The Body of Christ - Part 2

Having seen to some degree the importance of the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had a body, I will continue to discuss this actual, physical body our Lord obtained.

The Body of Christ before His Birth

First, I want to look at the body Christ had before He was born. Jesus Christ did exist before He was born. No, I am not teaching the false idea that when Christ was born He was reincarnated. Reincarnation is a lie from hell. However, Christ did exist prior to His birth in the form of God. At His birth, He who was in the form of God took upon Himself the form of flesh – the form of a servant:

Philippians 2:6, 7 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

Christ existed before He was born. His existence was not in the form of an animal, another human being, or any earthly creature. He existed in the form of God!

Although Christ existed before He was born – He had no human body! His Father prepared Him a body. The scripture records this conversation between the Father and the Son, concerning the Son receiving a body. Before I look at this conversation, allow me to briefly discuss a couple of points that will benefit the reader.

God is Holy!

This is the forgotten attribute of God today. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, the heavenly hosts cried out, “Holy, holy, holy!” The church world today cries out, “Love, love, love!” But Isaiah beheld angelic beings acknowledging the holiness of God. Upon beholding God in his holiness, Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me! For I am undone!” In the first five chapters of Isaiah, we read where Isaiah cries out against the sins of various people. In Isaiah 3:9, he cries out, “Woe unto their [Jerusalem’s] soul!” In Isaiah 3:11, it was, “Woe unto the wicked!” In Isaiah 5:8, he cries, “Woe unto them that join house to house!” In Isaiah 5:11, he states, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink!” He continues in Isaiah 5:18, “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity.” In the same chapter, verse 20, Isaiah says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.” This verse is followed by verse 21, where Isaiah says, “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes.” Then in verse 22, “Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine.” But when we come to Isaiah chapter 6, and Isaiah catches a glimpse of God Almighty upon His throne, the tone changes. It is no longer, “Woe unto this one,” and “woe unto that one!” Now, Isaiah’s heart’s cry is, “Woe is me! For I am undone!” God is so holy that even Isaiah the prophet, a good man, had to hide his face in the presence of a holy God. When I say God is holy, I am saying that God is spotless. God is pure. God is righteous. God is without any blemish of any kind. God is perfect, as far as you wish to spread that word. God is so holy that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in His sight!

Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

God is so holy and pure that when John the Revelator saw Him upon His majestic throne, the question rang out throughout the heavens, “Who is worthy to open the book?” The Father had a book in His hand, sealed with seven seals. No one in heaven and earth was found worthy to even OPEN A BOOK in the presence of a holy God! There was one who finally was found worthy, and it was Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God! I have heard people boast of their own sinlessness. How sick! I read on Facebook once where a man claimed to have gone 27 years without committing a single sin! However, when I read Revelation 5, and the question is asked, “Who is worthy to open the book?” none of these sinless people step forward! Let us get this straight – God is absolutely holy, and mankind is disgusting in His sight! Flesh reeks in the nostrils of God Almighty!

The Holy God of the Bible is Just, and He Hates Sin!

When I speak of God’s holiness, I am speaking jointly of God’s holy hatred toward sin. This is another point that so many ministers wish to skip over. But we must not avoid it. Sin is abominable in the sight of God Almighty. God is INTOLERANT toward sin. Offending God Almighty is serious business!

God is not only holy in his character; but He is also just in His dealings with sin. God will deal with sin. Sin will not be winked at; it will be recompensed. Mankind is guilty of sinning against a holy, just God. What should God do with us? I’ll tell you what God should do. If there were no gospel message; if Jesus had never come; if God Almighty had left us to ourselves; if God the Father would open up the earth, and swallow every human being into the pit of a dark, black hell – that would only be fair! That would be just and right.

“If God is just,” you say, “then why doesn’t He just cast us all into hell?” That brings us to this ever-important point.

