One Sacrifice for Sins

In Bible days, when men entered into covenant, they made promises to each other sworn with an oath. Then, they sacrificed an animal. It was a blood covenant. The animal was cut in half. The men walked between the two halves. Symbolically they were saying, if I keep not my promises, may I be slain as this animal.

Jesus was crucified as the sacrifice of the everlasting covenant. He was the covenant sacrifice at the cross. When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple was torn in half, from the top to the bottom (Matthew 27:51). The glory of God departed from the Temple. The old covenant was finished. The new covenant had come (Hebrews 10:9). The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ proved it. We enter the everlasting covenant by faith in the Gospel of Christ.

"But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). A sacrifice is one who dies in the place of others. There is one and only one covenant sacrifice for our sins. Jesus Christ was crucified to take away all our sins (1 John 1:7).

The Old Testament sacrifices were never final. They were offered again and again, year after year (Hebrews 10:11). They pointed toward the one and only sacrifice that takes away sin. They pointed to Christ crucified as the one sacrifice forever. When Jesus was crucified, he said, "It is finished"(John 19:30). The old covenant was finished. The new and everlasting covenant is forever!

Christ In Prophecy

The apostles in the New Testament preached Christ from prophecy in the Old Testament Scripture, and that includes the book of Psalms. Before the New Testament was completed, they preached the gospel of Christ according to the Scripture, which meant the Old Testament Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Prophecy reveals the gospel of Christ in the Psalms. We see Christ dying and rising again. We see Christ coming the second time and reigning over all. Verses in the Psalms are quoted in the New Testament. Psalms revealed Christ in prophecy.

The Psalms prophesied Christ suffering death at the cross (Psalm 22). Psalms also declared the resurrection of Christ (Psalm 16:8-11). That is the gospel of Jesus Christ foretold in the Psalms.

The book of Psalms prophesied the present day priestly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, as our Intercessor with God the Father (Psalm 110). Psalms also prophesied the second coming of Christ (Psalm 2).

The apostle Peter preached Christ and the resurrection on the Day of Pentecost from the book of Psalms (Psalm 16:8-11; Acts 2:25-28). That means the first gospel sermon in the Christian church was on Christ from prophecy in Psalms.

What Is Real Faith?

Charles Spurgeon said, "Temporary faith is no faith at all." Jesus spoke of "those who believe for awhile, and in time of testing fall away" (Luke 8:13). Real faith can stand the test. Also, real faith is an abiding gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). Real faith remains, abides, continues through all manner of testing. 

Jesus taught those who fall away only believe for awhile. This is recorded in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:11-15). The problem in this case is recognized in the person's heart. Those who fall away have a heart that has not been changed by the grace of God. It leads to apostasy, or falling away (1 John 2:19).

When a person is born again, God takes away the heart of stone and gives a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). The new heart is like rich soil for the seed of the Gospel of Christ to bring forth fruit unto salvation. True believers have a heart changed to become a new creation in Christ (Romans 2:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Real faith is a gift of the Spirit of God known as abiding or continuing faith.

We are saved by the grace of God through faith, trusting in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:8-9). Our hearts are changed with new desires. The heart is the mind, will, and emotions, as the term is most often used in the Bible. God works in us "both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). A new heart includes a will changed by God's grace. God began the work of salvation in us and continues unto completion (Philippians 1:6). 

One Way to Please God

There is only one way that you can ever please God. That's by faith. When you have faith in God and His Son, be assured that God is working in you what is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

You please God, because He is the one who gives you faith. It is by the grace of God that you are enabled to live by faith. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God"(Ephesians 2:8). It's all of grace as the gift of God.

When you please God, faith abides in you as a gift from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). The gift of faith is from God the Father, through the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart. It is anchored to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and was raised from the dead. The Spirit of grace enables you to believe the gospel of Christ.

The gift of faith is not just mental assent nor human effort. It is a result of the Holy Spirit bringing you to a point of confidence, assurance, and trust in the living Christ. It's faith that the world didn't give you, and the world can't take it away. Faith pleases God, the very gift of faith that He works in you. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). When you please God, it's because God is working in you.

