The Elect In Christ

"Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame" (Isaiah 28:16). Christ is the elect of God, as the cornerstone of every believer's salvation. Therefore, believers are elect in Christ.

The elect are in Christ. He should always be the focus to understand our election. Christ is the Elect of God, precious to the Father and all who believe in him. Our election is sure in Christ alone. The Bible tells us to "make your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).

In eternity God purposed to justify people, who by grace believe in and through our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2 Timothy 1:9). Our election includes all true believers in Christ. Our election is sure in the elect one, even Christ Jesus our Lord.

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. 

The love of God to save believers from condemnation has its eternal purpose and fulfillment in Christ. God's purpose to save is to the praise of His glorious grace in Christ (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Make your election sure by God's grace, through faith in Christ. The elect are in Christ.

Saved In Christ Alone

God saves us by grace through faith in Christ alone. We can never earn nor deserve our salvation. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23). Christ alone saves sinners from the condemnation and curse of sin. God saves sinners by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Salvation is God's workmanship in Christ.

The Bible teaches that God saves us in Christ alone (Acts 4:12). The Gospel of Christ is the message of salvation (Romans 1:16). Christ died for our sins. He is risen for our justification. Old Testament believers were saved by the promise of Christ coming. New Testament believers are saved because Christ has come.

God saves us through faith alone in Christ. Our faith is trusting and relying upon Christ alone. Faith is relying upon Christ Jesus our Lord to save us to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25). Faith is trusting Christ to begin and complete our salvation (Philippians 1:6). 

God works all things to the praise of His glory. That includes our salvation in Christ. God saves sinners to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Christ is the fulness of God's grace (John 1:14-16). God saves us by grace through faith in Christ alone. That gives all the praise and glory to God. 

How God Forgives You

God will forgive you, when you believe the gospel of Christ. Your sin debt was 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 your 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 your sins are taken away.

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

God will forgive you, as you confess your sins. Christians are not perfect, just forgiven (1 John 1:8-10). When you 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 in Christ to the praise of the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6). If you have any doubt about God's willingness to forgive you, look at the cross of Jesus. "Mercy there was great and grace was free." Because of God's mercy and grace in Christ, your sins are forgiven. 

How God Seeks Us

W.T. Conner wrote,"The gospel of Christ is the gospel of a seeking God. He seeks worshipers (John 4:23). The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The seeking of the Son of man is a revelation of the heart of God. Drawing men to Christ is the work of God." 

God seeks us, because we do not seek God. No one does."There is none that seeks after God"(Romans 3:11). Jesus was sent by God the Father to seek and save that which was lost. The Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, seeks the lost sheep. The sheep have no sense of direction. The Shepherd must seek them and find them.

Only after we become believers do we seek God (Hebrews 11:6). The lost do not seek God. Believers seek God and follow the Shepherd's voice (John 10:4). That is to say, we seek the One who first sought us. 

God seeks us and draws us to Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. Christ is revealed to us through the gospel. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance (1 Thessalonians 1:5). The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16).

Christ at the Door

Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). That's Christ coming into your life.

While some Bible teachers say the words of our Lord in Revelation 3:20 were only to the church as a whole and not to individuals, Charles Spurgeon had another opinion. He was quite convinced that it was a personal invitation to everyone.

Spurgeon made this comment about the above verse: "Dear reader, hearken to His invitation, and let His good words sink into your soul. As you do so, your life will begin anew and you will be on your way to Heaven." Spurgeon clearly believed that Christ knocks at the door of individuals.

Spurgeon tells us at whose door Christ knocked in Revelation 3:20. He wrote, "Therefore, I urge you not to refuse the Lord Jesus who is knocking at the door of your heart. Remember that He knocks with a hand that was nailed to the cross for you. Your good is His object, so incline your ear to Him and let Him come in."

The personal invitation issued by the Lord Jesus Christ is to everyone who will hear His voice. The Lord's voice comes to you through words in the Bible. His promise is sure to everyone who is open. Jesus Christ says, "I will come in to him." 

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.