A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and in thought (1 Cor. 1:10).
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim 4:3).
I don’t believe there’s ever been a time in history when we’ve been subjected to a wider variety of opinions on what the Bible says. Some of these opinions have actually been around for a long time, while others are new to the scene. But all are now gaining a wider audience due to the advent of mass communications, especially the internet. And because today’s average Christian is woefully uninformed where the Bible is concerned, some of these opinions have gained a following that couldn’t have been possible in the past.
As as result it takes an above average level of Biblical knowledge and the full application of our spiritual discernment to figure out what is true and what is not. Fortunately the Bible, being the word of God, only teaches one doctrinal position so the diligent student can wade through all the false teaching and find the truth. Unfortunately, the number of diligent students in the Christian world seems to be at an all time low, and many are being misled. Most of this false teaching doesn’t impact a person’s salvation, it just sows confusion in the body. But some of it has resulted in a considerable number of people who think they are going to heaven because of what they’ve been taught, although according to what the Bible says they probably aren’t.
In preparing for this study, I began making a list of the various doctrinal positions now being taught, and I saw a pattern emerging. It looks to me like we’re being offered a selection of teachings which have the overall effect of fracturing the body of Christ in ways that defy coincidence. It’s almost as if some unseen force is applying the “divide and conquer” principle to deprive us of any chance we might have had to regain our lost unity in these last days.
This is in direct contrast to Paul’s teaching against allowing divisions to develop among us. The Greek word translated “divisions” in 1 Cor. 1:10 above is “schisma”. Its literal meaning is a rent or tear, but it’s also used metaphorically to speak of division or dissension. The root word is the verb “schizo” which means “to cleave asunder” or “split into factions.” The English word “schism” comes from here.
In Paul’s day these divisions were caused by believers preferring one teacher over another and allowing quarrels to erupt over which one was best (1 Cor. 1:11-12). Back then, there were only a few teachers involved, but because the Church didn’t heed Paul’s admonition there are now hundreds of major denominational and independent groups world wide, most of them begun because people either wouldn’t agree on what the Bible says, or willingly put their own opinions above God’s word.
So, as we begin this new year, I want to spend a few weeks reminding ourselves in the clearest possible terms what the Bible really says about the important beliefs of our faith. This is not meant to be an exhaustive study but a review of the clearest verses the Bible offers on the topics we’ll cover. In the first place exhaustive studies are often exhausting to read. Second, and more importantly, a basic rule of interpretation is to use the clearest verses on a topic to help us interpret those that aren’t as clear. (The Bible is not a book where you have to worry about the fine print or continually be on the lookout for exclusions and exceptions. It’s meant to be understood by ordinary people of average intelligence.) Finally, I’d like to keep this study simple enough so you can share it with a curious friend or loved one, or even your kids.
With that in mind let’s begin with the most critical and fundamental belief of all.
What Does It Take To Be Saved?
Understanding what the Bible says (and doesn’t say) about salvation is obviously our number one priority. Let’s begin by defining the term.
The Bible says we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). This means we’ve repeatedly violated God’s Law. How we got into this situation is a long story but the end result is that our sins have gotten us into big trouble with God. In fact the Bible says our sins are punishable by death (Romans 6:23). Being saved means to be rescued from the death penalty due us for the sins we’ve committed.
The Bible mentions two births and two deaths. The first birth and the first death are physical and relate to our physical body, which usually wears out and ceases to work after 70 or 80 years. The second birth and the second death are spiritual, and relate to our soul and spirit, which live forever.
Salvation was not intended to save people from their physical death, but from their spiritual death, which the Bible defines as being consigned to a lake of fire to be tormented forever. In Rev. 20:14 and Rev. 21:8 this lake of fire is called the second death. So in the most literal sense being saved means escaping the second death.
You Must Be Born Again
We are saved from the second death by experiencing our second birth. In some circles this is called being being born again and it’s absolutely necessary in order for us to be saved from the penalty due us for our sins.
