Learn How to Pray

Jesus taught us how we should pray (Matthew 6:9-13). We should pray to God our Father, Your kingdom come. Your will be done. Prayer is not about our will being done. Prayer is asking God's will be done. We are asking for God's kingdom to come. And what is the kingdom of God? For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). The kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit bringing righteousness, peace, and joy into our lives.

Jesus taught us to focus our prayers upon God's will. That's our prayer for the Spirit of God to overcome evil in this life. We are asking for God's kingdom to come and God's will to be done. We are praying that the Spirit of God will work in our lives with righteousness, joy, and peace through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught his disciples the model prayer, also known as the Lord's prayer. They learned to focus on the kingdom of God, and that means to ask for God's will in our prayers. So, we should pray to our Father in heaven, Your kingdom come, Your will be done. When God's kingdom comes, the will of God is done. 

The kingdom of darkness is at work in this present evil age. Satan and the powers of darkness are defeated when God's kingdom comes in power. Light defeats darkness every time. That's when we pray to God our Father, Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10). Learn to pray for God's will to be done in every situation.

What Is a Mediator?

A mediator brings two parties together who are in disagreement. God's disagreement with us is one issue alone. That is our sin. There is only one Mediator with God. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the everlasting covenant."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).

Christ is the only Mediator of the everlasting covenant. He works in every believer to do what is 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. 

Jesus Christ is the only Mediator in the threefold offices of Prophet, Priest and King. As the Prophet, He represents God to us, declaring the Word of God. He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). As the High Priest, Jesus represents us to God. He ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:23-25). As our Lord, Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are saved, knowing and confessing Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9).

God the Father gave His Son as the only Mediator to bring His mercy, grace and love to us (John 3:16; Acts 4:12). Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ are rejecting God's mercy, grace and love. Jesus is the only Mediator with God, because He alone is the God-Man, fully God and fully man, incarnate deity.

Complete Salvation

Charles H. Spurgeon said, "Great care must be taken that this faith is exercised upon Christ for complete salvation, and for not just part of it. Numbers of people think that the Lord Jesus is available for the pardon of past sin, but they cannot trust Him for preservation in the future."

"Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Your salvation is complete in Christ. Spurgeon put it this way, saying, "Genuine faith trusts a whole Christ for the whole of salvation." The Lord Jesus Christ completely saves, even to the uttermost.

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). Therefore, Spurgeon was clear to maintain that believers in the Lord Jesus can "trust Him for preservation in the future." That means Jesus Christ not only begins our salvation, but He completely saves.

Spurgeon warned of Christians who could trust Christ to save them from past sins, but they did not trust Him for the future. Spurgeon said, "They trust Him for years past, but not for years to come." He was sure of complete salvation in Christ. He declared, "Salvation by grace is eternal salvation. Sinners must commit their souls into the keeping of Christ for all eternity." Complete salvation is in Christ alone.

The Revelation of Christ

God gives revelation in the Bible. Many may think that the book of Revelation is the most difficult book in the Bible to understand. However, see Jesus as the focal point in the book of Revelation. Read the title of the book: The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). The Revelation is Christ.

The revelation of Messiah is 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).

The revelation of Christ is throughout the Bible. 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. Jesus is 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).

The revelation of Christ is in the Gospel. He was crucified for our sins, and risen from the dead. 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 died for our sins. He is risen from the dead, as every believers Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9).

Minds That Are Blind

The Bible teaches that Satan is the evil one. He is the ruler of this present evil age. When Satan tempted Jesus to worship him, he offered Jesus the kingdoms of this world, which is this present evil age. The Bible describes Satan's work in people, "whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe" (2 Cor. 4:4). In Jesus our Lord, believers see the light defeating Satan's power of darkness.

Satan as "the god of this age" blinds the minds of those who believe not the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). Works of the evil one are based upon spiritual darkness, which includes unbelief, temptation, sin and death. God's power unto salvation is your victory, through faith in the righteousness and resurrection of Christ (Romans 1:16-17).

Jesus Christ was born into this world as the light to destroy the works of spiritual darkness. He came to destroy the works of the evil one. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). Jesus our Lord brings light to minds that are blind.

Jesus Christ was born to die for our sins according to the Scripture (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Jesus destroyed the power of death when He was raised from the grave. Jesus defeated the power of darkness through His death, resurrection, and ascension (1 Corinthians 15:20-21; Ephesians 4:8; Hebrews 2:14-15). The gospel of Christ gives light to minds that are blind.

How God Promised

When men entered into covenant during Bible days, they made promises sworn with an oath. Then, they offered an animal as a sacrifice. The slain animal was cut in half. Men entering into covenant walked between the two halves. Symbolically, they were saying, may I be cut off as this animal if I keep not my word of promise.

God promised with a covenant oath. No animal was sacrificed. Instead, God's only begotten Son was the sacrifice of the everlasting covenant. God's promises to every believer are sealed in the precious blood of Jesus, known in Scripture as the Lamb of God. God's covenant promises to us as believers are guaranteed and cannot be broken. Or, as the hymn says, "standing on the promises that cannot fail."

God promised with words that are forever the same (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 7:22; 8:7-13). Know God's covenant promises. (1) God will put His laws in our mind; (2) God will be our God and we are His people; (3) We will all know the LORD; (4) God will forgive our sins and remember them no more.

God promised through the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20-21). God's promises reveal His good will. He promises with a guarantee for His people. We know Him as the LORD of our lives. LORD is God's covenant name. He forgives our sins and will remember them no more. All our sins are taken away through the blood of the everlasting covenant, at the cross of Jesus.

God Manifest in Flesh

The Bible teaches that Jesus our Lord is God . "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus is the God-Man, fully God and fully man. Christ is the Word who became flesh (John 1:1, 14).

Jesus is God manifest in flesh. Thomas understood this when the risen Christ appeared unto him. He said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Jesus is our Lord and our God. He is the God-Man.

Jesus is God manifest in "the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person" (Hebrews 1:3). You may ask, "What is God like?" He is just like Jesus, because Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He is the exact likeness of God. God is revealed to you fully in Christ.

In the Bible, God is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At the baptism of Jesus, God the Father's voice spoke from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). God the Holy Spirit descended from heaven upon God the Son to anoint Him for ministry (Acts 10:38).

Jesus is God manifest in flesh as the express image of the Father, and the brightness of His glory. Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). God is forever the same. Therefore, we read, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Worship Jesus Christ as our Lord and God manifest in flesh.

Jesus Our Immanuel

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matthew 1:21). Jesus Christ is the virgin born Son of God. He is the God-Man, fully God and fully Man. Jesus is our Immanuel, as the full revelation of God with us. 

