Be Sanctified In Christ

Martin Luther wrote, "There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow."

As true believers, we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:2). The blood of Jesus sanctifies every true believer in Christ. Believers are sanctified, set apart as God's people in Christ.

In Scripture, sanctification is for all believers in Christ. Sanctification is not the second blessing, coming as a distinctly separate stage for some in the Christian life. All believers in Christ are justified and sanctified, by the blood of Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

As a believer in Christ, you are sanctified, set apart as the purchased possession of Christ. You are bought with the price of His blood shed at the cross. The cross work of Christ is applied to your life in justification as well as sanctification.

We were justified in the past, upon trusting Christ as our Lord and Savior. However, our sanctification is past and present, continuing unto your glorification at the return of Christ. Until then, we are sanctified by faith in Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Believers are sanctified in Christ.

Abiding Faith Endures

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

Jesus taught that there are people with temporary faith, who only believe for awhile. This is recorded in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:11-15). The problem in this case is recognized in the person's heart. Temporary faith has to do with a heart not changed by the grace of God. It leads to apostasy, or falling away.

When you are born again, God takes away your heart of stone and gives you a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). Your new heart is like rich soil for the seed of the Gospel of Christ to bring forth fruit unto salvation. Abiding faith has a heart changed to become a new creation in Christ (Romans 2:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Abiding faith, unlike temporary faith, is a gift of the Spirit of God that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

When you are saved by the grace of God, your heart is changed with new desires. Your heart is the mind, will, and emotions, as the term is most often used in the Bible. God works in us "both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). A new heart includes your will changed by God's grace. God began the work of salvation in you and completes it (Philippians 1:6). Abiding faith endures to receive complete salvation in Christ.

Every Believer Sealed

Every believer in our Lord Jesus Christ is sealed with the Holy Spirit. "In Him (Christ) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). Those who truly believe the gospel of Christ have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

In Bible days, legal documents were sealed to guarantee the authority of transactions. Scripture uses this as an illustration to guarantee believers that we are God's people. The Holy Spirit is the seal of God, giving you the right to be called a child of God (John 1:11-12).

God seals all who believe the gospel of Christ with the Holy Spirit. That's the New Testament promise of God to every believer. As a believer, you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit as your Guide, Counselor, Helper and Comforter. The seal of the Spirit is for each and every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit seals all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ. It happens to each believer upon trusting in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). It is the guarantee or earnest of the Spirit, that true believers will be kept until the redemption of our bodies, at the Day of Christ (Ephesians 4:30).

Two Ways of Believing

Martin Luther wrote, "There are two ways of believing. One way is to believe about God, as I do when I believe that what is said of God is true; This faith is knowledge or observation rather than faith. The other way is to believe in God, as I do when I not only believe that what is said about Him is true, but put my trust in Him, surrender myself to Him, and make bold to deal with Him, believing that without doubt that He will be to me and do to me just what is said of Him."

Jesus said, You believe in God, believe also in Me (John 14:1). That's our relationship of trust in God. We surrender our lives to God. Faith in God is taking Him at His word. Luther defined believing in God as believing without doubt that He will be to me and do to me just what is said of Him. 

Martin Luther warned those who only believe about God. It is only mental assent that there is a God. It is not believing in God, which is a personal trust in God. Faith in God receives the promises of His word. Believing in God depends upon Him to do what He has promised.

Believing about God cannot save anyone. You believe there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). Here is a warning for those who only believe about God. It is a call to truly believe in God. 

Sinners Justified Freely

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

Sinners are justified freely by faith in Christ. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Faith is trust and confidence, relying upon Christ alone. By faith in Christ, sinners are justified freely with God, and not by the works of the law (Galatians 2:19-20).

Sinners are justified freely by grace in Christ (Galatians 2:21). Faith receives the grace of God in Christ. Faith is the evidence that the believer is justified before God. It is the assurance of faith. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed (Romans 4:16). Be justified freely by grace, through faith in Christ.