A Conversation between the Father and the Son

Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He was in heaven with the Father, equal with God. At some point before His birth, Jesus Christ the Son had a conversation with His Father about the very point we are discussing. In the following passage, we have the Son speaking to the Father:

Hebrews 10:5-7 – “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but A BODY HAST THOU PREPARED ME: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

The Son acknowledged to the Father that it was the Father’s will for a body to be prepared for the Son! Jesus would come to earth and be given a human body! The Son tells the Father, “A body hast thou prepared me!” I like that word, “prepared.” God the Father spent centuries preparing this body! He called Abraham out of the land of the Chaldees, to make a great nation of him! This great nation would be the people from which Christ’s body would come! Ruth left Moab to meet Boaz. Why? Because God the Father was preparing the Son a body! Samuel went to Jesse’s house; not just to anoint a king; but because God was preparing His Son a body! The righteous line that led to the birth of Christ was attacked by the enemy, but it was preserved by God the Father! The Father was preparing a body for His Son!

What is the big deal about the Son telling His Father, “A body hast thou prepared me”? Here are some important implications of this truth:

1) Jesus would take upon Himself a human body.

2) In this human body, Jesus would live a sinless life. This is extremely important.

3) Jesus would give His body to the wrath of His Father. God, who hates and must punish sin, would lash out in anger against His own, innocent, sinless, spotless, holy Son! Jesus wanted His Father to give Him a body so that His Father’s wrath could be poured out upon that body, instead of being poured out upon us! If Jesus had committed one sin in that body, He would not be able to die for us; He would have died for His own sin!

Yes, I am humbled to think that the Son of the living God, who is perfectly holy and innocent, would ask His Father for a body, for the sole purpose of bearing His Father’s wrath for me! What a Saviour!

The Body of Christ

God Became a Man!

Upon seeing the subject of this post, the reader may assume that I will write concerning the church of Jesus Christ. In assuming this, the reader is only partly right, as truths concerning the church constitute only a small part of the content herein.

I want to focus on the physical body of Jesus Christ for my subject today, and trust that the reader will be blessed.

I rejoice in the truth that God Almighty took upon Himself a human body. Had there been no body, there would have been no blood. And without the shedding of blood is no remission for sins. The scriptures also make quite an ordeal about God clothing Himself in humanity.

Matthew 1:23 – “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…”

Romans 8:3 – “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”

Philippians 2:5-8 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

II Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…”

I make an ordeal about God being clothed in flesh because the Bible makes an ordeal about it. Shepherds traveled over the plains to see the King wrapped in swaddling clothes. Wise men came from afar to see God Almighty who was wrapped in the form of a child. Angelic hosts praised God from the heavens when God became a man! The Father Himself beheld as His only begotten Son would exit the glory world, taking a journey to this corrupt and filthy earth to redeem lost mankind. Since the scriptures make such a big deal of this dynamic doctrine, it would be in order for every gospel preacher to make an equivalent ruckus concerning the matter.

I will go as far as to say that the doctrine of God becoming man is as important as any doctrine of the Word of God. If you do not believe that Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh, you do not believe the Bible. If you believe that Jesus Christ was God prior to His birth, but at the time of His birth lost His deity, you have departed from the solid teachings of Scripture. The Father Himself promised the Son that His throne of deity would NOT be temporary, but that it would be forever.

Hebrews 1:8 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Now, it goes without saying that, in order to take on a human body, limitations would be placed upon God’s omniscience. Luke tells us that the child “increased in wisdom.” One who is omniscient (knows everything) does not increase in wisdom. Obviously, Jesus laid aside His omniscience to become a man. BUT LAYING ASIDE OMNISCIENCE DID NOT CHANGE WHO HE WAS! While in the flesh, His name was called Emmanuel, meaning “GOD WITH US!” Obviously, since Jesus was in a human body, He was not omnipresent (everywhere at once). A body limited Him. But a body did not change who Jesus was! No matter how much God limited Himself to take on a human body, none of these limitations changed God! God changed forms – He who was in the form of God changed forms, taking upon Himself the form of flesh – but the form of flesh could not change who He was! If you saw Jesus, you saw the Father! If heard the words of Christ, you heard the words of God!

God, in the person of Jesus Christ, took a human body upon Himself. We celebrate this truth each time we take communion. “This is my body,” Jesus said, “which is broken for you!” Had it not been for His broken body, how lost we would be!

TO BE CONTINUED…

His Son Not Sparing

Romans 8:32 – “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

Some time ago, while in prayer, this verse was placed upon my heart in a very real way. Though I could quote it, it never became so real to me as it did the day the Spirit of God spoke it to me in my season of prayer. This verse, along with the truth that it bears, showed me the great heart of the Father, who desires to answer our every prayer that will bring about His divine will.

