Posts Tagged ‘free-will’
I Am Not An Evangelical – I Am A Christian
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Acts 11: 26
As a Christian, by the Grace of God, I am a disciple of Jesus and a servant of God. I believe in the basic tenants of Reformed theology of election and predestination. However, evangelicals, of which I am not, believe in a “save yourself” style of salvation.
On christianity.com, a leading evangelical website, in an article titled, “What Is Evangelical Christianity?”, the first paragraph says this…
“A prominent picture in Christianity is Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Evangelical Christians believe that by accepting Jesus and his sacrifice for us, we save our souls and go to Heaven once we die.”
This is a “work of righteousness” type of salvation based on the will of man by a work of faith in choosing for ourselves to accept Jesus as our personal savior. This is plainly not scriptural as scripture teaches that we are born-again by the will of God who saves they whom He elected to be saved and predestined their time of salvation.
Ephesians 1:3-6 KJV
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: [4] According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, [6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
These are just a few of the many verses about election and predestination that are found throughout the New Testament, and anyone willing to read and study these scriptures will see the truth as God gives them understanding.
This does not say that I do not believe in sharing the Gospel. All Christians are given works that God has ordained for us to do when we are saved by Grace.
Ephesians 2:8-11 KJV
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. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God has given some to be evangelist some pastors and teachers, elders, bishops and deacons, etc, all who will have different abilities that in their service they will be given moments, as God chooses, to speak of Jesus; most of the time in private or small group settings.
Jesus said, “I know my sheep and they will hear my voice and will follow me.” God uses individual disciples to do His will as He chooses in bringing the elect into His fold; they do so quietly.
So, if someone were to ask me if I was an evangelical, knowing only what they see and hear in the news, especially in connection with “Christian Nationalism”, my answer would simply be this, “By God’s Grace, I am a Christian, a disciple of Jesus and a servant of God. If you would like to know something about Jesus, I will be glad to share with you what I know from New Testament scripture.”
How well do you know what is the New Covenant written about in the New Testament scriptures?
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Kept By The Power Of God
1 Peter 1: 5… Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
I once belonged to a certain Christian religion that believed that one could be saved and born-again by an act of their will in choosing to accept Jesus as Savior. This teaching also taught that by an act of their will they could also loose their salvation. Almost everyone to whom I spoke admitted they worried on a daily basis about doing something that would result in loosing their salvation. They had no real assurance of keeping their salvation and of going to heaven when they died. How sad.
In studying scripture I could see that this was not backed up by what the New Testament, especially Jesus, taught. Soon I left and found a church that believed in and taught the opposite.
Instead of me giving my opinion I have decided to let scripture, and Jesus, speak about this and pray that the Holy Spirit will open your heart and give understanding to the reader.
The scripture verse, in context, upon which this essay stands is this.
1 Peter 1:1-5
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. [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, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Their are a number of scriptures by Jesus that could be used to more than support verse 5 above. Here are only two examples that has been chosen for you to read.
John 6:35-40
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me shall never hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. [36] But I told you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. [37] All whom the Father gives Me will come to Me, and he who comes to Me I will never cast out. [38] For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. [39] This is the will of the Father who has sent Me, that of all whom He has given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. [40] This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 10:25-30
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you did not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name bear witness of Me. [26] But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. [27] My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. [28] I give them eternal life. They shall never perish, nor shall anyone snatch them from My hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them from My Father’s hand. [30] My Father and I are one.”
It should be noted that no one is saved (born-again), and staying saved, by an act (work) of one’s own will of the flesh, or mind. Salvation (regeneration) comes only by the will and Grace of God alone, because of the work and obedience of Jesus on behalf of “all” whom the Father has given to Jesus.
In short, salvation and the assurance of still being saved when one dies is given to they…
“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
How reassuring and humbling that should be to all who are saved and kept saved by the power of of God.
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Did Jesus Talk About Election In John Six
The doctrine of election is quite divisive among all Christian religions.
They who believe in God’s choosing who will be saved, will say that if they had not been chosen for salvation they would never have been born-again for they had no desire to be saved.
On the other side, they who deny the doctrine of election, do so for they believe that God has given everyone the free-will to choose whether or not they want to accept or reject salvation offered by Jesus.
The question is who is right in their doctrine? The answer might be found in what Jesus taught in the gospel of John chapter six?
Read the following scripture verses to see for yourself, and may God give you understanding.
John 6:29
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent.
John 6:37
All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:38-39
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. [39] And this is the Father’s will which has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:65
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
So, we see that believing in Jesus is a work done by God, not by man, and all in whom God chooses to believe in Jesus will come to Jesus. For it is the will of God that all whom He brings to Jesus that Jesus will loose of all whom the Father brings to Him.