Jesus is God with us in "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person" (Hebrews 1:3). He is God the Son revealing God the Father. "The express image" means Jesus is the exact likeness of the Father in all his attributes. What is God like? Look to Jesus and find the perfect answer.

Jesus is God with us in grace and truth. "We beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The glory of God is revealed fully in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God revealed his manifest presence to us.

Jesus is God with us now through the Holy Spirit. Jesus says to us, "I am with you always, even to the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). He makes his presence known to us through faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). We are enabled to know God by faith in Christ. We have a living hope in God through Christ. The love of God in Christ fills our hearts. God's full revelation is in Jesus our Immanuel.

Jesus Saves His People

Jesus was born to save His people. He did not come into this world to try to save, hope to save, nor might save. Be sure to know that Jesus saves all who come to God through Him. The truth is this, we cannot save ourselves. We need a Savior, and there is only One. His name is Jesus.

"And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). 

When the Son of God was born of flesh to dwell among us, the name given Him was JESUS. That name means "Jehovah is salvation." Jehovah is the covenant name for God. The name tells the story, Jehovah God saves people through His Son. 

Jesus was born to save His people. That is certainly not talking about Jews only. Jesus was born a Jew, but Jesus saves people from every race and nation. He draws people from all nations to Himself (John 12:32). Jesus saves all who repent and come to Him by faith. He is calling people out of all nations (Revelation 5:9).

Jesus was born to save all who believe the gospel. And, what is the gospel? It is clearly defined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 

Faith Receives Christ

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "The hand of faith that receives Christ is similar to the children receiving an apple in their hands. You hold the apple out to the child and they must step toward you in order to receive it from you. This is a mixture of faith and receiving on the child's part. It is the same with someone who wants to receive salvation. What the child's hand is to the apple, your faith is to salvation."

"The child's hand does not make the apple, improve the apple, or deserve the apple; he simply takes it. Similarly, faith has been chosen and designed by God to be the hand with which you receive salvation. Your hand neither creates nor helps in salvation, but is content to receive it." 

Faith receives Christ as the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ is always and only received as the gift of God and never by your works. You receive the finished work of Christ at the cross for sinners, which is confirmed by God through the resurrection of Jesus our Lord (Romans 10:9).

Faith receives Christ through the Spirit of grace. The Holy Spirit convicts us of unbelief toward Christ, as well as the righteousness of Christ (John 16:7-11). The same Holy Spirit regenerates us, giving us new birth, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13).

Christ Revealed to You

Christ is revealed to you in the Bible by the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit opens our eyes of understanding to the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. He guides us into all truth (John 16:13). It is the truth of God in the Bible about Jesus Christ our Lord. He is God incarnate. "The Word became flesh" in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:14).

Christ is revealed in the Bible, that you may know God the Father (John 14:6). Christ is perfect and complete theology. No wonder Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Christ is the total and full revelation of God. He is the express image of God (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Christ is revealed to you in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, Christ as Messiah is revealed in prophecy and typology. The first prophecy of Christ coming is found in Genesis 3:15. He is the Seed of the woman. In typology Christ is revealed in signs and symbols, such as the Lamb of God. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is revealed as fulfilling the prophecy and typology of the Old Testament.

Christ is revealed to you as the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). He is the sacrifice for all your sins. Jesus is your risen Lord. Faith in Jesus Christ is the assurance of your salvation. He is the focus of your faith, the hope of your future, and the love of your life. Christ is your all and all, now and forever!

The Holy Spirit in You

Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, "We do not know Christ as our Savior until the Holy Spirit is put within us. Our Lord says, 'He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you' (John 16:14). You never personally know the Lord Jesus, until the Holy Spirit makes him known to you."

God says, "I will put my Spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:27). The Holy Spirit is in all who believe, that you may know the reality of the living Christ. God's Spirit does many things in the lives of believers, but first and foremost, he is in you to know Christ as your Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3).

The Holy Spirit is in you to know Christ as your Savior through the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The message of the gospel is meaningless to those who believe not (1 Corinthians 2:14). But, to all who are taught by the Holy Spirit, the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 Thess. 1:5).

The same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead is the same Holy Spirit who quickens you to know new life in Christ (Romans 1:4; Ephesians 2:1). He must convict and convince you to believe in Christ as your Savior (John 16:7-11). 

God's Spirit is in you to know Christ as your Savior through the Scripture. That's the reason Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit, saying, "He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." He renews your heart and mind to know the truth of Christ, according to the Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

The Gift of God

"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). Believers are saved by receiving God's gift in Christ. That means we can never earn nor deserve it. Salvation is the gift of God, and not by our works.

You may hear some people saying, "We are all working to go to the same place." They imply that somehow, if we work enough for God, then we may be assured of heaven. Notice that the Bible clearly teaches the opposite. Salvation is God's gift to you, and not by your works. "It is the gift of God, not of works."

The gift of God is salvation received by faith alone in Christ. Faith can never be the meritorious cause of salvation. Faith is the means of receiving the gift of God in Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the fulness of God's grace incarnate (John 1:14). You are saved by grace, through faith in Christ.

The gift of God is salvation received by trusting and relying upon Christ alone. He died for your sins and was raised for your justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 3:24). Understand that faith itself is a gift of God's saving grace. Faith is one of the three abiding gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13).

The gift of God is salvation by grace alone and "not of works." God does something in you, that you could never do for yourself. Salvation is God's gift of grace that changes our hearts, enabling us to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ."It is the gift of God, not of works." 

If Your Faith Abides

If your faith abides, God working in you what is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:20-21). God who began the good work in you will complete it (Philippians 1:6). Give the glory to God that He is working in you according to His good pleasure.

If your faith abides, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three (1 Corinthians 13:13). We receive abiding faith from God the Father, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It is faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead. The Spirit of grace enables you to believe the gospel of Christ with faith that abides.

If your faith abides, it is not just mental assent nor human effort. The Holy Spirit must bring you to a point of confidence, assurance, and trust in the living Christ. It's abiding faith that the world didn't give you, and the world can't take it away. Faith pleases God, because it is 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).  

If your faith abides, it is one of the three abiding gifts of the Holy Spirit. The grace of God enables you to have faith that abides. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). The Spirit of God, through the word of God, gives you faith that abides (Romans 10:17).

When We Are Saved

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "The work of regeneration and the act of faith which brings justification to the penitent sinner are simultaneous and must, in the nature of the case, always be so." Spurgeon made it clear that regeneration and saving faith cannot be separated. 