The subject of the above verse is prayer. Make no mistake about that. This is a good verse to remember before falling upon your knees. Its words made such an impression upon my heart that I considered printing this verse out and framing it, placing it just above my altar. Let us break this verse down, examining each part briefly.

“He That Spared Not His Own Son…”

The first phrase of this verse is an attention-getter. Notice – “He that spared not His own Son…” What does the word, “spare” mean? Webster defines the word as meaning “to use mercy.” God spared His children often in the scriptures. He spared Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Although they were not spared from being thrown into the fiery furnace, they WERE spared from the flames. God Almighty showed mercy in shielding them from the devouring fire. Daniel, though he was not spared from the lions’ den, he WAS spared from the lions’ mouths. Not one lion attempted to attack Daniel in any way. God, through His infinite mercy, spared Daniel. I am a living testimony of God’s mercy in sparing my life. More than once, when I could have most certainly exited this life and entered the next, God spared me. There are many who are reading this post who can testify that God, through great grace and mercy, SPARED them!

But God SPARED NOT His own Son. God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, was innocent of any sin, iniquity, blemish, spot, or wrinkle of any kind. He never broke one law of His Father. He never sinned with His mind, thinking gross sins; He never sinned with His mouth, speaking gross sins; and He never sinned with hands, performing gross sins. Christ was completely innocent, completely sinless, and completely perfect, in every sense of the word. Yet, when Jesus went to the cross, the Father showed no mercy whatsoever to His only begotten Son.

“…But Delivered Him up for us All…”

We are told that the Father spared not His own Son, but rather, “delivered Him up for us all.” This is undoubtedly speaking of Christ’s death on the cross. Notice that it is the Father who “spared not His own Son;” and it is the Father who “delivered Him up for us all.” I have heard discussions and debates over whether the Romans killed Jesus because He was beaten by Roman soldiers; or whether the Jews killed Jesus because they cried out “Let Him be crucified.” Others have opted out of these possibilities, claiming that you and I killed Jesus because of our sins. That is certainly closer to the truth, but that is not the whole truth. The truth is, it was the Father who SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON. It was the Father who DELIVERED HIM UP FOR US ALL. Look at the scripture:

Isaiah 53:10 – “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

“It pleased THE LORD to bruise Him.” The Father bruised His own Son upon the cross. The Father did not just allow Christ to die; the Father slaughtered His own Son! The Father did not pity His Son; the Father did not lighten the punishment for His Son; the Father did not show one ounce of mercy toward His Son. And yes, His Son was innocent!

You may wonder why the incident of Calvary happened. It is true that you and I are guilty of sin, and God hates sin! God utterly despises sin. In our generation, there is little talk about the justice of God, the holiness of God, or the righteousness of God. It seems that all the talk is concerning the love of God. While I rejoice in the love of God, I cannot overlook the holiness of God. Sin is hated by God Almighty. If the Bible calls it a sin, a trespass, an iniquity, or an abomination, God hates it. Hebrews 1:9 declares that the Son, Jesus Christ, HATES INIQUITY. Let me say it again – If the Bible calls it a sin, a trespass, an iniquity, or an abomination, JESUS CHRIST, as well as God the Father, HATES IT! Sin will not be overlooked by God Almighty. Sin will be dealt with by God. He will not wink at it; He will not overlook it; He will not ignore it; and He will not excuse it! It most certainly will be dealt with!

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, knowing that the Father would punish you and me with eternal death for our sins, offered willingly to let the Father pour out His indignant wrath upon Himself rather than upon us. Oh, what love! Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to have His Father, whom He always pleased, to treat Him as a filthy sinner! And that is exactly what the Father did. The Father unleashed His full wrath upon His own, innocent Son, treating His Son as being guilty. The Son of God had no sins of His own; it was rather my sins and yours that were laid upon Him. When we realize that nothing we do could pay off our sins, and trust Christ’s payment of them in full, the Father then can declare us “not guilty” because of Christ’s payment of our sins. He treats us as though we never sinned, but only because He first treated Christ as the worst of all sinners.

