Living Faith Works

Living faith takes action to do God's will. Faith works through us. God can do anything that He chooses to do without us. However, God has chosen to work through us. Living faith confesses, prays, and does the the will of God. "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also"(James 2:26).

Living faith says, "I will do the word of God. He has put it in my heart. He is working through me to the praise of his glory. I am a doer of the word." The Bible says,"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"(James 1:22).

Some may think that faith does nothing, and depends upon God to do everything. However, the Bible teaches that we are laborers together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). It is God's will for living faith to work through us. Let me illustrate. Put a glove on your hand to do the work before you. The glove does not do the work alone, neither can it. The hand works through the glove. So, God works through us (Philippians 2:13).

Maybe you are in a situation where you are asking God to do something about it. If so, pray like this, "God, what would you have me to do?" Living faith is a doer of the word. It rises up to do something about it. Living faith is doing God's will.

Will God Show Partiality?

The apostle Peter learned through divine revelation that God is not partial. He was a Jew sent by God to preach to Gentiles. "Then Peter opened his mouth and said, 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality"(Acts 10:34).

God shows no partiality, because of His love for the world (John 3:16). The good news is that God loves sinners, and He proved it at the cross of Jesus. Jesus did not die for good people, because there are none (Romans 3:10, 23). We have all sinned and come short of God's glory. Jesus died for sinners (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Once and for all, God proved His love for us at the cross of Jesus.

God shows no partiality, because His mercy and grace is toward all nations. The Bible declares: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). There's abundant mercy in God for all nations (Revelation 5:9). 

God's mercy is for all nations. Jesus sent the apostles into all nations to preach the gospel and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). The invitation of God the Father, through Jesus Christ, is offered to all people with no partiality. "Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43).

How to Walk with God

Every believer may walk with God. Yes, we walk with God daily by faith. The walk of faith is our walk with God. He welcomes us to walk with him. Believers can walk with God daily. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

You may say, "I don't feel worthy to walk with God." Neither do I. We don't feel worthy because we are not worthy. Yet, faith in Jesus Christ enables us to walk with God. He died for all our sins upon the cross. He forgives our sins. In Christ alone, we become worthy to walk with God. Walking with God is by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.

You may say, "I don't know how to begin the walk with God." The Holy Spirit initiates the walk in our hearts. He gives us the faith to walk with God. He sustains our faith day by day. Walking with God is walking in the Spirit. "I say then: Walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16). His gift of faith enables believers to walk with God today.

All believers walk with God, as we walk in love. The love of God is the constant companion of all who walk with God. Love will lead you each step of the way. Love will walk with you on the right path. Love will walk with you through every valley. Love will keep you all along the way. "And walk in love as Christ has also loved us" (Ephesians 5:2). 

Concurrent Sovereignty

Sovereignty without human responsibility leads to fatalism. On the other hand, teaching human responsibility while neglecting God's sovereignty leads to deism, where God is simply not ruling in our world. Then, God is nothing more than a spectator. Neither can ever be acceptable according to Holy Scripture.

Concurrence is God's sovereignty plus our responsibility. The Bible teaches both. Consider this illustration. The farmer plows the soil, sows the seed, and continues to cultivate the field. Yet, only God can give the increase. This was the illustration given by the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Here we understand the sovereignty of God concurrent with our responsibility.

God is sovereign over all. He is the Almighty, beside whom there is no other. He is the Creator, sustaining and ruling over all. Yet, God has given us choice that makes us responsible and accountable to Him. Therein, we find the basis of God's judgment. Therefore, God speaks to us in the Bible with exhortations and commands.

Concurrence is God's sovereignty including our responsibility. Theological systems that teach God's sovereignty without our responsibility will lead to the error of fatalism. God's sovereignty and our responsibility are always concurrent.

How God Leads You

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). Each and every believer may be led by the Holy Spirit. He lives in the heart of every true believer in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9). God will lead you on the right path day after day. The Bible teaches clearly how God will lead you. 

God leads you by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit includes love, joy, and peace. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Galatians 5:22). God will lead us with love, joy and peace. Such fruit proves that God is leading us.

God leads you by love. When we follow the Lord, then we love God and others. The Spirit of God leads us with joy. When you refuse to follow, joy evades you. God will lead us with peace. It is the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

God leads you daily. He will not force you to follow. However, there are only two choices. One is to follow the Holy Spirit. The other one is to go astray. Even when you go astray, the Holy Spirit is there to lead you back into the right way.