Here’s how it works. Knowing it isn’t entirely our fault that we’re in this predicament, God promised to send His Son to pay the penalty for our sins by dying in our place. His name is Jesus, and in the eternal sense, His death has saved our lives, if we’ll let it.
In John 1:12-13 we read the following;
“Yet to all who received Him (Jesus), to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, nor of a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Our first birth made us a child of our earthly parents, but our second birth makes us a child of God. It’s our second birth that qualifies us for entry into the Kingdom of God, for without it no one can enter therein (John 3:3). In John 3:6 Jesus said flesh gives birth to flesh (first birth) but the Spirit gives birth to spirit (second birth).
These verses tell us our second birth takes place when we receive Jesus and believe in His name. Receiving Him means taking Him to ourselves or making Him our own, and believing in His name means believing Jesus is the one through whom God brought our salvation. In Hebrew, the name of Jesus is Yeshua, a contraction of the phrase that means “God is salvation”. His name explains what He has done, so by believing in His name we are believing in what He has done for us.
To summarize, if we’re only born once we’ll die twice, but if we’re born twice we’ll only die once. (Some of us won’t die at all, but that’s a topic for another discussion.)
Who Can Be Saved?
The Bible tells us God wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9) and that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have everlasting life (John 3:16). In fact it says believing that God sent Jesus to save us is the only thing God requires of us (John 6:28-29).
It also says the decision to be saved is ours to make. In Matt. 7:7-8 Jesus said everyone who asks will receive, everyone who seeks will find, and to whoever knocks the door will be opened. Paul said if we confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead we’ll be saved (Romans 10:9). He said everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). The only condition is that our decision has to be made during our lifetime (Hebrews 9:27). After we die our destiny is sealed for eternity.
Did God Say That?
Everything else you may have heard about salvation is man made, not God breathed. For example;
The Bible does not say we have to agree to stop sinning in order to be saved. It does say we have to change our mind and agree we are sinners, because people who don’t think they sin don’t ask for a Savior.
The Bible does not say that before He created any of us, God selected some of us to be saved, left the rest to suffer the second death, and there’s nothing any of us can do to change that. The clearest verses on the subject tell us that God doesn’t want any of us to perish (2 Peter 3:9) but instead wants everyone to be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4). Both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell us that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32, Romans 10:13).
The Bible does not say we can only be saved if God deems us worthy of such a blessing. It says we aren’t saved because of righteous things we have done but because of His mercy (Titus 3:5).
The Bible does not say we have to contribute our own effort to the salvation process. Is says we are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Bible does not say we can be saved by simply joining a particular church or denomination. It says we have to be born again (John 3:3).
The Bible does not say we can be saved by obeying God’s Law. It says no one will be declared righteous by obeying the Law (Romans 3:20) but that we have a righteousness apart from the Law that comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-24).
The Bible does not say we will get another chance to be saved after we die. It says we’re only given one life and when it ends we’ll face our judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
The Bible does not say we need to be baptized in order to be saved. While baptism is important, it serves as the public declaration of our private decision to join the family of God, not as a prerequisite for doing so. The Bible says we were included in Christ when we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. Having believed we were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance,until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Next time we’ll look at the durability of our salvation. Did God go to the extreme lengths that were required to save us, only to leave the maintenance of our salvation in our provably incapable hands, knowing we couldn’t help but lose it? Let’s find out what the Bible says. See you then. 01-18-14
What Does The Bible Say? Part 2, Our Security In Christ
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
In this series we’re taking a look at the most important issues relating to our relationship with our Creator. In each case we begin from the perspective that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and as such cannot be self-contradictory. So if we think we see a contradiction, the problem is with our understanding, not God’s Word. Our topic in this study is the durability of our salvation. What does the Bible say about our security in Christ? Is it conditional based on our post salvation behavior, or is it guaranteed from the beginning. And could we give it back even if we wanted to?
What School Did You Attend?
Among those Christians who even consider the issue (tragically many don’t, but just accept what they’ve been taught) there are essentially two schools of thought, commonly called Election and Agency.