Jesus further said that the reason for God working in man to believe, and to bring to Jesus, is that no one “can” come to Jesus unless God brings them. To reinforce this claim, Jesus lastly says that no one “can” come to Me unless My Father gives them the ability to come.
This is why we are saved by God’s Grace. For salvation is all of God.
These verses are very clear in what they say and it will take God to give you understanding to these statements. I pray that God is doing so at this very moment.
Believe not in your religion but in what Jesus says in Scripture.
What Is The Rest Given By Jesus?
Matthew 11:28 KJV… Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Right away the first thing that would come to mind is physical rest. Everyday people come home physically or mentally tired needing to rest from the days work. However, this is not the kind of rest that Jesus is offering.
In the verse that follows the main verse, above, states exactly the kind of rest about which Jesus is talking. Here is that verse:
Matthew 11:29 KJV… Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Rest for our souls, spiritual rest, but from what? You must remember to whom Jesus is talking. These are the Israelites who have been living under the Law which is a works obedience based religion. These are people who are trusting in their own righteousness to make themselves deserving of entering Heaven upon their death.
Under the Law with the various rules, regulations, and blessing and curse promises, the Jews worked daily at their obedience hoping their righteousness was good enough to get them to heaven. However, they continued to fail to be obedient to the Law and to God, and they would become quit weary in their daily life of working to be obedient. They just could not do it and would feel the burdens of their failure.
Jesus knew this and came to offer a rest that would take this heavy yoke of a burden from off of them and offered a better path to Heaven; through Him.
The call Jesus gave was to come to Him and trust in Him for their salvation even though they knew not what He would do. How could this Jesus have a way designed to provide rest for their soul?
It was not until after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus that the “rest” that Jesus offered would come to life. Just stop working at being obedient to the Law and rest in Jesus. That was it. Just like we read in Hebrews.
Hebrews 4:10 KJV… For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Even today, everyone who is not a disciple of Jesus still live under the yoke of the Law, still trying to achieve your own righteousness, and you, too, will fail. The offer of “rest” that Jesus made to the Jews, He offers to you as well. Here is how you can enter into the “rest” offered by Jesus.
Stop trusting in your own righteousness and rest in the knowledge that Jesus has done for you what you cannot do for yourself. By coming to Jesus and proclaiming Him to be Lord and by faith trust in Him for your salvation you will enter into the “rest” that is offered by Jesus. Taking off the burden of obedience to the Law and trusting in Jesus for having done for you what you cannot do for yourself will give you the “rest” you so greatly need for your soul.
You no longer need to be obedient to the Law for salvation or even to keep your salvation. For your salvation from being born-again to keeping your salvation, and never loosing it, was all done by the will of God based on all that Jesus has done for you who are saved.
How about you. Do you want to continue being under the Law with the yoke of trying to be obedient to the Law, trying to gain your own righteousness and failing, or would you rather enter into the “rest” that Jesus gives and be covered in the robe of His righteousness?
Resting in Jesus is easy. Let go of your own works of righteousness and confess that Jesus is Lord, trusting in His righteousness, and by faith believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you will be given the rest that was promised by Jesus.
Coming to Jesus will give you wonderful comforting “rest”for your soul. Is not that what you really want anyway?
Another Example of Wrongfully Interpreting A Single Verse of Scripture Out of Its Context
Philippians 2: 12 – Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Here is a prime example of how a text, taken out of context, can be interpreted to seemingly mean one thing when it proves to be something entirely different when read contextually.
For instance, most of the time this verse is used like this, “now that you accepted Jesus and are saved you must do what needs to be done in order to remained saved.” “You must work out your salvation of your own will.”
A number of Christian religions, who lean heavily on Old Testament scriptural Law, tend to teach that once one is saved by accepting Jesus as Savior need to be obedient to the Law of the Old Testament or they could loose their salvation.
You must work at being obedient to God’s Law, being careful to observe Church teachings, and obeying all that needs to be done to insure you will keep your salvation from failing. Something that the Jews nor Gentiles ever could accomplish, nor ever will. Each day can start with fear of doing something that will cause you to loose your salvation and trembling even at the hint of sinning a sin for which one could not be forgiven.
How can one ever have confidence in their faith, with this kind of teaching, and be at peace with God?
However, the fear and trembling that is mentioned in this verse is a good thing because of what is said in the next verse that is following. Here is where reading this singular verse in its context will show a different and a more pleasing, God honoring, meaning. See if you can notice the reason for the fear and trembling when this verse is read in its context.
Philippians 2:9-15 KJV – Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Did you notice verse thirteen? When one, by God’s Grace, is born again by the will of God, and not by the will of man, he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit who begins to work God’s will in him for the works God created for him (Ephesians 2: 9, 10). You will start to see yourself in a different light, with a change of thought and language and in how you will start to treat other people in a more friendly and helpful manor, and more.
