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Archives for December 2019

Are You a Partaker of God’s Temporal or Everlasting Love?

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This article was triggered by a friend who shared how he encouraged his daughter to believe in God’s love for her. More specifically, that God accepts her just the way she is, without having to meet any condition.

Without question, that’s unquestionably true. God expressed His unconditional love to everyone, as stated in the most famous Bible verse: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Yet, such encouragement can also be completely deceptive, having dreadful consequences in this age and the age to come.

The alternate translation of John 3:16 is helpful to understand the distinction between God’s temporal and everlasting love: “For this is how God love the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God expressed His unconditional love in a certain, definite, and particular way, one that excludes all other ways.

A Vital Illustration

Let me give you an illustration that will make the distinction between God’s temporal and everlasting love crystal clear. What if you had an insurmountable debt, about to be evicted from your home? A month before the eviction date, you receive a letter from the town’s billionaire who offers to pay anyone’s debt for free—no strings attached—because of his genuine love for the town and its citizens.

Since you are a citizen, you automatically qualify for his tremendous offer. The one thing you have to do is go to his home and receive his check that will cover your full debt, which is clearly outlined in the letter.

To say that you’re excited may be one of the greatest understatements ever. You call your family and friends and share about the town’s billionaire and his amazing offer. “His love is truly amazing,” you share with everyone who comes across your path. Tragically, to say the least, you never went to his house and became a true partaker of his expressed love.

God’s Particular Love

Yes, God expressed His love to you in an unconditional manner, but it was in such a way that you must receive something in order to make you acceptable to Him—the very righteousness of His own Son. That’s why Jesus said: “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

The Father won’t accept anyone who isn’t perfectly righteous in all his thoughts, feelings, motives, words, and actions. The tiniest sin demands His eternal, full, and just displeasure: “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong” (Hab. 1:13). As such, His love is expressed to you in the giving of His Son, but can only be truly experienced when you actually receive His Son by faith.

Unless you wholly bank of His Son’s perfect, blameless, flawless, righteous life for your temporal and eternal acceptance with the Father, you will be able to say that God loves you, but you won’t be able to partake of His everlasting love. He will not accept you for who you are in yourself, both in this age and in the age to come, no matter how good, innocent, moral, or righteous you may seem to appear or think you are.

How Many Live in God’s Temporal Love?

That’s a vital question. Paul wrote that many have a zeal for God, “but not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). The same can be said about many who have a passion for God’s love and even share that passion. We must be particular about the only way God will accept us, lest we deceive ourselves and others.

The “not according to knowledge” is in relation to the very righteousness of God’s Son: “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Rom. 10:3), which is none other than Jesus’ perfect, blameless, flawless, righteous life.

The only way to truly enjoy the Father’s love—relate to and receive from Him—is through His own Son. Ultimately, through the love and acceptance He has for His own Son as the Son of Man. Any other ground is an illusion that will cause a rude awakening: “And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9).

A Needful Admonition

God’s expressed love in the giving of His Son will be temporal to you if you don’t reject any and all of your own supposed “right” living. The only way to approach the Father, relate to Him, and receive from Him is through the perfect righteousness of His Son.

You do a great disservice to anyone when you share God’s love—having received the billionaire’s letter—without urging someone to embrace the very righteousness of His Son as the only ground of acceptance with the Father.

Actually, you will be considered as those who are “incensed against him,” as God stated through Isaiah: “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To my every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance’” (Isa. 45:23).

What does it mean that “every tongue shall confess to God”? He made that clear: “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him,” which is a reference to everyone who didn’t submit to the very righteousness of His own Son as the only way to and the only acceptance with the Father. Any other message about God’s love will fail the test of eternity.