The Doctrine of Election holds that you can’t choose God; if you are saved it’s because He chose you. Since you can’t choose to be saved, you can’t refuse or reject your salvation (it’s called irresistible grace). God chose you and He chose you forever.
The Doctrine of Agency holds that anyone can choose to be saved, but since you can choose to receive it, you can later lose or reject it by word or deed. Some proponents of this view also contend that if you ever do lose or reject your salvation, you can never get it back.
These positions are both right in what they assert; Election says we’re saved forever; and Agency says it’s our choice. But they’re both wrong in what they deny; Election denies that it’s our choice; and Agency denies that we’re saved forever. As we’ll show, the Bible says it’s our choice to be saved and once we choose we’re saved forever.
First, a little historical background. In all God’s prior attempts at relating to His creation, none was successful. This was due to the basic flaw caused by man’s fall in the Garden; his inherent sinfulness. Because of this, man is simply not able to meet the behavioral standards that God’s righteousness requires for us to dwell with Him. God loves us so much He can’t let us be hopelessly lost, and yet because He is just, He can’t ignore our violations of His laws to save us. Deut. 32:4 tells us, “He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.”
From our perspective, it seems like an impossible situation. Because He loves us, He wants to save us all (2 Peter 3:9), but because He is Just, He can’t overlook our sins (Romans 3:23). In order to be a Father to His children, God had to find a way to eliminate the sin problem that is neither contingent upon our behavior nor contrary to His law. And He had do it once and for all. The brutal fact is that if He had saved us subject to our subsequent thoughts or deeds, everyone who came to Him for salvation would soon have been irretrievably lost again, because it is simply impossible for us to stop sinning.
How Did He Do That?
Our security is based on two important conditions that are part of God’s perspective. The first is explained in 2 Cor. 5:17.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
From God’s perspective, when you became a believer you became a new creation. The old you ceased to exist and a new you came to be. Notice the verbs in this verse are in the past perfect tense. The old has gone, the new has come. That means this change is in the past and is complete. It’s not something that will happen or even something that is happening. It’s something that has already happened.
God can have this perspective of us because He can see the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and after He agreed to save us He chose to see us as we will be when He perfects us at the rapture/resurrection. Ephesians 2:6 tells us He has already seen us seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. And from Romans 3:23-24 we learn that even though we’ve all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, He has justified us freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. The Greek word translated “justified” in this passage means “to render righteous; innocent, faultless, guiltless”. This righteousness from God comes to us through our faith in what the Lord accomplished for us on the cross. In other words, we’ve been made righteous, not because of our behavior, but because of His grace. Therefore, through a combination of our faith and His ability to see the end from the beginning, it’s as if we’ve never sinned.
(From 2 Ptr 3:8 we learn that God is not just someone who has a lot of time. To Him, time is so different from what it is to us that in one instance a day for Him might be equal to 1,000 years for us, while in another instance 1,000 years for Him might only require 1 of our days to pass. This was Peter’s way of saying that God is outside of time altogether.)
The second condition comes from Romans 7:18-20 and confirms that God sees as if we don’t sin.
For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Paul also confirmed what we all know, that in the here and now we still sin. But because God has chosen to only see us as a new creation, He can separate us from our behavior, and attributes our sins to the sinful nature that still dwells in us and will continue to dwell in us as long as we remain in our natural state. In other words, He no longer counts our sins against us, but against our sin nature.
King David saw this coming 3,000 years ago when he wrote, “Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against him” (Psalm 32:2).
What Does The Bible Say About Our Security?
These two conditions are what allow the Lord to make the following promises where our salvation is concerned.
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day (John 6:38-39).
Believers belong to God and are often called the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). The Lord Jesus is the Good shepherd (John 10:11). As such He is in charge of keeping His Father’s flock, and has promised to never lose any of those the Father has given Him. Notice the phrase, “I will lose none”.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30)
Continuing with the shepherd / sheep analogy, not only will the Lord not lose any of us, but He promised that no one can take us away from either Him or His Father. Note the dual use of the phrase “no one can snatch them out.”