Spurgeon maintained that regeneration and saving faith occur simultaneously. That is to say, we cannot be born again without believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise, we cannot truly have saving faith in Christ and not be born again (1 John 5:1). Spurgeon used an illustration to show the connection between new birth and believing in Christ. They are like two spokes on a wagon wheel. Both of them move together as the wheel turns.

We are saved, when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). We are saved when our hearts are changed by the grace of God to believe on Christ (Romans 10:10). Conversion is our response to the Gospel, through repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

Therefore, regeneration is new birth for all who believe on Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 10:9). Likewise, regeneration means we are born again believers in Christ (John 1:12-13). We are saved, when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). New birth and believing the gospel are inseparable.

Bondage of the Will

It may come as a surprise to some that John Wesley recognized the bondage of man's will in sin. He had no doubt about it. He wrote about anyone in the bondage of sin. "Though he strive with all his might, he cannot conquer, sin is mightier than he. He would fain escape; but he is so fast in prison, that he cannot get forth."

Wesley wrote further about the bondage of man's will in sin. "Such is the freedom of his will; free only to evil; free to drink iniquity like water; to wander farther and farther from the living God, and do more despite the Spirit of grace."

Statements like we have read from Wesley shows the influence of Reformation theology. Even more so, he followed the teaching of Scripture on the bondage of man's will in sin (Romans 3:10-18). He realized that man as a sinner is in a hopeless situation without the grace of God in Christ. He knew that the answer was found only through faith in Christ. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). That is free will in Christ alone.

Wesley wrote from the background of Reformation theology, when he wrote of man's bondage in sin. He proved to be sound according to Scripture on this issue. No wonder that Charles Spurgeon said of Wesley, "if there were wanted two apostles to be added to the number of the twelve, I do not believe that there could be found two men more fit to be so added than George Whitefield and John Wesley."

How Christ Is for You

Charles Spurgeon wrote: "Jesus will never betray the confidence we place in Him. As you place your faith and trust in Him, remember that He is made unto us 'wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption' (1 Corinthians 1:30)." 

Christ is your redemption. The price paid to set you free from the curse of sin and condemnation is nothing but the blood of Jesus. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are blood bought. "Jesus paid it all." Every believer's redemption from sin and condemnation is Christ crucified and risen from the dead. 

Christ is your righteousness. Our self-righteousness will never please God. By faith in Christ, every believer receives the only righteousness that can possibly please God. We become righteous by faith in Christ alone. His righteousness is accounted to us. Believers receive the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Christ is your sanctification. Trying to sanctify ourselves is nothing more than self-righteousness. Only the blood of Christ and the Spirit of Christ can surely sanctify you before God. Christ alone is every believer's sanctification.

Christ is your wisdom. He is every believer's Counselor, sharing with us the wisdom of God. His words in Scripture speak wisdom and counsel for your life situations. Read his words in the New Testament and apply them to your life.

Faith that Pleases God

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

Faith that pleases God is in the promises of God. Faith stands upon the word of God (Romans 10:17). God's word promises we are saved by grace through faith. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

Faith that pleases God is an abiding gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith is focused on the Son of God, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead. That's good news known as the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

Faith that pleases God is more than mental assent or human effort. It is a result of the Holy Spirit bringing you to a point of confidence, assurance, and trust in the living God. It's faith that the world didn't give you, and the world can't take it away. The gift of faith comes from the Holy Spirit working in you. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Who We Are In Christ

Christ not only died for us, but according to Scripture, all believers died in him and rose again from the dead in him. God sees all true believers as one body in Christ. Our corporate identity is who we are in Christ. The apostle Paul testified, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). 

John Murray wrote, "This also Paul states explicitly, 'But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more, death has no more dominion over him" (Romans 6:8-9). Just as Christ died and rose again, so all who died in him rose again  with him."

Adam was the representative of mankind in sin and death. Therefore, we are all born with a sin nature and appointed unto death. Christ is every believer's representative in his death and resurrection. We died in Christ. We are risen in Christ. Because he lives forever in a glorified body, we shall be glorified together in him with life eternal.

Baptism displays our corporate identity as believers in Christ. "Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). The apostle Paul concludes, "For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).

How God Is Sovereign

Dr. J. I. Packer wrote,"God's knowledge is linked with his sovereignty; he knows each thing, both in itself and in relation to all other things, because he created it, sustains it, and now makes it function every moment according to his plan (Ephesians 1:11). The idea that God could know, and foreknow, everything without controlling everything seems not only unscriptural but nonsensical."

When we consider God's sovereignty without including his omniscience, we could come to errors in our theology. For example, we could see sovereignty as arbitrary or even fatalism. Dr. Packer wrote,"God's knowledge is linked with his sovereignty." Understand that God is not arbitrary in his sovereignty, nor is it fatalism.

Dr. Packer understood sovereignty includes God's knowledge. To isolate one of God's attributes without considering the context of others revealed in Scripture could lead to wrong conclusions. All believers should agree with the testimony of the Bible that God Almighty is our sovereign LORD. But, one attribute of God must be considered with others.

God is sovereign over all. Rejoice that God is sovereign, because he alone knows and foreknows all things. So, let us understand Dr. Packer's conclusion: "The idea that God could know, and foreknow, everything without controlling everything seems not only unscriptural but nonsensical."

Christ Our Sabbath

Jesus says to us, Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). The word Sabbath means rest. It was a day of rest under the Old Testament. It is fulfilled in Christ through the New Testament. Our Sabbath rest in Christ is completely depending upon Him.

Rest in Christ our Sabbath through God's grace. It's about what God has done for you in Christ alone. It's what God is doing in you and through you. That's called grace, and its fullness is found in Jesus Christ your Lord (John 1:16). 

Rest in Christ our Sabbath by faith alone. That means your confidence, trust, and reliance is in His ability to do in your life what you are unable to do by yourself. Only God in Christ can save You. That means you rest in Christ. You rest in God's love, mercy, and grace, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31).

Works may boast and say, "I can get you to heaven, if you try hard and work to do your best." Christ our Sabbath is the gift of God to be received. We don't work to earn a gift. It is freely received. 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). It's not of works, but your faith resting in the finished work of Christ alone. Christ is our Sabbath.

The Blessed of God

The book of Revelation invites all to be blessed in Christ. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come" (Rev. 22:17). The Holy Spirit uses the Holy Scripture to invite all to come to Christ. The bride of Christ is the church. So, Christ commissioned the church to preach the gospel to all people in all nations. Come to Christ and be blessed.

The book of Revelation declares seven blessings upon the people of God in Christ. These are described as the seven beatitudes in Revelation (Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; 22:14). Those blessings are in this life and the life to come. All the blessings of God are in Christ. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).