On that dreadful day, Christ walks up Calvary’s rugged hill, bearing an old, rugged cross. He deserved no cross. It was my cross. It was your cross. Yet He bore it willingly. If God the Father did not spare His own Son, but freely gave His Son to die in my place and yours, then the next question the apostle raises is

“…How Shall He Not With Him Also Freely Give us All Things?”

This is the conclusion of our verse. Look at the connection. I told you that the verse of our examination was a verse concerning prayer. Paul the apostle asks us this question – “If the Father did not withhold His Son from us, but gave Him to the death of the cross that we might be saved, why do you think He would withhold anything else you need?” We approach God in prayer as though we do not know if He is going give us what is best for us or not. Listen friend – the Father already gave us His best! He already gave us His Son! The Son gave His all! He gave His back to the smiters; He gave His face to them who would pull out the hair; He gave His hands and feet to the nails; He gave His head to thorns! What do you need from our great Saviour today? He already gave His best. And I’m sure that whatever you need, He is ready to supply in His time and in His will.

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin!*

*Stuart Wesley Keene Hine

A Full Gospel without Full Salvation - Part 4B

This post is “part 4B,” because it is not only a continuation of the series as a whole; it is a continuation of part 4. In this post, I will discuss further the fact that full salvation is a secure salvation.

Full Salvation is a Secure Salvation – Continued

The full salvation that we receive from the hand of Christ is a secure salvation. Many are afraid of the word “security.” A good number of “full gospel” advocates have little or no security in regards to their salvation. Our security rests on a foundation of several truths. The first truth that I looked at is the Biblical fact that…

“FULL SALVATION” NEVER EXPIRES – CONTINUED

The last point I made concerning this truth was that, in the book of John, at least six times, Jesus associates the act of believing with “everlasting” or “eternal” life. I pointed out that the word EVERLASTING literally means “LASTING for EVER.”

I will continue my thoughts here. The phrases “eternal life” and “everlasting life” occur in the book of John alone thirteen times. When Jesus used these phrases, showing how to possess eternal, or everlasting life, He always spoke in the present tense. Christ always taught that if we believe on Him, we HAVE everlasting life. He presently gives us everlasting life RIGHT NOW. Some are trying to be faithful so they can obtain everlasting life after they die. This is not the everlasting life that Christ gives.

John 5:24 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, HATH [present tense] everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.”

I John 5:13 – “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye HAVE [present tense] eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

In these two verses, one speaks of “everlasting life;” the other speaks of “eternal life.” Both speak of possessing this life presently. Other verses that show this clearly are John 3:15; John 3:16; John 3:36; John 6:40; John 6:47; and John 6:54. Full salvation is not probation. It is complete justification, as we saw clearly in part 2 of this series.

“FULL SALVATION” CANNOT BE SNATCHED BY THE DEVIL

At this time, I want to look at some clear verses of scripture from John’s Gospel, the tenth chapter.

John 10:10 – “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

It is understood that the thief, in the above verse, is the devil. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Although this is his express purpose, I want to make it clear that the devil cannot kill the child of God by taking away everlasting life. Jesus makes this truth very clear in the same chapter. Notice:

John 10:27, 28 – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Now, what did Jesus mean when He said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish”? What He meant was, “I give unto them eternal life; and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH!” The phrase “never perish” means that the devil cannot kill me spiritually. He cannot take away my everlasting life. Yes, the thief comes to steal. And he is doing just that. He is stealing even from Christians. He steals their joy. He steals their peace. The thief comes to kill. And he is doing just that. He is killing those who serve him. Those who give their lives to the service of the devil end up on the deathbed, gasping for their final breath. They are there oftentimes because of the hard lives they have lived for Satan. The devil rewards those who serve him – with death. He kills his own! Then, he destroys them in an eternal, burning hell.

But as for the Christian, the devil has no authority to kill or destroy him! The Christian is in the fold of the Good Shepherd. He has no authority to take eternal life from one sheep that belongs to the Good Shepherd. THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH! When you receive full salvation, you receive life that all the devils in hell cannot touch!

“FULL SALVATION” CANNOT BE DIMINISHED BY MAN!

