WITHOUT DOUBT:

             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.