The blessed of God enter a new world. "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him" (Rev. 22:3). Everyone is either blessed or cursed. The blessed of God are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, at the cross of Jesus. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

The blessed of God "have the right to the tree of life" (Rev. 22:14). We drink from the water of life freely. Both the tree of life and the water of life are symbols of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is the gift of God received by all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The gift of God is the grace of God in Christ. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all" (Rev. 22:21).

What Is Redemption?

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). Redemption is being justified freely by God's grace. It can never be bought, earned, nor achieved through personal effort. We are justified freely, because Jesus paid it all at the cross. We are justified freely through his shed blood, confirmed by his glorious resurrection. That is our redemption in Christ.

Redemption is new life in Christ. Being justified freely gives us abundant life, and life eternal in Christ alone. Believers may truly say, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10). All we are, or ever hope to be, is by God's grace in Christ. 

Nothing else in all the world can change us, but grace through faith in Christ. God's Spirit of grace operates directly on our hearts, to change us from the inside out. Grace changes our mind to understand the things of God. Grace is freely given to change our will to seek God. Grace changes our emotions to have a tender heart for God.

Redemption is by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. It's not by our works. It's all of grace, the gift of God (Titus 3:5-7). God's grace is received by faith in Christ. He alone is the One who changes us from glory into glory. Christ in us is the fullness of God's grace. And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace (John 1:16). Redemption is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Be Justified by God

Charles Spurgeon explained, "Understand that the only people who can be justified by God are those who do not attempt to justify themselves. Realize that you need God to make you just; He is the One who will enable you to stand before His judgement seat in the righteousness that only Christ can provide for you."

Be justified by God's grace through faith in Christ. Grace is the gift of God. Let us be clear, faith itself does not merit the gift but only receives it. Faith is trusting or relying upon the righteousness of Christ, and Christ alone.

Be justified by God at the cross of Jesus. All our sins are taken away. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Believers receive the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). The gospel exchanges our sins for the righteousness of Christ.

Be justified by God through faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. God raised Jesus from the dead to justify every believer (Romans 4:24-25; 10:9). Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves the gospel, that God justifies believers at the cross. 

Be justified by God through faith in Christ alone (Galatians 2:21). Christ is the believer's justification. Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God. It is unmerited on our part, because it is based upon the merits of Christ alone.

The Gifts of the Spirit

"And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). These gifts of the Holy Spirit are real in the lives of those who have a personal relationship with God in Christ. That's how you know that God's Spirit is in you. 

These abiding gifts are evidence that the Holy Spirit is in you. The Holy Spirit enables your faith in Christ. He gives you hope in Christ for the future. He fills you with the love of Christ. His love works in your heart, that is your mind, will, and emotions.

Faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ is sure evidence that the Holy Spirit is in your life. Abiding faith is your bond with Christ. Hope in Christ is your assurance of eternal life. The love of Christ in you is the greatest evidence of all, because "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16). 

If God's Spirit is in you, then you can know now, and you can know for sure. Three simple questions will tell you the truth. First, do you have faith in God through our Lord Jesus Christ? Secondly, do you have the hope of eternal life in Christ? Most importantly, do you know the love of God in your heart, causing you to love the Lord and others?

Know God's Will

The mystery of God's will is revealed, "having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself" (Ephesians 1:9). God's will is revealed in the Bible (Romans 12:2). The word of God is the will of God for you.

Know God's will is good. As a believer you can say, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6). Believe in God's goodness. Because God's revealed will is good, "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). God's will for you is His good purpose.

Know God's will in Christ. God's will is love, mercy, grace, and truth in Christ. Jesus came into this world to do God the Father's will in word and deed. "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38). God's will for us is good in Christ.

Know God's will through the Holy Spirit. God's will is in the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). That's God's revealed will working in you by the Holy Spirit, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

God's Grace in You

God's grace is his good work in you (Philippians 1:6). God continues to work in you to do his good will (Philippians 2:13). Grace is sufficient for your every need. Law can tell you what you ought to be; only grace can make you what you need to be.

God's grace is in you through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). That faith is in the power of God saving you through the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Grace is the workmanship of God in your life through the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:10). God will continue working in you by faith in Christ.

God's grace to you is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Grace is far more than a theological term or a religious song. Grace is about God Himself. He is the God of all grace. His grace is undeserved favor that you can never earn nor merit. We all fall short of God's glory, but God will work in you to the glory of God (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 1:12-14).

God's grace delivers you from unbelief unto faith in Christ. Grace finds you helpless and gives you hope. Grace brings you to Christ. God's grace in Christ cannot be bought, earned, nor deserved. Grace is unmerited favor from God through Jesus Christ. "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16). Jesus our Lord is the fullness of God's grace working in you. 

How Your Faith Grows

Dwight L. Moody wrote, "I prayed for faith, and thought that some day faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, 'Now faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God'. I had closed my Bible, and prayed for faith. I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since." 

Faith comes to you as a gift from God. It is one of the three abiding gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). Dwight Moody knew how the gift of faith comes to us. "So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). 

The Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God. The same Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to bring faith to you in our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us preach and share the Word of God, that others may come to faith in Christ. We pray for those who are not believers, but we must do more. They must hear the Word of God. 

Moody discovered that faith grows stronger as he studied the Word of God. He testified, "I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since." If you want to grow in faith, the Bible tells you what to do. To pray for stronger faith and neglect Bible study will not work. Through the Holy Spirit, your faith grows in the Word of God.

Does God Love You?

Unbelief says, How can anyone believe in love, when we see so much hatred in this world? Faith says, I believe in love, because I believe in God. The Bible says, God is love (1 John 4:8). How does God love you? He loves you through the words of truth in your Bible.

God loves you through His Son. But, you may say, How could God love me? I'm not worthy of His love. God loves sinners, and He proves it at the cross of Jesus. God loves you, because God is love. It's not about who you are. It's about who God is. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

God loves you through the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can make the love of God a real experience in your heart. People may hear about the love of God, read about it in the Bible, and hear songs about it, without ever experiencing God's love. God's great love for you only becomes real when you experience it in your heart. The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).

God loves you through others. That includes parents and family, friends and church. It is also God's will to love others through you. Jesus said, By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another (John 13:35). We may experience God loves you through others, and others may experience God's love through you.

Believers Are Righteous

Righteousness is God's gift in Christ to believers. Upon trusting in Christ,  believers are accounted righteous through our Savior and Lord. It's known as imputed righteousness. Through faith in Christ, you are accounted righteous before God. It is never self-righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Christ.