Jan Blonk was born and raised in the Netherlands (“yawn” is the Dutch equivalent for John). He permanently moved to the U.S. in 2001 and is the author of It’s All about Jesus: The Bible’s Grand Testimony, a one-year devotional about the person and work of Jesus Christ. All his books are used as a fundraiser for the spread of the gospel through reputable ministries: www.thecauseofchrist.com

The Exclusive Claims of Jesus Christ

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About a month ago, I felt like I was in a spiritual depressing tailspin. Whether it was my more-than-two-week sickness, a constant feeling of exhaustion, my wired-personality, spiritual warfare, or some of all of the above, life looked dark and gloomy.

As I went to bed, I decided to browse the internet—not always a good thing—starting with articles on spiritual depression. I came across megachurch pastor Jarrid Wilson, who committed suicide over three months ago after having struggled with depression for many years.

Since the internet is a never-ending “pit” of articles, from the good, the bad, and the ugly, I certainly had my share of reading, including a variety of opinions about Joshua Harris’ recent deconversion from Christianity.

The spectrum of Christianity ranges from the ultra-conservative to the ultra-liberal. No wonder that outsiders may not be able to see the forest for the trees—to see the gospel for what it truly is. As I pondered all the various opinions, I had to see everything in light of the claims of Jesus Christ in order to keep my sanity.

Jesus’ Three Claims

One of Jesus’ most controversial statements is: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Without any vagueness, He claimed that He is the way. What does that mean?

It means that Jesus is the only way to the Father. All men’s own ways to reach and relate to God are entirely futile, even though they may feel good and right. His exclusive claim excludes any other way, including God’s own law, morality, conservatism, good works, other religions, etc.

He also claimed that He is “the truth.” Apart from Jesus, there is only deception and delusion. If you were to throw away your winning one hundred million dollar lottery ticket, you would be left with zero dollars. The same is true with rejecting Jesus as “the truth.” You are then left with what isn’t true.

Jesus ended His three claims with “I am . . . the life.” As God, Jesus has life within Himself (John 1:4). He’s eternally self-existing. Everyone and everything derives life from Him, whether natural or spiritual. The fact that He is “the life” means there’s no spiritual, eternal life apart from Him.

At the end of His three claims, Jesus summarized them with these words: “No one comes to the Father except through me.” His exclusive claims exclude all other imaginary ways to the Father. There’s certainly no uncertainty about what Jesus claimed for Himself.

The Three Possibilities

While I’m not sure who first expressed this trilemma, there are basically three possibilities when it comes to Jesus’ exclusive claims. He is either an incredible liar, a delusional lunatic, or the Lord who He claims to be.

If He was a liar, Christianity is by far the greatest deception that mankind has ever experienced. The far-reaching consequences of Jesus as a liar are incomprehensible. Additionally, if He was a delusional lunatic, there’s simply no comparison with others who’ve had delusional conceptions of who they were. Or, He truly is who He claims to be: “The way, and the truth, and the life.”

The Bible expresses that one’s acceptance or rejection of Jesus’ claims isn’t so much an intellectual issue, but a moral one: “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). It’s an innate love affair with the darkness.

The apostle Paul wrote that man, by nature, prefers to “suppress the truth” that he knows about God, “because God has shown it to them” (Rom. 1:18-19). Man prefers to exchange “the glory of the immortal God” for anything and everything else (Rom. 1:23)—emptiness over substance.

A Bigoted, Narrow-Minded Conviction

There are millions who reject any authentic expression of Christianity as bigoted, narrow-minded, racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, unloving, etc. That would certainly be true if Jesus was a liar or a lunatic.

What if He truly is “the way, and the truth, and the life,” as He claims to be? What if He truly is the only way to the Father—the only way to eternal bliss? The Bible is either God’s infallible word or it is not. If it is, this is the God of the Bible to whom Jesus is the only way: “In your presence there is fullness of Joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).

I’m fine if you consider me a bigot, narrow-minded, racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, or any other derogatory name, but you cannot claim that I’m unloving if I believe Jesus’ claims and Him as your only hope of salvation.

