Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category
A New Year and A Newness of Spirit
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
With the beginning of a new year, as Christians we should look to a “newness of spirit”, wherein we should practice walking in the Spirit and not according to the works of the Law.
By doing the works of the Law, we are unwittingly trying to be justified by our obedience to what the Law says, even though we have been delivered from the Law. For now, we are not under the Law but under grace.
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Gal_5:18 (KJV) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
By walking in a newness of spirit, we are led by the Spirit of God Who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). It is God who works in our spirit to guide us according to His will to do those things that he has ordained for us to do. In doing so, we walk according to the Spirit with the faith of Christ and not by the works of the flesh in trying to be obedient to the Law.
In walking in the spirit, we now serve God in a newness of Spirit, by looking to God to do His will and not by looking to ourselves in doing our will. By seeking to do things our way we will always fail. Walking in a newness of spirit, seeking to do God’s will, can we have any expectations of being successful in our walk with our Lord Jesus.
As Christians, we are dead to the Law and we no longer serve it, and as a new year begins, we can have a new beginning in serving God by serving in the newness of Spirit.
The Story Of The Coming Of Jesus You Never Hear
We all know the Christmas Story, about the baby in a manger, the shepherds, the wise men, angels praising God and the Star above. While this story is true, it is not the whole story of Who Jesus is or why He came.
The real problem about this story is that it has been appropriated to be a time of spending and making money, spending money by us and making money by retailers.
Look all around the stores and malls. The decorations are all about pretty lights and decorations reminding us that Christmas is coming, and we need to buy all of those gifts now, before they are all gone. There is nothing anywhere about what Christmas is all about – the birth of Jesus. You will never see that for someone might be offended.
Maybe it is time for us to read about the coming of Jesus in a completely new light, one that shows who Jesus is and why He came. There is such a story but one that is rarely told anytime of the year. It is a short story and it is taken from scripture verses written by the Apostle John, in his Gospel and from the 1st letter of John. Here they are without the verse numbers just as they may have been written in a letter
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. The light shined in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Jesus is the Word of God, born of a woman, divine in nature and human in flesh. He came into this sinful world to provide forgiveness of sins and eternal life for all who would believe in Him and confess Him to be Lord.
This is the true story of the coming of Jesus; who He is and why He came. This is the story that should be added to the traditional Christmas story as this completes what is left out.
Without knowing who Jesus is and why He came, the story of the baby born in a manger is meaningless, just a good human-interest story. Jesus is the Word of God, He was with God and He is God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
These things have been written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
He that believes on Jesus has everlasting life: and he that believes not Jesus shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Come; let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
What Does It Mean To Be “In Christ Jesus”?
What Does It Mean To Be “In Christ Jesus”?
Throughout the New Testament, numerous times there is mentioned the phrase “in Christ Jesus”, but have you ever looked into what it means to be “in Christ Jesus”?
As a refresher, here are several verses in which this phrase is stated:
Rom_8:1 (KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
Eph_1:1 (KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Php_4:21 (KJV) Salute every saint in Christ Jesus.
1Pe_5:14 (KJV) Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The little word “in” carries a big job in these verses for it is used to denote the following:
– A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), that is, a relation of rest… give self wholly to, –
You see, once a person is born again and, by the faith of Jesus given to us with which to believe in Him, we not only submit our will but our whole being to Him. In other words, we enter into a unity with Jesus and become one with Him, to do His will and to be obedient to his commands so that we may grow in His grace. Just like when we read what Jesus said to His followers in John 15: 4, 5.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
For without me you can do nothing…
In order for us to grow and bear fruit, we need to become closer to Jesus, to learn of Him. We must give up our will to do what we want, in order to do His will, so that we can be at one with Him; He in us and we in Him.
When we give ourselves wholly to Him that is when we become someone who is “in Christ Jesus”.
Saved By Grace – The Act of Being Born Again
Grace, salvation and born-again, many words being bandied about, what do they all mean anyway?
Good question and one in which we will find out the answers but first, let us see some of the verses where these words are used in the Bible. To sort ‘a give us an idea of their meaning.
• Titus_3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
• John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
• Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
• Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Now as to what these words mean here are their Biblical descriptions taken from the original text.
1. Grace – the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
2. Saved (salvation) – to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively)
3. Born-Again – to regenerate: – be born from above; again,
Being born-again is the action done by the grace of God by which He saves people, and this action all takes place in one moment of time as described in this verse from Titus 3: 5:
Titus_3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
We know from Ephesians 2:5, 8 that salvation is by God’s grace and In this one verse, we see God saving people through the act of regeneration, of being born-again, by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit all done by the grace of God.
Simply put, when we are born-again by grace we are saved for all eternity.