These changes, at first, will seem strange and maybe even scary, not knowing what is happening to you and who or what is causing this change. Verse thirteen explains quite plainly what is happening and why. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Some of these changes may seem wrong and upsetting at first as it may be something you do not want. That is why in verse fourteen we are told to do these things without murmurings and disputings. You may not enjoy some of these changes, but overtime they will become second nature to you.
This will happen because of God working His will in you that you wonderfully begin to see the changes that are taking place in your life, and that can be a scary thing at first. Eventually you will start to expect seeing how God is working His will in your life for your good and God’s glory.
God is at work in you in keeping you saved so that you do not have to fear loosing your salvation. It is God’s job in keeping you saved by His grace and not of your will. For no one is justified before God by man’s will, only by the faith of Jesus is anyone justified.
Again you can see how reading a scripture verse alone can be taken to mean one thing but when it is read in its context the full meaning comes to life. Never take for granted what someone says is what a single verse means until you read it in its full context.
Would not what God says be more meaningful than what man or a religion says?
The What Why and How of Salvation
There are a number of Christian Religions but only two ways of salvation being preached.
The more popular one is a man-centered one where man must choose to be saved and then do or say something in order to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation.
The other, least popular, way is God-centered where He forgives and saves as He wills because man is unable to save himself.
The place to find the answers is in scripture; God’s holy word. We will look at the What the Why and the How of salvation as found in the Word. Then we will see what is the Response of the one that is saved when called by God.
The scriptures are all quoted within the context in which they were written, to understand better why God wrote them in the first place.
The What…
2 Timothy 1:8-9 KJV – Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
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 first thing God does is save us as He wills. Then He calls us. But why must He first save us? Read the following verses to see the Why.
The Why…
Ephesians 2:1-5 KJV – And you hath he quickened , who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
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;)
Twice in these verses we are told that man is dead ( spiritually ) because of our sinful condition and are children of wrath like everyone else. But God makes us alive which sets us free and It is by His Grace that we are made alive. So How does Grace save us?
The How…
Titus 3:5-7 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;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Being saved by Grace is simple. We see that it is not by our will that we are saved but by God’s Grace which is the washing of regeneration ( born-again) and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. We are forgiven, saved and made new by being born-again. We are justified – saved – by the Grace of God. Having been saved, what is the Response of those saved and called?
The Response of Those Saved and Called…
Romans 10:8-10 KJV – But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
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.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
When we are Saved ( born-again ) we are made alive in the spirit and given a new heart. One filled with love and faith, having been given to us as a gift when we were saved, and with faith we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe that He was raised from the dead and is alive and watching over us.
Scripture clearly says that God ( The What ) saves us, ( The Why ) for we cannot save ourselves because of our sin nature, ( The How ) by grace which is the act of making us alive , born-again, then calls us. ( The Response ) with the faith given to us as a gift when we were born-again, we confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God has raised from the dead and we confess our salvation found only in Jesus.
So there you have it; The What, The Why, The How and The Response of God’s Salvation. What say you?
A synopsis…
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 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; For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Believing What Christ Said About Eternal Life
If I were to ask you this question, “Do you believe Jesus when He speaks to us?”, most likely you would say “Yes, of course”. What if I were to ask you, “Did Jesus ever lie?”, again you might quickly answer “No, He never did.”, but is this something you really believe?
While there are many different Christian religions, for the most part, they all believe in Jesus for salvation. The problem, however, is that there are many who call themselves Christians that believe it is possible that one could lose their salvation.
If it were possible to lose one’s salvation, along with eternal life, would that not make Jesus a liar? I guess it would depend upon what Jesus has said about eternal life, and the best place to find out what He said is in the Scriptures.
There are three scripture references I would like for you to see. You can read them for yourself and decide what it is you want to believe.
The first scripture verses are from John 6: 37 – 40
John 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.
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
John 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.
John 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.
Here we see that Jesus said that He would lose none of all whom the Father gave to Him, and that they would have everlasting life.
The second scripture verses are from John 10: 25 – 29
John 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.
John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
In speaking of His Sheep Jesus said that He gave them eternal life and that they will never perish, and that no one can take them from Him. In addition, He reminded everyone that the Father gave them to Him and that no one can take them out of His Father’s hand as well.
The last scripture verse I would like for you to see is this. From John 17: 2
John_17:2 (KJV) As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
God the Father has given to Jesus all power over all flesh, and that Jesus would give eternal life to all whom the Father has given Him.
So, now what is it that you believe? Do you still think that you can have eternal life taken from you? On the other hand, have you been given the assurance that, according to what you have just read, your salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven is secure in the words of Jesus.
These are but a few scripture verses that are quotes from Jesus, to say that one could lose eternal life is tantamount to calling Jesus a liar. If you still believe eternal life can be lost, you are saying that you do not believe what Christ said about eternal life. It is that simple.
Jesus said:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish…
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”.
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 