Why God Created Us

God created us for a purpose. Your life is not a cosmic accident. God has you on this planet for a real purpose. Life is not a meaningless journey with no goal. God has a purpose in all things. That certainly includes you. What is the purpose of God in your life?

Would you like to know God's purpose for your life with absolute certainty? Well, you can. God not only wants you to know that your life has a purpose, but He wants you to know exactly what that purpose is. God has revealed it to us in the Bible. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Bible tells us why God created us. God created us to the praise of His glory.

God made all things for His glory. We were made to bring honor and glory to God. If we live selfishly, we miss the purpose of God. That's called sin in the Bible. It means that we fall short of the glory of God. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

God provided the way for us to live for His glory. The way is Jesus Christ. He is the way to a life full of purpose. God changes our hearts and lives through Christ. He shall conform all believers to the likeness of Christ, to the praise of His glory (1 John 3:2). You were created to bring glory to God in Christ. "We who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12).

How God Leads Us

"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 us on the right path day after day. The Bible teaches clearly how God leads us. 

All believers may be led 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). These three words characterize any believer who is led by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit leads us with love. When we follow Him, we love God and others. The Spirit of God leads us with joy. When we refuse to follow, joy evades you. The Spirit of God leads you with peace. It's "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).

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

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

How Christ Is in You

Christ is in every true believer. "Now if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8:9). The Spirit of Christ lives in your heart, that is your mind, will, and emotions. He gives you new desires. Christ works in you what pleases God (Hebrews 13:21).

Christ and the Holy Spirit are in union as one. Even so, we are one with Christ through the Holy Spirit. This is our union with Christ. Christ is in us, even in our hearts. He lives in us through the Holy Spirit. That is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

The Spirit of Christ is in you with three abiding gifts of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). The indwelling Christ produces fruit in the life of every believer, such as love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23). Therefore, as a Christian you can say, "Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

The Spirit of Christ is in you for ministry to others. The Spirit of Christ gives you a ministry gift for service to others through the church, which is the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8). You may have a speaking gift, such as preaching, teaching, or a gift for serving others in practical ways (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Providence Not Chance

Your life is not ruled by random chance. God's providence works over all things for your good and God's glory. God is working for good in all things for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever" (Romans 11:36).

God's providence works daily. God works according to His good will (Romans 12:2). God knows what is ahead for you and prepares the way. God works in all the details of your life. God's providence is at work in all your life situations.

God's providence works over all things. Chance and luck are myths. See the providence of God working in your life according to an eternal purpose,"the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). God has a purpose for your life through the Lord Jesus Christ. That purpose is to bring glory to God in you through Christ. 

When things don't go your way, never fret nor worry. Believe the providence of God over all in Christ is good. When it seems like everything is going wrong, don't be discouraged. Believe God's providence for you shall prevail in His time. We live in an evil age, where bad things can happen to us. However, God's providence works for good in all things. God brings good even out of bad circumstances in your life (Genesis 50:20).

God Revealed to You

God is revealed to you through creation and conscience. The created order of this world declares to all the glory of God. Creation declares the Creator (Romans 1:20). Also, God is revealed to all through conscience (Romans 2:15). God has made us moral agents to know the difference between right and wrong. It reveals God's holiness and our sinfulness.

God is revealed to you through the Bible. It reveals who God is (John 4:24). He is fully revealed through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). If you want to know what God is like, read the Bible. You will discover that Jesus is the full revelation of God. He reveals the fullness of God's love, mercy, and grace (John 1:16).

God is revealed to you through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). God wants you to know how much he loves you. He knows we have done things that are wrong. He sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (I John 1:7). Jesus is alive! He is risen from the dead (Romans 10:9). The gospel reveals that you can know God's love through believing in the only begotten Son (John 3:16).

God is revealed to you in Christ. He is revealed to the heart of every believer, through the Holy Spirit. The heart is your inner-person, that is your mind, will, and emotions. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of Christ to your heart (John 16:7-11). God the Father is revealed to you through Christ the Son (John 14:6)

Receive God's Wisdom

Receive God's wisdom in Christ, according to the Bible. God's wisdom is for every believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is your wisdom for all of the decisions in life. God's wisdom is confirmed with peace in your heart.