Not only can the devil do nothing about my salvation, but mankind is helpless is destroying my salvation.

John 10:28, 29 – “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and NO MAN IS ABLE to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

What a great truth! A man who believes on Christ is safe from the hand of man. In the United States, we do not appreciate this truth as they do in other countries. There are nations in the world where it is dangerous to be a Christian. Richard Wurmbrand suffered for fourteen years in a Romanian prison, simply for preaching the gospel. The guards beat his body, but they could not touch his soul! His body was deprived, but his soul was secure! The Romanian government was able to confine Richard Wurmbrand to a prison cell; they were able to deny him the simple pleasures of life; they were able to sever him from the ties of his family. But there is one thing they did not do, because they were not able to do it – “NO MAN IS ABLE to pluck them out of my Father’s hand!” These merciless guards could not snatch his salvation from him! It was untouchable! The devil can’t kill me spiritually (or physically, for that matter); man cannot cause me to be lost!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

A good closing passage for this series is found in Romans 8. Look with me:

Romans 8:35-39 – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In Full Gospel circles, the songs written by Adger M. Pace are frequently sung. He wrote He’s my King; Victory Today is Mine; and Heaven’s Jubilee. A lesser known song of his is the song entitled Deeper than the Stain Has Gone –

When with holy choirs we’re standing in the presence of the great King,

And our souls are lost in wonder as the white-robed choirs sing.

Then we’ll praise the name of Jesus with the millions ‘round the throne.

Praise Him for the power that reaches deeper than the stain has gone.

Praise the Lord for FULL SALVATION!

God still reigns upon His throne.

And I know the blood still reaches

Deeper than the stain has gone.

A Full Gospel without Full Salvation - Part 4A

Having noticed that some believe in the “full gospel,” I have noticed that many who adhere to such a gospel do not even believe in “full salvation.” I have, in recent previous posts, been expounding upon the meaning of “full salvation.” Philip Paul Bliss caught a glimpse of full salvation when he wrote:

‘Tis the promise of God,

Full salvation to give

Unto him who on Jesus,

His Son will believe.

Hallelujah, ‘tis done!

I believe on the Son;

I am saved by the blood

Of the crucified One!

Philip Bliss’ writings concerning full salvation are not limited to the above lines. It was Philip Bliss who also wrote:

Come, sing the gospel’s joyful sound,

Salvation full and free;

Proclaim to all the world around,

The year of jubilee!

Salvation, salvation,

The grace of God doth bring;

Salvation, salvation,

Thro’ Christ our Lord and King.

Full salvation is a complete salvation, a justified salvation, and a sanctified salvation. But, there is yet more.

Full Salvation is a Secure Salvation

A good percentage of professing Christians today have a shaky salvation, ready to topple at the commission of one evil work, or at the omission of one good work. I would say, based upon my travels throughout this country, that in the United States, there are very few people who know positively, absolutely, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that they are saved by the grace of God with a secure salvation that hinges solely upon Jesus Christ and His finished work upon the cross. Many well-meaning church members are “striving to make heaven their home.” This phrase, “striving to make heaven my home,” is not found in the Bible anywhere. Yet, so many are attempting to perform this unattainable, unscriptural task. Long ago, I ceased to work for heaven. When the Lord saved me by His marvellous grace, I entered into His rest. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” How do you know if you have entered into rest? The apostle gives us the answer:

Hebrews 4:10 – “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.”

The evidence that you have entered into rest is that you have ceased to work! Now, I understand that the man who is genuinely saved will work for God. There is no denying that. However, when you enter into rest, you are resting solely upon Christ’s work for your salvation, and consequently, you cease from your own works in attempt to gain salvation. Furthermore, resting in Christ gives a full salvation, consisting of security. Yes, I said, “security.” I’m amazed at how many promoters of the “full gospel” preach little or no security for the one who is saved by the grace of God.

“FULL SALVATION” NEVER EXPIRES

In my previous post, I wrote extensively concerning our sanctification. I explained, using the Word of God, how a person is sanctified the moment he trusts Christ to save Him. If you have not read my previous post, it would benefit the reader to do so before continuing this post.