Believers are righteous by faith in the gospel of Christ. The apostle Paul speaks of the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Martin Luther called it the great exchange. Christ takes away our sin and gives us His righteousness.

Believers are righteous by faith in Christ alone. The Christian life can never be based upon our self-righteousness, which is as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). To the contrary, you give up your self-righteousness, and become righteous before God in Christ alone. Christ gives us perfect righteousness from God. Simply stated, believers are righteous in Christ alone.

Believers are accounted righteous in Christ alone. Our sins are imputed to Christ as our sacrifice for sin at the cross. His righteousness is credited to us by faith alone. There is only one way we can be righteous with God. We are the righteousness of God by faith in Christ alone.

The Fullness of Grace

Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, "It is grace at the beginning, and grace at the end. So that when you and I come to lie upon our deathbeds, the one thing that should comfort and help and strengthen us there is the thing that helped us in the beginning. Not what we have been, not what we have done, but the Grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord."

God's grace is unmerited favor for every believer. That's the grace of God in Christ alone. It is the gift of God that can only be received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is not what we have done, but what God has done for us in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

God's grace is salvation in Christ. "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16). God's grace is in Christ dying for our sins (Hebrews 2:9). God's grace is at the empty tomb. He is risen for our justification (Romans 4:25). He lives as our sanctification (1 Peter 1:2). He is coming again for our glorification (Romans 8:30). The fullness of grace is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lloyd-Jones was saying that the Christian life is the fullness of grace in Christ. It is grace in three tenses, past, present and future. He said, "The Christian life starts with grace, it must continue with grace, it ends with grace." Salvation is the fullness of God's grace in Christ, from the beginning unto the end..

Your Ministry Gift

Every Christian has one or more gifts for ministry to serve God through the church. All members of the body of Christ have a ministry gift. These gifts are used to serve others to the glory of God. Each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10).

Millard Erickson wrote, "The Holy Spirit dispenses his ministry gifts to the church wisely and sovereignly. Possession or lack of a particular gift is no cause for pride or regret. His gifts are not rewards to those who seek or qualify for them."

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). God decides your ministry gift. The Holy Spirit gives us our gifts. All believers have a ministry gift according to God's will. That includes you. Every believer has a ministry to serve others. 

How can you know your ministry gift? First, read the Bible to understand the ministry gifts (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11). Also, consider your ability to minister or serve others. Next, look at the opportunities that God has given you. Finally, remember how God has used you in the past. Every believer has a ministry. God will confirm your gift through prayer and experience.

Who God Will Save

God will save whoever believes in His only begotten Son (John 3:16). All who are saved experience the love of God in their hearts. The Holy Spirit makes God's love real to us (Romans 5:5). In Christ we know God's personal love for us at the cross of Jesus (Romans 5:8).

God will save every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). God is pleased to work in us through Christ (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, every believer is saved because God is working in us. Our relationship with God in Christ is forever.

God will save all who receive grace in Christ. Jesus is the grace of God (John 1:14). Grace saves us through faith in Christ. Grace in Christ is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is God's unmerited favor for sinners. Believers are saved by receiving God's gift in Christ (John 1:12).

God will save every believer to the praise of His glory in Christ (Ephesians 1:12-14). Believers are saved "to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). We are saved by trusting in God's Beloved Son. Believers are saved through Jesus Christ our risen Lord (Romans 10:9).

Walk in the Spirit

The Bible teaches believers to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Everyone either walks in the Spirit or the flesh. The Spirit is the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer in Christ (Romans 8:9). The flesh refers to our old sinful nature. Those without the grace of God in Christ, live according to the flesh. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8).

Victory in the Christian life is walking in the Spirit. Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Lust includes any sinful desire. To walk in the Spirit is yielding to the Holy Spirit, who lives within every believer (Romans 8:9). Those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ have died to the old life, to walk in newness of life. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).

Walk in the fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22). Believers don't produce fruit, the Holy Spirit does within us. Jesus said, By their fruit you will know them (Matthew 7:20). 

The fruit of the Spirit describes who Christ is within the believer. The first word describes the fruit of love. The fruit of the Spirit is the love of Christ working in the believer. To walk in the Spirit is to walk in love. It is faith working through love (Galatians 5:6).

The Holy Spirit Received

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ receive the Holy Spirit. Several Bible passages teach that the Holy Spirit is given to all believers, rather than to a select few (John 7:37-39; Acts 11:16-17; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 5:5). The gift of the Holy Spirit is not a reward, and no merit is ever involved in receiving a gift.

All believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That means the Holy Spirit is not just working in some believers, but in all. You cannot be a Christian without the indwelling Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit seals every believer (Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Spirit is within every believer now.

The indwelling Holy Spirit is Christ living in you as a believer. The Holy Spirit comes only and always as the gift of God to all believers. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to live the Christian life. No believer can merit nor earn the indwelling Spirit. 

"Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:2). Scripture makes it clear. The Holy Spirit is not earned by the works of the law. You receive the Holy Spirit as the gift of God, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:13-14).

The Worship of God

The angel of the Lord said to John the apostle, "Worship God" (Rev. 22:9). That's after John fell at the angel's feet to worship. The warning reminds us to worship anyone else but God is idolatry. When the book of Revelation was written, people were commanded to worship the Emperor of the Roman Empire. Christians were persecuted, because they refused to worship him.

The book of Revelation is about true worship of the living God. Heaven is revealed as the place of continuous worship of God (Rev. 4-5). Both angels and saints worship God Almighty. They worship bowing before Him with words such as these: "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" (Rev. 4:11).

"And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever" (Rev. 5:14). The elders represent all the redeemed of the Lord in heaven. They fell down in submission to the sovereign Lord God and worshiped Him. Their number twenty-four represents the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb. That is the redeemed of Israel and the church.

True worship is in heaven. That worship was words of praise and adoration to the Lord our God. He testified, "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!" (Rev. 19:1). That's true worship giving glory and honor to God. His people worship Him now and forever!

God Will Forgive You

God will forgive you through the gospel of Christ. Our sin debt is paid in full, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7). The gospel of grace is Christ crucified for our sins and risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Grace is what Christ alone did for believers on the cross. His resurrection is assurance that our sins are taken away.

God will forgive you at the cross of Christ. You are not forgiven for 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, you receive the forgiveness of all your sins. 

God will forgive you upon confession of your sins. Christians are not perfect, just forgiven (1 John 1:8-10). When you sin, confess your 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, look at the cross of Jesus. "Mercy there was great and grace was free." Because of God's mercy and grace in Christ, your sins are forgiven. 