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

It's All about Jesus

Tim Keller wrote, "There are two ways to read the Bible. One way to read the Bible is that it’s basically about you: what you have to do in order to be right with God, in which case you’ll never have a sure and certain hope, because you’ll always know you’re not quite living up. You’ll never be sure about that future. Or you can read it as all about Jesus. Every single thing is not about what you must do in order to make yourself right with God, but what he has done to make you absolutely right with God."

When it comes to being right with God, Keller made it clear. It's all about Jesus. It's not what we have done, but what Jesus has done for us. That's the Gospel (Romans 1:16). Yes, it's all about Jesus. He died for our sins. He is risen from the dead. He is Lord (Romans 10:9).

It's all about Jesus, not about doing better nor trying harder. Rather, it's simply resting by faith in Jesus Christ who is our righteousness with God. The only way that we can be right with God is in Christ alone (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

When it comes to being sure you are right with God, it's all about Jesus. Assurance is not about what we have done nor what we will do. It's all about what Jesus has done for us and what He is doing in us. Tim Keller was right. The focus of our faith must be in Christ alone. He works in us what is pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:21). 

The Throne of God

"Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5). We saw the throne of God in Revelation 4:2-4. There was a rainbow around the throne, as a sign of God's mercy. Never again would He destroy the earth with a flood. Again, we saw the throne of God in Revelation 20:11-12. It is the great white throne of judgment. Now, we see the throne of God in Revelation 21. No emphasis is on its appearance. The focus is upon God's voice.

The throne of heaven is a symbol of God's sovereign dominion over all. When He speaks, it shall be done. He decrees what shall come to pass. His word is with absolute sovereign authority. God said to John, "Write, for these words are true and faithful" (Revelation 21:5). God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He is the God of all truth. He is faithful to His word to perform it.

From the throne of heaven, God's voice declared our salvation. God said, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7). And, how do we overcome? The Bible is clear. "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:5). Salvation is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31).

From the throne of heaven, God's voice declared judgment and condemnation for all who are unbelieving (Revelation 21:8). They shall experience the second death in the lake of fire. The word death (Grk: thanatos) does not mean annihilation but separation. That is separation from God forever in the lake of fire. "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).

Christ Is All Theology

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "Jesus Christ, who is the sum and the substance of the gospel, who is in himself all theology, the incarnation of every precious truth, the all glorious embodiment of the way, the truth and the life." Theology is defined as the study of God. Spurgeon knew that God was incarnate in Christ (John 1:14). God is expressly revealed to us in Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). 

Theologians have different views and opinions on many subjects concerning God. That can be confusing to many believers. What should we do? Spurgeon had the answer. He taught that Jesus Christ is in himself all theology, the incarnation of every precious truth. Interpreting the Bible must be done in the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has the final word in understanding the Bible.

Jesus Christ is in himself all theology, because he is the full, total, and final revelation of God. Jesus is the express image or likeness of God (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus said, He who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). Jesus is the revelation of God the Father.

Spurgeon knew that Jesus is the incarnation of God. He is God in flesh, fully God and fully man. All theology is summarized in the first chapter of John's Gospel. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). That's God revealed to us in Christ.

How Prayer Receives

Prayer receives according to the promises of God in the Bible. The promises of God are sure to you as a believer. Your faith is strengthened, when you ask according to God's promises. There are thousands of promises in the Bible. He hears and answers."Yet you do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2).

Prayer receives according to God's word of promise. That's asking according to the will of God. That means we are certain of God's will. "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14).

We believe God can do anything, but will He do what we are asking? It's certain He will, if it's according to His word of promise. The word of God is the will of God. "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Prayer is asking and receiving based upon God's promises in Jesus name.

Prayer receives according to God's word and will in the Bible. His answer will be Yes and Amen in Christ. We may be reluctant to ask God for anything, because we think God's answer may be no. However, it is Yes in the Bible, so ask in Jesus name. Jesus Christ is the Amen to our requests. Amen means "so be it." Prayer receives based upon God's word and will in Jesus name.