Receive God's wisdom as a spiritual gift. In making the decisions of life, believers in Christ ask and receive God's wisdom (James 1:5). Always trust God's wisdom to lead you. Wisdom is based upon the truth, because wisdom comes from God. Follow the words of God's wisdom in your Bible, and you will have no regrets. 

Receive God's wisdom confirmed with the fruit of peace. Wisdom and peace come from the Holy Spirit. When you have God's wisdom, peace confirms it. God always confirms wisdom with the witness of peace. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15).

God's wisdom has a counterfeit that seeks to lead you the wrong way. It disguises itself as wisdom, but notice the fruit. Wisdom of this world cannot compare to the wisdom coming from God. Worldly wisdom is selfish, sensual, and brings confusion. Receive God's wisdom proven with good fruit. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, and good fruits (James 3:17).

Our Great Redemption

Charles Spurgeon preached, "Our great redemption is in the covenant, but we have no redemption except through His blood." Redemption is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word redemption means to pay the price to set prisoners free. The price has been paid to set every believer free from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). Our sin debt was paid in full. God redeems us at the cross of Jesus (1 John 1:7).

God foreordained our redemption before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-4). In Bible days, covenants were made based upon the shed blood of a sacrificial animal. God redeems us based upon the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross. In the eternal plan of God, Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Redemption is in Christ alone. We are not redeemed by what we have done, but what God has done for us in Christ. It is a unilateral covenant, not based upon our promises nor our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). To the contrary, we are redeemed according to God's promises in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Redemption is received by faith in Christ our Lord. Christ is our righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). What God commands of us, Christ provides for us. The Holy Spirit gives us faith as an abiding gift to trust in Christ. God credits to every believer the righteousness of Christ. Redemption is in Christ as our covenant Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20-21).

The Elect of God

Jesus Christ is the Elect of God. He is described in Scripture as a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame (Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6). You are elect in Christ alone.  That's because your election is confirmed by faith in Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

God's people are elect in Christ. The initiative for your salvation is with the eternal God. In eternity, God's purpose was to justify believers in and through Christ, before the world began (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2 Timothy 1:9). God chose you through faith in Christ alone.

To be in Christ means you are a believer, baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). The body of Christ is the church. The word church does not refer to a denomination nor a sectarian group. It refers to all of God's people saved through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

God's elect are called out of spiritual darkness, into the light of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). You are God's new creation in Christ (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17). That's your election in Christ.

By grace alone through faith in Christ, God saves you from condemnation (Ephesians 2:8-9). It's God's eternal purpose in Christ. God's purpose is to save you to the praise of His glorious grace in Christ (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). That's your election in Christ. 

God's Purpose in All

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

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

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

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

Have Faith in God

Have faith in God with confidence. Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is in God is trusting God, and not leaning on your own understanding. Have faith in God trusting the word of God in the Bible (Romans 10:17). 

Have faith in 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 you and direct you. "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). 

All relationships are built on trust. Faith in God is trusting Him. God is always trustworthy. His word is our bond of trust. Faith is willing to trust God in all circumstances. We may testify, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:2).

Have faith in God taking Him at His word. The Bible gives us the written promises of God. Our faith receives the promises of God. He is the Promise-Keeper. His word of promise is our sure foundation. Have faith in God trusting Him in every situation of life. Faith in God is absolute confidence in His word of promise.

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). To be born of the Spirit is also known as regeneration. It is being born from above, because the Holy Spirit comes from above

Like the wind, the Holy 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. Regeneration is beyond our full comprehension. 

Regeneration changes our hearts (Ezekiel 36:26). It is the work of only one, the Holy Spirit (John 3:7-8). He enables you to have a genuine love for God and a heart to obey Jesus our Lord. The Holy Spirit works in you, what you could never do for yourself. You become a new creation in Christ (John 3:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Regeneration enables faith to confess that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (1 John 5:1). You confess Jesus is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). That means you believe that Jesus our Lord is risen from the dead (Romans 10:9).

How Grace Is Received

Charles Spurgeon said, "All you can receive, and all you ever ought to hope for, must be through the covenant of free grace." To understand how God works in every believer's life, we must understand grace. God has sworn with an oath of promise to save us by grace in Christ (Hebrews 7:21-25). Grace is the gift of God. Grace is received by faith in Christ.

