The Glorious Liberty of the Children of God - Part 1

The Fact of Christian Liberty

Romans 8:21 – “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

Introduction

In our text, Paul speaks explicitly of the “glorious liberty of the children of God.” It is a fact that God’s children have liberty. The next few posts have been born out of a concern for so many Christians who have liberty, but thinking it to be a mark of spirituality, they forfeit their Christian liberty. This forfeiting of Christian liberty originates often out of a heart that loves God. They love God so much that they desire to be close to Him. However, since they do not know how to draw close to God, they get rid of “things,” cease to take part in various activities, delete their Facebook accounts, and put restraints on themselves – restraints that are neither instructed nor commanded by the scripture. The “things” they are giving up to get closer to God are not sinful; but because it makes them feel spiritual, they strip away their own liberty. However, as we will see later, stripping away your own liberty does not make you any more spiritual than the one who enjoys his liberty. As a matter of fact, the Christian who enjoys his liberty is referred to as the strong Christian; the Christian who condemns himself unnecessarily is considered the weak Christian.

Some who are reading this right now are already objecting to my words because they have stripped themselves of their Christian liberty, and they do not want anyone else to have liberty either. But the liberty we have in Christ was given to us to enjoy. When the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he instructed Timothy to charge them that are rich not to trust in their riches, but rather to trust in the living God. He then reminds Timothy that God richly gives us all things to enjoy (I Timothy 6:17). It is hard for those who constantly strip themselves of their liberty to enjoy anything! But God richly gives us all things to enjoy!

Of course, when I speak of Christian liberty, I am not speaking of liberty to sin. As for the individual who hears the term “Christian liberty” and automatically assumes that liberty to sin is what is meant, that person does not know anything about the Biblical doctrine of Christian liberty. So, what is meant by the term “Christian liberty”? Let us see.

Liberty from What?

It is interesting that, on the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted from the prophet Joel. Toward the end of Joel’s prophecy, Peter quotes it this way – “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). In the book of Joel, however, Joel records a slightly different wording. Joel writes, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered” (Joel 2:32). Now, there is no contradiction here at all. Calling upon the name of the Lord brings salvation, and that salvation is deliverance – a setting free.

Real, Biblical salvation is deliverance. Those who have been saved have been set free! But the question now arises – set free from what? There is a host of various types of bondage from which the Christian has been set free – and these freedoms compose the sum of what is meant by the phrase “Christian liberty.”

First, it must be noted that the man who is saved by the grace of God is delivered from the bondage of corruption. Our text, Romans 8:21, speaks of the creation itself which shall one day be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Believers have already enjoyed such deliverance. When I was born the first time, I was born of corruptible seed. I was born of the flesh. The seed of which I was conceived was a corruptible seed. I was first born of a seed that is capable of dying – and this flesh will one day die. However, when I was born again, my inner man was born of an incorruptible seed – a seed that will never die. Therefore, my inner man will never die. This is called everlasting life. The liberty that the creation of God will one day enjoy is a liberty that the children of God already enjoy – the liberty from the bondage of corruption. Our text calls this liberty THE GLORIOUS LIBERTY OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD!

Second, the child of God is delivered from the Law of Moses. Romans 7:6 declares, “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.” Many Christians do not enjoy this freedom. They say and believe that they are under the Old Testament law. The law could never give life (Galatians 3:21). The law condemns, declaring guilt (Romans 3:19). Therefore, those who are under the law are under its guilt and condemnation. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot be bound to the law and yet be free from its guilt and condemnation. Such a state does not exist. The only way to be free from the guilt and condemnation of the law is to be free from the law itself. And such liberty has been granted to the Christian.

Third, the Christian is delivered from not only the law, but also the curse that the law brings. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Three verses earlier, Paul defines the curse of which he is speaking – “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Those who are under the law are under the curse (Galatians 3:10). And the curse is defined as the obligation to keep the whole law. Everyone I know who claims to be under the law picks and chooses what portion of the law they want to keep and what portion they want to say is fulfilled in Christ. The very law they say they are under does not permit them to do this! The very law they claim to keep says that they are under the whole law or none at all! I do not have to keep the whole because Christ kept the whole law, delivering me from the law and its curse.

Fourth, Christians are delivered from the fear of death. Hebrews 2:15 says, “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” I do not know of a greater bondage than living in fear of death. What a blessing to know that, since I have been saved, I have no need to fear death. It will be better on the other side of death than it is on this side! Only Christians have this assurance.