All this is the work of God, done by His will as He chooses and when He chooses upon whom he chooses. That is why it is said that, “Salvation is all of God.”
God must do all that is involved in anyone’s salvation for no one will ever be saved otherwise. Man, being dead in his sin will never, of his own will, ever choose to proclaim Jesus to be Lord and believe on Him.
Only when anyone is saved by the grace of God will they be able cry out to God for forgiveness and to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe on Him that He lived, He died for sins, and He rose again from the dead to give us eternal life.
It really is quite simple. There is no other way of salvation. We must be saved by grace – the act of being born-again
Irresistible Grace – Thank God For It
What does “Irresistible Grace” mean? In short it is, “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
Two verses out of many that use the word “grace” are in Ephesians 2. One is found in Ephesians 2: 8, 9, which most Christians know and reads:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
The other is found in Ephesians 2: 4, 5 that reads:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) “
Actually, verse 5 explains quite simply what the action and result is of “grace” being applied to whomever God chooses. It is God’s divine influence upon the heart of the person, who is dead in sins, and makes them alive in their spirit; it is the act of being “born again” by the Spirit of God.
Remember, we are all spiritually dead in our sins and we can do nothing to respond to any call to believe on Jesus. The New Birth must happen first before anyone by faith can believe on Jesus.
In John 6: 44 Jesus says this:
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:”
In addition in 1 Corinthians 2: 14 the Apostle Paul wrote this:
“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The Apostle John made things quite clear when he wrote this in 1 John 5:1
“Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:”
These verses by Jesus, Paul and John make it quite clear that regeneration, or the act of being born again by the “grace” of God, precedes and causes saving faith.
Therefore, by these few verses alone, if regeneration (being born again) had to result from believing faith of the unregenerate in order to be saved—then no one would ever be regenerated (born again) and saved.
This is why “grace” is the irresistible action first applied by God upon the heart of man so that the unbelieving and unregenerate man can, and will, believe on Jesus, and why we should give thanks to God. For it is by God’s “irresistible grace” that we are saved.
Thank God for His divine grace upon our unregenerate hearts, that we would first be born again to give us a new life, being made alive in our spirit, that we might now and forever believe on the Lord Jesus.
Assurance of Eternal Life Kept By God
Do you believe in eternal life? In the Scriptures, like John 10: 28, the word for eternal means, “perpetual(also used of past time, or past and future as well): – eternal, forever, everlasting,”
Here is what John 10: 18 says about eternal life in its context:
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep
Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any manpluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck themout of my Father’s hand.
If you read the bible at all, you will recognize that these verses are of the story of Jesus being the good shepherd. These words are the words of Jesus as He spoke them to the Pharisees. In these verses, we hear Jesus giving assurance to His Sheep that they have eternal life and that they will never perish nor will any of them be lost.
In fact, in another verse in the gospel of John chapter 6 Jesus again says that He will not lose any of all that the Father brings to Him. In John 6: 37 – 40 Jesus says the following:
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
These sayings by Jesus are very clear and specific that once a person is saved (born again), and given eternal life, they have the assurance of Jesus that they will “Never” be lost again. He says, “ALL that the Father gives to Him will come to Him and that He will lose “NONE” of them.”
Yet, there are some Christian religions that teach that you can lose your salvation based on what “you” do after you are born again. They are very much like what Paul says in Galatians 3: 2 – 3:
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Works of any kind do not save anyone nor do works of any kind after being born again keeps one saved, for we are not justified by any kind of work. As Paul says in Galatians 2: 16:
Gal_2:16 (KJV) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
For by grace are we saved through the faith of Jesus given to us by which we believe on Him and are justified by this same faith, the faith of Jesus, that is given to us as a gift as explained in Ephesians 2: 8, 9.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast
You see, we are not given the gift of eternal life by anything that we do, nor are we kept saved for eternal life by works of any kind on our part. Actually, we are kept by God as we see in 1 Peter 1: 3 – 5:
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Once one is born again by the Spirit of God, we are forgiven, Justified by the faith of Christ and kept by the power of God giving us all the assurance we need that eternal life is ours forever.
Any good work that one does after being saved is not done in order to keep our salvation. No, good works are done as evidence of our salvation. Faith in Christ proves one is saved and already has eternal life, given by Jesus and kept by God.
If you still believe that you can lose your salvation and suffer loss of eternal life, instead of what God tells us in Scripture, then maybe you are not yet one of the sheep that belongs to Jesus.
Would you rather trust in yourself, or in the power of God for assurance of eternal life!
How Election and Evangelism Work Together
I have heard numerous times the question, “If God has already chosen those who will be saved why, then, do we need to do evangelism?” Actually, that is a really good question. Let us see how this works out. It is quite simple, actually.