When you follow the Holy Spirit, we discover love, joy, and peace. When you don't follow, then you doubt God's love, forfeit real joy, and replace peace with confusion. The choice is clear. The results are predictable, when God leads you.

How We Are Blessed

We are blessed in Christ "to the praise of the glory of His grace"(Ephesians 1:6). Grace means that every blessing comes to us as the gift of God in Christ. A gift cannot be bought nor earned. Every blessing of God is received by grace through faith in Christ.

We are blessed "with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, all the blessings of God are ours. We need not beg God to bless us. We need not struggle nor strive to receive God's blessings. They are all ours by grace through faith in Christ.

We are blessed us in so many ways. In the first chapter of Ephesians several of those blessings are mentioned. We are blessed with God's love, grace, peace, truth, forgiveness, and wisdom, through the Holy Spirit. There are countless more blessings "not only in this age, but also in the age to come"(Ephesians 1:21). All these blessings are ours by grace through faith in Christ.

You may ask, how can I thank God for all of these blessings in Christ? Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise is the expression of a grateful heart to God for all of His blessings in Christ. Worship is giving thanks and praise to God through our prayers and songs. Praise God, because you are blessed in Christ.

God Foreknows Us

God's attributes include foreknowledge. God foreknows us in Christ. God foreknows all things. His foreknowledge has to do with all His people in Christ. God has foreknown His people in Christ. God foreknows His relationship with each one of us. We are foreknown as justified and glorified in Christ (Romans 8:28-30).

Augustine taught that God's people are foreknown in Christ. "Since only One foreknows, only One knows that number and can already name them by name, not because this is already decreed by universal foreordination, but because God's knowing is contemporary with every moment in time, including future moments with all their contingencies."

God foreknows us in Christ, yet that does not remove the command for all people to repent (Acts 17:30). God foreknows us in Christ through a personal relationship, yet that does not dismiss our responsibility. We are responsible for our choices. We must repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the gospel (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:10).

God foreknows us in a personal relationship through Christ. All of us are foreknown through the eternal covenant with Christ, the great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20-21). God's foreknowledge includes all things to the least detail. God foreknows us in Christ as his people. That includes our calling, gifting, and service (Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:10). 

Your Full Salvation

Our full salvation is in three tenses: past, present, and future. That is to say, in Christ you have been saved; you are being saved; you shall be saved. Three terms describe the three tenses of your salvation in Christ: justified, sanctified, and glorified.

You have been saved. That is justification by faith in Jesus Christ. You are being saved, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). That is sanctification. You shall be saved. That is your glorification, when Christ returns. In essence, you shall be like Him (1 John 3:2).

Salvation is justification, sanctification, and glorification. It's all by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is your full salvation. In Christ, you are justified and free from all condemnation. In Christ, you are being sanctified until glorified. In Christ, you shall be made just like him, when he appears.

Your full salvation is God's work in Christ. God began your salvation; God continues your salvation; God shall complete your salvation. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). In Christ, you have been justified (Romans 5:1). In Christ, you are being sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2). In Christ, you shall be glorified (1 John 3:2).

Blessed or Cursed

All covenants in Bible days had promised blessings and warned of the curse. Matthew 25:31-46 describes our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, coming again to bring judgment. Those who are not blessed are cursed. Everyone is either blessed or cursed. There is no other covenant option. There is a sharp contrast between those who are blessed and those who are cursed.

Those who are blessed are like sheep. Our Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep. They hear his voice and follow him. Those who reject Jesus as Lord are described as the goats. They neither hear his voice nor follow. The sheep are blessed, whereas the goats are cursed.

Those at the King's right hand are blessed. Remember, covenants were made with an uplifted right hand. That was an oath of promise. Those at the King's right hand are his covenant people. They have believed and received his covenant promises. Those at his left hand have neither believed nor received his promises. They are cursed at his left hand.

The sheep at the King's right hand are blessed to receive life everlasting. They are believers in the Son of God (John 3:16). The goats at the King's left hand are cursed with everlasting punishment. The word cursed means to be cut off and marked for destruction. The everlasting covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ is a blessing for all at his right hand (Hebrews 13:20-21). Yet, the curse is for all at his left hand.

God Is Everywhere

Don't think of God as being far away, because God is present everywhere. "For in Him we live and move and have our being"(Acts 17:28) That means God is where you are. God is there all the time. Only faith recognizes God is present everywhere. Unbelief does not consider God present anywhere.

God is everywhere. He's where you are now. Even though you don't see God, the Bible teaches that God is everywhere. Theologians use the word omnipresence, which means God is everywhere. Therefore, we can say with the psalmist,"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth"(Psalm 145:18).