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
This is certainly an all inclusive statement covering everything possible. In effect, Paul was saying, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.”
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Here are the four things that came together to save you forever. 1) You heard the gospel and, 2) you believed it. 3) God marked you with a seal and, 4) He guaranteed your inheritance. These things happened at the moment you believed, before you had done anything, good or bad, as a believer. Note the phrase “guaranteeing our inheritance.” Our inheritance is eternal life with Him (John 5:24).
The word translated “deposit” is a legal term. Today we would say “earnest money”. It’s a down payment that constitutes a legal obligation to follow through with the purchase. If you’ve ever bought any real estate, you’re familiar with the term. If not, here’s another example. It’s like we’ve been put on “lay away.” The price has been paid and we’ve been taken off the display shelf until the one who has purchased us returns to claim us. In the mean time we cannot be bought by anyone else, because we legally belong to the one who has paid the deposit. “You are not your own,” we’re told. “You were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). And that price is the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22).
Who makes us stand firm in Christ? God does. Who anointed us? God did. Who set His seal of ownership on us? God did. Who put His Spirit in our hearts? God did. Who is responsible for keeping us saved? God is.
And notice the Greek word translated “deposit”again. It’s the same one that appears in Ephesians 1:13-14 above, and this time it becomes even more obvious. God has set His seal of ownership on us. He has “branded” us as if He was a rancher marking his cattle to provide proof of ownership.
In John 6:38-39 Jesus promised He wouldn’t lose us. In John 10:27-30 He said no one can take us out of his hands. In Romans 8:38-39 Paul said nothing in all of creation can separate us from the Love of God, and from Ephes. 1:13-14 and 2 Cor. 1:21-22 we learn that we can’t walk away because we’ve been purchased and marked with God’s proof of ownership. We’ve been bought with the blood of Jesus, and even if God was willing to sell us, there’s no currency in the universe we could use to buy ourselves back.
These are the Bible’s clearest verses on the subject of our security in Christ, and the rules of interpretation require that we use clear verses to establish God’s promises and to help us interpret verses that aren’t so clear. But there are absolutely no verses in the New Testament that rescind these promises or identify exclusions or modifications to them. Once we are saved, we are saved forever. By the way, don’t let anyone use quotes from the Old Testament to challenge these promises. Eternal Security is a blessing given only to the Church.)
In summary, if you’ve asked Him to be your Savior He has said, “Yes” (Matt. 7:7-8) . There is no sin you can commit in your lifetime that will cause Him to revoke your salvation, because there is no sin you can commit that He didn’t already know about when He saved you. That means there is no sin you can commit that He hasn’t already paid for with His life (Colossians 2:13-14). As He died, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). He was talking about the work of saving you. And since He has saved you He will also keep you, because no matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20).
I’ve been writing about this subject for a number of years now, and every time I do I get questions from people asking about this or that verse, as if the Bible could contradict itself or contains “fine print” that negates the clear promises you’ve just read. I’ve researched and responded to these questions to the point where the site now contains 139 postings related to this subject. You can access these postings by going to any page on the site and typing OSAS in the search box in the upper right hand corner in the grey border at the very top of the page. I encourage you to do so.
I’m sure some of you are asking, “If God knows we can’t stop sinning, and if He’s already forgiven us for all our sins, then why does our behavior matter to Him?” We’ll address that issue next time. See you then. Selah 01-25-14.·
What Does The Bible Say? Part 3, How Shall We Live?
Saturday, February 1st, 2014
This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series What Does The Bible say?
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others (1 Cor. 10:23-24)
Having shown the Lord’s clear promise that once we became a believer all the sins of our life were forgiven, we now turn to the logical follow up question. How should we respond to such an incredible gift? How shall we live?
