God Will Bless You

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). God will bless you "in Christ." That means you are in union with Christ. It is a faith union, when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a spiritual union. You are sealed with the Holy Spirit when we trust in Christ (Ephesians 1:13).

God will bless you in Christ. You do not earn God's blessings by our works, rather all the blessings of God are for you through the finished work of Christ at the cross. Therefore, God will bless you by grace through faith in Christ alone.

The Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven as every believer's Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate with God the Father (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2). For this reason, God the Father will bless you "with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

Immediately upon believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5), and "in Him we have received an inheritance" (Ephesians 1:11). Many blessings are for you now, but the best is yet to come in your inheritance. God "has blessed us" now, with much greater blessings to come. You are blessed  as "an heir of God through Christ"(Galatians 4:7).

Your Faith In Christ

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!" 

Faith is trusting in Christ alone and not in yourself. You know that you are a sinner and Christ died for your sins. You are not trusting in self-righteousness. Faith is in the righteousness of Christ alone. Believers are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Spurgeon taught faith is "in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing." That's your faith in Christ alone. You are "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

Faith is confidence and assurance resting in Christ alone and not in yourself. It is knowing Christ as our Surety (Hebrews 7:22). Christ alone is your guarantee of eternal salvation. 

You may testify with Spurgeon, "My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!" 

When your faith is in Christ alone, you may testify, "I am a sinner for whom Christ died." You are focused upon Christ crucified for your sins. No self-righteousness do you claim. You know by faith, that Christ alone died for your sins. He alone is risen from the dead as your living Lord. Faith is trusting in Christ alone.

What Are God's Promises?

God's promises are spiritual blessings for believers in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Covenant promises declare how God will work in us. It is the everlasting covenant, because it is made by the everlasting God. Jesus is the surety or guarantee of the covenant promises (Hebrews 7:22).

God's promises are guaranteed through the blood of Jesus Christ and His glorious resurrection, which is the gospel. It is an everlasting covenant that cannot be changed, because God changes not. "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant ..." (Hebrews 13:20).

God promises to work through the lives of believers. Our lives please God, not because we are trying real hard. To the contrary, God works in us to will and do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). That's God's everlasting covenant with us as believers. God will "make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you, what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, forever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:21).

God's promises are for all believers in Christ. His work in us is through covenant. What He says, God will do. What He promises, God will fulfill. Our faith stands upon the promises of God through Jesus Christ. It is based upon God's covenant word. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith stands upon the word of God's covenant promises.

Pray God's Promises

The Bible is a book filled with promises. They are not empty promises, because they are the sure promises of God. He does not lie. "God who cannot lie, promised before time began" (Titus 1:2). Pray God's promises in Christ by faith to receive.

Pray God's promise to save all who call upon Him. "Whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved" (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13). Whoever includes everyone who believes the promise of God. You can be saved and sure, based upon the promise of God. Call upon Him. He will save you.

Pray God's promise to completely save us. "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). God works in the life of every believer. He works faith, hope, and love in us as abiding gifts (1 Corinthians 13:13). What God starts, He finishes. God promises to complete this work in you.

Pray God's promises with Yes and Amen in Christ. Through faith in Christ, all the promises are Yes to the glory of God through us. "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Therefore, give glory to God for all the promises in Christ. God has promised to work through us in Christ.  God's promises are Yes and Amen in Christ.

Your New Life

Creation is an act of God. He alone is our Creator. Through the gospel of our Lord Jesus, you become a new creation. You have new life in Christ. God who gave you life from your mother's womb, now gives you new life in Christ. You have new life by the Spirit of God, through the implanted Word of God in your heart (James 1:18). Your mind, will, and emotions are changed by the grace of God.

Your new life is by grace through faith in Christ. You have a new identity with a new life. Old things pass away. God forgives all your old sins and you start a new life. That's because you are a new creation in Christ."Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"(2 Corinthians 5:17).

God takes away your sins through the blood of Jesus Christ and gives you the righteousness of Christ (1 John 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He has a purpose for your life, and that purpose is always good."And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose"(Romans 8:28).

Your old life is buried in baptism (Romans 6:4). You are raised by God's grace to new life in Christ. You are not a prisoner to the old things in your past. Trust God to bless and use you as a new creation. Remember, the old things have passed away. Trust God to do good things in your life in the days ahead. Your new life in Christ is by God's grace.

Our Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual warfare includes our thoughts. The Bible warns of thoughts that become strongholds, hindering our relationship with God. Those thoughts must be pulled down and brought captive to Christ. This is our spiritual warfare, the battle within us (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). 

Temptation is part of our spiritual warfare, and it comes through thoughts. We have a spiritual enemy who temps us with thoughts. When those thoughts are not rejected, they become strongholds, leading to bad habits and addictions. Our spiritual battle is won or lost in our thoughts. 

"O LORD, You have searched me and known me . . . You understand my thoughts afar off" (Psalm 139:1-2). God knows our thoughts. They make a difference in our relationship with God. He gives thoughts that will encourage, strengthen, and comfort us. Those thoughts are found in the Bible. 