Your Spiritual Growth

Your spiritual growth is through a personal relationship with God in Christ. Don't be satisfied to remain where you are without growing in Christ. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). That statement summarizes your spiritual growth in Christ. 

Your spiritual growth is through the word of God in the Bible. A proper diet is necessary to maintain good health. Likewise, feeding upon God's word in the Bible is necessary for your growth in Christ. Knowledge should lead to growing in the grace of Christ, which is the unmerited favor of God. 

Your spiritual growth strengthens your faith in Christ. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). We believe what we know is true. Increased knowledge of Christ should lead to increased faith and assurance in Christ. That is growth in grace. It's growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your spiritual growth is through life situations. God allows us to be in situations beyond our ability, that we may not trust in ourselves but in Him. Our impossibilities are always His possibilities. With God all things are possible. Jesus said, "For without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). That lesson leads us to spiritual growth in the grace of Christ, as we trust Him in all of life's situations. Oh for grace to trust Him more!

The Holy Spirit Resisted

God's grace is resisted by those who reject the gospel. They have "insulted the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:29). The Bible teaches that people resist the Holy Spirit, because their hearts have not been changed by the grace of God. Those who are lost face condemnation by rejecting the gospel of Christ.

"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you" (Acts 7:51). Only the Spirit of God can change our hearts, which means the mind, will, and emotions. By resisting the Spirit of grace, those who are lost insult the only one who can apply the gospel of Christ to their hearts.

The Spirit of grace, who changes our corrupt hearts, is the same Spirit who convicts those who are lost of unbelief. Conviction is grace that precedes new birth (John 16:7-11). When conviction is resisted, grace is resisted. Conviction deals specifically with the sin of unbelief, in essence, rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Those who are lost reject the light of Christ. Jesus said, "And this is condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). Therefore, those who are lost resist the Spirit of grace and have no one to blame but themselves for their own just condemnation.

How Salvation Is Applied

Salvation is applied through the Holy Spirit. He is known also as the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29). The Holy Spirit works in your heart to have a personal relationship with Christ. Your mind is enlightened. The Spirit of grace enables us to confess Jesus is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3).

The Spirit of grace applies salvation in Christ. It is "the grace of God that brings salvation" (Titus 2:11). Grace is the goodness of God leading us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Grace is the gift of God in Christ received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Spirit of grace does not force us to believe in Christ. God's grace works in and through our will, but never to do violence to our will. Without this work of God's grace, your will is in bondage to sin and unable to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Spirit of grace applies salvation, not our works. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). We don't work for our salvation. We work out what God has worked in us. That is the grace of God in Christ.

The Spirit of grace brings us to repentance and faith in Christ. It is all of grace (Ephesians 2:5, 8-10). Grace is the way God initiates our salvation. We are enabled by the Spirit of grace to respond to the gospel of Christ (John 16:7-11; Acts 15:11).

Bride-Elect of Christ

In Bible days a father chose the bride-elect for his son. God the Father has chosen the bride-elect for His Son (Ephesians 1:4-6). The bride of Christ is the church. The custom of Bible days was for the fathers of the bride and groom to enter a covenant, a binding agreement, concerning the future marriage.

For Christ and the church, the binding agreement is the new covenant or testament. God the Father has entered into an everlasting covenant with His Son (Hebrews 13:20-21). The church is the bride-elect, including all who are born of the Spirit through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In Bible days, the groom paid a price for his bride-elect. Christ loved the church and purchased her with the blood of His cross (Ephesians 5:25). These words from a hymn describes the love of Christ for the church: "From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride. With His own blood He bought her and for her life He died."

The groom gave gifts to his bride-elect. Christ sends the Holy Spirit with gifts to the church. They are the three abiding gifts of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). The greatest gift of all is love. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). The church is the bride-elect. The elect includes all who are chosen by grace through faith in Christ.