My only “crime” is seeking your temporal and eternal well-being, even if I Jesus’ claims were entirely untrue. I do agree that such “crimes” can be expressed with either know-it-all-pride or broken-hearted humility.

Certainly, I don’t want to force you into some Christian straightjacket that seemingly robs you of all your supposed freedom. Rather, if the claims of Jesus Christ are true, He’s the only possible freedom you can have: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

The Bottom Line

Undoubtedly, the bottom line is simple: Jesus’s exclusive claims or either true or false. While it may seem like circular reasoning, the determining factor is His resurrection. If He indeed rose from the dead, all His claims are true. On the other hand, if He didn’t rise from the dead, Christianity is the greatest hoax ever.

The apostle Paul expressed that with these words: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:17-19).

Throughout His ministry, Jesus certainly had His controversies, causing major divisions. For example, we read: “There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, ‘He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?’ Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who is possessed by a demon’” (John 10:19-21).

What do you believe about Him? Please don’t say He was a good teacher, advocating love and morality. His exclusive claims exclude that option. He claimed to be the only way to God, the Father, which He either is or isn’t. There are no grey areas when it comes His exclusive claims.


Jan Blonk was born and raised in the Netherlands (“yawn” is the Dutch equivalent for John). He permanently moved to the U.S. in 2001 and is the author of It’s All about Jesus: The Bible’s Grand Testimony, a one-year devotional about the person and work of Jesus Christ. All his books are used as a fundraiser for the spread of the gospel through reputable ministries: www.thecauseofchrist.com

A Purposeful and Necessary Interjection

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Welcome to another episode of Exploring God.

Today, we want to make a purposeful and, I believe, necessary interjection and look at two verses in Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The goal of our current series on God’s grace is to consider almost all of the New Testament verses that have the Greek word charis in them, in order to understand what grace is all about. However, I believe that today’s episode is a necessary interjection in order to help us better understand the reality of God’s grace.

Why all this controversy about being chosen by grace and believing through grace? Why not just preach the gospel, invite people to come to Jesus, and leave this seeming nitpicking to ivory-tower theologians who apparently don’t have anything better to do?

At the core of grace alone is the cross of Christ and His glory. If you’re a Christian, I assume that His death on the cross is the most precious reality in this universe for you. Without a doubt, our admiration and reverence for His sacrificial death should be to the highest degree. That is the reason for this series on God’s grace. It’s about fully honoring Him for what He has accomplished and obtained through His sacrifice.

When Herod did not give God the glory for his oratory skills, the angel of the Lord “struck him down” (Acts 12:21-23). If God should receive the glory for our natural abilities, how much more should He receive the full glory for our spiritual abilities, including our faith? That’s what believing through grace is all about, giving honor to whom honor is due.

The author of Hebrews wrote that we cannot please God without faith: “And without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6). The same author attributes such pleasing faith to “the blood of the eternal covenant,” to what Jesus obtained for us through His death.

If faith is pleasing to God and if God is the one who works in us “that which is pleasing in his sight,” then our faith is based on “the blood of the eternal covenant.” Jesus obtained our faith, which is the meaning of believing through grace.

That shouldn’t surprise us because the same author also wrote that Jesus is “the founder and perfecter of our faith,” or as the King James Version reads: “The author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). Our faith isn’t self-produced, it’s divinely authored. It isn’t our decisive input toward our salvation; it was granted to us “through Jesus Christ.” Our faith is an essential and necessary part of His saving work.

In reference to “the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot,” Peter wrote: “Who through him are believers in God” (1 Peter 1:18-21). It is Biblically accurate to say that Jesus purchased our faith as part of the ransom.

That’s why definite atonement is the heart of the gospel because it includes that God would effectually work in us “that which is pleasing in his sight,” which includes our faith.

Once again, this has nothing to do whether or not those who hold to an election based on foreseen faith are saved—anyone who believes in Jesus is saved. Rather, it has everything to do with giving God the full glory for being saved.