Feed your mind on the thoughts of God. In our spiritual warfare, God will give us victory in life through thoughts of love, grace, mercy and peace. Think God's thoughts, according to the Scripture.

Ask God to bring your attention to any pattern of thinking which opposes His good will for you. Pray that all such thoughts be pulled down and brought captive to Christ. The power of temptation is broken as strongholds are destroyed. "Bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

God Comforts Us

There are times in life when we need comfort. Yes, God will comfort us. "God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us"(2 Corinthians 7:6). The Holy Spirit is our Comforter to give us peace and encouragement. God's word in the Bible is our word of comfort. Prayer receives the grace of God's comfort. Never be reluctant to ask God for comfort. God says to you, "I, even I, am the one who comforts you (Isaiah 51:12).

The word comfort means to strengthen. During times of your weakness, you can find strength through others. God always wants to comfort you, and one way He does it is through others. Friends who understand are a gift from God. They will comfort you when you are downcast.

If you are going through a difficult time, don't be surprised if God sends someone your way to strengthen you. The believer's life was never designed to live alone. We are members of one another through the body of Christ. We need one another.

God will use you to comfort, strengthen, and encourage others. Ask God to use you to comfort others who are downcast. He will send someone your way who needs God's comfort today. God not only comforts you, but He wants to work through you to comfort others. "Comfort each other" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Joy Filling Our Lives

God is everywhere, yet we are often unaware of His presence. During times of worship, as we sing and praise Him, we are focused upon God. He reveals His presence to us, and joy is one way that He does so. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit filling our lives.

The joy of the Lord is for now and forever. Those who truly experience God's presence may testify,"You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11). Enter His presence with praise through prayer and song. God will fill you with "joy unspeakable and full of glory"(1 Peter 1:8).

Many have yet to learn that there is joy in God's presence. Heaven is a place of everlasting joy in God's presence. Joy may be defined as the eternal pleasure of God's presence, through the one at His right hand, Jesus Christ our Lord. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our lives through Christ (Galatians 5:22).

God will fill your life with joy. Enter the joy of the Lord as you sing God's praise. Unfortunately, many people may have the idea that worship is a formal duty or a boring ritual. Quite the contrary, true worship in the Bible is filled with joy. Worship is the way to enter the joy of God. That's life filled with God's joy.

All to God's Glory

All of life is to God's glory. We were created to the praise of God's glory through Christ. "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created" (Revelation 4:11). We were created to bring glory to God. The Bible defines sin as falling short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).

Our salvation is to God's glory. "We who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12). As a believer, God is working in you and through you to the praise of his glory through Christ, "working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, forever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:21).

All that we do should be to God's glory. "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36). It is God's will for us to bring glory to him in all things. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

Prayer is to God's glory. Pray to God our Father, "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:13). Prayer should always be centered upon God's glory in all things. God's kingdom and power work to the praise of his glory. We should pray for the glory of God in all things.

When You Know God

You may have read the Bible, said prayers, and attended church, but do you know God? How can anyone really know God? You know God as He reveals Himself to you and in you. God reveals His love and grace to you through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16)

Only the Spirit of God can enable you to truly know God. The Holy Spirit changes your heart to know God in a personal way. He gives you faith to know God and walk with Him everyday. The Holy Spirit gives you understanding and guidance in your walk with God. It comes through the word of God. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16).

When you know God, you know divine love, because "God is love"(1 John 4:8). You can read about God's love in the Bible and even sing about it, without experiencing God's love. The Holy Spirit puts God's love into your heart (Romans 5:5). You know God, because you know God's love personally.

Knowing God means that you know Him as your Father through His Son Jesus Christ. You know that your sins are forgiven, and Jesus Christ is your Lord (Romans 10:9). It means God is working in you what is well pleasing to Him (Philippians 2:13).

The Blood of Jesus

William Reid's book, The Blood of Jesus, was published in 1866. This book focused upon the blood of Jesus for salvation, the forgiveness of sins, and true prayer. William Reid was absolutely confident that the Holy Spirit always bears witness to the blood of Jesus. True prayer is based upon the blood of Jesus.

William Reid wrote, "In all true prayer, great stress should be laid on the blood of Jesus. Perhaps, no evidence distinguishes a declension in the power and spirituality of prayer more strongly than an overlooking of this. Where the atoning blood is kept out of view, not recognized, not pleaded, not made the grand plea, there is a deficiency of power in prayer."

When we speak of the blood of Jesus, we always refer to his atoning sacrifice at the cross. The word blood speaks of a violent, sacrificial death. In the Old Testament, blood sacrifices were in the place of those who offered them. They pointed toward the one and only sacrifice that could take away our sins. True prayer is based upon the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:1-10).

The priests of the Old Testament prayed to God on the basis of a blood sacrifice. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat, praying for the people of Israel. He could not enter the Holy of Holies without the blood (Leviticus 16:11-14). New Testament believers have access to God in prayer through the shed blood of Jesus. 