There is not only the omnipresence of God, but there is also the manifest presence of God. While God is everywhere all the time, yet God may manifest himself in different ways at different times. God manifested his presence on the Day of Pentecost in a dramatic way (Acts 2). Yet, we must not think of God as only present in dramatic and unusual ways.

Faith sees God everywhere all the time (Hebrews 11:1-6). We need not dramatic manifestations to know that God is with us everywhere. Someone may say,"How can God be with us? We can't see Him nor feel His presence." Faith does not require feelings nor manifestations to know that God is present everywhere.

What a Joy Divine

An old hymn of the church has these words: "What a fellowship. what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms." The Bible says, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). Our fellowship with God brings joy. When we are out of fellowship with God, we need to confess our sins, that the joy we once knew may be restored. Sin separates us from fellowship with God. 

Restored fellowship with God results in joy. The barrier of sin is removed, as we confess it to God. The joy of salvation is restored. We may pray, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation" (Psalm 51:12).

Our fellowship with God is joy. His joy is our strength for living. Fellowship makes you aware of God's presence. His presence is the place of joy. Your joy now and forever is found in fellowship with God.

Make fellowship with God a daily part of your life. Praise God through prayer and singing unto Him. Give thanks to God for His love, goodness, and joy to you. 

Ask God to bring to your attention any sins that you need to confess. Recognize that fellowship with God is your joy. Then, we can truly sing, "what a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms." That's our fellowship with God!

Only One Mediator

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time" (1 Timothy 2:5-6). A mediator brings two parties together who are in disagreement. God's disagreement with us is on one issue alone. That is our sin. There is only one Mediator with God. Jesus is the only one!

God the Father gave His Son as the one and only Mediator of mercy, grace and love (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ is rejecting God's mercy, grace and love. Jesus is the one and only Mediator between God and man, because He alone is the God-Man, fully God and fully man, incarnate deity.

Jesus gave Himself as our ransom at the cross. He is the gift of God the Father, who alone has paid the price to set believers free from condemnation and wrath (John 3:18, 36; Romans 8:1). Here we clearly see why Jesus is the only Mediator with God. Jesus giving Himself for sinners at the cross is grace so amazing. Grace is the gift of God's unmerited favor for us (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus Christ is the only Mediator through the everlasting covenant. He works in believers to do what is well pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:20-21). God the Father is well pleased in His only begotten Son. We can only please God when His Son Jesus works in us and through us to the praise of His glory. 

How We Are Redeemed

We are redeemed from the bondage and curse of our sin in Christ. The word redeemed means to pay a price to set someone free. Christ redeems believers at the cross. The only way we can be redeemed from condemnation is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31).

We are redeemed from the curse of the law in Christ. The word curse is a covenant term. It means to be cut off from the blessings of God because of sin. Jesus died at the cross, "having become a curse for us." He died in your place, as your substitute. Jesus paid it all. As a believer, see Christ dying on the cross to take away the curse of your sin.

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14).

We are redeemed "that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles." Jesus fulfilled the covenant God made with Abraham to be a blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). God blessed Abraham in all things (Genesis 24:1). Believers are blessed in all things,because they are redeemed in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). The blessing of Abraham is ours by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Believing the Gospel

Believers are saved through the gospel of Christ. It comes with much assurance. The Spirit of grace enables us to believe in Christ. When the gospel comes in the power of the Holy Spirit, we have much assurance. Only the Holy Spirit can give the believer this assurance. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance (1 Thessalonians 1:5). 

Believing the gospel of Christ is our salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Never does God believe for us. However, God enables you to truly repent and believe in Christ. The grace of God enables us to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. After you repent and believe the gospel, you can testify how God brought you to that point. It is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16).

The Holy Spirit convinces believers of the gospel with much assurance. Without the Spirit of grace convincing you, there is no desire to be saved. The Holy Spirit convicts of unbelief and convinces us to turn to God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:8-11). That's the Holy Spirit working in believers through the gospel.

The Holy Spirit enables us to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:30; 16:30-31). Our inability to do so is overcome only by looking to the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:2). What God commands, God provides through the Holy Spirit. He who commands repentance, grants us repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). He who commands faith in Christ, gives us faith by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

Born of the Spirit

Jesus said, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). Salvation is to be born of the Spirit. New birth is a work of God's grace in us, beyond our full comprehension.

New birth is salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord (Titus 3:4-5). The Holy Spirit alone can change our hearts (Romans 2:28-29). To be born of the Spirit is regeneration or new birth. It is being born from above, because the Holy Spirit comes from above (John 3:6-7).