Paul devoted much time to describing the appropriate response to the free gift of eternal life and it’s summed up in his admonition to “Only let us live up to what we’ve already attained” (Phil 3:16). By the wording he used we know this is not something we do to achieve or maintain our salvation. He said we’ve already attained that. We do this as an expression of our heart felt gratitude for having been given this gift. Because there’s no doubt it, before receiving it we were “dead in our transgressions and sins” and “objects of God’s wrath” (Ephes. 2:1-3).
To illustrate this, in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 Paul said, “Do you not know that the wicked(literally, unrighteous) will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Then he differentiated the past from the present, acknowledging the fact that since we’ve become new creations we no longer fit any of those descriptions.
“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11)
Notice the past tense of these statements. We were among the wicked, but then we were washed, sanctified, and justified. I think the phrase “some of you” was giving us a big benefit of the doubt. Spiritually speaking, the sinful thought is as bad as the sinful deed and who among us has not had a thought about at least one of these things at one time or another? But Paul takes pains to say that’s the way God saw us before we were washed (cleansed), sanctified (set apart) and justified (rendered righteous). Now, because of the cross, we’re a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), having attained the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21) by faith in His completed work (Romans 3:21-22). Now God sees us as if we have never sinned, as if we’re as righteous as He is.
Well if that’s the case, why does it matter how we behave? As we’ve seen, where our salvation is concerned, it doesn’t. We were saved because of what we believe not because of how we behave. When we were dead in our sins, God made us alive in Christ and forgave all our sins (Colossians 2:13-14). We now belong to God and no one in Heaven or on Earth can ever change that (Romans 8:38-39). And though we still sin, when we do God attributes it to the sin that dwells in us and no longer counts our sins against us (Romans 7:18-20). No group before the Church was ever given this blessing, nor will any group after us.
The point of changing our behavior is to express our gratitude to Him for the free gift of salvation. Every time we choose to “live up to what we’ve already attained” instead of yielding to the temptation to sin, we’re saying “Thank you Lord, for saving me.” Of course, we’re not perfect. Only Jesus was tempted in every way, but did not sin (Hebr. 4:15). So when we do sin we confess and are forgiven, the slate is wiped clean again, and we’re purified from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
With that introduction, let’s see what the Bible says about how believers should live in light of the unique blessing we’ve been given.
The Practice Of Christian Living
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2).
Everything about the practice of Christian living is within our control. We don’t have to behave like everyone else. We can be transformed and it begins with choosing to behave differently.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24)
For the most part we think and act the way we do because that’s how we’ve been taught, and it all happened before we got saved. Here we’re told we don’t have to be like that any more. We can learn to think and act in a way that’s pleasing to God.
Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephes 4:25-32).
In effect, Paul taught that while we can’t always control the circumstances of our life we can control our response to them. We have such a glorious future awaiting us that we don’t have to worry about gaining the approval of others by acting the way they do. Our primary goal is pleasing the Lord.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37-38)
Choosing to become more tolerant, forgiving and generous will have such a remarkable effect on our life that others will want to know what has happened to transform us. Instead of stuttering and stammering through an embarrassing attempt to “witness” to friends and neighbors we’ll find that our very life has become a witness to what God can do, and people will be drawn to us.
The practice of Christian living becomes easier when we remember Who we’re living for. Remember Jesus said that He came so we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Great blessings come from “living up to what we’ve already attained.”
The Bible says when we focus on His kingdom and His righteousness, He will see that our needs are met (Matt. 6:25-34). We’re not to let what Paul called the light and momentary troubles of this world get us down. We should no longer fix our eyes on the temporary things we can see, we should focus on the eternal things we can’t see instead (2 Cor. 4:16-18). We live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). This is even more urgent for us than it was when Paul wrote it, because very soon we’re going to step out of this world and into the next one where the eternal things we’ve only been able to dream about will suddenly become our new reality.
For our home life the Bible says, Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged (Colossians 3:18-21).
Where our work is concerned, it says, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.(Colossians 3:23-24)
And as for the people around us, Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)
We who’ve been given everything don’t have to worry about anything.