For Whom Christ Died

Did Christ die for you? Can you say by faith, that on the cross he took your place? The testimony of your faith is made sure by the Holy Spirit working grace in your heart. Has it happened in your heart? If so, you see Christ dying for you, knowing that he is the sacrifice for all of your sins.

The prophet Isaiah foretold the death of Jesus as the substitute for sinners. He died in the place and for sinners (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It was prophesied centuries before it happened. "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). The Bible is such an amazing book. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Bible declares by the foreknowledge of God, Christ crucified centuries before it came to pass.

Jesus died on the cross as the Lamb of God, dying for the sins of the world. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy. He said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). That is to say, Jesus died as the substitute for sinners. He died to redeem people out of all nations (Revelation 5:9).

Jesus, like the passover lamb in the Old Testament, died in the place of others. He is every believer's substitute at the cross. He took our sins, judgment, and punishment. He shed his blood and poured out his life on our behalf. He died that we may have life eternal. Our sin debt was paid by the Lamb of God. Christ died to save you as a believer (Acts 16:31).

God's Oath of Promise

God promises with an oath. His promises are based upon a covenant oath that cannot be broken. In ancient times, covenant vows were sealed in the death of a sacrificial animal. God's everlasting covenant is sealed in the blood of His Son (Hebrews 13:20). It's God's covenant word to every believer in Christ.

God promises forever. Our faith in God, the forgiveness of our sins, our eternal destiny, and God's work in our lives are all guaranteed through God's covenant word. "Forever O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89). God promised with a covenant oath forever.

God promises with a guarantee. His oath of covenant promises are for every believer in Christ. Jesus is our surety or guarantee to the covenant promises that cannot be broken (Hebrews 7:22). The Bible declares God's word forever is settled in heaven. That's God's covenant word to every believer. 

God promises every believer in Christ. We read the covenant promises in the Bible, which are forever the same. God has sworn with a covenant oath, and will not repent. He will not change His mind. "God, who cannot lie, promised before time began" (Titus 1:2). That's God's covenant promises for believers in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Death Is Defeated

Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Death is defeated, because of God's love, grace and power. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57). Death is defeated through our risen Lord. 

Death had reigned over all people everywhere in every age. Death would not be denied. Death had its way with all mankind. Death had reigned supreme with the rich and poor, wise and foolish, without exception. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

The fear of death was a cruel taskmaster. The tormenting fear of death still holds multitudes in bondage. They would say, "Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for soon we will die." They surrender to death with no hope of victory, so get what you can out of this life until that day comes. The fear and dread of death enslaves their minds.

Death reigned until one Sunday morning centuries ago. That was the day death died. The earth quaked, rolling a stone away from the door of a tomb. Death was defeated. The tomb was empty. He lives! Jesus Christ our Lord is risen! Death is defeated!

All who believe in our risen Lord Jesus Christ are saved from sin and death. The promise of God states, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). Believe and receive the Lord Jesus as your victory over death.

The Lord Opens Hearts

"The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul"  (Acts 16:14). These words speak of Lydia, a woman who worshiped God but had not yet heard the gospel to believe in Christ. The Lord opened her heart to hear and respond to the gospel. The word "heart" describes her mind, will, and emotions. It is a term for the person within.

God's preceding grace opens hearts to hear the gospel and receive Christ (John 1:12-13). It may be identified with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11). It is the gospel call for us to trust the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:13). The Spirit of God works in our hearts to enable us to believe the truth of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

The Lord opens hearts to hear and understand the gospel. He enables us to say yes to the call of Christ. God works concurrently with our choice. Jesus stands at the door of your life and knocks. You may open the door by believing the gospel to receive Christ (Revelation 3:20; John 1:12).

Because of our sinful nature, the Lord must act upon our hearts to enable us to respond to the gospel of Christ. This work of God's preceding grace enables us to respond freely to the gospel. In conversion, we respond to God's preceding grace through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God Our Father's Love

Andrew Murray wrote, "God is love, and speaking with all reverence, he can't help loving. We see his goodness toward the ungodly and his compassion on the erring. His fatherly love is manifested toward all his children."

By faith in Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God our Father's family. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16).

Some people are afraid to let go and really believe that God loves them unconditionally and forever. The heart of God our Father is full of love. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. But he who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). Perfect love is God our Father's love for us.

Knowing God as our loving heavenly Father is the real key to a wonderful prayer life. Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father in heaven . . ." That's it. When we know that God really does love us and wants to help us, prayer becomes a daily relationship with God our Father. 

The Holy Spirit gives each believer the assurance of God our Father's love. We read in Romans 5:5 that "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." For this reason Andrew Murray wrote, "His fatherly love is manifested toward all his children."

The Book of Revelation

Understand the book of Revelation. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" are the first words in the book of Revelation. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all" are the last words of the book. From the beginning to the end, it is about Jesus Christ. That's the reason it is not called the book of revelations. The Revelation is Jesus Christ.

There are more than four hundred references to the Old Testament in the book of Revelation. The most repeated image is that of the Lamb. That symbol reminds us of the Old Testament sacrificial system and points to the cross of Christ. The crucified One is alive for all to see. He is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). 