God Is Not Partial

God is not partial. This is a lesson that the apostle Peter had to learn through divine revelation and in his own experience. Peter preaching to the household of Cornelius was a major change in his thinking. He was a Jew preaching the gospel to Gentiles. "Then Peter opened his mouth and said, 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality"(Acts 10:34).

God is not partial in His love for the world (John 3:16). The good news is that God loves sinners, and He proved it at the cross of Jesus. Jesus did not die for good people, because there are none (Romans 3:10, 23). We have all sinned and come short of God's glory. Jesus died for sinners (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Once and for all, God proved His love for the world at the cross of Jesus (1 John 2:2).

God is not partial in His mercy and grace toward mankind. The Bible declares: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). There's enough mercy in God for all nations (Revelation 5:9). 

God's mercy is sufficient to save anyone from eternal judgment. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). The invitation to God the Father through Jesus Christ is offered to all people with no partiality. "Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43).

Who Christ Is for Us

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 wisdom for us. He is every believer's Counselor, sharing with us the wisdom of God. His words in Scripture speak wisdom and counsel for our life situations. He speaks wisdom to us, as we read His words in the Bible.

Christ is righteousness for us. Self-righteousness will never please God. By faith in Christ, the believer receives the only righteousness that can possibly please God. We become righteous by faith in Christ alone. We are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Christ is sanctification for us. Trying to sanctify yourself is nothing more than self-righteousness. Only the blood of Christ and the Spirit of Christ can surely sanctify us before God. Jesus Christ alone is our sanctification.

Christ is redemption for us. He paid the price to set us free from the curse of sin and condemnation. It is nothing but the blood of Jesus. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are blood bought. Jesus paid it all.

God's Grace In Christ

God's grace is in Jesus Christ our Lord. God's grace changes our hearts, which is regeneration. God's grace enables us to repent and believe the gospel of Christ, which is our conversion (Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 2:25).

God's grace is salvation by faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is God's grace working through us in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is by God's grace, and not by any works which we have done. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). 

God's grace is the gift of God in Christ. It is never earned by our works. If salvation was by our works, we could boast of what we have done. However, salvation is by grace in Christ alone, which means it is the gift of God. Salvation is the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is to the glory of God alone, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Salvation is not received by God's grace plus our works. Some teach that salvation is initiated by God's grace and must be completed by our works. Not so. When grace saves us, it is by grace received in Christ. God's grace in Christ begins and completes our salvation (Philippians 1:6).

Two Sides of God's Will

God's will has two sides. We can know God's revealed will for us in the Bible. God's secret will cannot be known. God's revealed will is our responsibility. God's secret will is not known. God's revealed will may be disobeyed; God's secret will is sovereign, certain to be fulfilled in God's time.

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

God's revealed will comes to us through the commandments of Scripture. For instance, God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). That is God's revealed will of command which often is ignored. Yet, there are some who repent, turn to God and receive mercy and grace in Christ. The revealed will of God is our responsibility. Yet, God certainly knows that many will disobey to their own condemnation.

God's secret will is not for us to know. It is God's will of decree. It is certain to come to pass. Some may speculate and debate the secret will of God, but without Scripture as evidence. His secret will includes all the details of providence known only to God. The classic illustration is the appointed time for the second coming of Christ. Scripture teaches that no one knows the day nor hour, not even the angels of heaven. Yet, God's secret will appoints the day and hour.

Faith without Doubt

Faith without doubt is based upon God's promises. The Christian life begins with the promise of God for all who believe. The Bible says, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is saved according to the promise of God. Faith is simply trusting what God promised. Salvation is by faith in Christ, based upon God's sure promises.

Faith without is trusting and relying upon God's promises in the Bible. Trying to live the Christian life without the promises of God becomes confusing and doubtful. The victorious Christian life is based upon what God promises in Christ that cannot fail. That's because God who has promised cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

Faith without doubt is in God's promises through our Lord Jesus Christ. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us (2 Corinthians 1:20). God keeps His promises through us as believers to the praise of His glory. Prayer based upon what God promises you is answered with Yes and in Him Amen. Trusting what God promises in your Bible is the solid foundation for all who live by faith.