The Bible clearly teaches that we obtain salvation “through sanctification of the Spirit.” This means simply that you cannot be saved without being sanctified. It is the saving, atoning blood of Jesus Christ that sanctifies the moment we trust Christ to save us. Notice:

Hebrews 10:10 – “By the which will [the will of God, see verse 9] we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Plainly, the scripture reads this way – “...we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.” “The offering of the body of Jesus Christ” refers to the act of Jesus Christ offering His own body upon the altar that we call “the cross.” The Old Testament lambs were OFFERED, being slain upon the Old Testament altars. But Christ was OFFERED, upon the old, rugged cross. The split second we trust Christ to save us, the same blood that saves us also sanctifies us! We are NOT sanctified through “giving up things.” We “give up things” because He sanctified us by His blood. We are NOT sanctified by “changing the way we live.” We “change the way we live” because He sanctified us by His blood. Let’s get it straight – we are sanctified BY HIS BLOOD – the offering of Christ’s body upon the cross – and we receive it the moment we are saved by the grace of God. We will certainly grow in our sanctification; but we receive it when we receive Christ. The sanctification we receive instantly at the time of salvation will GRADUALLY conform us to the image of Christ – no doubt about that. But we are partakers of this sanctification upon receiving Christ.

Why am I saying all of this? I showed you Hebrews 10:10, which states clearly that we are sanctified through Christ’s offering of His body upon the cross. Now, let us look at verse 14 of the same chapter:

Hebrews 10:14 – “For by one offering He hath perfected FOR EVER them that are sanctified.”

This verse needs no explanation to honest students of the Bible. The context is the “offering of the body of Jesus Christ,” that is, Christ’s death upon the cross. In verse 10, the writer states that we are sanctified by Christ’s ONE OFFERING, and that offering would be offered ONCE FOR ALL. Then, in verse 14, the writer goes on to say what Christ does for them who have been sanctified by Christ’s blood – “…He hath perfected FOR EVER” them that are sanctified! I hear a lot of the “full gospel” advocates quoting Matthew 5:48 – “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” They’ll use this verse to preach that our works must be absolutely perfect to obtain salvation. Listen carefully, friend. No one’s works ever made anyone perfect! There’s only one way for sinful men to become perfect. You must be born again! When you place your faith in the blood of Jesus Christ to save and cleanse you (Romans 3:25), He immediately sanctifies you by that blood (Hebrews 10:10), and perfects you FOR EVER (Hebrews 10:14)! We are perfect because Christ paid off our sins completely – all of them! Then, Christ places His righteousness upon us. The moment we are saved, the Father only sees Christ when He looks at me! That’s the only way sinners can be made perfect!

Our salvation is secure because it is an eternal, never expiring work. I didn’t write it, but look with me at the fifth chapter of Hebrews, which speaks of Christ:

Hebrews 5:9 – “And being made perfect, he became the author of ETERNAL SALVATION unto all them that obey him.”

When a man obeys Jesus Christ, he receives eternal salvation. Now, some interpret this to mean that you must obey every commandment in the Bible. At the end of your life, if you have obeyed every law and commandment in the Bible, then you will receive eternal salvation at that time. NOT SO! Laws and commandments do not give life of any kind, let alone eternal life!

Galatians 3:21 – “…if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”

Laws do not give life of any kind, my friend. Which command of Christ must we obey to obtain salvation?

I Thessalonians 1:8 – “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I Peter 4:17 – “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of God?”

The above verses make it clear – judgment is coming to those who OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL! Hebrews 5:9 makes it clear that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY Him. And the commandment in which we are to obey is – the gospel!

How do you obey the gospel? The gospel, according to I Corinthians 15, is the message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. How do you obey that message? You do not obey the gospel by keeping laws and commandments; you do not obey the gospel by sacraments and baptism. There’s only one way to obey the gospel. You obey the gospel by BELIEVING THE GOSPEL. That’s the command of Christ that brings salvation.

Mark 1:15 – “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.”

At least six times in the book of John, Jesus associates the act of believing with everlasting, or eternal life. Let me ask you a question. How long does everlasting life last? The word, “everlasting” means “LASTING for EVER.” Some claim to believe the “full gospel,” and their salvation lasts only until the next time they sin. What they need to catch a glimpse of full salvation!

STILL NOT DONE…