The Revelation is Christ. It is not revelations. It is Revelation, singular. It is the Revelation of One, even our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, Christ is revealed in prophecy, promise, and typology. Those who understand the book of Revelation are focused upon Christ.

Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth. That's what the book of Revelation describes in apocalyptic language. It is a book about Christ revealed in power and great glory. It is a book about judgment. Everyone will give an account to God. Christ brings this world as we know it to its appropriate end. Understand the book of Revelation seeing Jesus Christ our Lord as the Revelation.

When God Called You

Salvation is when God called you out of darkness into the light. When you see the light, it comes quickly to dispel darkness. The change is sudden and abrupt. Darkness is defeated immediately in the presence of light. That's the way God's grace changes people who have lived in darkness. Salvation is from "Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). 

Darkness is used as a metaphorical expression for those who cannot see the truth in Christ our Lord. It is spiritual blindness. When the Holy Spirit calls us effectively to Christ, the eyes of our understanding are opened. We see the light of truth in Christ. Then we can testify, "I once was blind but now I see."

God called you to the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12). When you see the light, you see the glory of God in Jesus Christ. He is the light of life. Salvation is from darkness into the light.

God called you to the light that always overcomes the darkness. It is not your achievement. Rather, the light comes to you from without, changing your heart within. Light is God's Spirit working in your dark heart. Then, your testimony is in these words, "I saw the light." Give all the glory to "Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 

One Way to Please God

The only way we can ever please God is by faith. If we have come to God by faith, He is working in us what is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:20-21). "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is" (Hebrews 11:6).

No wonder living by faith pleases God, because He is the one who works faith in our lives. It is by the grace of God that we are saved by faith. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

Faith is an abiding gift from the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 13:13). "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Therefore, faith comes to you as the gift of God, by the Spirit of God, through the word of God.

Faith is focused upon Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead. That is good news known as the gospel of Christ. God is well pleased with His Son (Matthew 3:17). We please God by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Faith is not just mental assent nor human effort. It is a result of the Holy Spirit bringing us to a point of confidence, assurance, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We please God, when we live by faith in Christ.

How Faith Receives

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Faith receives "the gift of God." We cannot earn nor do we deserve God's salvation in Christ. It's by grace through faith. That means it's "not of yourselves." God saves you by grace, and it's through faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Faith receives the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith is one of the three abiding gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). The Holy Spirit enables you to come to God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Holy Scripture, uses the word of God to bring the gift of faith to you (Romans 10:17).

Faith receives the gospel of Jesus our Lord. He died for our sins. He is risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Believers confess, Jesus is Lord. And no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit gives us assurance of the gospel of Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

Faith receives Christ to the praise of God's glory (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). To God alone be the glory! There is no room for us to receive glory, when it's all of God's grace. It is not our work for God, but God's gracious work for us in Christ, to the praise of His glory (Philippians 1:6; 2:13).

Believe and Be Saved

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). The Bible is clear to answer the question. Base your salvation on the written word of God in your Bible. Trust the promise of God to save you as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved through the gospel. The gospel teaches Christ died for our sins. He is risen from the dead as our living Savior and Lord (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Believers confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9). 

Believe and be completely saved. God promises that Christ does in you what you could never do for yourself (Hebrews 13:20-21). God will "make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (vs. 21).  Therefore, to be saved is to please God through Christ. Your relationship with God in Christ is forever.

Believe and be saved by grace through faith in Christ. Jesus is the fulness of God's grace (John 1:16). The grace of Christ saves you through faith in Christ. Grace in Christ is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is God's unmerited favor for sinners. You are saved by God's grace in Christ.

God saves us "that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12). To God alone be the glory, "to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).

God Speaks Today

God speaks today. Scripture makes it clear. "Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15). God speaks today through the Bible. It's God's love letter to us. The Holy Spirit inspired the words of Holy Scripture centuries ago, but He still speaks through it. Those who believe not, can only read printed words on paper. Believers read words that speak to their hearts. God is speaking today through the Bible.

God speaks today to your heart. The heart is your mind, will, and emotions. His word to you is through the Holy Spirit. God's voice has been seldom heard by the ears of men, even in Bible times. God's word in the Bible will speak daily to your heart. 

God speaks today to all of his children. God has important things to say to us through the Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16). He speaks in a personal and intimate way to every believer. God communicates that we may experience his love in our hearts, "because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5).

God's Spirit, who inspired the Holy Scripture, speaks to the hearts of all God's children. God shares His thoughts with us. They are eternal thoughts found in your Bible from the Father above. God's thoughts encourage us, console and comfort us. His thoughts strengthen us and assure us. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God speaks today with love.

Effectual Grace

The TULIP acronym uses the expression irresistible grace. But, is grace irresistible? R. C. Sproul, a Reformed theologian wrote, "The term irresistible grace is misleading." He further wrote, "God's grace is resistible in the sense that we can and do resist it." Dr. Sproul concluded, "Thus I prefer the term effectual grace."

Scripture is clear that people resist the grace of God. "You always resist the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51). Scripture also speaks of those who have "insulted the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:29). Until the Holy Spirit comes with conviction and changes our hearts, we resist God's grace. Thereafter, we desire to follow Christ and seek to do God's will.

