to be a guide in order that the men can become gods.
And Mormons know that the men can become gods, how? Well a man with a magic rock told them so. However when this man with the magic rock formed his religion, he didn\’t believe this. It wasn\’t even on his mental radar screen.
But Joseph Smith never met a weird idea or concept that he didn\’t like. Living in an era of religious experimentation, he ordained his ideas as revelation. Those who followed him in the Mormon office of prophet also got creative ideas which they referred to as revelation.
Today there are all kinds of Mormon sects with prophets who claim that the original or one of the copies of the Mormon revelation has been lost to apostasy and they must step forward and announce the new revelation that will set all things in order.
There is one revelation and that was given to us by God Himself through His Son Jesus Christ and safe guarded by the Holy Spirit. It has nothing to do with methods or modes of baptism or theology on end times or how people come to be saved.
It is this. Mankind is separated from God by sin. God has reconciled us to Himself through the blood of the cross of Jesus. This salvation is secured by faith.
That short video clip was great . It pictures the huge contrast between sinful man and Almighty
God in perspective , creatures vrs Creator as described in the Bible as in Rev 4:10-11. This
reminded me of a Mormon (who visits here now and then ) that testified to me one time that
what is described in Rev 4:8-11 towards the Lord God Almighty will one day in the future be
also said to him by those who he reigns over in his own kingdom in his exalted state as a God.
It is truly sad how sincere decent people can be detoured by false prophets into embracing
doctrine like this . Mormon authorities talk about how a \”new door\” has been opened by
God through which all men must enter if they are to gain eternal life . Supposedly this new door,
or way was opened in 1830 by a prophet of these latter days —Joseph Smith — who \”restored\”,
re-established the very Gospel of salvation that Jesus\’ apostles had taught 1700 yrs earlier, thus
the Mormon claim that salvation \” was again available \” to man . But when we see the reports
that angels served as spiritual guides for Smith in restoring this gospel , then we should
immediately remember Paul\’s counsel in Gal 1:8-9 about those who would come with
imitation gospels —even from angels .This is sobering especially given the fact that we are
also warned in advance of prophets arising in the latter days who will mislead —Mk 13:22-23.
Not all false prophets are immoral, conniving individuals . Some are very polite , well dressed,
and talk about \”following Christ \” , so Beware—Matt 7:15