The Privilege Of Christian Living
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:4-7).
Because we’ve become God’s children we can rejoice in everything that happens to us because we know that He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). We can always be at peace, even when our world seems to be crumbling around us. We fear nothing, we pray about everything, and we’re thankful for anything.
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Even though we are children of God, the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). Nowhere does the Bible promise us a trouble free life. What it does promise is victory over any enemy we choose to engage (Joshua 10:25). The Lord is our over comer and because of that we are privileged to be at peace. No matter what.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful (Colossians 4:2).
Think about that. We can engage our Father in conversation any time it suits us. He’s always in, we never need an appointment, and he’s never too busy for us. Whether it’s asking for a parking place on a crowded street or guidance on whether to pursue a career opportunity, He’s always there for us.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:
“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Cor. 9:6-11)
God has given us the privilege of distributing His endless resources to those in need. He so loves cheerful givers that He has promised to make them rich in every way so they will always have more than enough for themselves with sufficient excess so they can always be generous to others. Next to the gift of eternal life there’s no more remarkable promise anywhere in Scripture.
The Power Of Christian Living
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he’ll flee from you. (James 4:7)
Although Paul called him the God of this age (2 Cor. 4:4), Christians needn’t fear the devil because of the power we’ve been given.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
Jesus showed us how to do this in the wilderness temptations (Matt. 4:1-11). Using nothing but Scripture He demolished every one of the devil’s arguments and sent him packing. This same power is available to us. We just have to know the Bible well enough to activate it.
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven (James 5:14-15).
As is the case with everything James wrote, this is a clear promise without exception or equivocation. The Bible doesn’t promise we won’t get sick, but it does promise we can be healed. It’s a power the Lord died to give us.
“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:23-24)
And it’s not just healing. With sufficient faith we could literally move mountains. But faith is like our physical muscles. The more we exercise it the stronger it becomes. This is a case where the American lifestyle has become our enemy. It’s been too easy to get the things we want without the Lord’s help. As a result many of us have much more than we need. Maybe the Lord is stripping some of those things away now to help us practice living by faith.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines (1 Cor. 12:7-11).
Many charismatics misuse their gifts in immature excesses of self glorification while some fundamentalists refuse to acknowledge they even exist. But if the gifts of the Holy Spirit were ever used in the manner Paul described, the world would not be able to stand against their power.
Each of us has been gifted and could use the power our gifts contain to have a significant effect on the little corner of the world we inhabit. Romans 12:1-8 tells us how to discover and use our gifts.
The Protection Of Christian Living
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22).
So we come full circle. Never let it be said that although God has the power to save us, He lacks the power to keep us.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).
A US insurance company says we’re in good hands with them, but believers enjoy the ultimate example of being in good hands. Our policy is paid in full and our coverage can never expire. Not even we ourselves can snatch us out of their hands.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephes. 6:10-12).
A soldier’s armor can only protect him when he wears it, and he would never think of going into battle without being fully protected. We’re aliens behind enemy lines and as such are combatants in an ongoing battle. We’ve been given impenetrable armor, but in order for it to protect us we have to put it on and keep it on.
The Promise Of Christian Living
All this leads to achieving the goal we all want most in life. Earlier I said that after becoming saved, our primary goal becomes pleasing the Lord. But when we delight ourselves in the Lord He will give us the desires of our heart in return (Psalm 37:4). By following these instructions for Christian living we can finally achieve complete personal freedom. Although we are still in the world we will no longer be of the world. Living the Christian Life frees us of all the negative emotions that have afflicted us in the past. No more worry, no more stress, no more feeling out of control. We no longer have to be concerned with having enough money, or getting ahead, or keeping up. Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
The uncertainties of life that so preoccupy the thoughts of others won’t bother us any more. It doesn’t matter who gets elected to what office, or how bad the economy is getting, or whether the government will continue to break its promises. We’ll finally understand the full meaning of the Lord’s words, “When the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36) Praise the Lord. 02-01-14