No Christian denies that one must believe in order to be saved, and as such we communicate His gospel. That doesn’t negate that such faith is God’s gracious work within us and is based on “the blood the eternal covenant.” To reject that truth is to undermine a vital part of Jesus’ sacrifice.

I hope you’ll join me next time as we will consider a must-have combination. When you sign up for my blog, you will receive the transcripts of these episodes and also a free copy of my first book.

Here’s a free copy of An Unfathomable Gift!
(feel free to share this book with others)

Only in Christ

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Can we ever be too Christ-centered? The more Christ-centered we are, the more in harmony we are with the Father’s eternal purpose.

Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

Isaiah 45:24

The reality of God’s salvation is simple: “Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11). He has designated His Son to be everything in salvation: our redemption, regeneration, reconciliation, forgiveness, adoption, righteousness, sanctification, holiness, and glorification, including every blessing and promise.

Salvation is through Him and for Him. He’s the beginning, the means, and the end of our eternal bliss. God expressed that as follows: “Only in the LORD. . .” Everything is to be found in Christ, who is freely given to us and received by faith.

To emphasize its importance, let’s read the previous verse: “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’”

Consider the weightiness that God has sworn by Himself. Any diversion from Christ is a lethal offense, as Paul wrote: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).

What does it mean that “every tongue shall confess to God,” as the footnote in the ESV states? All our righteousness and the strength to live accordingly are found in Christ alone. He’s the source, substance, and sustainer of all righteous living. Just like with creation, Jesus is the Creator and Upholder of every righteous thought, emotion, motive, word, and action. Jesus is all!


This devotional is from It’s All about Jesus: The Bible’s Grand Testimony. You can buy this one-year devotional for only $5.00. Click here to do so. You’ll be blessed and encouraged as you focus on Him each day.

Two Inspired Words

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Welcome to another episode of Exploring God. We are currently doing series on God’s immeasurable grace.

Today, we will consider that our response of faith in the truth of the gospel is grounded in God’s grace. In Acts 18:27, we read:

And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed.

Why did the Holy Spirit inspire these two words: Through grace? What does it mean to believe through grace? Would it not have been perfectly fine if Luke had written: “When he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed”? Yet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Luke included through grace.

To believe that salvation is by grace alone doesn’t only mean that our salvation is by grace alone, without any human addition; it also means that our faith in the truth of the gospel is by His grace alone. To believe through grace means that grace produced the faith we have.

As an illustration: not only was God the one who made “garments of skin” for Adam and Eve, He was also the one who “clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). He is not only the one who gave Jesus; He is also the one who gave us the faith to receive Him.

According to Isaiah, our great joy in God isn’t because He provided the “garments of salvation” and the “robe of righteousness,” but because He clothed us with them—He made the effectual application: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10).

After his famous confession of faith, Jesus told Peter: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). That is synonymous with what Jesus said in John: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).

Jesus restated that truth in that same chapter: “’But there are some of you who do not believe.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him). And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father’” (John 6:64-65).

To come to Jesus, which is here synonymous with believing in Him, is a grant from the Father, not something that He foresaw you or I would decisively do. Paul wrote the same: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should . . . believe in him” (Phil. 1:29). If saving faith is an effectual grant from the Father, election cannot be based on foreseen faith.

By the way, this granting does not contradict or undermine any of the gospel invitations throughout the Bible.

What it does mean is the fact that anyone who does favorably respond to the gospel has been granted to do so by the Father, as Luke also wrote: “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). They believed through grace.

Are these two inspired words only applicable to the disciples in Achaia, or are they also applicable to every other believer? I hope you’ll agree that they are also applicable to every other believer, including you and me.

I hope you’ll join me next time as we will have a purposeful and necessary interjection in our series on God’s immeasurable grace. When you sign up for my blog, you will receive the transcripts of these episodes and also a free copy of my first book.

Here’s a free copy of An Unfathomable Gift!
(feel free to share this book with others)