GRACE
Is the sky blue because you believe it or do you believe it because it is?
Did Jesus Christ save you because you believe it or do you believe he saved you because he did?
Salvation is like a man trapped in a burning building. Because of the smoke, he cannot see how to escape. He is weak and does not possess the means to save himself. He is passed out and unable to hear anyone trying to save him to call out to them. He is as good as dead.
But a fireman rushes into the burning building and takes the man upon himself and carries him out to safety.
Is the man saved because he believed it or did he believe it because he was saved?
We were spiritually blind (Isa 42:7).
We were spiritually deaf (Isa 42:18).
We were without strength; we were lame (Rom 5:6, Isa 35:5).
We were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1, Rom 5:7).
We were enemies of God (Rom 5:10, Rom 8:7).
We were by nature children of wrath (Eph 2:3)
We did not seek God nor could we (Rom 3:10-18, Rom 8:7).
We were all wise in our own eyes, our own way seemed right to us. (Isa 5:21, Prov 3:7, Prov 14:12).
But Jesus purchased for us on the cross complete and total salvation. Through himself he not only paid for our sins but also bought for us the gifts of “faith” and “repentance”and "obedience". We are given our portion of faith as a gift (Rom 12:3, Eph 2:8) and we are granted repentance that we may know the truth (2 Tim 2:25). Jesus blood, the blood of the New Covenant (Luke 22:20), purchased for us the New Covenant (Jer 31:31, Jer 32:39, Deut 30:6, Ez 11:19). He purchased for us a new heart and a new spirit. He gives us the Holy Spirit to empower us and gives us obedience.
Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Salvation for start to finish is a work of God. “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Ps. 3:8)
The Father foreknew and predestined. The Son purchases the elect and the requirements of their salvation. The Holy Spirit calls and draws the elect and empowers them to continue. Amen, God is good!
Rom 8:29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
We believe that we are saved because we have been. We believe that Jesus is the Christ because we have been born of God.
1 John 5:1 "everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him."
If salvation depends on our own belief and faith by our own effort then none of us would be saved. Thank God that He overcomes our disbelief and our rebellion against Him through the Holy Spirit, and that He gives us faith, repentance, and obedience in Christ!
Did Jesus Christ save you because you believe it or do you believe he saved you because he did?
Salvation is like a man trapped in a burning building. Because of the smoke, he cannot see how to escape. He is weak and does not possess the means to save himself. He is passed out and unable to hear anyone trying to save him to call out to them. He is as good as dead.
But a fireman rushes into the burning building and takes the man upon himself and carries him out to safety.
Is the man saved because he believed it or did he believe it because he was saved?
We were spiritually blind (Isa 42:7).
We were spiritually deaf (Isa 42:18).
We were without strength; we were lame (Rom 5:6, Isa 35:5).
We were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1, Rom 5:7).
We were enemies of God (Rom 5:10, Rom 8:7).
We were by nature children of wrath (Eph 2:3)
We did not seek God nor could we (Rom 3:10-18, Rom 8:7).
We were all wise in our own eyes, our own way seemed right to us. (Isa 5:21, Prov 3:7, Prov 14:12).
But Jesus purchased for us on the cross complete and total salvation. Through himself he not only paid for our sins but also bought for us the gifts of “faith” and “repentance”and "obedience". We are given our portion of faith as a gift (Rom 12:3, Eph 2:8) and we are granted repentance that we may know the truth (2 Tim 2:25). Jesus blood, the blood of the New Covenant (Luke 22:20), purchased for us the New Covenant (Jer 31:31, Jer 32:39, Deut 30:6, Ez 11:19). He purchased for us a new heart and a new spirit. He gives us the Holy Spirit to empower us and gives us obedience.
Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Salvation for start to finish is a work of God. “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Ps. 3:8)
The Father foreknew and predestined. The Son purchases the elect and the requirements of their salvation. The Holy Spirit calls and draws the elect and empowers them to continue. Amen, God is good!
Rom 8:29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
We believe that we are saved because we have been. We believe that Jesus is the Christ because we have been born of God.
1 John 5:1 "everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him."
If salvation depends on our own belief and faith by our own effort then none of us would be saved. Thank God that He overcomes our disbelief and our rebellion against Him through the Holy Spirit, and that He gives us faith, repentance, and obedience in Christ!