vassal of the King

This continues the ongoing blog series on "The New Birth"   The FINALITY of the New Birth Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church Salvation would be of little profit and it would impart no comfort if it could be reversible. Yet the Word of God clearly affirms that the work of God in the soul of man is a final work, an irreversible work, an unchangeable work, and a divine work. The Apostle Peter affirms that God has caused believers to be born again [ἀναγεννήσας] to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (1 Pet 1:3-4). Unspeakable comfort, unfathomable mercies, and unquenchable consolations pour out from these verses. This brief write-up will further explain the finality of the new birth. 1) It is IRREVERSIBLE . God declares: “I act and who can reverse it?” (Isa 43:13). When God performs the rebirth in the soul of a man, it cannot be changed. No man, no power, no situation, no sin can al

HOW TO PRAY Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church  As a shepherd, probably the most common prayer request I receive from God’s people is to pray that they would pray more and accelerate their prayer lives. How can we pray? Many people can relate to the request of the disciples: Lord, teach us to pray. This certainly isn’t exhaustive, but this brief essay will provide 5 helps to aid you in your times of meeting with God. 1. FELLOWSHIP WITH YOUR GOD. Think of prayer as an intimate relationship with your Abba , Father. Consider that prayer is you crawling into the lap of your Father in heaven and adoring Him, thanking Him, confessing your sins to Him, and petitioning Him. His tender eye is upon you. His affections are kindled toward you. And He, like a Father, loves to fellowship with, commune with, share this time together with you, His beloved, blood-bought child. 2. PRIORITIZE PRAYER IN YOUR DAY. You are no good till you meet with God. Resolve in your heart to meet wit

This is the next blog in the ongoing series on "The New Birth" The MIRACLE of the New Birth. Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church That the new birth is nothing short of a miracle is clear because it is something that only God can do. A true miracle is something contrary to nature that only God can do. A miracle according to Scripture, is something that defies the laws of nature since God has brought it about by His power and for His purposes. When God says: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek 36:26, emphasis added), the miracle of the new birth has taken place. 1) An instantaneous miracle.  The regeneration event is a mere instantaneous working of God in the soul of man. It is the life of God in the soul of man that the Spirit of God quickens by His sovereignty, for His glory, in a moment of time. Just as the Lord opened Lydia’s heart in a

“ If you should this moment be called to the bar of God, what sentence have you reason to suppose He would pass on you? Pause and reflect, and let conscience answer … will you dare offer to your Judge those vain and frivolous excuses with which you now quiet your conscience and deceive yourself? Will you dare come to the bar of God and tell Him that He was a hard master? That His Law was too severe? That His Word was unintelligible? That you could not learn your duty? That you were unable to repent and believe? Consider, O consider well what answer you are prepared to give. See that it be such an one as you dare rest your hopes upon and defend at the bar of a heart-searching Judge. Consider all these things, ye who are now forgetting God, lest He tear you in pieces as a lion, and there be none to deliver! Let this consideration rouse you from your lethargy to lay hold on the hope set before you. Do not stand lingering and delaying as did Lot in Sodom, but suffer me

This is the next blog in the ongoing series on the New Birth.   The PRODUCER of the New Birth Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church The words of Jesus spoken to Nicodemus revealed that the only way to see the kingdom of God is unless “one is born again” (John 3:3; ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν). But the question must be asked and then biblically answered: who produces this new birth? How does it come about? Who works this process and accomplishes the task? In this brief essay, the Scriptures will be examined and brought to bear in showing who produces the new birth. This write-up will show that the Spirit of God is the producer of the rebirth. He works by His power, by His sovereignty, by His initiative, and by His working. Each will be briefly looked at in turn. 1) The Spirit of God. Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus in the conversation that unless one is born [ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ] of the water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). The verbal for

Some excellent & thought-provoking questions that Charles Spurgeon presents in his sermon dealing with the seed that is sown among thorns . I think the application is certainly pertinent to young people who have grown up in churches, have heard the Word, have heard Christ presented at home in family worship, and have heard countless sermons on Christ and His redemptive work. They have heard innumerable calls to repent and have been urged weekly to embrace Christ and flee to Him for refuge from the coming wrath. Young people -- all the sermons you've heard -- how have they impacted your soul and your life ? Consider Spurgeon's words : What fruit have you born hitherto from all your hearing? May I venture to put the question to each one of you very pointedly'? Some of you have been hearers from your childhood—are you any the better? What long lists of sermons you must have heard by now! Count over your Sundays; how many they have been! Think of the go