Grace is received through the everlasting covenant of Christ (Hebrews 13:20-21). The covenant is summarized in four promises to every believer (Hebrews 8:10-12). First, God will put his laws in your mind and heart. Second, each one will know God in a personal relationship. Third, God will be merciful unto you. Fourth, God will remember your sins no more.

Grace is received through Christ as our covenant surety (Hebrews 7:20-22). God always works through covenant. He tells you what he is doing and what he shall do. Covenant is an agreement or contract that includes God's everlasting promises to every believer, guaranteed through Christ Jesus our covenant surety.

Grace is received through the everlasting gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:6). That is God's covenant of grace in Christ. It is based on the merits and righteousness of Christ alone to every believer (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is received by grace through faith in Christ, because it is the gift of God and not of our works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Born Again and Sure

Those who are born again can be sure. Jesus made it clear in his discussion with Nicodemus, found in the third chapter of John's Gospel. Believing on the Son of God was the real issue. Those who are born again believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16, 36). Those who are born again can be sure, based upon the clear teaching of the Bible.

Our first birth is by the flesh. Our new birth is by the Spirit. We are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Those who are born again can be sure, because they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 John 5:1).

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:12). Nicodemus was a religious man who was not born again. His unbelief was the evidence. Only God knows how many religious people today have not been born again.

Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ means you are born again (Acts 16:31). All who are born again believe the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16). We believe Christ died for our sins, according to the Scripture. We believe Christ is risen from the dead, according to the Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Those Who Are Cursed

Those who are cursed are cut off from the blessings of God and marked for destruction. God's covenant of law promised blessings to those who obey and curses to those who disobey (Deuteronomy 28:15-24). The cursed are cut off from the blessings of God. We have all disobeyed God (Romans 3:23). Only Christ can set us free from the curse.

Martin Luther taught that Christ died for the curse of our sins. "He voluntarily fulfilled all righteousness, living under the law without spot or blemish, bore our sins, became a curse for us, and offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. This is the atoning, reconciling work of Christ."

Those who are cursed are controlled by a spirit of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-3). They are under the dominion of sin and the curse of the law. The only hope of salvation is in the sacrifice of Christ alone.  As Luther said, Christ "became a curse for us, and offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world."

We are set free from the curse by faith in Christ as our sacrifice! Luther taught that Christ in the atonement "became a curse for us" at the cross (Gal. 3:13). He wrote, "This is the atoning, reconciling work of Christ." That means by grace through faith in the gospel of Christ, we are free from the curse! 

Filled with the Spirit

As believers in Christ, we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). To be filled with the Spirit is to yield to the love and power of God (Ephesians 3:19; Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit fills us with the love of Christ to do the will of God. The Holy Spirit fills us with power to effectively witness for Christ (Acts 1:8).

On the Day of Pentecost the disciples were both baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; 2:4). They were baptized with the Holy Spirit to become one body in Christ collectively (1 Corinthians 12:13). They were individually filled with the Holy Spirit. Nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to be filled, and to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

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

Believers are filled with the Spirit yielding to Jesus Christ our Lord. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is the will of God for every believer. We are empowered to witness for Christ, live for for the Lord, and minister to others in Jesus name. What the Lord wants us to do, the Lord empowers us to do. 

The Holy Spirit's Ministy

Charles H. Spurgeon said, "In many places dedicated to the Lord, the name of Jesus is too often kept in the background. The Holy Spirit is almost entirely neglected, and very little is said concerning His sacred influence. ... May God send us a Christ exalting, Spirit loving ministry." 

The Holy Spirit's ministry is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ is exalted, the Holy Spirit will work among us. The Holy Spirit always works to exalt Jesus Christ (John 16:7-11). When Christ is neglected in our ministry, we are ineffective in our service. When we honor the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will work in us and our churches. 

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of people. The promise of the Father was fulfilled just as Jesus had spoken (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit came with great power to exalt Jesus as Lord. The Holy Spirit was sent to draw people to Jesus. Three thousand repented and received Jesus as Lord that very day. Believers were filled with the Holy Spirit to exalt Jesus Christ as Lord.

