WE
CAN KNOW FOR SURE?
By
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
President
Harry Truman said: “Only
two things are sure, death and taxes.” He
certainly made a point, but was only partly right. There are more
things that are sure, like Judgment Day, Heaven and Hell! Expanding
this argument, let me state unequivically that nothing in life is as
sure as the Grace of God! Nothing is as grand, marvellous and unique
as the Lord’s prevenient grace toward us!
You
may ask: “What is Prevenient Grace?”
Plainly
stated, prevenient grace is the awesome fact that God in His mercy
loved us and reached out to save us before we ever thought of Him or
considered serving Him! He loved us and chose us for Himself before
the foundations of the world.
St.
Paul declared: “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.” (Eph1: 4; 2 Tim.1: 9).
The
Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16). It was God reaching out to
us, instead of us reaching out to Him!
THE
PREVENIENT GRACE OF GOD!
“In
this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God
sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live
through Him. Herein is love, not we loved God, but
that He loved us,
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love Him
because He first loved us.” (1 John 3: 9,10,19)
Propitiation
which means 'mercy seat, satisfaction,
expiation’ denotes
God’s satisfaction with the death of His incarnated Son (God in
human flesh) for the sins of the world, and His resurrection from the
dead for our justification! We shout out the good news together with
St. John: “We love Him because He first loved us!”
That
is the prevenient grace of God in operation – the unmerited favour
of God working out our salvation, before we were born and while we
were yet sinners and enemies of His Kingdom!
The
Bible states: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for an unrighteous man will
one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God
commendeth
His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.” (Rom.5: 6-8)
PAGAN
GODS ARE CRUEL & SEVERE!
They
are products of the cruel minds of dictators and despots who seek to
control people for ulterior motives, such as power, finances and
prestige! In my world travels, I have observed a plethora of gods,
goddesses, images and heathen idols.
They
are often grotesque, ugly and weird, representing pagan gods who
supposedly protect worshippers from even more more sinister looking,
grotesque and ghastly devils!
Muslims
worship the god Allah, chosen from a multitude of gods in Arabia in
the seventh century, by an illiterate camel train driver and sword
wielding warrior. He is severe and loves only those who love him. All
who refused to embrace this god or bow to Mecca would be
exterminated! Others worship gods of their own making or imagination!
Christians
worship the eternal God of the universe, Who has created us all and
cares for us. He loves us with a perfect love, which extends even to
those who hate and reject Him! That
is the true Lord God Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! (Ex.3:
6; Eph.1: 3)
All
so-called gods and goddesses are counterfeits and must be treated as
such! The Eternal God states: “I
am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no god beside Me. I
girded thee (Jacob–Israel) though
thou hast not known Me. That they (the
heathen) may
know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is
none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.
“Thus
saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker...I have made
the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have stretched
out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. Look unto Me,
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is
none else.” (Is.45:
5,6,11,12,18,22)
CAN
ANYONE DOUBT GOD’S LOVE?
How
could anyone doubt the unconditional love of God when you consider
the compassionate prayer of Jesus, our Saviour to His Father, from
the cross? “Then said Jesus, Father,
forgive them: for they know not what they do. And they parted his
raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke
23:34).
He
is the God of compassion and love, Who forgives the sinner, heals
the sick, strengthens the weak and helps the poor! He brings
peace to troubled souls, removes spirits of fear, lust and hate and
pours in His mercy, grace and health! Blessed be His name forever!
As
we human beings seek to understand or describe God, we find ourselves
lacking proper words. We often get bogged down in the quagmire of
ignorance in our feeble attempt to communicate the attributes of the
ONE Who is the fount of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding!
The
Bible states: ”Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not
been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
It
is He that sitteth upon the CIRCLE of the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a
tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the
judges of the earth as vanity.”
COLUMBUS
LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Twenty
seven hundred years ago the prophet Isaiah declared - by divine
revelation – that the earth is round! Scientific
'flat earthers’ were
warning Christopher Columbus that he must not sail too far west
because he would fall off the earth! Here is his response to
the 'flat
earth scientists’ and
other elites of Queen Isobel’s Spain:
“In
this time I have seen and put in study to look into all the
Scriptures, cosmography, histories, chronologies, and philosophy and
other arts, which our Lord opened to my understanding (I could sense
His hand upon me), so that it became clear to me that it was feasible
to navigate from here to the Indies; and He unlocked within me the
determination to execute the ideas...
“Who
doubts that this illumination was from the Holy Spirit? I attest that
He (the Spirit), with marvellous rays of light, consoled me through
the holy and sacred Scriptures, a strong and clear
testimony...encouraging me to proceed, and, continually, without
ceasing for a moment, they enflame me with a sense of great
urgency.” - From 'Christopher
Columbus Book of Prophecies’ translated by Kay Brigham.