Fifth, Christians are delivered from sin. Matthew 1:21 says, “And thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Romans 6:18 says, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Unfortunately, many who have had an experience from the wells of salvation do not enjoy the freedom from sin. Many Christians stumble, often repeatedly, over the same obstacles. They spend their lives getting what appears to be victory over a sinful habit, only to succumb to its temptation yet again. I would tell such a believer that this does not have to be the story of your Christian walk. There is victory over sin!

Sixth, the children of God find in their salvation deliverance from men. Though many Christians do not enjoy this liberty, it is available to the redeemed. I Corinthians 9:19 says, “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” Paul made himself a servant to all men, but only to win souls. Outside of winning souls, Paul was bound to no man. No man controlled what Paul preached. Unlike Matthias, Paul was not chosen by man to be an apostle (Galatians 1:1). Paul was not interested in pleasing man. Every believer has the right to enjoy this liberty. Although we should submit to the authority of man so long as it does not interfere with the authority of God (Romans 13:5), when it comes to the Christian life, we should seek to please God. It is noteworthy that, when the issue of Christian liberty arises in the New Testament, it is most always because weak Christians condemned themselves because they had broken one of the commandments of men. We will look at this further in the next post.

Last, in the package of salvation comes deliverance from this present, evil world. Look at Galatians 1:4 – “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” Many Christians know little of separation from the world. The man who has been saved is a new creature in Christ, and should be different from the world around them. As a Christian, you should not look like the world. As a Christian, you should not behave as those in the world. You should not sorrow as those in the world sorrow. You should not pattern yourself after the world’s heroes. You should not entertain yourself with God-hating, Christ-hating, church-hating entertainment. Do you wish to be a soul winner? Do you wish to win your family to Christ? You will never do it until you live separated from the world. If you’re in the same muck they’re in, you have nothing to which to win them. Jude said in Jude 22, “And of some have compassion, making a difference.” Do you want to make a difference? You will never make a difference if you’re not different. Liberty from the pull of this world is available to, and should be enjoyed by, every Christian!

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…

On Christ, the Solid Rock I Stand - Part 4

In recent posts, I have been discussing the security we (meaning, those who have been born again) have in Christ. Our security in Christ is great. I am rejoicing and resting in the fact that Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of all mankind, is the Saviour of all men, as well as the Keeper of those who have come to Him.

There are those, however, who preach a shaky salvation; a salvation ready to tumble over with just one wrong step of the man who possesses it. There are man-made buildings stronger than that! I have heard it all. Some say that if you think one bad thought, you are lost. Others preach that if you shake gasoline out of the nozzle and into your tank, you have stolen gas and are on your way to hell. What a shaky salvation! If our salvation really is that insecure, I must say:

1) We have a shabby Saviour.
2) We have a cheap plan of salvation.
3) Mankind is really the Saviour of himself, because his good works strengthen his salvation, and his evil works nullify it.

However, you will be ready to note that I do not believe we have a shabby Saviour, or a cheap plan of salvation. I believe in and preach a solid salvation, built upon the only work that pleases the Father - the work of Jesus Christ upon the old, rugged cross.

Those who preach this shaky salvation have some traits about them that I hope never become part of my character. Notice some of them.

They Have No Assurance
Assurance is a word foreign to them. Assurance is a word simply defined this way - "Firm persuasion; full confidence or trust; freedom from doubt; certain expectation; the utmost certainty." It is KNOWING POSITIVELY, BEYOND ANY CRUMB OF DOUBT, THAT YOU ARE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD! Those whose salvation is constantly in jeopardy, ready to crash like the stock market at any time, have no confidence in their salvation. They cannot say with a sincere heart, that God is positively pleased with them; that God accepts them at that very moment. Their whole experience with God depends on whether they have walked close enough; whether they have met all the requirements; whether they have kept the list of rules and regulations; whether they are pure enough, righteous enough, holy enough, prayerful enough, and pious enough. Their state with their Creator rests mostly, if not solely, on them, and little or nothing on Jesus Christ. Because they are so shaky (all men are unstable to some degree), their salvation is shaky. When a man is resting on his own works to keep him saved, he has no assurance of salvation; for such assurance is not even possible. But this type of salvation is not Biblical in any sense. Notice the following:

1) I Thessalonians 1:5 - "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."

2) Hebrews 6:11 - "And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end."

3) Hebrews 10:22 - "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

4) 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 eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Clearly, these verses, along with other verses in previous posts, give the believer assurance of their salvation in Jesus Christ.