Dr. Sproul used his preferred term, effectual grace. That is grace which effectively changes the hearts of people through the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the book of Acts, Lydia is an example of effectual grace. "The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14). She heard the gospel, believed and was baptized.

If people resist the grace of God by rejecting the gospel, it's their choice. They are responsible for their own just condemnation. However, if people hear and believe the gospel of Christ, they do so because the Holy Spirit works effectual grace in their hearts.

The Natural Man

Do we have free will? Yes, as far as natural ability is concerned. Reason and experience makes that obvious. But, do we have free will as far spiritual things are concerned? Absolutely not, we are unable to understand until we are born of the Spirit.

Jonathan Edwards taught that free will from a biblical standpoint must be distinguished between natural ability and spiritual ability. All people have free will as far as natural ability is concerned. That is to say, God has given all of us the ability of choice in the natural world. Yet, the natural man without Jesus Christ is in bondage to sin and unbelief as far as spiritual ability is concerned.

Edwards view of free will is consistent with Scripture, and the teaching of the apostle Paul. The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:12-14). He is spiritually dead in sin and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). His mind is unable to discern and believe what the Holy Spirit teaches (John 3:10-12).

Only when we are born of the Spirit, through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, are we able to understand and truly believe what Scripture teaches. The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God. After new birth, the Holy Spirit becomes our teacher through Scripture, guiding us into all truth. And, that truth is found in the one who is the truth, Jesus our Lord (John 14:6). 

3 Views on Election

Election is the doctrine that God chose His people in Christ (Ephesians 1:4-6). Serious students of Scripture cannot deny that this doctrine is taught in the Bible. The debate arises over how and why God chose His people. This debate over election has continued for centuries. Consider three views on election. 

Conditional election teaches the view that God chose certain people to salvation, because He foresaw they would believe in Christ (Acts 16:30-31). The condition for salvation, according to the Bible, is believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Therefore, if salvation is conditional, then our election must be conditional. 

Unconditional election teaches that God did not choose any person to salvation in Christ based upon foresight of what they would do (Romans 9:11). Therefore, our election to salvation is according to whom God foreknew (Romans 8:29-30). Others are left in their choice of rebellion to be justly condemned according to God's justice, based upon their personal sins (Romans 9:22).

Corporate election teaches that the primary election is of Christ. He is the Elect One, chosen to redeem us (Isaiah 42:1). Therefore, our election is in the Elect One, Jesus Christ our Lord. The apostle Paul spoke of those "who also were in Christ before me" (Romans 16:7). All who come to faith in Christ are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13).  

Faith Resting in Christ

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!" 

Faith must rest in Christ and not in ourselves. We know that we are sinners and Christ died for our sins. We are not trusting in self-righteousness. Faith is in the righteousness of Christ. He is our righteousness.

Spurgeon taught faith is "in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing." That's our faith resting in Christ alone. We are "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

Faith is confidence and assurance resting in Christ, and not in ourselves. It is knowing Christ as our Surety (Hebrews 7:22). He is our guarantee of eternal salvation. 

We may testify with Spurgeon, "My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!" 

Yes, true faith will rest in Christ alone. We confess, "I am a sinner for whom Christ died." We are focused upon Christ crucified for our sins. No self-righteousness do we claim. We know by faith, that Christ died for our sins. He is risen from the dead as our living Lord.

Our Daily Cleansing

John Owen (1616-1683) a Puritan theologian saw the believer's need for daily cleansing. He wrote, "Go daily to Jesus for cleansing. Hence also is manifest the necessity we have of continual applications to Jesus Christ for cleansing virtue from his Spirit and the sprinkling of his blood on our consciences to purge them from dead works."

Owen recognized the need for daily cleansing from our sins as believers. Not only did he recognize the need, but more importantly, he recognized that cleansing is open daily for all believers. Our conscience witnesses to our need. The blood of Jesus avails to cleanse us from all sin.

There are no perfect Christians here below. Our temptations continue. Our battle with the flesh is reality (Galatians 5:17). The believer's sanctification is not perfect nor complete. Our growth in holiness continues, but we do sin from time to time. Free from the bondage to sin, we are not yet free from the temptation to sin.

Our Lord Jesus not only cleanses us at the point of conversion, but he graciously continues to cleanse us as we confess our sins (1 John 1:7, 9). Scripture warns us not to claim that we are sinless. If we do, then we only deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8, 10). John Owen wisely saw "the believer's need for daily cleansing." 

Your New Creation

The Word and Spirit brings forth your new creation in Christ. The word of the gospel is about the Word who became flesh, even Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The power of the Holy Spirit, who inspired the written word of God, makes you a new creation through faith the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).

John MacArthur wrote "The unbelieving heart must be made alive, transformed, cleansed, and renewed (Ephesians 2:4). And it is the Holy Spirit who regenerates sinners, such that those who were formerly miserable wretches are reborn as new creations in Christ."