The Holy Spirit's ministry is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. The focus must be upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason for that is simple. The Holy Spirit's ministry is effective through us, when the focus is on Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3).

God Receives Sinners

John MacArthur wrote,"God receives sinners. The flip side of that truth is that He refuses the righteous. Not that there are any truly righteous people, of course (Romans 3:10). But those who think they are good enough, those who do not understand the seriousness of sin, cannot respond to the gospel. They cannot be saved, for the gospel is a call to sinners to repent and be forgiven."

Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). His gospel is for sinners only, and that includes all of us (Romans 3:23). Those who are self-righteous see no need for a Savior from sin. They foolishly think that they are good enough without the gospel.

The apostle Paul wrote, "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all" (1 Timothy 1:15, NASB). That's the gospel of Christ, that God receives sinners.

Before Paul was saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, he was a Pharisee. He thought that he could please God with his self-righteousness. Only when he saw himself as a sinner was he saved. MacArthur warned all who are self-righteous. "They cannot be saved, for the gospel is a call to sinners to repent and be forgiven." 

The Anointing in You

Martyn Lloyd-Jones taught, "We have been anointed and been set apart; we have received this unction, and it has given us this understanding of truth which enables us to say that 'we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). That is your anointing of the Holy Spirit.

"But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you" (1 John 2:27). The anointing is the Holy Spirit abiding in you as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word Christ means "anointed one." Christ abides in every believer, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The anointing is the Holy Spirit abiding with you to teach you (1 John 2:27). He teaches you according to Holy Scripture, inspired of the Holy Spirit. According to the New Testament, you are taught by God. Jesus said, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me" (John 6:45). 

Certainly, God uses people to teach you, such as evangelists, pastors, and other teachers. However, we are all dependent upon the anointing of the Holy Spirit to teach us. Both teachers and those who are taught must depend upon the anointing of the Holy Spirit to understand the truth.

Christ in the Psalms

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

The gospel of Christ is throughout Old Testament prophecy, such as the Psalms. Christ is prophesied dying and rising again. Christ is prophesied coming the second time and reigning over all. Verses in the Psalms are quoted in the New Testament. Psalms reveal Christ in prophecy.

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

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

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

Full Salvation In Christ

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

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

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

Full salvation is from the beginning unto completion in Christ. "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 believers have been justified (Romans 5:1). In Christ believers are being sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2). In Christ believers shall be glorified (1 John 3:2).

Be Righteous In Christ

Charles H. Spurgeon testified, "My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, HE is my righteousness."

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ receive the gift of God's righteousness. When you believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you "become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is the imputed righteousness of God in Christ, accounted  to every believer. Be righteous by faith in Christ.

"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). We receive the imputed righteousness of God in Christ. It is the gift of God received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You are accounted righteous by God in Christ.

How did Abraham become righteous? He was righteous by faith in the Lord. He received God's imputed righteousness by faith. Abraham is our example three times in the New Testament on how to receive God's righteousness (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23)."And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). 

How Jesus Saves

"We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves. Jesus saves!" Those words from an old hymn are true forever, because Jesus our risen Lord lives to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him (Hebrews 7:25). Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are saved (Acts 16:31). How does Jesus save us?

Jesus saves from the curse of sin unto the blessing of God. Jesus took the place of sinners, when he died on the cross in our place. All have sinned and all are under the curse of sin (Romans 3:23). To be cursed is to be cut off from the blessings of God and marked for destruction. In his humanity, Jesus was cut off from God the Father at the cross for our sins. He cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46).

Jesus saves from death unto life eternal. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). The Bible mentions two types of death. The first death is physical death. We all must die, but Jesus our Lord will raise us from the dead in glorified bodies like unto that of our risen Lord. The second death is for those who are not saved. They are cast into the lake of fire, at the great white throne judgement (Rev. 20:14-15).

Jesus saves from sin unto righteousness. Our sins are no longer counted against us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our sins are imputed to Christ at the cross. In exchange for our sins, the righteousness of Christ is placed upon our account (2 Corinthians 5:21). We give him our sins at the cross. He gives us his righteousness. That's how Jesus saves.