Like the wind, the Spirit works with great power. His power is omnipotent. The wind moves at unexpected times and in unexpected ways. It's hard to explain, and often difficult to understand. The Holy Spirit, like the wind, moves when, where, and how he pleases. New birth is the work of the Holy Spirit to the praise of God's glory.

The Holy Spirit brings salvation through new birth to give us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). Regeneration or new birth is the work of only one, the Holy Spirit (John 3:7-8). New birth enables us to have a genuine love for God and a heart to obey Christ. God's Spirit does in us what we could never do for ourselves. In Christ, we are born of the Spirit to become a new creation (John 3:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Our Access to God

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. Access to God in 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. There is power in true prayer, based upon the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:1-10).

The priests of the Old Testament prayed with access 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). Access to God in true prayer is through the shed blood of Jesus. 

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 as one with Christ. We are one with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers are one in 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 in Adam through our first birth, so we are in Christ through our new birth. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation"(2 Corinthians 5:17).

Believers are one in Christ through the Holy Spirit. We are baptized with the Holy 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 one with Adam through sin and death, so we as believers are one in Christ through salvation from sin and death (Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:22). As we were born with a sin nature in Adam, so we are born again as a new creation in Christ.

Believers are one in Christ through the gospel. 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, Charles H. Spurgeon said, "As a believer, you are one with Jesus."

God's Good Pleasure

"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). God is pleased with you, when the Holy Spirit is in you according to God's good pleasure. The Holy Spirit is in you through the abiding gifts of faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). 

God's good pleasure is in all who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19). He works in you to do God's will. The Holy Spirit changes your heart (Romans 2:28-29). That's called regeneration or new birth. He gives you a renewed will with a desire to do God's will.

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

As a believer, God's good pleasure is in you through the Holy Spirit. He will never leave you nor forsake you (John 14:16-17). Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, at the coming of Christ (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). The same Holy Spirit, who began a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6; 2:13).

God's Kingdom Revealed

God's kingdom is revealed in sovereignty, dominion and power. The kingdom of God is the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). The King of the kingdom is Jesus our risen Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).

God's kingdom is revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ. He said, All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth  (Matthew 28:18). He came into this present evil world to defeat sin, Satan, and death, through the cross and the resurrection. The power of evil was broken, yet the victory has not come in all of its fullness. The warfare rages, as the kingdom of light attacks the kingdom of darkness. However, the complete defeat of evil will only come at the return of Christ in kingdom power (Luke 21:27; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

God's kingdom is revealed in the power of the Holy Spirit. You enter the kingdom through new birth, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:5-8; 1 John 5:1). Only through the power of our Lord Jesus can you break free from the control of the evil one (1 John 5:18-20). Those born of the Spirit enter the kingdom of God through believing the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).

God's kingdom shall be revealed at the second coming of Christ. Jesus taught us to pray: Our Father in heaven ... Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10). That's the day King Jesus returns. His kingdom power and authority shall bring the final and total victory. The kingdom of God shall be revealed in sovereign power and great glory.

Rest In Christ Alone

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!" 

Rest in Christ alone and not in yourself. We know that we are sinners and Christ died for our sins. Do not trust in self-righteousness. Faith can only rest in the righteousness of Christ. He is your righteousness. In Christ your faith finds rest.

Spurgeon taught faith is "in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing." That's our rest in Christ alone. Jesus says to you, "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Faith will rest with confidence and assurance in Christ alone, and not in yourself? Faith is knowing Christ as your Surety (Hebrews 7:22). Rest in Christ alone as your guarantee of eternal salvation. 

Can you 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!" 

Do you rest in Christ alone? Confess, "I am a sinner for whom Christ died." Focus your faith upon Christ crucified for your sins. No self-righteousness do you claim. You know by faith that Christ died for your sins. He is risen from the dead as our living Lord.

How to Be Blessed

Everyone is either blessed or cursed, according to the Bible. To be cursed is to be cut off from the blessing of God. He wants to bless all nations (Galatians 3:8). The Bible makes it clear how God blesses people. The blessing comes through covenant. God makes promises with an oath to bless all who are in a covenant relationship with him.

Be blessed in our Lord Jesus Christ. He took the curse of our sin at the cross, that we may receive the covenant blessing. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus proves that God the Father accepted his sacrifice for our sins. "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). On the cross Jesus took the curse of our sins.