How God Works In You

"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). The Holy Spirit works in us according to God's pleasure. If God's Spirit is working in you, then you have the abiding gifts of faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). That is Christ in you according to God's good pleasure. 

God works in you through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit changes your heart. That's called regeneration or new birth. He gives you a renewed will with a desire to do God's will. That's God's good pleasure working in you.

God works in your heart. That is your mind, will, and emotions. He is doing more in you than you can understand. He is always doing more than we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). God works in your heart to bring glory to His name. The Holy Spirit gives you the ability to do God's good pleasure. That includes your ministry gift and power to witness for Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 4:10-11).

As a believer, you may rest in the assurance that the Holy Spirit will never leave nor forsake you (John 14:16-17; Hebrews 13:5). Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, at the coming of Christ (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). It was God's pleasure to begin a good work in you. God will complete that work in the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6; 2:13).

If God Chose You

If God chose you, it's in Christ alone. He foreknew you as justified and glorified in Christ. God foreknew your salvation as done. In Romans 8:28-30, God's purpose in salvation is a prolepsis (i.e., to see before). God foreknew all who shall be in Christ (1 Peter 1:2).

If God chose you, it's through the gospel of Christ. That includes everyone who repents and believes the gospel (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 16:31). Only those who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. As believers, we experience the gospel in power with assurance. That was the Holy Spirit working in our hearts (Romans 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:5).

If God chose you, it's unto faith in Christ. You are justified through the death of Jesus Christ for your sins. Justification is by faith in the power of his resurrection. Justification means all your sins are taken away through the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). The righteousness of Christ is accounted to you (2 Corinthians 5:21). God declares you justified by faith in Christ. "It is God who justifies" (Romans 8:33).

If God chose you, it's to be glorified into 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 you as a believer in Christ is now in the foreknowledge of God. Therefore, God foreknew you as glorified in the very image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-30).

God's Love for You

Our relationship with God may simply be described by this one word, love. That's the key word for us as believers in Christ. Love is so important, because it tells us who God is. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Your life is about love, when you know God's love for you. 

God's love for you is in the Bible. It has been called God's love letter to us. God's love for us is made clear through the words of your Bible. God who created the world, loves the world (John 3:16). That includes every nation and ethnic group. The narrative of the Bible reveals how God loves you.

God's love for you through Christ, the only begotten Son of God. That love was proven at the cross of Jesus. God so loved the world in Christ crucified for our sins (Romans 5:8). Greater love than this cannot be found. God's love is proven at the cross of Jesus. That's how God loves you.

God's love for you is through the Holy Spirit. His love is made real to your heart, as you believe the gospel of Christ (Romans 5:5). The experience of God's love comes into our life through the Spirit of the living God. He fills you with God's love. When the Holy Spirit fills you, God loves others through you (Ephesians 3:10; 5:18). God's love is for you, and God loves through you.

If You Trust God

If you trust God, you are not leaning on your own understanding. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding"(Proverbs 3:5). We cannot understand all the ways of God. Trusting God is confidently believing in His ability to help us and direct us.

If you trust God, you can testify, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:2). No one can force you to trust God. On the other hand, no one can stop you from trusting God. If your heart is changed by the grace of God, you can trust in the LORD.

All relationships are built upon trust. Our relationship with God is trusting Him. God is trustworthy. As a son who will trust his father, so God invites you to trust Him as your Father in heaven. If an earthly father can be trustworthy, our Father in heaven is so very much more. Trust God as your Father in heaven.

If you trust God, you are standing firm upon His word. The Bible gives us the written promises of God. We can trust the promises of God, because He is the Promise-Keeper. His word of promise is our sure foundation. We trust God through every situation of life. If you trust God, then you have absolute confidence in His word of promise. 

Your Daily Cleansing

Our Lord Jesus not only cleansed 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." 

There are no perfect Christians here below. Our temptations continue. Our battle with the flesh is reality (Galatians 5:17). Our sanctification is not perfect nor complete in this life. 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.