Faith without doubt is standing on God's promises. That's faith with confidence in the promises of God in Christ. They are Yes and Amen in Christ. Don't let doubt rob you of victory unto the glory of God. Pray the promises of God. The answer is Yes and Amen in Christ. Your faith is sure, because what God promises you cannot fail.

Salvation In Christ

Salvation is in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:3-8). The gospel is the death of Christ for our sins and his resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Grace is the gift of God in Christ to all who believe. You are saved by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Paul was emphatic that if anyone preached any other gospel, let  him be accursed (Galatians 1:8).

Salvation comes through the call of God. The gospel call to Christ is to all nations and races of people. Yet, the gospel call is personal. God calls us to receive Christ (Galatians 1:6). That call is effective when our hearts are changed, as we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9).

Salvation changes your mind and heart. That is God's grace renewing your mind (Romans 12:2). That's the change of heart, which is the mind, will and emotions. You become a new creation by the grace of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). That change is by grace through faith in Christ.

Salvation brings peace with God (Romans 5:1). God's peace is within you. Peace with God means you are reconciled to God in Christ our Lord. Peace within you is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). This grace is not based upon any merit on your part, but the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. You are saved as you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31).

God Saves Whoever

God saves whoever calls upon him. Whoever calls upon the name of Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). Those who sincerely call upon the Lord are saved today. That's why today is the day of salvation.

The Bible warns about waiting for a day in the future to be saved. The danger is hardening our hearts in sin. Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts (Hebrews 3:15). It's a serious matter to resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11). That's the reason the Bible declares, Behold now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. However, those who have hardened their hearts will not, even in the face of death. Life is so uncertain and death is so sure. That's why today is the day of salvation. We are not promised tomorrow. 

The dying thief was saved on the day he died. Being crucified next to Jesus, he said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom (Luke 23:42). Jesus said to him, Today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). There is no doubt about his salvation. The words of our Lord confirmed it. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

The Tabernacle of God

We read in Revelation 21:3 these words: Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. This is a prophecy about the eternal state of God's people. We will live with God forever. God Himself will be with them and be there God.

The word tabernacle simply means dwelling place. The desire of God has always been to dwell with His people. In the Old Testament God dwelt among His people in the wilderness. God's tabernacle was a tent of meeting, where He lived indirectly with them. The tabernacle in the wilderness was a place of sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people.

In the New Testament God the Father tabernacled among His people through Jesus, His only begotten Son. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus is God incarnate in the flesh. God was in Christ dwelling among His people. Jesus said, the Father who dwells in me does the works (John 14:10).

In the new heaven and new earth, God will dwell or tabernacle directly and intimately with His people. His manifest glory will be seen and experienced by all. It will be eternal communion with God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).

Prophecy in the Bible

Prophecy in the Bible includes the end time. It must certainly come to pass (Matt. 24:1-2; Luke 21:9; Rev. 1:1). In a word, it is infallible. Prophecy of Holy Scripture is infallible simply because God is infallible. He knows the end from the beginning. God's word of prophecy cannot fail.

There are two types of prophecy in the Bible, conditional and unconditional. The prophecy of Jesus about the end time is unconditional. However, other prophecies, such as Jonah's prophecy to Nineveh, was conditional. The prophesied judgment on Nineveh was averted, because the people repented (Jonah 3:5-10). Prophecy was God's mercy and patience allowing them to respond to the warning. God has not changed. He is merciful and patient today.

Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple decades before it happened (Luke 21:20-23). That prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. Believers took the warning from Jesus and fled the city as the Roman army approached. Their lives were spared. Yet, according to the historian Josephus, more than a million Jews died in the destruction. Likewise, believers today take the end time prophecy of Jesus as sure to come.