They Do Not Know What it Takes to Get to Heaven
I heard a man preach some time ago. This minister was a Pentecostal, Holiness minister. Having obtained the CD, I was listening to the message going down the road. The man's message astounded me. This minister, having already stated many statements that shocked me, finally came to the end of his message. He made this exact statement: "Folks, I don't know what it takes to go heaven. I know that being saved has something to do with it. But if I read my Bible right, it's going to take a lot more than that." Those words are an exact quotation; not a paraphrase. When I heard that goofy statement, I remember my exact thought. I immediately thought, "Sir, if you don't know what it takes to get to heaven, you need to sit down and let someone up there that does know!" It's sad, but it's true that this man is not alone. Once you start down the path of adding to what Jesus did on the cross for your salvation, you never know when you have added enough, and you really don't know how much you have to add to go to heaven. This man had made salvation so difficult, he didn't know what needed to be done to be saved. This man is in bondage, along with many who teach and follow this silly doctrine. Friend, there's only one way to heaven. Jesus Christ did the work, and we just trust solely in what He did. You cannot go to hell resting fully in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

They Seldom Emphasize Soul-Winning
This crowd with the shaky salvation seldom, if ever, emphasize soul-winning. Understanding what has already been stated, it is not hard to understand why this is the case. They have no assurance of their own salvation. They have added so much to Christ and the cross that they do not know how much extra needs to be done to go to heaven. Frankly, they have no good news to give! To them, salvation is not "gospel." It is not "good news." Salvation, in their minds, is a vast responsiblity of man - a burden, a list of rules, a compilation of standards, a dress code, and whatever else they think it is! They win few souls in the course of their life (some of them win no souls at all) because they don't know for sure that they possess salvation; and, even if they had a hint of assurance, they cannot give a clear presentation of the gospel because they do not know what it is! When we understand that the Father demanded an extremely high price to be paid for anyone to be saved, and Jesus Christ paid the price IN FULL, then we can grasp the good news! Once we can grasp the good news, we can do nothing with it but tell it!

On Christ, the Solid Rock I Stand - Part 3

Having written recently concerning the believer's security in Christ, I am compelled to continue the thought. If you feel that my thoughts on this subject are in error, I welcome you to contact me. I have written, carefully intending not to depart from the scripture on this subject. I am now presenting some more reasons why I spend no time worrying about my salvation.

Jesus Christ Prays That I Be Kept
I have heard people say, "If I ever become deathly sick, I'll call Bro. 'So-and-So' because that man knows how to pray." When a believer makes a statement like this one, it is evident that the believer has CONFIDENCE in the man they of whom they desire prayers. I continue to be amazed how we have vast amounts of confidence in a man's prayer, but we seem to have little or no confidence in Christ's prayer. Dear friend, when you are wearing yourself out trying to be saved, and are of the opinion that if you make it to heaven at all, it will be barely, you have very little confidence in the prayers of Jesus Christ. If you have been born again by the Spirit of God, Jesus Christ prays that you will be kept! Friend, if Jesus is praying for me, I have utmost confidence in His prayers. If anyone can get a prayer through to the Father, it is Jesus Christ. Notice the following verse:

John 17:11 - "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."

This is recorded in John 17, as a prayer that Jesus is praying for those who believe on Him. He is praying that we be kept! I will note here two other facts concerning this request of our Lord:

1) It is God's will to keep those who believe on Christ - John 6:38, 39 - "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 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."

2) When the Father gave men to Jesus for Him to keep, He kept every one of them, except for the son of perdition, that the scriptures might be fulfilled. This is portrayed in Christ's prayer in John 17:12 - "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." Jesus has a great record of keeping souls saved. I believe I'll just not worry about my salvation, and turn it all over to Him.

STILL NOT DONE...

On Christ, the Solid Rock I Stand - Part 2

At times, I lie awake at night. Not worrying, but overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the absolute best plan I have ever witnessed. Thinking on God's great plan of salvation. As stated in my previous post, I do not worry about the salvation God has richly bestowed upon me. Here's more reasons why:

Salvation Is God's Work; Not Mine
Ephesians 2:8, 9 - "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."

Titus 3:5 - "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."

Romans 3:20 - "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

Galatians 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."

These verses make it clear that salvation is not achieved by works of man. A prominent ideology that I have encountered the past several years states that Jesus will save us, but if we're going to "stay saved," we have to...do this...do that...meet this requirement...meet that requirement...and so on. To put it simply, they preach that salvation is by God's grace at the altar, it is His doing initially, but it is our own doings that keep us saved. This is faulty, as presented by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:5, 6, where he speaks of our election (God Almighty choosing us to be saved) - "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

Here, Paul makes it very clear that our election to salvation is either God's doing by His grace, or our doing by our works - IT IS NOT BY BOTH. Your salvation is either by grace or by works - it is NEVER by both. It is not by grace at the altar and by works when you get up. No, sir! Now, I made up my mind a long time ago that if I am saved, God will have to do the saving! I have turned the saving of my soul, as well as the keeping of my soul over to Him! Now, if salvation were my doing, I would lose much sleep wondering if I had done enough to keep myself saved. But since it is Christ's doing, I know positively that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient to save and to keep me. The Father is well pleased with the work of Jesus Christ on the cross for our salvation.