A gospel-plea from Charles Spurgeon: As Spurgeon preached on the parable of the soils (Luke 8:4-15), this excerpt comes from his application concerning the third category of people -- those who hear the Word but the thorns come in and choke out the Word. Spurgeon urges: Ah! My dear readers, I will not ask for you that God may lay you on a bed of sickness, that he may strip you of all your wealth, and bring you to beggary; but, oh, if he were to do it, and you were to save your souls, it would be the best bargain you could ever make. If those mighty ones who now complain that the thorns choke the seed could give up all their riches and pleasures, if they that fare sumptuously every day could take the place of Lazarus at the gate, it were a happy change for them if their souls might be saved. A man may be honourable and rich, and yet go to heaven; but it will be hard work, for "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to e

This is the next part in the ongoing blog series on "The New Birth"   The HUMILITY of the New Birth Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church Without a doubt, the act of God in bringing about the new birth humbles the sinner. No Christian can boast at the cross. No one can co-mingle pride with humility or self-righteousness with Christ’s righteousness in the gospel. It cannot happen. The monergistic act of God alone slaughters pride in the soul of man.  When this essay speaks of the humility of the new birth, a few things should be explained. 1) A humility in the sinner’s HEART . The Apostle Peter writes to believers and reminds them that God has caused them to be born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). This verbage that Peter uses extolls the glory, grandeur, and exclusivity of God in bringing about and solely accomplishing the new birth on behalf of sinners. This must humble the sinner. Sinners cannot rebirth themselves. Sinners cannot accomplish new l

PREPARE FOR CORPORATE WORSHIP Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church   “Come from your knees to the sermon, and come from the sermon to your knees”                                                                                                          — Joseph Alleine Children of God worship God corporately. They love to worship God with other believers. And since believers gather together to exalt the Lord and hear from Him through the preached Word, how does one rightly prepare for corporate worship? After all, one will only get as much out of corporate worship to the degree that he prepared himself for it. To neglect preparation is to cripple oneself. So how does the Christian prepare? PRAY One of the best ways to prepare for corporate worship is for the child of God to pray. He must pray for God’s glory to be put on display. He should pray for the preacher to herald God’s Word with God’s power. He should pray for other believers to come hungry and grow in all know

This is the next blog in the ongoing series on the New Birth . The INDIVIDUALITY of the New Birth Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church No one enters heaven by the merits of another. None can walk into glory through the worthiness of a friend. Indeed, one must personally and individually come to Christ to be saved. As Jesus told Nicodemus: Truly, Truly, I say to you (σοι; ‘you’ singular), unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). No one is born again because of a friend’s merits or because he is born into the right family. A person must resolutely and personally come to Christ to be saved! You must be born again. God does not simply throw a blanket out and see if anyone might be saved. He saves particular people. He rebirths His elect. He brings to life those whom He has predestined. Individuals are born again, by God’s grace and through His power. A few things must be mentioned regarding the individuality of the new birth. Fir

This is the next part in the ongoing blog series on the New Birth.   The NEED for the New Birth Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church No greater need exists in the universe than for sinful man to be born again! Jesus said it this way: “you must be born again” (John 3:7). This is not optional; it’s needed. The greatest need that sinful beings have is for God — by His power, in His love, through His mercy — to impart life. Why? Man is DEAD . One must be re-birthed. Man is dead in his transgressions (Col 2:13) and desperately needs to be brought to life. Dead men cannot resuscitate themselves. Only divine power, supernatural, life-giving power can accomplish this. Man is VILE . Before God intervenes, men indulge in abominable idolatries (1 Pet 4:3) and commit abominable deeds (Ps 14:1). Man is unclean because of her corrupt worship (Jer 13:27). Man is vile (Jer 11:15) before God and has sunk deep in depravity (Hosea 5:2; 9:9). Man is IDOLATROUS . The heart of men excha

From Charles Spurgeon : Ah, my dear friends, we want nothing in these times for revival in the world but the simple preaching of the gospel.  This is the great battering ram that shall dash down the bulwarks of iniquity. This is the great light that shall scatter the darkness. We need not that men should be adopting new schemes and new plans. We are glad of the agencies and assistances which are continually arising; but after all, the true Jerusalem blade, the sword that can cut to the piercing asunder of the joints and marrow, is preaching the Word of God.  We must never neglect it, never despise it. The age in which the pulpit it despised, will be an age in which gospel truth will cease to be honored.

Why am I relentlessly committed to expository preaching?  Geoffrey R. Kirkland Christ Fellowship Bible Church Expository preaching allows God to speak to the people through His powerful & eternal Word. Expository preaching means that God determines what will be preached since I work verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Expository preaching models for the flock of God how to study the Bible — carefully, intentionally, reverently, methodically, and prayerfully working through books understanding the meaning of texts as they're properly interpreted in the immediate context. Expository preaching obediently follows the authoritative demand of God that He gives to all ministers of the gospel: "Preach the Word!" Expository preaching provides the necessary venue for the Spirit of God to work by means of the preached Word that has centered on Christ and His gospel to bring sinners to salvation. Expository preaching conforms the people of God into