God's Will in Prayer

Charles Spurgeon said,"When your will is God's will, you will have your will." Spurgeon understood that true prayer submits to God's will. Your key to prayer says to God, "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

Prayer seeks the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). Trying to manipulate God in prayer to have it our way is wrong. Seeking a formula in prayer to always get what you want becomes sin. It misses the mark concerning God's good will. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:3).

Prayer is asking the will of God be done according to the Bible. Holy Scripture is God's revealed will. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).

Prayer is asking God's will be done to God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). He does all things to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). When your will becomes God's will, you desire the glory of God above all else (John 11:40). Answered prayer submits to God's will and glory in all things. 

God Transforms Us

God transforms us by the renewing of the mind. Then, you are no longer conformed to this world. Only God's Spirit is able to transform your mind in Christ. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"(Romans 12:2). 

God transforms us through new creation in Jesus Christ our Lord (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are enabled to understand the will of God in Christ. Your renewed mind understands the will of God in the Bible. Your transformed mind refuses to be conformed to the world of unbelief. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus"(Philippians 2:5).

God transforms us by the Holy Spirit. We are able to read the Bible with understanding. The Bible is now more than old stories of people who lived long ago. It's like a new book, because your mind is renewed. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the authors of the Bible, is now continuing to renew your mind through the word of truth in the Bible.

God transforms us to understand spiritual things. "By faith we understand"(Hebrews 11:3). The spiritual man, unlike the natural man, can understand the things of God. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:14). By the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, your mind is transformed.

God's Mercy for You

God's mercy for you is at the cross of Jesus. God's mercy has the final word over judgment. "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). At the judgment throne of God do you want justice or mercy? If we are without sin, we should demand justice. However, no one is without sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sinners receive mercy at the cross of Jesus.

God's mercy for you triumphs over judgment at the cross. God's judgment was placed upon Jesus at the cross for the believer's sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). In your place, Jesus was judged for your sins. Justice was served, that God could be both just and merciful to sinners. 

Justice was fully paid for our sins at the cross of Jesus. God is both just and merciful to sinners like you and me. In Christ crucified, God's mercy triumphs over judgment, "that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). 

God's mercy for you is at the cross of Jesus. His justice bends to no one. His justice must prevail in all things. Mercy triumphs over judgment only at the cross of Jesus. For believers in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, mercy triumphs over judgment. That's the gospel of Christ. Mercy triumphs over judgment in Christ crucified and risen from the dead. God's mercy is for sinners at the cross of Jesus.

Jesus Is Our Surety

"Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant" (Hebrews 7:22). A surety is a guarantee. In Bible days, the word surety was used to describe someone who guaranteed another person's debt would be paid. All of us have a sin debt to God. Believe the good news. Jesus paid it all. Jesus is our covenant surety.

We all have a sin debt to God. We have broken God's law. Our conscience testifies as much. Our salvation is sure, when Jesus is our guarantee. Believers look to the cross of Jesus, where He died in our place. Our sin debt to God's justice was paid, not in part but the whole. We are free from a debt that we could never repay. Jesus paid it all.

Jesus is our surety of God's covenant promises. In the new covenant, God makes four promises to every believer, guaranteed through Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7-13). These promises are: (1) God will put His laws in our hearts; (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.

Jesus is our surety of salvation in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus died for our sins. Jesus is risen from the dead for our justification. We are children of God by faith in the Lord Jesus (Galatians 3:26). Jesus intercedes for believers, that the Father will "keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15). This is the present day ministry of Jesus, as every believer's High Priest (Hebrews 7:20-25). Jesus shall return to glorify all who believe in him (1 John 3:2). Jesus is our guarantee of complete salvation.

How God Is Good

The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:9). God is good in creating all. He made us and gave us life with every breath and heartbeat. He sends rain and fruitful seasons to sustain all.  He put us in a world where the heavens and earth declare His glory. For the LORD is good (Psalm 100:5). God's common grace is good to all.

God is good to all who will repent. The goodness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4). When we repent, we change our minds about sin and evil. We know that we can really trust God, because we know that He is always working for good. We trust the goodness of God in our lives. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him (Psalm 34:8).

God is good to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust God's goodness through the Holy Spirit working in you. But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . goodness (Galatians 5:22). God's Spirit bears the fruit of goodness in all believers. Give Him all the glory, because God is working for good in your life.