It
was God who led Columbus to the New World so that the Gospel could be
dispensed here. His voyage began the greatest expansion of the Gospel
geographically, since the first century A.D. Although he was a
Genoese Jew living in Spain, Columbus felt that his name
'Christopher' which means 'the one who carries Christ' (to
others) was given to him by the Lord!
The
Word of God instructs: “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not
heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the
ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no
searching of His understanding.” (Is.40: 21,22,28)
Apodeictic is
a little - used word that comes from the
Greek apodiktikos, meaning 'evident
without contradictions'. In
my opinion, this is the nearest we can come to express what God is
like! Everything about God, the Supreme Being and Eternal Sovereign
is “evident beyond contradictions”! You
cannot contradict that fact that He is eternal, omnipotent,
omniscient, omnipresent, transcendent, merciful, gracious and
compassionate.
GOD
IS PURE LOVE!
Who
has the credentials to contradict His power, wisdom, omnipresence,
transcendence, total goodness, magnificent mercy, prevenient grace
and agape love? The answer is “NO-ONE!” Certainly not the
left-liberal pin-heads who teach atheism in our universities, file
biased news reports, or pass corrupt and immoral laws with which to
further their godless agenda and usurp authority over unsuspecting
people in democratic nations!
Calvary
proves the love of God and His opinion of our worth! Jesus’ death
on the cross was one-of-a-kind. It is Evident
Beyond Contradictions!’ St.
Paul tried to describe this great act of love through this statement:
“Much
more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall
be saved by His life.” (Rom.5:
9,10).
“Jesus,
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.
“Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name that is above
every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.” (Phil.2: 6-11).
This
treatise deals with these truths: We
know God! He knows us! We know who are true Christians! We know what
our future is! We also know what we must do to get others to believe!
NO.
1: WE KNOW GOD THROUGH THE NEW BIRTH!
“Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.“Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water (God's
Word) and
of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
"That
which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be BORN
AGAIN.” (John 3: 3, 5-7)
St.
Peter stated: “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.
“Being born
again,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word
of God which
liveth and abideth forever.” (1 Peter 1: 3, 23). And Jesus
said: “Now
ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.” (John
15: 3). St Paul wrote: “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing
of water by the WORD.” (Eph.5:
26)
“That
I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” (Phil.3:
10). “For 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.” (2 Tim.1: 12);
“That
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may
have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father,
and with His Son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light, as He is
in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of
Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1
John 1: 3,7)
“Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquorers through
Him that loved us.
“For
I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, not angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, 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.” (Rom.8: 35,37-39).
MARTIN
LUTHER PUT THE RUN ON THE DEVIL!
The
story is told of Satan appearing before Martin Luther; “You
are a great sinner”, accused
the Great Liar, “therefore you will be
lost!” Luther
countered: “That I am a great sinner is
true, but it is also true that Jesus Christ the Son of God died for
my sins, therefore I shall not be lost, but I shall be saved. And now
be gone!”
And
the lying Tempter and Trouble-maker left forthwith! On another
occasion, Luther is said to have answered a knock on the door of his
home to find Satan himself standing outside.
“What
do you want?”,
asked the Reformer in a stern voice! “I’m
looking for Martin Luther” answered
'old slewfoot’! “He doesn’t live here
anymore!” replied
the 'Man of God’.“What do you mean, are you
not Martin Luther?” countered
the 'Old Serpent’!
Then
Luther quoted God’s Word to the 'Accuser of the Brethren’: “I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by
the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for
me.” (Gal.2:
20).
Being
confronted with the truth, the devil had to leave! He knows that he
has lost, because Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection stripped
him of all his power over everyone who believes in Christ’s
finished work on Calvary!
The
Bible declares: “For as much then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that
through Death He
might Destroy him
that had the power of death, that is the Devil; And Deliver them
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage.” (Heb.2: 14-15)
NO.
2: THE ALMIGHTY GOD KNOWS US!
Jesus
said: “I am the Good Shepherd and KNOW My sheep, and am known of
Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so I know the Father: and I lay
down My life for My sheep” (John 10: 14)
“And
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear My voice... My
sheep hear My voice.”
(John 10: 14-16,27)
“Nevertheless
the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord
KNOWETH them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of
Christ depart from evil.” (2 Tim.2:19).
NO.
3: WE KNOW WHO ARE TRUE CHRISTIANS!
“Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
“And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof
ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the
world.” (1 John 4: 1-3)
"That
they all may be one: as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that
they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast
sent Me. I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in
one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast
loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” (John 18: 21,23)
NO.
4: WE KNOW WHAT OUR FUTURE IS!