Christ Our Only Hope

Charles Spurgeon testified, "My sole hope for heaven lies in the full atonement that Jesus made for the ungodly on Calvary's cross. I firmly rely on this truth. I do not see even the shadow of hope in anything else, anyone else, or anywhere else." 

Spurgeon faithfully preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. He preached Christ crucified as the full atonement. God the Father forever affirmed the atonement in the resurrection of Christ. It is the gospel of your salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Your only hope is not found in anything else, anyone else, or anywhere else (Acts 4:12). Your only hope is relying completely upon Jesus Christ crucified and risen for our salvation.

The sacrifice of Jesus at the cross is your only hope for complete, total, and final salvation. Old Testament sacrifices were continuously repeated and never took away sin (Hebrews 10:1-4). They pointed toward the only one who would make the full atonement, even Christ Jesus our Lord. Rely only upon the atonement of Christ crucified to take away all your sins.

The blood of Jesus takes away all your sina as a believer (1 John 1:7). The truth of Christ in the gospel justifies any sinner and every sinner who is trusting in Christ alone for full salvation. The sacrifice of Jesus at the cross is your only hope for complete, total, and final salvation.

Grace Offered to All

John Calvin wrote, "Paul makes grace common to all men, not because it in fact extends to all, but because it is offered to all. Although Christ suffered for the sins of the world, and is offered by the goodness of God without distinction to all men, yet not all receive Him" (Comments on Romans 5:18).

No one can say, I'm not saved because God has not offered grace to me. John Calvin made this clear when he stated that grace "it is offered to all." The reason so many are lost is not on God's part, but man's rejection of the grace offered. Unbelief says no to the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 3:36).

Salvation comes as people receive the grace of God in Christ (John 1:12). Condemnation comes to people who do not receive the offer. Unbelief puts the responsibility on those who receive not the grace of God. It is the goodness of God who offers grace to all (John 3:17).

Notice that Calvin clearly declared that "Christ suffered for the sins of the world." Yes, the sacrifice of Christ at the cross is sufficient in value and worth to save each one and all. Yet, it shall save one and all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31). However, those who reject the love of God in Christ Jesus will perish (John 3:16). God's grace is sufficient for all; God's grace saves all who believe.

Understand the Bible

J.I. Packer wrote, "Illumination is thus the applying of God's revealed truth to our hearts, so that we grasp as reality for ourselves what the sacred text sets forth." Dr. Packer went on to say, "Illumination, which is a lifelong ministry of the Holy Spirit to Christians, starts before conversion with a growing grasp of the truth about Jesus."

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). 

Illumination of the Holy Spirit enables believers to understand the Bible. Until that happens, the Scripture is not understood. As a believer, you continue to receive more illumination to understand the Bible. That's your growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Without illumination of the Holy Spirit, spiritual things are foolishness to those who don't believe. This is especially true of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18). Only when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes of understanding to Christ crucified do we see "the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).

Your New Birth

Your new birth is a creative act of the Holy Spirit. It is referred to as being born from above. To be born from below is to be born on earth of the flesh; to be born from above is to be born of the Spirit who comes from above. Through new birth, you enter the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "You must be born again"(John 3:7).

Your new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit, by God's grace through faith in Christ. It is something that God does in you that you cannot do for yourself. You are born again through a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. It simply cannot be accomplished by human effort. Therefore, you must be born of the Spirit (John 3:8).

Your new birth is confirmed by confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3). Personal faith in Christ is evidence of your new birth. (John 1:12-13; 1 John 5:1). New birth and faith in Christ occur at the same time. Your new birth is evident by truly believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is trusting or relying upon Him to save and keep you (Acts 16:30-31).

Your first birth was physical and natural. Your new birth is spiritual and supernatural. Your first birth was through the flesh. Your new birth is through the Spirit. Your first birth was in Adam. Your new birth is in Christ, as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God Leads Us to Repent

The goodness of God leads us to repent (Romans 2:4). Left to yourself, we have no desire to turn from the old life of sin and unbelief. We have pleasure in our sin and depravity. We see no reason to trust in Christ. Only when the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces us of your need for Christ are we awakened to our lost condition. The Spirit of grace awakens to our condemnation in sin (John 16:8-11). 

When awakened to our true condition before God, we are enabled to repent and trust Christ. The Spirit of grace awakens us and enables our repentance. We turn from the old life to become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God grants repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). The Holy Spirit enables us to have faith in Christ (Galatians 5:5). By the grace of God, we repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

God leads us to repent, which is a change of mind. We are transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). 

God leads us to repent, as we turn by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is when we turn from the sin of unbelief to faith in God through Christ. That is "repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). That's how we repent.

Conversion to Christ

John MacArthur wrote, "There can be no repentance or faith until the heart has been re-created. But in the moment of regeneration the Holy Spirit imparts the gift of repentant faith to sinners, bringing them to saving faith in Christ, and enabling them to turn away from sin. The result is a dramatic conversion."

The Holy Spirit enables our conversion to Christ. Conversion is through "the gift of repentant faith to sinners." Conversion includes repentance and saving faith together. Repentance means we turn to God by saving faith in Christ.

The Holy Spirit transforms our hearts, which is the mind, will and emotions. The result is conversion, turning away from the old life to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Conversion means you are free from the old life of bondage to sin, through the power of God in Christ.

The Spirit of God works through the word of God to bring new birth (1 Peter 1:23) MacArthur stated, "The result is a dramatic conversion." Conversion to Christ by the word of God and the Spirit of God. The gospel of Christ comes to you through the power of the Holy Spirit, with much assurance (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

Conversion is through God's workmanship in us as a new creation in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Who God Loves

God loves all nations and races. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). God has so loved every nation, all races, and every ethnic group. The Bible has been described as God's love letter to the world. 

God loves sinners. Yet, you may doubt God's love at times, because you think you're not good enough for God to love. The truth is that none of us earn nor deserve God's love. God does not love us because we are good enough. We have all sinned, but God's love is revealed for sinners (Romans 3:23; 5:8). When God's love is received through believing in Christ, we are saved from the condemnation of sin (John 3:17).

God loves sinners at the cross of Jesus. God sent His Son to die for our sins (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2). He died for your sins at the cross. God loves you through Christ crucified. This is the greatest love story the world has ever known. God so loves you at the cross of Jesus.

God loves believers in Christ, through the Holy Spirit. His love is poured out into our hearts (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit makes God's love real to us. Upon confessing Jesus as our Lord, the Holy Spirit does something beyond our ability to completely understand. He fills our hearts with God's love. 