MacArthur further stated, "To see a spiritually dead sinner made alive in Christ Jesus by the power of the Spirit is to witness an actual miracle of God." He concluded, "The same Source of explosive power that brought the world into existence out of nothing is today at work in the hearts and lives of the redeemed."

The Spirit of God who moved in creation, has moved in your new creation. Every time a sinner is truly born again, there is new creation. If anyone is in Christ, he has become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). God's Spirit takes away a heart like stone to create a new heart within you (Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 36:26). The agent of your new creation is the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ Revealed to All

The Holy Bible is actually 66 books and letters in the Old and New Testaments. Many would think that Revelation is one of the hardest books in the Bible to understand. Christ is the key to interpreting the Book of Revelation. It is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:1). From Genesis to Revelation, Christ is revealed to all in the Bible.

The revelation of Jesus Christ to all is in the Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit. He is the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. The prophets spoke of the One who was coming. The New Testament declared He has come. His name is JESUS, who came as the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. 

Christ is revealed to all in the Bible through progressive revelation. God spoke in times of old by the prophets who knew in part and prophesied in part (Hebrews 1:1-2). Today, we have the full revelation of Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God incarnate. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

All Scripture points all to Christ. There are literally hundreds of types pointing toward Christ in the Old Testament. For example, the Passover Lamb in Exodus points toward Christ our Passover. "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). It's the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Filled with the Spirit

All Christians are commanded to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). Those who are filled with the Spirit yield to the love and power of God (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:19). How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? The Bible gives us clear instruction about being filled with the Spirit.

On the Day of Pentecost the disciples were both baptized and filled with the Spirit (Acts 1:5; 2:4). They were baptized by the Spirit to become the body of Christ collectively. They were individually filled with the Spirit. Nowhere in Scripture are you commanded to be baptized with the Spirit. Believers are commanded to be filled, and to keep on being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

We are filled with the Holy Spirit through prayer. "And when they had prayed . . . they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 4:31). The apostle Paul wrote his prayer for all believers to be filled with God's Spirit (Ephesians 3:14-21). Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit are filled with the power of God's love.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit yielding to Jesus Christ as Lord through prayer and obedience. For that reason, A.W. Tozer could say, "The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people."

Condemned or Justified

Justification is a legal term. In court, one accused of a crime is either condemned or justified. Based upon the merit of Christ, sinners are justified before God. His sinless life and substitutionary death on the cross for sinners is the basis for our justification. We are justified "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24).

We are justified by faith in Christ. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Faith is trust and confidence, relying upon Christ alone. By faith in Christ, sinners are justified with God.

We are justified by grace alone through faith in Christ. Faith receives the grace of God in Christ. Faith is the evidence that the believer is justified before God. It is the assurance of faith. "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed" (Romans 4:16).

We are justified by faith alone in Christ unto righteousness. The only way we can become righteous before God is by faith alone. Righteousness is the gift of God to us. "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5).

Confess Jesus Is Lord

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). Is Jesus your Lord? If so, you believe that Jesus is risen indeed. Therefore, you confess Jesus is Lord.

Jesus risen from the dead is the singular most important doctrine in the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:17). The salvation of every believer rests upon the resurrection of Christ. It's the miracle you must believe to be saved. Confessing Jesus as Lord is the earliest confession of the Christian faith. It focuses upon the resurrection of Jesus as our confession of faith.

You are willing to confess Jesus is Lord, when the Spirit of God convinces you (John 16:7-11). The Holy Spirit illumines the mind and brings you to repentance, a change of mind, concerning the resurrection of Christ. Then and only then, you will truly confess that Jesus is Lord, because you know the truth personally. "No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Believing the gospel and confessing from your heart that Jesus is Lord means you are saved. The word saved means to be delivered from the condemnation and judgment of your sins. Also, it means to be delivered from the wages of sin which is death (Romans 6:23). To be saved is to receive eternal life through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Spirit's Abiding Gifts

The Christian life is Christ in you. The Spirit of Christ, also know as the Holy Spirit indwells every believer (Romans 8:9). Upon believing the gospel of Christ, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, "having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Spirit is in you with the abiding gifts of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

The Spirit of Christ abides in you with the gift of faith. It is the faith of Jesus Christ. "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). The Holy Spirit abides in every Christian with the gift of faith. It is faith from Christ and faith in Christ. Faith is trust, confidence, and reliance upon Christ.

The Spirit of Christ abides in you with the gift of hope. It is your hope in Christ. The Holy Spirit brings hope in Christ. It is the hope of glory, which means the hope of the believer's glorification. Everything you are, or hope to be, is in Christ. We are "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

The Spirit of Christ abides in you with the gift of love. It is the Father's love for us in Christ and our love for Christ. Love is a gift of the Holy Spirit and the greatest evidence of Christ in you. Without the love of Christ, there is no real and true Christian life. Christ in you is the love of the Holy Spirit in your heart (Romans 5:5).

The Trinity Revealed

The Trinity of God is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly reveals the Trinity in your eternal salvation. There is election by the Father, redemption by the Son, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. The three eternal Persons of the Holy Trinity work in perfect harmony from the beginning to the completion of your salvation.