“And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them that who are the called according to His purpose. 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.
“Moreover
whom He did predestinate,
them He also called:
and whom He called, them He also justified:
and whom He justified, them He also glorified..
What shall we then say to these things?"
"
If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not
His own Son, but delivered them up for us all, how shall He not with
Him also freely give us all things?”
“Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? 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 separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.8:
28-39)
“For
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter
day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and
mine eyes shall behold, and not an another; although my reins be
consumed within me.” (Job 19: 25-27)
“According
to His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us
to glory and virtue: Whereby are given to us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine
Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust.” (2
Peter 1: 19)
“But
ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
(Acts 1: 8)
“Beloved,
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health,
even as thy soul doth prosper.” (3 John 2); “For now we see
through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know as even I am known.” (1 Cor.13:12)
NO.
5: WE KNOW HOW TO REACH SINNERS FOR CHRIST!
“A
new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13: 34)
JESUS
said: “Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest.” (Matt.11: 28)
“That
they all may be one: as Thou Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that
they also may be one in US: that the world may be believe that Thou
hast sent Me.
“And
the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be
one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be
made perfect in one; and that the world MAY KNOW that Thou hast sent
Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” (John 17: 21-23)
St.
Paul declared: “I
am a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the
wise and to the unwise. So, as much as is within me is, I am ready to
preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also.
“For
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also
to the Greek.”(Rom.1: 14-16)
After
seeing God's miracle of the earthquake and the prison chains falling
of the prisoners, the Philippian jailor cried out: “Sirs,
what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts
16: 30, 31)
“And
He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
He that believeth not shall be damned. And they went forth and
preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the
Word with signs following. Amen.” (Mark
16: 15,20)
HOW
CAN WE KNOW
THAT
WE ARE SAVED?
You
may ask: “How can we know that we are saved, born-again and ready
for Heaven? Here are some of the ways that we can know for sure that
we belong to Jesus Christ and are saved eternally.”
1.
By the Witness of the Holy Spirit!
“He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that
believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the
record that God gave of His Son.” (1 John 5: 10)
“The
Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God.” (Rom.8:
16);
“There
is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who
walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death.
“But
ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he
is none of His. And if Christ be in you,the body is dead because of
sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
“But
if that same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, dwell in
you, He that raised up JESUS from the dead shall also quicken (make
life in) your mortal bodies by His Spirit that liveth in you.”
(Rom. 8: 1,2,9-11)
2.
By the Authority of the Holy Scriptures!
“But
continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a
child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make
thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
“All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness.” (2 Tim.3:14-16)
“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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom.10: 9,10)
“Take
heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in
doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
(1 Tim.4: 16)
3.
By a Changed Life!
“Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor.5: 17)
Everything
becomes new when we put our trust in Jesus Christ as our personal
Lord and Saviour! We receive a new NATURE, new DESIRES, new GOALS and
a totally new LIFESTYLE!
The
Bible affirms this great truth: “According as His divine power hath
given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
“Whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by
these ye might be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE having escape the
corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1: 3,4)
4.
By a New Love for God, His Word & His Church!
God –
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matt.22:
37); “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4: 19)
His
Word –
“O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” (Ps.119:
97)
His
Church –
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye
see the day approaching.” (Heb.10: 25)
5.
By our Love for the Brethren!
“A
new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one another.” (John 13:
34-35)
“In
this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that
loveth not his brother.
"For
this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning, that we
should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that Wicked One, and
slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works
were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if
the world hate you.
“We
know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Hereby
perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us:
And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:
10-14, 16)
6.
Because He has Given us the Holy Spirit!
“Hereby
know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us
of His Spirit.” (1 John 4: 13). “If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children:
how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask Him?” (Luke 11: 13)
“In
the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that
believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water. But this He spake of the Spirit, which
the that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not
yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:
37-39)
“And
I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that
He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of Truth: Whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him:
but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I
will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 13:
16-18)
“But
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in
My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14: 26)
"But
if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your
mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
“For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear: but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The
Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God.” (John 11,14-16)
7.
By our Confession of Christ as Saviour!
“Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:
and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it
should come: and even now already is it in the world.
“And
we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the
Saviour of the world. ” (1 John 4: 2,3,13);
“And
they overcame him by the BLOOD of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony: and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev.12:
11); “And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the
Holy Ghost.” (1 Cor.12: 3)
8.
By the Burden for Lost Souls!
“For
what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose
his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
(Mark 8: 36-37);
“And
He (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved. He that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16: 15-16)
“Brethren
my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might
be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
SAVED. How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not
believed? and how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not
heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
“And
how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, how
beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and
bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10: 1,13-15)
9.
By the Chastisment of the Lord!
