Living in Liberty

A Ministry of Bryce Lowance

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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Come To The Light

28 July 2014

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:18-21)

The condemnation described by Jesus is not because of disbelief in the gospel as most promote. This condemnation is the natural condition of every man in a state of unregeneracy. All men are condemned, except those for whom Christ died!

In these verses, Jesus is expanding His explanation of the nature of a person dead in their sins. He compares the desire of a person who wants to do evil to the desire of a person who wants to do good.

Many crimes are committed at night so that the darkness will conceal the evil acts. So it is with those who seek to practice evil. They will not come to the light because they have no desire to have their deeds revealed. A wicked person will not come to Jesus of his own free will. It does not matter how appealing we make the gospel by watering it down or flat our changing it. A wicked person likes the darkness of sin. He will not come to the Light of the world because he has no desire to do so!

But the spirits of those who have been born by the Spirit of God cry out WITH the Holy Spirit that they are sons of God.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Romans 8:16)

This one continuous cry by our spirit is that seed in us longing for the Light. That is why it is so important for us to preach the gospel whenever and wherever we can. So that those whose spirits burn for the Lord can come to an understanding of what Christ has done for them. Their belief of the gospel does not make them a child of God but it does give them the name of their Savior in Whom they may hope!

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Tags: doctrine, harmony_of_the_gospels, hope, jesus, john, salvation

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.