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 daily cleanse you from all sin.

The Trinity of Salvation

The Bible clearly reveals the Trinity of 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 is every believer's public testimony. Jesus commanded believers to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Praise be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for your complete salvation. God will saves believers to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

God the Father chose to save sinners by grace through faith in his Son Jesus. God the Son came to reveal the fullness of God's grace (John 1:14). That grace was fully revealed at the cross of Jesus. His substitutionary death guarantees the complete salvation for all who believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). His glorious resurrection is every believer's justification. Jesus completely saves!

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

When You Are Justified

Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, "In justifying us God tells us that He has taken our sins and our guilt, and has imputed them to, put them to the account of, the Lord Jesus Christ and punished them in Him. He announces also that, having done that, He now puts to our account, or imputes to us, the perfect righteousness of His own dear Son."

When you are justified, it's by faith alone in Christ alone. We are justified from all sin at the cross of Jesus (1 John 1:7). Then, God puts the righteousness of Christ on our account. As Lloyd-Jones declared, "He now puts to our account, or 'imputes' to us, the perfect righteousness of His own dear Son."

Martin Luther focused upon the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ. He referred to it as the great exchange. Believers exchange their sins for the righteousness of Christ. Augustus Toplady, called it the double cure in his hymn, Rock of Ages. We sing these words: "Be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure." That's when you are justified.

When you are justified, it's through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, believers are justified from all sin (Romans 5:1). But, God does even more for every believer. He puts the righteousness of Christ on our account (2 Corinthians 5:21). Yes, our record of sin is wiped clean, and God also accounts us righteous in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17-19).

Christ Revealed to You

Christ is revealed to you through the Holy Spirit, according to Holy Scripture, the Bible. Christ was 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, and He is coming again, "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

Christ is revealed to you in the Bible through a 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 our Lord. He is known as the Word of God. "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 to Christ revealed to you today. 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).

Christ is the primary revelation in the Bible. Many would think that Revelation is one of the hardest books in the Bible to understand. However, Jesus is the revelation in the Book of Revelation. Read the title of the book: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:1). Christ is revealed to you from Genesis to Revelation, through prophecy, typology and fulfillment.

Our Great Teacher

Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, "No man can know Jesus Christ unless he is taught by God. Tell me not of systems of divinity, of schemes of theology, of infallible commentators, of the most learned people, or of the most arrogant doctors, but tell me of the great Teacher who will instruct the sons of God and make us wise to understand all things. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher." 

The Holy Spirit is our great Teacher of truth. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide his disciples into all truth (John 8:31-32; 16:13). While the Spirit of God gives pastors and other teachers the ability to minister the word of truth, yet he alone is the great Teacher. He is the one who inspired the Holy Scripture. Believers are taught by the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible.

The Holy Spirit reveals the Lord Jesus Christ to all who are born again. He teaches you about the only one who can take away your sins, Jesus the crucified one. He teaches you to confess Jesus is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit teaches you about the only one who could change your heart, Jesus and the power of his resurrection (Romans. 10:9). His teaching always glorifies Jesus, the Son of God, according to the Scripture (John 16:14).

The Holy Spirit teaches us more and more about Jesus. Our prayer should be: "Spirit of God my teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me." That's the way God teaches every believer in Christ.

Two Sides of Election

The two sides of election are based upon God's foreknowledge and our responsibility. Our election in Christ was before time began. Yet, we are responsible to receive Jesus Christ by faith (John 1:11-12). You make your call and election sure, as you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:10; 3:18). Your election is sure in Christ.

The Bible doctrine of election has two sides. There is the divine side and the human side. God foreknew the elect in Christ before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:2). However, you make your call and election in Christ sure in time (2 Peter 1:10).

God foreknew the elect in Christ (Romans 8:29-30). The elect are born again at a certain point in time. God foreknew the time of your conversion, but you received God's grace through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:15; 2:20). That's your election made sure in Christ, when you repented and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31).

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, your election is sure in Christ. If you begin with yourself, election is made sure by repentance and faith in Christ.