“For
whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He
receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with
sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be
without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye
bastards, and not sons.” (Heb.12: 6-8)
10.
By our Hatred of Sin & Evil!
“Ye
that love the Lord, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of His saints;
he delivereth them out of his saints; He delivereth them out of the
hand of the wicked.” (Psalms 97: 10);
“O
how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy Word is true
from the beginning: and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth
for ever.” (Psalms 119: 97, 160)
“Through
Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. I
hate and abhor lying: but Thy law do I love.” (Psalms119: 104,163)
“Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is
in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the
world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will
of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2: 15-17)
“I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that
beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I
myself should become a castaway.” (1 Cor.9: 26,27)
11.
By a Love of the Truth!
“Jesus
said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the
Father but by Me.” (John 14: 6); “And hereby we know that we are
of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our
hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all
things.” (1 John 3: 19,20)
“But
speaking the TRUTH in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which
is the head, even Christ. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every
man TRUTH with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
(Eph.4: 15,25)
“All
the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His
covenant and His testimonies.” (Psalms 25: 10); “..His truth
shall be thy shield and buckler.” (Psalms 91: 4); “Buy the truth
and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”
(Psalms 23: 23); “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for
the truth.” (2 Cor.13: 8);
“For
the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and
truth.” (Eph.5: 9); “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all to stand. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with
TRUTH...” (Eph. 6: 13-14)
“Study
to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (2 Tim.2: 15);
“Having
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn
away. Ever learning, and never able to come unto the knowledge of the
truth...so do these also resist the TRUTH, men of corrupt minds,
reprobate concerning the faith.” (2 Tim.5,7,8)
12.
By our Longing for Christ’s Return!
“Set
your affection on on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye
are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, Who
is our life, shall appear, then shall ye
appear with Him in glory.”
(Col.3: 2-4)
“And
when the Chief Shepherd shall appear,
ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (2 Peter
5: 4); “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than
of gold that perisheth , though it be tried with fire, might be found
unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ.
“Whom
having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1
Peter 1: 7,8); “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of
many: and unto them that look for Him shall
He appear the second time without
sin unto salvation.” (Heb.9:28)
“For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking
for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the Great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
(Titus 2: 11-14)
WE
KNOW WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST!
We
who have received Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour can KNOW that
we KNOW, that we are BORN AGAIN and baptized into the 'Body of
Christ’! We were immediately grafted into the Vine, became
“children of God” and “heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ”!
And
when we received the 'Baptism of the Holy Ghost’, we were sealed
with that 'Holy Spirit of Promise’!
And
for as long as we remain faithful in believing that Jesus is the
Christ the Son of the living God, ”No
man can pluck us out of the Father’s hand."
Our
salvation is personally guaranteed by our Lord Himself! The Bible
states emphatically that the Blessed Holy Spirit is the Guarantor of
our salvation until He returns for us in the rapture of the Church or
the hour of our departure from this life through death into His
eternal presence! Read these eternal promises from His Holy Word and
rejoice in them:
“My
sheep hear 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. My Father which gave them
Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My
Father’s hand.” (John
10: 27-29)
“In
Whom also we have obtained an INHERITANCE, being predestinated
according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the
counsel of his Own will: that we should be to the praise of His
glory, who first trusted in Christ.
“In
Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye
were SEALED with
that Holy Spirit of Promise, which is the EARNEST (down
payment) of
our inheritance UNTIL the redemption of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of His glory.” (Eph.1: 11-14)
“And
grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto
the Day of Redemption.” (Eph.4: 30)
THREE
QUESTIONS ARISE!
Who
or what is the “purchased possession” that is to be
sealed? Believers in Christ are His
possession whom He has purchased with His precious blood. We are the
purchased possession!
The
day of redemption for us is the moment we stand in His presence at
death or the rapture of His Church. Our inheritance is ETERNAL LIFE
with our Blessed Lord and all the redeemed of all ages! Hallelujah!
“Take
heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,
which He hath purchased with His own BLOOD.” (Acts
20: 28)
”What?
Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is
in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are
bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor.6: 19,20)
“And
hereby we do KNOW that we KNOW Him, if we keep His commandments. He
that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His Word, in him
verily is the love of God perfected: hereby KNOW we that we are in
Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk,
even as He walked.” (1 John 2: 3-6)
“For
ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as many
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through
Christ.” (Gal.3: 26,27; 4: 6,7)
“But
if the Spirit of Him (Almighty
God) that raised
Christ from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the
dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that
dwelleth in you.
"For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“The
Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of
God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be
glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed is us.” (Rom.8: 11, 14-18)
May
God richly bless you and keep you in His perfect will and His tender
loving care, my precious brother and sister in Christ! Amen.