I am Kept by the Power of God
I Peter 1:3-5 - "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, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

"Kept by the power of God!" I understand that there are many things about God that I do not know. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, by any means. But if there's anything about God about which I am positive, I am sure that God has power. God spoke this world into existence. He tells the oceans where to stop. He controls the winds and waves. He created the earth with such order and design. He never becomes weak or tired. He was here before anything of this world existed, and He'll be here when the world passes away! God has power! And this power is the force that is keeping me saved! You tell me how much power God has, and I'll tell you how "kept" I am! In I Peter 4:19, Peters admonishes those who suffer according to the will of God to "commit the keeping of their souls to him!" That is exactly what I have done. As for this business of "staying saved," I have turned it completely to Him. If He can keep me, I'll be just fine. If He fails to keep me, I'm lost eternally.

I'll lose no sleep tonight worrying about my salvation! Paul said in II Timothy 1:12 - "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." If I'll commit it, He'll keep it. And, long ago, I committed my soul into the hands of Jesus Christ. He is my Saviour and Keeper!

MORE TO COME...

On Christ, the Solid Rock I Stand

In a world full of worry and fears, people tend to worry most about the people in their lives, and the possessions in their lives. As far as possessions are concerned, people worry about keeping them, maintaining them, improving them, insuring them, and protecting them. There is, however, one valuable possession of mine, about which I spend no time worrying. That possession is the most important of all possessions. I speak of my salvation.

Here are a few reasons I need not worry about the condition of my soul:

I Believe "In Jesus," "On Jesus," "In the Name of Jesus," and "On the Lord Jesus Christ"
Of course, when I say, "I believe," I am not merely referring to an acceptance of the historical fact of His life, death, burial, or resurrection. By "believing," I am not referring to an affirmation of the existence of God, or of His Son, Jesus Christ. Every devil in hell believes in God's existence. Every devil in hell believes that Jesus died on the cross. When I say, "I believe," I am saying "I am relying," "I am trusting," "I am confiding," "I am resting" on Jesus Christ and His work on Calvary solely for my salvation. I am not trusting in my works, my prayers, my good works, my righteousness, my outward appearance, my talent, or anything else of mine for my salvation. I am relying completely on Jesus Christ and His work on Calvary for my salvation. I called upon the name of the Lord, believing that God would keep His promise (this is faith), and He does the saving. I am not sitting in a parked car, looking at a bridge in front of me, saying, "I believe that if I were to try to cross, the bridge would hold me up." I prove that I believe in the bridge by driving on it! I have confidence that the bridge will hold me up, even over the depths of death! Many look at the cross of Jesus Christ, and say, "I believe Jesus died on the cross." They may even say, "I believe Jesus died on the cross for me." But they need to ahead, make Jesus Christ Lord of their entire life. Believe! Put your weight upon Him! Trust Him! Rest solely on His work for your salvation. I can put my whole life in His hands, and I know He is the Saviour and Keeper of my soul! I rest on Him! There are literally dozens of verses in the New Testament that state plainly that, to have eternal life, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!" I believe every one of them!

The Father is Pleased with Christ's Work on the Cross
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."

Matthew 3:17 - "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

In the above verses, Isaiah 53 deals specifically with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross. "It pleased the Father to bruise Him." The Father is pleased with Christ's work upon the cross. At Christ's baptism, Matthew records that the Father spoke out of heaven, declaring, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!" Not "barely" pleased, but "well" pleased! When I stand before God, I will be clinging to Jesus Christ and His work on Calvary, because it is the absolute only work with which the Father is pleased.

Promises to Believers
John 5:24 - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

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."

John 11:25, 26 - "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

Now, dear reader, you may not agree with the content of these verses, but know this: both the content and the context of these verses are clear. These verses are NOT AT ALL taken out of context. I am using them to bring forth promises to believers regarding eternal life. The first promise listed states clearly that those hear the word and believe on Him "shall not come into condemnation."

The next promise listed states that Christ's sheep hear His voice, are known of Him, and follow Him. They are given eternal life, and "they shall never perish." Never is a strong word. You tell me when "never" will get here, and I'll tell you when my eternal life will expire.

The next promise listed states Christ's conversation with Martha. Jesus tells her explicitly that whosoever lives and believes in Him will "never die." Then, He asks her a question He is still asking today: "Do you believe this?"