Water baptism reveals a public testimony to the Trinity. Jesus commanded us to baptize believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for your eternal salvation. The triune God saves you to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

God the Father chose to save us by grace through His Son Jesus. God the Son came to reveal the fullness of God's grace (John 1:14). That grace for sinners was fully revealed at the cross of Jesus. His substitutionary death guarantees your eternal salvation, for you and all who believe the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4). His glorious resurrection is every believer's justification.

God the Holy Spirit is revealed as the Spirit of grace, applying eternal salvation to your heart. The Holy Spirit seals every believer as the guarantee of your eternal salvation, complete unto glorification in the day Christ returns (Ephesians 1:13-14).

God's Desire for All

"For this is good and acceptable to God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). God desires all to be saved from death, judgment, and everlasting punishment. God sent His Son into the world to make the one and only sacrifice which is sufficient to save sinners (Romans 3:23; 5:8).

God desires all to trust in Christ. None who sincerely trust in Christ will be turned away (John 6:37). No one who believes in Him will be disappointed (Romans 10:11). God's call to salvation is for all nations, Jew and Gentile (Romans 1:16; Acts 1:8). The gospel of Christ is freely offered to all people.

God desires all to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; 17:30). This speaks of our responsibility. Those who refuse to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are responsible for their own just condemnation (Luke 13:3, 5). All who repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:36; Acts 2:37-39).

God desires all to come to "the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus said, "I am the truth" (John 14:6). The Spirit of truth uses the word of truth to bring us to the one who is the truth (John 16:13; 17:17). God will not save anyone who rejects the truth. Those who reject the truth, believe the lie. They perish, "because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

What Is Foreknowledge?

God's foreknowledge includes his people in Christ. He foreknows us as justified and glorified in Christ. God foreknows our salvation as done. In Romans 8:28-30, God's purpose in salvation is a prolepsis (i.e., to see before). God foreknows all who shall be in Christ (1 Peter 1:2).

Although God foreknows us in Christ, everyone is commanded to repent and believe the gospel (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 16:31). However, only those who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. As believers, we experienced the gospel in power with assurance. That was the Holy Spirit working in our hearts (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

God foreknows us justified by grace through faith in Christ. We are justified through the death of Jesus Christ for our sins. Justification is by faith in the power of his resurrection. Justification means all our sins are taken away through the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). God declares us justified by faith in Christ. "It is God who justifies" (Romans 8:33).

God foreknows us glorified in the image or likeness of Christ. Glorification is salvation complete. "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). What is future for us as believers is now in the foreknowledge of God. Therefore, God foreknows us as glorified in the very image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Two Sides of Election

The Bible doctrine of election has two sides. There is the divine side and the human side. God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6). However, the believer makes his calling and election sure in time (2 Peter 1:10).

God chose the elect before He created time. The elect are born again at a certain point in time. God chose the time of their conversion, but they must respond to His grace through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:15; 2:20).

The debate over election continues, as some look at the doctrine from God's perspective, and others look at it from man's view. If you begin with God, election is unconditional. If you begin with man, election is conditional. If you begin with God, election is certain to all the elect. If you begin with man, election is always contingent upon the response of repentance and faith. Jesus said, "unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).

The two sides of election are based upon God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. God chose His elect in Christ before time began. Yet, we are responsible to receive Jesus Christ by faith (John 1:11-12). We must make our calling and election sure, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:10; 3:18).

If We Confess Our Sins

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). God promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us. God forgives us according to His word of promise. Confess your sins to God and be forgiven and cleansed from all sin.

God forgives all who agree that they have sinned (1 John 1:8-10). However, we never need to beg God to forgive us. Our faith is based upon the faithfulness of God to forgive us. He has clearly promised to forgive and cleanse us.

God forgives all who believe His written word. All the covenant promises of the Bible are made by the sworn oath of God to His people. The New Covenant (Testament) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ provides a sacrifice at the cross which removes all of our sins (1 John 1:7).

God has sworn with a covenant promise to forgive you. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more" (Hebrews 8:12). God forgives sinners. It's based upon God's covenant oath.

God is faithful to forgive you. He is sure to forgive and cleanse you from all sin. As a believer, you can know that you are clean before God. It is based upon what Christ did for you at the cross (1 John 1:7). He took your sins away (John 1:29). God will forgive you and cleanse you from all sin. He is faithful to His covenant word to perform it.

God's Grace for You

The apostle Paul often began his New Testament letters with the words grace and peace. For example, notice Romans 1:7, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Knowing God as Father through our Lord Jesus Christ is by grace alone. Grace for you is peace from God. 

God's grace for you is never earned. Grace comes as unmerited favor received through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It comes to you as the gift of God, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace comes as God's unmerited favor in your heart and life.

God's grace for you is confirmed with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). That includes peace. "And the peace of God that passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). You experience peace through grace. It defies explanation to those who have never experienced it. Only the Holy Spirit can make God's peace real to you. It's a fruit of God's Spirit working grace in your heart and mind (Galatians 5:22).