God is good to all who love Him. For those who love God, He is working all things together for good. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). That does not mean bad things can never happen to us. It does mean that we can trust God to work all things together for our good, according to His purpose.

The Kingdom of God

Jesus said, For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). The Holy Spirit brings the kingdom of God within every believer. We become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The righteousness of God is accounted to us by grace through faith in Christ. We have peace with God and the joy of our salvation. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

Jesus said to Nicodemus, You must be born again (John 3:5). To be born again is a work of the Holy Spirit, through the gospel of the kingdom (John 3:8). We are born again and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16). We have entered the kingdom of God.

Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom. The word kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia, which means rule, dominion, power and sovereignty. The kingdom of God is the sovereign rule of God. The gospel of the kingdom is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

The kingdom of God is in us now through the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God will come in all of its fulness at the second coming of Christ. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).                        

The Power of Prayer

God answers the prayer of faith. That faith comes to you through the Spirit of God, based upon the word of God. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Do you pray resting upon the word of God? Pray the promises of God's word in your Bible.

Have you been praying about something for a long time? You may doubt if God is hearing you. So you have prayed and the answer has not come? The Bible teaches you to keep on praying. Don't give up. Faith waits on God to answer in His time and way. Faith refuses to give up, because God answers your prayer of faith. That faith stands firm upon the word of God.

Doubt says, "I prayed yesterday and God hasn't answered my prayer. I guess He didn't hear me." Faith refuses to doubt, saying, "I prayed and I know God heard me. He will answer in His time and in His way." But let him ask in faith, with no doubting (James 1:6). Faith without doubt expects God to answer. That's prayer based upon the word of God.

The prayer of faith receives from God. Such faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith is based upon the word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Faith receives with thanksgiving and praise to God. The prayer of faith defeats doubt to receive from God. 

How God Foreknew Us

God foreknew his people in Christ. God foreknew us as justified and glorified in Christ. God foreknew our salvation as complete (Philippians 1:6). In Romans 8:28-30, God's purpose in salvation is a prolepsis (i.e., to see before). God foreknew all who shall be in Christ (1 Peter 1:2).

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

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

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

Our Sins Are Gone

Charles Spurgeon preached, "Now, he who believes in Jesus, who puts his hands upon the head of Jesus of Nazareth, the Scapegoat of His people, has lost his sins. His faith is sure evidence that his iniquities were of old laid upon the head of the great Substitute. The Lord Jesus Christ was punished in our place."

Spurgeon taught the truth of the Gospel, when he declared faith is the evidence. By grace through faith in Christ, our sins are gone. The Bible teaches, the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). God's Son has taken all our sins away. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is evidence that our sins are gone.

The scapegoat in the Old Testament symbolically took away the sins of the nation of Israel (Leviticus 16). The High Priest laid his hands upon the scapegoat. That symbolized the transfer of the peoples sins to another. Then, the scapegoat was led into the wilderness, symbolizing sins taken away. That Old Testament figure points to our Lord Jesus Christ. As a believer in Christ, our sins are gone. 

The scapegoat in the Old Testament foreshadowed Jesus taking our sins away. The Lord Jesus Christ was punished in our place as sinners at the cross. That's the Gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). He who was sinless, was punished for every believer's sins. Through faith in Christ, our sins are gone.

Deliver Us from Evil

"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19). Evil comes from the sinful desires of people, and the wicked one, as well as other spiritual powers of darkness (Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 6:10-13). We live in this present evil age "under the sway of the wicked one."

Deliverance from evil is through the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Christ died for our sins and defeated Satan, as well as all unclean spirits at the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is our deliverance and victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-58). Deliverance from the evil one comes as we call upon Jesus our risen Lord (Romans 10:9, 13).

Deliverance from evil is through the power of Jesus our Lord. Jesus died to take away all our sins (1 John 1:7). God raised Jesus from the dead to break the power of death. His resurrection power is our deliverance from the wicked one and all powers of darkness. God delivers us from evil through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).

Deliverance from evil is through prayer. Christ revealed God's goodness to those in bondage to sin and the wicked one. Jesus taught us to pray, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13). That's the will of God to deliver us from evil, through Jesus Christ our Lord.