It is Finished
When on the cross, Christ bowed His head, and declared to all humanity - "It is finished!" There's no other work to complete it! Nothing else will validate it! Nothing else will make it any more worthy of our trust. According to Galatians 2:21, if righteousness comes by the law, Christ is dead in vain. When you add the best works you have to His finished work on the cross, the entire work of Christ is nullified! No works of any law can be added to it! It is finished! All you need to do is believe it! Cling to it! Trust in it! He is our propitiation through FAITH IN HIS BLOOD (Romans 3:25).

I hear some say, "I am striving to make heaven my home." Don't be offended, but "I'm NOT!" I am not working my way to heaven. I am not striving to earn a place in heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 11 - "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST." How do we enter into this "rest?" Hebrews 4:10 gives us the answer - "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." When you enter into His rest, you cease from your own works! I am not working to go heaven. Christ did the work necessary for this, and I am RESTING completely in what He did!

Christ did the saving work, and while we simply trust, rest, confide - BELIEVE - we can't do anything but BE SAVED! When it comes time for you to draw your last breath, if your soul is trusting in Christ alone, you can't go anywhere except to God's heaven!

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Third Myth Concerning Salvation

Those have been born again are saved by the grace of God, through faith. Simply put, we place our faith in Christ, and He does the saving.

Every Christian needs to answer the following question clearly: "How does a saved person become lost?" It is in the attempt to answer this question where many Christians stray. This is the point where many begin to believe and preach a works-based salvation. Most Christians will readily tell you that they do not believe in a works-based salvation. Then, they will make a statement similar to this: "Jesus Christ will save you, but if you're going to stay saved, you have to...do this...do that...etc...etc..." WHOA!! Wait a minute. Let me ask a simple question. If works can't get you saved, how can works keep you saved? This is the third myth concerning salvation - that we are saved by grace and kept by works. It is not right.

I heard a man preach on CD nearly two years ago. During the entire message, he made it sound like salvation was so hard, and he wasn't sure if even he himself was keeping all the commandments necessary to be saved. Finally, at the end of his message, he made the following statement (I am quoting, not paraphrasing) - "Folks, I really don't know what it takes to go to heaven." As I was listening to the CD in my car, I said out loud - "Sir, you need to sit down and let someone up there who does know!" Now before you criticize this man, he is not the only preacher who does not know what it takes to go to heaven. How did this man come to this conclusion? He had made salvation so difficult, with so many rules, that he lost track of them all. This man is of the mindset that if we do one thing wrong, we become lost. As a result, this man didn't even know if he was walking the line close enough himself.

Some boast that they do not believe in once saved, always saved, but they'll turn right around and believe in one sin, lost again. Consequently, they believe in this mess of people being saved fifteen or twenty times. God the Father does not  cut off one of His children just because they sin. According to Hebrews 12, He chastises them. He deals with them. Many of you fathers won't throw your children out of the house the first time they break the rules, but many Christians think our heavenly Father does so.

Friend, we are not saved by works; neither are we kept by works. The Galatian church was a church that was "fallen from grace." They fell from grace, not because they went back to committing evil works; but they rather went back to trusting in GOOD WORKS! In Galatians 2, Paul makes clear that "by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." In Galatians 3, Paul asked the backslidden church, "Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" He was asking them, "You mean to tell me that you started this race trusting the Spirit, and now you're going to rely on your works???" Listen to me closely. Let me answer the question I asked earlier - "How does a saved person become lost?" The same thing that got you saved will keep you saved. Friend, if you are not trusting Christ for your salvation, you are lost. When your faith is placed in anything other than the work of Christ, you are lost. Ephesians 2:8 says plainly that we are saved by grace, THROUGH FAITH (not works). I Peter 1:5 states just as plainly that we KEPT by the power of God THROUGH FAITH (not works). It is the act of placing our faith in the work of Christ that saves us; it is the act of placing our faith in Christ that keeps us. I am not kept saved by praying so much per day. I am not kept saved by dressing a certain way, or wearing my hair a certain way. Many Christians have made these standards their salvation. I believe whole-heartedly in living by the Bible. But living by the Bible doesn't save or keep me - the blood of Jesus and the power of God saves and keeps me.

It's very simple - we are saved by faith in Christ; and we are kept saved by faith in Christ. If my faith is in Christ, I belong to the Father. The devil can't haul my soul to hell. Man can't pluck me out of the Father's hand. I am kept, not by my works, but by the power of God. And friend, God's got power! I'll lose no sleep tonight worrying over my salvation. I am hid with Christ in God!