God's grace for you changes your heart. It happens within you. That's in your mind, will, and emotions. Peace confirms it. God's presence in your life brings love, joy, and peace, through the Holy Spirit. That's grace for you.

What Is the Trinity?

Warren Wiersbe explained, "Our salvation involves all three Persons in the Godhead (Eph. 1:3-14; 1 Peter 1:2). You cannot be saved apart from the Father's electing grace, the Son's loving sacrifice, and the Spirit's ministry of conviction and regeneration." 

The Trinity is God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our salvation is the work of the Godhead. It is the purpose and plan of God the Father. It was accomplished by the death, burial and resurrection of God's Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation is applied through the conviction and regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

God the Father elected or chose to save us by grace through faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). Grace defines salvation as the gift of God. Election is the choice of God (Eph. 1:4-6). The elect of God includes all who have or will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God (1 Peter 1:2).

God the Father sent His Son into the world to seek and save us (Luke 19:10). He died to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). Christ died to save sinners. Christ was raised from the dead to justify us from all sin. We are truly saved, when we believe the gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4). The faith to believe in Christ is an abiding gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3, 13:13).

God's Will of Decree

Millard Erickson wrote, "We must distinguish between two different senses of God’s will, which we will refer to as God’s "wish" (will-1) and God’s "will" (will-2). The former is God’s general intention, the values with which He is pleased. The latter is God’s specific intention in a given situation, what He decides will actually occur."

Dr. Erickson spoke of two senses in which God's will is expressed in the Bible. One way is God's will in the sense of a wish. The other sense is God's intention. You could say that the Bible speaks of God's will of command and God's will of decree.

God's will of command is what he wants us to do. It's God's revealed will for our lives. We have all disobeyed God's revealed will in one way or the other. That is sin, and we have all sinned (Romans 3:23). Understand the other sense of God's will is his decree. It shall be done. 

God's will of command is seen in Acts 17:30. God commands all people to repent. That side of God's will is his desire for all to repent. However, God's will of decree is seen in Acts 17:31. He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. It shall be according to God's decree.

When God Loved Us

Charles Spurgeon said, "If a man could know that he was loved by all his fellowmen, if he could have it for certain that he was loved by all the angels, yet these were but so many drops, and all put together could not compare with the main ocean contained in the fact that “God loved us.”

God loved us when he foreknew us, even before we were born. God loved his people in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Such a thought is beyond our comprehension. God is greater than we ever thought, and that includes his love for us. To use Spurgeon's words, that is "contained in the fact that 'God loved us.”

God loved us when we were yet sinners. He did not wait until we got good enough to love us. Had God done so, he would have never loved us. God never loved us because he saw something good in us. Far from it. God proved his love for us while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). It's not based on what we are, but who God is. God loved us, because "God is love" (1 John 4:8).

God loved us when he changed our hearts. We could no more change our hearts than a leopard could change his spots (Jeremiah 13:23). God loved us enough to change our hearts. He poured out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us (Romans 5:5).

We Are One In Christ

Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, "As a believer, you are one with Jesus. Therefore you are secure. You will be confirmed to the end until the day of his appearing." In these words, Spurgeon spoke of every believer in Christ. We are one in Christ.

We are one with Christ through new birth. Every true believer is born of the Spirit. We have been born again unto faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. As we are one with Adam in our first birth, so we are one with Christ in our new birth.

Every true believer is one with Christ through the Holy Spirit. We are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). Christ is the head, and we are the body. As Adam was the head of the human race, so Christ is the head of the church, which is his body (Colossians 1:18).

As the human race is in Adam through sin, so believers are in Christ through salvation from sin (Romans 5:19). As we were born with a sin nature in Adam, so we are born again as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We are one with Christ as our representative. We are one with Christ through his death and resurrection (Romans 6:5-6). We have died to the old life, buried with Christ, we are risen with him in newness of life. Water baptism is the symbol of our death, burial and resurrection with Christ (Romans 6:3-4). Therefore, Spurgeon said, "As a believer, you are one with Jesus." That's what it means to be one in Christ.

Predestined Inheritance

Charles C. Ryrie wrote, "To predestine is to preplan a destiny. The word proorizo means to mark off beforehand. The death of Christ and its meaning were predestined by God (Acts 4:28; 1 Cor. 2:7).  God's elect are predestined to adoption (Eph. 1:5), to an inheritance (v. 11), and to ultimate conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:28-29)."

The root word for predestine pictures the horizon of the sky and earth. At a distance, we may see where the landscape of the earth ends and the sky begins. That's a line drawn by God Himself. So, predestination in Christ draws the line between those who are saved and those who are not. God has "marked off beforehand" to save all who believe in Christ (Acts 16:31).

All who have faith in Christ are predestined to be glorified into His likeness (Romans 8:29-30). We shall be glorified in a body like unto that of our risen Lord. "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). That's what Ryrie called "ultimate conformity to Christ."

Ryrie made it simple and clear, "to predestine is to preplan a destiny." That is the security of every believer. Our destiny is certain and God's plan for every believer is certain. We are predestined as God's adopted children, by faith in Christ, unto an eternal inheritance to be glorified in Christ.