Be blessed by faith in Christ. We receive the covenant blessing the same way Abraham did, by faith alone (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-4). God blessed Abraham in all things (Genesis 24:1). "So then those of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham" (Galatians 3:9). God made covenant with Abraham to bless all nations through his Seed. The promised Seed is our Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:1-3). 

Be blessed in Christ to "receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:14). The Holy Spirit seals all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Spirit confirms our covenant relationship with God, through the abiding gifts of faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

God Will Forgive You

God will forgive you by faith in Christ. You are not forgiven of some sins. It's far better than that. You are forgiven of all sin. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God has forgiven you of all sin. 

God will forgive you at the cross of Jesus. Your sin debt was paid in full,"through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace"(Ephesians 1:7). God is rich in grace. That is God's unmerited favor for you in Christ. God's forgiveness is received by grace alone in Christ. Nothing good have we done to deserve God's Son. Grace abounds toward you in Christ. It is received by faith alone in Christ.

God will forgive you as a believer in Christ. We certainly know that Christians are not perfect, just forgiven. When believers sin, we should confess our sins to God. Fresh cleansing is available. The promise of God is sure."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 will forgive you "to the praise of the glory of His grace"(Ephesians 1:6). If you have any doubt about God's willingness to forgive you, look at the cross of Jesus. "Mercy there was great and grace was free." Because of God's amazing grace in Christ, your sins are forgiven. Praise God that your sins are forgiven by God's grace and for His glory!

Two Sides of God's Will

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."

Erickson understood two sides of God's revealed will expressed in the Bible. First, he mentioned God's will in the sense of a wish. Also, he mentioned God's will as his intention. We 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). Also, there is God's will of 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.

Election Is Not Fatalism

Wayne Grudem wrote,"By fatalism is meant a system in which human choices and human decisions really do not make any difference. In fatalism, no matter what we do, things are going to turn out as they have been previously ordained. As a result, our humanity is destroyed and the motivation for moral accountability is removed."

Some hear of the Bible doctrine of election and they immediately conclude that it's fatalism. Wayne Grudem gets to the heart of the matter. In fatalism, moral accountability is removed. Not so with the Bible doctrine of election. In election, God changes man in Christ because of his moral accountability."So then each of us shall give account of himself to God"(Romans 14:10).

In election God chooses His people through love divine in Christ; in fatalism there is neither love nor Christ. In election, God works through human choices; in fatalism there is no human choice. In election God works through means to achieve His purpose; in fatalism there is no purpose. In election God changes man's motivation in Christ; in fatalism motivation is removed.

The contrast between election and fatalism is clear. Election confirms accountability; fatalism removes accountability. Election changes man in Christ; fatalism changes no man. Election is God's purpose; fatalism has no purpose. Election is life in Christ; fatalism is life in vain.

Abiding Faith In Christ

We are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. "You have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus"(2 Timothy 3:15). The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Holy Scripture, uses the message of the gospel to bring abiding faith into our lives. It is faith that abides in Christ.

Those who are born again have three abiding gifts of the Holy Spirit. "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love"(1 Corinthians 13:13). Now we have faith in Christ. We have hope in Christ for the future. We have the love of God in Christ forever (Romans 8:38-39).

Those who are born again abide in Christ through the gifts of faith, hope and love. All who are born of the Spirit, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, experience these three gifts. These gifts of the Spirit are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).

Abiding faith is time tested and proven. It will be mocked by the scoffer. It will be threatened by life situations. Nevertheless, faith that abides in Christ will not change with the times, break under pressure, nor fall into unbelief. 

Abiding faith stands upon the truth of God. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith that abides is based upon Holy Scripture. The Bible is the testimony of the apostles and the prophets to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How God Cleanses Us

Martyn Lloyd-Jones explained from First John 1:6-10, how God cleanses us from sin. He taught, "It is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from the guilt of sin; God has made the provision and He applies it. We are called upon to walk in the light and to confess our sins."

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin (First John 1:7). Our continued fellowship with God is based upon the blood of Jesus, as we walk in the light of Christ, confessing our sins. To confess our sins is to agree with God that we have done wrong. Cleansing comes from the blood of Jesus when we confess our sins.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones insisted that God is the one who applies the blood, as we confess our sins. He stated, "God has made the provision and he applies it." We are not dependent upon a priest, pastor, or anyone else to apply the blood of Jesus. It is God alone who applies the blood of Jesus, based upon our confession.

When we confess our sins, the blood of Jesus cleanses us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). Faith in the word of God's promise receives forgiveness and cleansing. Then, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones taught,"It is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from the guilt of sin."