From 2nd Timothy we read this:
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Here we see that the saving comes first then comes the calling and all of this was planned before the world began.
Then from Ephesians 2: 8,9 the following:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Knowing that the act of saving by God’s grace comes first only because man, in his sinful state, is dead spiritually to anything that would draw him to God. So, the act of saving, of being born again, has to happen first before anyone can hear the gospel and have the ability to respond to it according to God’s will.
The second thing we should notice is that it is through faith that is given to us as a gift by God that we are saved. How do we get this gift of faith and in what are we to have faith?
In Romans 10: 9, 10 we read about what it is in which we are to have faith:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
In order to believe in something one must have faith that it is true. In order to confess that Jesus is Lord and to believe that He was raised from the dead you must have faith with which to make this confession. It is a confession of faith to believe in something.
Again, faith was given to us as a gift by God, but by what means is faith given?
In Romans 10: 17 we are told exactly how faith is given:
Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Then, In Romans 10: 13, 14,15 we see how the word of God is given:
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
In short, the gift of faith is given through evangelism, in telling people the good news about Jesus, and God brings the one who is sharing the gospel to His elect people as a group or as a singular person. He then saves them so that they have the ability to hear the gospel and then He calls them and gives them the faith with which to believe on Jesus through the message that they hear.
The story of the conversion of Paul is a good example of the saving of one person. Although it is exceptional, it is a good example of how talking one on one is used by God to save someone. Here is the story of Paul’s conversion from the book of Acts:
Act 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Act 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
Act 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it ishard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Act 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Act 9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
Act 9:8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
Act 9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Act 9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
Act 9:11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Act 9:12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Act 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Act 9:14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Act 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Act 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Act 9:19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
Act 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
Act 9:21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
Act 9:22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
Now, as for the saving of a large group. The story of Barnabas and Paul at a place called Antioch in which they were asked to preach in a synagogue. Here is what happened as recorded in Acts 13:
Act 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Act 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Act 13:40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
Act 13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Act 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
Act 13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Act 13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Act 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Act 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained (appointed) to eternal life believed.
Here we see that all who were chosen by God to be saved believed in a large group setting. After being saved, born-again, they believed in Jesus through the preaching of the word that gave them the faith, given to them by God as a gift, with which to believe.
In short, God has chosen those who will be saved. At their appointed time God saves them – born-again -calls them through the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus that gives them the faith with which they believe in Jesus and they call upon Him to be their Lord and Savior.
Therefore, you see that election and evangelism works well together. It is quite simple, actually.
The Cross Is Not The Focal Point
Many people will look upon the cross with wonder and ponder its meaning. Very few people, however, will look to the cross as to what happened upon it and why.
Isaiah the Prophet said this about the future:
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth
Then, many years later, Jesus said this about Himself:
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, andone shepherd.
Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Later on Jesus said this:
Joh 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any manpluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck themout of my Father’s hand.
The cross, itself, is not the focal point of all of this. What is the focal point is what Jesus did upon the cross, to die in our place for our sins, and to secure forgiveness for all of His sheep, and to save us from facing the wrath of God that is to come on Judgement Day.
Jesus laid down His life of His own accord so that all whom God gave to Him will receive forgiveness for sins, be given eternal life, and to insure that we shall never perish nor be taken from the love of the Father.
It is for us to look unto Jesus and be saved. For all who call upon the name of Jesus, confess that He is Lord,and believe that, after His death and burial, He was raised from the dead, will be saved, called and justified.
Many will see the cross and not see Jesus, but all who are of the sheepfold of Jesus will not only see Him but will also follow Him when He calls them to come with Him.
How about you? Do you just see the cross or do you see Jesus and hear Him calling you to come with Him? For Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Christianity Is Not A Religion
Ok, if Christianity is not a religion, then what is it? Simply put, it is a lifestyle, which begins when one enters into a relationship with Jesus.
In the New Testament the word religion means this – “ceremonial observance: religion, worshipping.”While that is part of the Christian religion, it is not what defines Christianity.
This is what Christianity accomplishes in everyone whom God saves:
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
In Romans 12: 2, we are told not to be conformed to the world. The problem is we are already conformed to the world. Since we were born, we have done nothing more than to live in the world and do as everyone else does in thought, word and deed. By being with everyone else, we could not help but be conformed to the world.
As Christians, however, we are told to no longer be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. So, how do we do this? We cannot make this change of our own will; it is to be done by the will of God.
You see, having been saved and called by God we have experienced the new birth. Now, God is going to do a work of renewing of our minds to become more like Jesus and less like the world, and many changes will take place in our life.
There is only one way for anyone to be conformed to the image of Jesus and that is by spending time every day with Him. The best way of making a start is to get into the Word of God, especially by reading the Gospel of John first.