How God Will Provide

All of us have needs. Fear says,"No one is going to provide for your needs. You are a needy person with no one who can help." Faith says, My God shall supply all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Our greatest need is not physical nor financial. Our greatest need is spiritual. We need God. We need faith in God who provides. God's covenant name among others is Jehovah-jireh. It means the Lord will provide. His name reveals His character. It's who He is and what He does.

God is Jehovah-jireh for His people. He is the Lord who provides for all who believe in His name. That means faith can trust in who God is. It's not just who we want Him to be. He reveals His name to you and all believers. We can trust in His name, receiving from Him according to our need.

God provides as your heavenly Father. He knows your needs before we ask. Prayer is not designed for us to inform God. He knows all things. Our prayers receive from God our Father. Jesus said to pray, Our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:9). He taught us to make requests based upon our needs. Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). God will provide as your Father in heaven.

God Working in Us

God works in us as believers through covenant. What God says, God will do. God's covenant with us is a binding contract. What God promises, God will fulfill. Our faith stands upon the covenant 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).

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 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 13:20-21).

God works in us as believers through the Lord Jesus Christ. You believe the gospel, that Christ died for your sins, and Christ is risen from the dead. You have entered the everlasting covenant with God by faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Shepherd of all God's covenant people.

God's everlasting covenant cannot be changed, because God has sworn with an oath of promise. The everlasting covenant through Jesus Christ is forever and ever. Amen. Our faith is based upon what God has promised to do in us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God's covenant promises are working in believers in such a way to please Himself. Our lives please God not because we are trying real hard. To the contrary, God is working in us what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). God's everlasting covenant is working in us through Christ. 

How to Trust God

Trust God by trusting His word. God speaks to us through Holy Scripture. God speaks to you through Jesus Christ our Lord and the Gospel. You trust God by relying upon what He has said through Scripture, Christ, and the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4). 

Trust God even when you don't understand. We cannot understand all the ways of God. Trusting God is confidently believing in His ability to help us and direct us. A child is more limited in knowledge than the parents. Yet, that child can trust what the parents say to him. Likewise, our knowledge and understanding of God is limited, but we may confidently trust His word in the Bible.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Lord is God's personal and covenant name. Trust God as your Lord by trusting His many wonderful covenant promises in the Bible (e.g., Jeremiah 32:40; Hebrews 13:20-21).

All relationships are built on trust. Our relationship with God is trusting Him, because He is trustworthy. His word is your bond of trust. You trust God in all your circumstances, then you can say, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust (Psalm 91:2).

Salvation Not by Chance

W. T. Conner wrote, "Our salvation is not a matter of chance nor accident. We are saved because God meant for us to be saved. He saves us and he does so on purpose. He works through the unceasing ages to carry out his purpose."

I have heard people ask, Does everyone have a chance to be saved? Understand that no one is saved by chance. Dr. Conner made what is taught in Scripture very clear. God saves no one by chance nor accident. God foreknows his people in Christ. He saves us on purpose, even his eternal purpose in Christ (Romans 8:28-30). God's providence works in all things to accomplish his purpose (Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:11).

God shuts no one out. His salvation is offered freely in the gospel to all people everywhere (Mark 16:15). He commands all people everywhere to repent and believe in Christ (Acts 16:30-31; 17:30). However, God who knows all things, the end from the beginning, foreknows his people in Christ. Not one of them is saved by chance nor accident.

God foreknows his people in a loving covenant relationship. God foreknows his people, and we shall all know him (Hebrews 8:10-11). We know God through our great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20-21). In the day of judgement, the Lord says to all who are lost, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23).

Be Justified In Christ

Justification is a legal term. In court, one accused of a crime is either condemned or justified. Based upon the merits of Christ, God justifies sinners. The sinless life and substitutionary death of Jesus at the cross for believers is the basis for our justification from all sin (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Be justified by faith alone in Christ alone. 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, you are justified with God.

Be justified by grace through faith in Christ. Faith receives the grace of God in Christ. Faith is the evidence that we are justified before God. It is our 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).

Be justified by faith in Christ unto righteousness. The only way a sinner can become righteous before God is by faith alone. Righteousness is the gift of God to you in Christ alone. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness (Romans 4:5). Self-righteousness can never be good enough to justify you. Be justified by faith in the perfect obedience and righteousness of Christ alone. He is every believer's justification.

The Lamb of God

Four times in Revelation 21:22-22:5 we see God the Father and the Son mentioned together. The Son of God is referred to as the Lamb of God. In New Jerusalem, believers from all the ages of history see the Father and Son enthroned together. It is an answer to the prayer of Jesus our Lord in John 17:24. "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved me before the foundation of the world."

The Lamb is the light of New Jerusalem. "The city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is the light" (Rev. 21:23). There is no night there in God's one eternal day. In the New Jerusalem, "its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there)." (Rev. 21:25).

Who will live forever in New Jerusalem? The Bible clearly states, "only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (Rev. 21:27). They are the redeemed of the Lord by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus our Lord is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of every believer (Rev. 12:10-11).

In that eternal day, "there shall be no more curse, but the throne of  God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him" (Rev. 22:3). The curse of sin is forever removed, by the Lamb of God. He was slain at the cross and redeemed us to God by His blood, out of every nation (Rev. 5:9).

Rapture of the Church

John MacArthur saw a difference between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. He wrote, "The second coming must be distinguished from the rapture of the church prior to the seven year tribulation. At the rapture Christ comes for His saints. At the second coming He comes with them. At the rapture Christ meets His saints in the air to take them to heaven. At the second coming  He descends with them to the earth."

MacArthur further identified a major difference between the rapture and the second coming. He wrote, "There is not a hint of judgment in passages describing the rapture (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18), but judgment plays a prominent role in the second coming (Rev. 19:11, 15, 17-21).

John MacArthur observed even more obvious differences between the rapture and the second coming of Christ. He states, "The dramatic signs accompanying the second coming such as the darkening of the sun and the moon and the disruptions of the 'powers of the heavens' (Matthew 24:29-30) are not mentioned in the passages describing the rapture."

MacArthur noticed that Revelation 19, which describes the second coming of Christ, "does not mention either a rapture of living believers (1 Cor. 15:51-52), or a resurrection of dead believers (1 Thess. 4:16)." In all these observations, he points out the differences between the rapture of the church before the tribulation and the second coming of Christ after the tribulation.

Be Saved In Christ

Be saved by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. God's salvation is simple, plain, and clear. Believe and confess your faith in God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. 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).

God gives us the assurance of our salvation (2 Peter 1:10). In the Bible it is made sure and clear. The Holy Spirit will give you the assurance of salvation, as you confess, Jesus is Lord. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). Confess your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can only believe in your heart when the Holy Spirit does something within you. No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit leads you to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is Lord, which means Jesus is risen from the dead.