Prophecy in the Bible is comfort and hope for the people of God today. Every believer should rest assured that God Almighty rules over the circumstances of our lives. His prophetic word in the Bible is infallible. Jesus is coming again. Our future is certain and our hope is sure. It's based upon a God's word of prophecy.

Christ Is Our Salvation

Christ is our salvation based upon Scripture alone. The Bible alone is the Word of God written. Scripture takes precedent over church tradition. Holy Scripture alone is inspired by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16).

Christ is our salvation through the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Christ died for our sins. He is risen for our justification. All who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are saved from the curse of the law and the condemnation of sin (Acts 16:30-31).

Christ is our salvation by God's grace alone. We can never earn salvation. Grace alone saves us from the condemnation and curse of sin. Grace is the unmerited favor of God, the gift of God freely given (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Christ is our salvation through faith alone. Faith is trust in God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is by God's grace through faith in Christ. Faith is trusting Christ to save you. Without faith no one can please God (Hebrews 11:1-6).

Christ is our salvation to the praise of God's glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Give all the praise to God. The purpose of our salvation is to God's glory in Christ alone.

How God Shows Mercy

So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy (Romans 9:16). God's mercy is not earned by our efforts, because it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs. Our will power and efforts can never save us. God shows us mercy by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

God shows mercy in Christ crucified for our sins. That is to say, the sacrificial death of Christ satisfies the demands of God's holiness and wrath against our sin. God's just wrath is satisfied for sinners who trust in Christ alone for mercy and justification. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world (1 John 2:2).

God shows mercy in the blood of Jesus taking away all our sins (1 John 1:7). Mercy through the gospel of Christ transforms your life. God's mercy changes your heart to change your life. Only God can change your heart. The heart is a symbol for your mind, will, and emotions.

God shows mercy in Christ working within us as believers. God's mercy renews your mind to understand the will of God (Romans 12:1-2). Such a change enables you to repent and come to faith in Christ. The word repent comes from two Greek words. Meta means change. Nous means mind. God's mercy leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).

Christ Our Passover

Passover in the Old Testament was deliverance for God's people in Egypt. It describes how a lamb was sacrificed by each family to save the people of God from bondage and death. In the the New Testament, the sacrifice of Jesus saves believers from the wages of sin and death (Romans 6:23). Believers can testify, "Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us"(1 Corinthians 5:7).

Believers in Christ our Passover receive his sacrifice as full assurance that our sins are gone. Christ made the sacrifice in the place of every believer. This is the substitutionary atonement. His sacrifice is effectual to take away all the believer's sins (1 John 1:7). 

Believers are justified from all sin, through Christ our Passover. Religion without the sacrifice of Christ can never take away our sins. Our works can never be enough to pay for our sins. God has provided the way, and the only way, for every believer's sin to be forgiven, only through the sacrifice of Christ.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Christ our Passover is given by God the Father to all who believe (John 3:16). He is the sacrifice for the sins of all who believe.

God is calling out his people from every nation. The sacrifice of Christ redeems believers to God "out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). Christ our Passover is every believer's sacrifice for sin.

The Unpardonable Sin

Jesus made it very clear, there is an unpardonable sin. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin. To blaspheme is to speak evil of the Holy Spirit. It is uniquely against the Holy Spirit and not God the Father nor God the Son. It is an intentional sin that no one commits ignorantly. It is a deliberate sin with eternal consequences (Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:28-30).

Why is blaspheming the Holy Spirit unpardonable? It's because only the Holy Spirit can convict us that we may believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:7-11). Only the Holy Spirit can make Christ real to our hearts. He is the agent of new birth through faith in Christ. Saving faith is the gift and work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (1 Corinthians 13:13; Philippians 1:29). 

Understand that blaspheming is not resisting the Holy Spirit. A person may resist the Holy Spirit and later yield to receive Jesus as Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not committed by someone who has been saved, whose heart has already been transformed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2). It is committed by someone who has rejected the gospel of Christ totally and finally.