In your reading, take your time, listen to what God is saying to you and the Holy Spirit will reveal to you, not only the humanity of Jesus but His divine nature as well. You will hear Jesus speak to you through His teachings and He will draw you near to Him as you learn more about Him.
When you “hang out”, so to speak, with Jesus you will find feelings, thoughts and desires, which you may never have had before, begin to appear in your daily walk with Him. This is God working in you. Your language may change; your less than pure thoughts will start to be bothersome and maybe even embarrassing.
In short, over a period of time you will begin to enjoy more and more about spending time with Jesus, walking with Him, talking to Him and just listening to what He has to say.
Soon, you will begin to see how your words, your thoughts and your actions will become nothing as people came to see in you and more like what you read and hear from Jesus in His Word.
Friends, family and co-workers may even start to notice and ask you what has happened, what has made you change from the person you used to be. Some will like the change but many will not welcome the new you because you no longer talk and act as they do, and they will start to feel uncomfortable around you.
This is because you are becoming conformed to the image of Jesus and since the world does not like Jesus, they will not like you as well. However, as you begin to become closer to Jesus you will find that you are happier, more restful and more at peace with God than you have ever felt before.
Before you know it, you will notice that Christianity is more than a religion, going to church and taking part in a worship service. It is all about being conformed to a new image and in living a new lifestyle, a lifestyle that reflects Jesus.
This new lifestyle can only come about, not by self-effort or by self-will, but only by the will of God, as you spend time daily, in building a relationship with Jesus.
This is why Christianity is not just a religion about Jesus, but about a relationship with Him, and in living a lifestyle ordained by God and made possible by the works and words of Jesus.
The Unknown Sin Of Most Christians
The sin of most Christians is one that we do not realize we have done. This sin, about which I speak, is the sin where we take credit for being born again of our own will and not by the will of God.
People are always being told to just “accept” Jesus as savior and you will be saved. I thought this as well, even saying it, until I started studying the scriptures for myself.
The following verses made me see that it was by God’s will that we are saved and not by our own will. I could no longer say, “I was saved when I accepted Jesus.” Instead, what I now say is, “When God saved me…”
We all realize that we are a sinful people. Because of this sinfulness, we are spiritually dead to God. As we read in these scripture verses.
In Ephesians 2: 1 we read the following:
1 – “And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
From Colossians 2: 13 we read:
13 – “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”
In being spiritually dead our will is free only to act according to our nature and, since we have a sin nature, it is our nature to commit acts of sin. That is why we take credit for our salvation. It is natural to say “I” and we see no wrong.
The word “quickened” in these verses talks about the act of being “born again”. So when does the act of being quickened or “born again” occur, and when are we saved if we cannot choose to be saved of our own will?
In my studying this question, these verses made me see that it is by God’s will that we are saved and not by our own will.
In Ephesians 2: 4, 5 we read this:
4 – But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 – Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
Now we see that the act of being “born again”, and awakened from being spiritually dead, occurs by God’s grace while we are still dead in our sins.
Further on in Ephesians 2: 8, 9 we read these verses:
8 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 – Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
We must be given life before we can respond to God calling us. Just like Lazarus had to be given life before he could respond to Jesus calling out to him to “come forth”. If he had not been given life, Lazarus would have stayed in the grave. So we, too, would remain in our dead spiritual grave unless we are first given life to respond.
In Romans 9: 11 – 16 where the Apostle is giving a defense of the doctrine of election, he explains why God chose Jacob over Esau:
11 – “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 – It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 – As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 – What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 – For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 – So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
We see here that it was not by Jacob’s will, or because of any works that he might do, that God choose him over Esau. No, for it was by God’s will, according to election, that Jacob was chosen.
One last verse that sums all this up quite nicely is found in John 1: 12, 13 where we read the following:
12 – “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on his name:
13 – Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Many pastors will quote verse 12 but never follow up with verse 13, which explains verse 12.
You will be told that if you receive Jesus you will be given the right to become children of God. When actually this verse is saying that God first gives man the right to become children of God and, in response, man will receive Jesus.
Verse 13 explains this and tells us how this happens, and when. The first thing we read in verse 13 is “Which were born”. This is talking about being “born again” which has to happen first, and the act of being “born again” is not by one being born into a Christian family, or because of any good works, NOR BECAUSE OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God.
You see, it is by God’s will that anyone is saved, and we are saved by grace which is the act of being “born again”. Because we are spiritually dead, we have to be given life, spiritual life, first before we can believe on Jesus and confess Him to be Lord.
In saying, “When God saved me…” gives God credit for our salvation, and rightly so. For it is by His will, not ours, that we are born again and given the power to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to be brought into the family of God.
Riff's Christian Journal 