With your mouth, confess what is in your heart. The word confess means to speak the same thing. You speak the same thing that is in God's word, that which the Holy Spirit has worked in your heart. Your confession that Jesus is Lord agrees with the Spirit of God and the word of God. Confess your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Be saved by faith in Christ.

Hell Is a Choice

Millard Erickson wrote, "We should also observe that God does not send anyone to hell. He desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). It is the choice of humans to experience the agony of hell. Their sin sends them there, and their rejection of the benefits of Christ's death prevents their escaping." 

If anyone takes the Bible seriously, as well as the teaching of Jesus, the agony of hell cannot be ignored nor denied. The same Bible that teaches about heaven likewise warns of hell. The same Savior who taught the love of God likewise taught about the wrath of God (John 3:16, 36).

God's love for sinners is found in Christ at the cross. God proves His love for sinners through the death of His Son (Romans 5:8). Millard Erickson said, "Rejection of the benefits of Christ's death prevents their escaping." God's love provides the escape from the judgment of our sins. Erickson concludes, "It is the choice of humans to experience the agony of hell."

"Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture" (1 Corinthians 15:3). God's love invites everyone to trust the full atonement of Christ to take away all of our sins (John 3:16). Through the cross of Jesus, God is both just and the justifier of all who believe. However, the agony of hell is a choice for those who reject Christ. 

What God Foreordained

What God foreordained works in the details of life. God's eternal purpose was foreordained before time began. What God foreordained works in time and history. What God foreordained in your life does not exclude personal choices and actions. What  God foreordained in your life works concurrently with your choices and actions.

What God foreordained was before time began (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:10). All that God has foreordained works concurrently with your choices (Philippians 2:12-13). What God foreordained works together for good to those who love Him and for His glory. Those good things are experienced in the lives of God's people.

What God foreordained in life does not take away your choice. God allows us to make choices, even bad choices. He neither condones nor approves sin. Yet, God works to bring good out of evil and glory to God's justice, love, and mercy. Be assured as a believer that God is at work in all the details of our lives. What God foreordained is for your good and God's glory (Genesis 50:20-21; Romans 11:36).

God's work is foreordained in our Lord Jesus Christ. His death on the cross for every believer's sin was determined before time began (1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8). The determinate counsel of God was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as the Savior for all who believe (Acts 2:23). God foreknows His people in Christ, yet the gospel is offered freely to all (Romans 8:29; 10:13). 

How God Is 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." 

God is love in his only begotten Son. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16). God's love is received as we believe his Son Jesus. His love for us as believers is everlasting. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

God is love as our heavenly Father. The heart of God is the heart of our loving Father. God's children are delivered from fear, receiving the fullness of his 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). God the Father's perfect love gives us freedom from fear.

God is love is through the Holy Spirit. Every believer in our Lord Jesus Christ experiences the love of God our Father, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5). The greatest abiding gift of the Holy Spirit is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). That is God's love is forever.

Holy Spirit Conviction

Conviction by the Holy Spirit comes before conversion. Many have been under conviction who have resisted the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). They have spurned the Spirit of grace to their own just condemnation (Hebrews 10:29). Conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit is grace common to all mankind. Yet, conviction without regeneration brings no conversion. 

Those who are under Holy Spirit conviction may come to conversion. There is no conversion without conviction. God's Spirit alone brings conviction to the person who is lost without Christ. When we pray for those who are lost, we should pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them.

The Holy Spirit convicts of the sin known as unbelief. It is the sin that separates us from the grace and love of God in Christ Jesus (John 16:7-11). Only by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ are we saved from condemnation and eternal judgment (John 3:36; Acts 16:30-31).

The Holy Spirit likewise convicts of righteousness (John 16:8). He convinces us of the righteousness of Christ. This is conclusive evidence that our self-righteousness can never save us. Only the righteousness of Christ, accounted to us by faith alone, can please God (Romans 4:5). 

The Holy Spirit convicts you before regeneration and conversion. Your conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ gives all the glory to God, knowing that the Spirit of grace brings conviction and regeneration.

All to God's Glory

The reason for all things is God's glory. For of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36). We are to do all things to God's glory. Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

Creation is to God's glory. All things were created to the praise of God's glory. 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 the glory of 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). Believers give all the glory to God for our salvation. God is working in you what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:21).

Prayer is to God's glory. We pray, For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen (Matthew 6:13). Prayer should always be focused upon God's glory in all things. God's kingdom and power work to the praise of his glory. We pray in Jesus name to the glory of God in all things.

God's Wrath Satisfied

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:2). Two words describe the propitiation of Christ for believers at the cross. Those words are substitution and satisfaction. Christ died as our substitute for our sins. Also, the sacrifice of Christ satisfied the wrath of God against our sins.

Propitiation is God's wrath against our sins satisfied at the cross of Jesus. Propitiation (Greek: hilasmos) is a New Testament word which means satisfaction. Christ crucified satisfied the holiness and justice of God to save guilty sinners. 

Propitiation is God's wrath satisfied at the cross, through the love of God in Christ. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Christ crucified is love's crowning deed, satisfying God's justice. 

Propitiation is God's wrath satisfied on our behalf as believers in Christ. Justice paid the price for believers in the sacrifice of Christ at the cross. Therefore, God is both just and the justifier of all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:26).

Believers in Christ our Lord receive God's love revealed at the cross. We are justified by faith in Christ alone. Those who reject the propitiation of Christ at the cross face God's justice and wrath abiding upon them (John 3: 36).

Christ with You Always

A new Christian said to a friend, "When I received Christ, I felt the love and joy of His presence, but I don't have that feeling now. It bothers me. Have I done something wrong?" His friend said, "He's still with you always. Feelings come and go, but He has promised never to leave you. Simply take Him at His word."

You may get excited through special times with the Lord, when you know He is moving in your life. However, remember the Lord is with you today and always. Jesus promised to be with you always. Feelings say, "Sometime I know He is with me. Other times, I'm not sure." Faith says, "He is with me always, whether I feel His presence or not." Faith is not a feeling, and feeling is not faith. Only faith can know the Lord is with you today and always.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, remember that He is with you today and always. He will never leave you, because He loves you. That's a good reminder to all believers everywhere. Take the Lord at His word. Jesus said, I am with you always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20).

Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit of the living Christ (Romans 8:9). He comes to live in you. The Spirit of Christ is your constant companion. As an expectant mother may feel the unborn baby move within her from time to time, nevertheless, most of the time she does not feel the baby move. So it is with the Spirit of Christ within you as a believer. He can move within ways you recognize. However, He lives in you today and always.