Jesus warned people who saw His miracles and attributed them to the devil, that they would receive no forgiveness in this life nor the world to come. Jesus performed all His miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). Those people adamantly reject Christ, as well as His miracles, and the greatest miracle of all, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:3-4).

Christ of the Covenants

Covenant is a contract or agreement that God reveals to and for his people. The framework of the Bible is covenant. To understand clearly the scope of the Bible, it is necessary to understand covenant.

The Bible reveals two major covenants (Galatians 4:21-31). The Old Covenant is also known as the Old Testament, and the New Covenant as the New Testament. The point is that God works through covenant with people. The covenants point us to Christ. 

The Old Covenant came to the nation of Israel through Moses as the mediator. It was the covenant of law, commanding holy days, sacrifices, and priestly rituals, that pointed toward our great High Priest Jesus Christ. It was Christ alone who fulfilled the Old Covenant and made the one final and only complete sacrifice for sin.

The New Covenant came through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is forever the one and only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Jesus is the Prophet, Priest, and King of the New Covenant, which is an everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20-21). All who trust in our Lord Jesus Christ are God's chosen people in Christ, through the promises of the everlasting covenant. Our New Covenant with God is in Christ.

When Christians Sin

Dr. James P. Boyce wrote, "Christians are not presented in the Bible as completely pure and holy, but on the contrary, the very best of them acknowledge the existence of sinful tendencies and pronounce any idea of freedom from the presence of sin to be a delusion."

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). This verse was written to those who are Christians. There is a battle that goes on within every Christian (Galatians 5:17). It's the conflict of the Spirit and flesh. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14). Yet, Christians still live in a corruptible body of sin, the flesh. 

There is a conflict between the Spirit and flesh within Christians in this life. Dr. Boyce contrasted justification and sanctification."It is not a sanctification to be completed in this life. It is not like justification, a single act, but it is a continuous process. The work goes on throughout the lifetime of the believer, nor is it completed before death."

When Christians sin, we confess our sins to God for cleansing. First John 1:9-10 makes it clear. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

The Promises of God

The promises of God are in the everlasting covenant. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me (Jeremiah 32:40). Through the everlasting covenant, we know what God promises us. God's everlasting promises are for us in Christ, our great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20-21).

And I will make an everlasting covenant with them. This is a remarkable contrast with the old covenant law. It was a temporary covenant (Hebrews 8:13). The people of God broke it. It was conditional, based upon the peoples obedience. God's will every believer is in the everlasting covenant. They are unconditional promises, based upon the obedience of Christ Jesus. 

I will not turn away from doing them good. Under the conditional promises of the old covenant law, God had to turn away from doing good to His people, because of their sins and transgressions. Their disobedience brought the curse of the law. God promises in the everlasting covenant that Christ died to take away the curse of sin from every believer. God will not turn away from doing good for us.

I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Under the old covenant law, God's people turned away from Him, even to the point of serving false gods in idolatry. God promises under the everlasting covenant to change our hearts (Romans 2:28-29). God will put His fear in our hearts, that we will not turn away from Him. 

The Called of God

God calls us out of spiritual darkness into the light of Christ. When believers see the light, it comes quickly to dispel darkness. The change is sudden and abrupt. Darkness is defeated immediately in the presence of light. That's how God calls us out of spiritual darkness. God "called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). 

God calls us effectively, when our eyes of understanding are opened to the truth of Christ. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12). We are called by God to see the light, that we may know the glory of God in Jesus Christ (John 1:14). He is the light of life. Our salvation comes through the gospel, calling us out of spiritual darkness into the light of Christ.

God calls us to freedom from spiritual darkness. It is not our achievement. Rather, the light comes to us from without, changing our hearts within. Light is Jesus Christ coming into our dark hearts. The called of God testify, "I saw the light." Give all the glory to "Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 

God calls us to walk in the light. When we see the light, then we are able to walk in the light. "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). The called of God come out of darkness, to walk in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord.