How God Chose Us

God chose us in Christ, who are the church (Grk: ekklesia), the called out ones. God has chose all in Christ to be holy before him in love (Ephesians 1:4-8). God the Father has chosen all in Christ. The Bible uses marriage imagery to describe our salvation. In Bible days, a father chose a bride for his son, so God our Father has chosen the bride for his Son. God has chosen the church as the bride of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:24-26). 

God the Father chose us in Christ the Son. The chosen of God are all believers in Christ. All who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are chosen. Our calling and election is sure in Christ alone (2 Peter 1:10-11). 

God chose us in Christ, because in Christ alone sinners are saved (Acts 4:12). He is the only one who died for sinners. He is the only one raised from the dead to justify sinners and save us from condemnation and eternal judgment. The Son of God is the only way to God our Father (John 14:6). Those who refuse to believe in Christ reject God's one and only way of salvation (Acts 4:12).

Scripture makes it clear that God has chosen all in Christ before the foundation of the world. God foreknew all who shall be in Christ (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:4). God knows all things, the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). God foreknew his people in Christ before time began. God chose us in Christ alone. 

God's Revealed Will

God's revealed will is in the Bible. The word of God is the will of God. God's will is revealed to us by reading the Bible. The secret will of God is not revealed (Deuteronomy 29:29). Believers are responsible to do the revealed will of God.

Paul's prayer in Romans 1:8-15 is an example of both the revealed and secret will of God. He prayed that God would make a way for him to visit the church at Rome. Also, God's permissive will allowed him to be hindered by circumstances to visit there. He realized the providence of God rules over all our circumstances (Romans 8:28). When God would permit him to visit there, he did not know.

The apostle Paul knew the revealed will of God for the church at Rome. They were to know the spiritual gifts God had for them. Every believer has a ministry gift. Paul mentioned seven such gifts in Romans 12:6-8. It was God's will to encourage them and strengthen the church. It is God's will for all people everywhere to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Every believer should share the gospel. The primary purpose of the apostle Paul and the church is to spread the gospel of Christ.

God's revealed will is proven in the Bible. The Spirit of God works through the Word of God. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). Remember, God's revealed will is good. The Bible is the will of God revealed.

He Comes with Clouds

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of earth shall mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen (Revelation 1:7). Those who have rejected the Gospel of Christ will be terrified. The day of their judgment will come (Revelation 20:11-15).

The book of Revelation is prophecy about Jesus Christ. He is both the Prophet and the Revelation. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit as the Prophet, Priest and King. Both words Messiah and Christ mean anointed one. Jesus is the Prophet that Moses said would come (Deuteronomy 18:15). His coming was prophesied many times in the Old Testament.

In the book of Revelation, prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. That prophetic book is from Jesus and about Jesus. The apostle John was instructed to write what he saw and heard. In Revelation, chapters 19 and 20, we read about the second coming of Christ and the events which follow. Jesus said, Surely, I am coming quickly (Revelation 22:20). That means it will be sudden when he comes, rather than immediately.

The book of Revelation tells us how to be saved and sure. It's by grace alone. Grace is the gift of God in Christ alone. It is by faith alone that we receive the grace of Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). The book of Revelation ends with these words. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (Revelation 22:21).

How We Are Saved

We are saved believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31). 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 us by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). We are God's workmanship in Christ.

The Bible teaches that we are saved 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.

We are saved through faith alone in Christ. 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). 

We are saved to the praise of God's glory alone. Salvation is by God's grace in Christ. God saves sinners to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Christ is the fullness of God's grace (John 1:14-16). We are saved by grace through faith in Christ. That gives all the praise and glory to God. 

God's Prophetic Word

God's prophetic word reveals the end time. It must certainly come to pass (Matt. 23:1-2; Luke 21:9; Rev. 1:1). In a word, it is infallible. Prophecy of Holy Scripture is infallible simply because God is infallible. God knows the end from the beginning. God's word of prophecy cannot fail.

There are two types of Bible prophecy, conditional and unconditional. The prophecy of Jesus about the end time is unconditional. However, notice 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 know the end time prophecy of Jesus is sure to come.

God's prophetic word brings comfort and hope. As believers, we 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 God's prophetic word.

Christ Redeemed Us

Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law (Deuteronomy 27:26). This reference is quoted in Galatians 3:10. To offend the law in one point is to be guilty of the whole law (James 2:10). No one can be justified by keeping the law, because we have all sinned (Romans 3:23). We are all under the curse of sin and need to be redeemed.

The word redeemed refers to a price paid to set a prisoner or slave free. Christ paid our sin debt in full, with His own blood at the cross. Believers are redeemed in Christ. He redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Galatians 3:13). This Scripture quotes Deuteronomy 21:23. Christ, who had no sin, took our sins upon himself at the cross. He shed his blood and died for the curse of our sins. 

Believers are redeemed from the curse through faith in Christ. We are redeemed from the curse of sin unto every blessing in Christ. As God blessed Abraham in all things, believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing by faith in Christ (Genesis 24:1; Ephesians 1:3).

Who You Are In Christ

In Christ you are God's child. You are loved and cherished. Life has meaning because of who you know. When we know Jesus as Lord, we are God's children. That's who you are as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ now and forever.

As God's child, you have a Father who made all things. You have a Lord who died in your place to take away all of your sins. You have eternal life with an eternal family, the family of God. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name (John 1:12).

In Christ you have the right to be called a child of God. You are born again into the family of God. No one can take that right away from you. That right was paid at the cross in the blood of Jesus. It is your birthright. You are a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ.

Some may doubt. Others may be confused and uncertain. Many would like to know for sure. Yes, you can know who you are as a believer in Christ. You are a child of God by what is written in the Bible, what happened at the cross, and what Jesus has done for you. Doubt confesses, "I hope I'm a child of God. I'm just not sure." Faith says, "I am a child of God, because I'm a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe what the Bible says about me."

We Shall See God's Glory

The word glory (Grk: doxa) in the New Testament is used in two ways, depending on the context. First, it may be used to give God glory. That is expressing praise and adoration to God in worship. However, the word glory may also express the manifest presence of God. Of course, God is omnipresent. He is present everywhere and all the time. Nevertheless, God does not manifest His presence everywhere.

In the eternal state of God's redeemed people, the apostle John saw a vision of God's glory on the new earth and in the New Jerusalem. John saw the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God (Rev. 21:9-11). He saw the light of God's glory. The city had no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is the light (Rev. 21:23). Certainly, the Lamb is our Lord Jesus Christ. We shall see God's glory revealed in Christ (John 1:14).

In the eternal state and the New Jerusalem, there will be one eternal day. There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever (Rev. 21:25). Indeed, that is the glory of God with His people in the eternal state. The new earth and city are illumined by the light of God's glory.

This old earth will pass away (2 Peter 3:10). Jesus has gone to prepare the new place for all who are redeemed (John 14:1-3). The New Jerusalem on the new earth will reveal the light of God's glory to every believer. We shall see God's glory in our glorified bodies.

God's Word to You

The Bible is God's word to you written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. All scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). That's Holy Scripture. most often known as the Bible. Inspired means God-breathed. The Bible is a book set apart from all others, because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. The word Scripture means writing. The Bible is inspired writing, which is God's written word.

The Bible is God's word to you, able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15). Christ is the Word become flesh to save you (John 1:14). Only the Holy Spirit is able to give you the assurance of salvation. He gives assurance to you through the Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is God's word bringing to you the gift of faith (Romans 10:9). So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). The gift of faith comes through the Holy Spirit. The Bible is inspired and used by the Holy Spirit to impart that faith.

The Bible is God's word to you about the issues of life. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Holy Scripture is God's inspired word to you in the Bible. The Bible is God's will revealed to you. The Holy Spirit instructs you how to live through the Bible.

Pray with Boldness

Charles Spurgeon said, “There is no pleading with God like reminding Him of His Covenant! Get a hold of a promise of God, and you may pray with great boldness, for the Lord will not run back from His own Word—but get a hold of the Covenant and you may plead with the greatest possible confidence!”

Bold prayer is based on the covenant promises of God. Yes, God has sworn with an oath to fulfill every last covenant promise in the Bible. Take God at His word. Stand upon His promises. That's how you pray boldly. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Bold prayer is based upon the will of God. Bold prayer is sure about the will of God as revealed in the Bible. You will not struggle with doubt, because your faith is standing firm upon the word of God (Romans 10:17). As Spurgeon said, "You may plead with the greatest possible confidence!"

The covenant promises of God are everlasting, because the covenant is everlasting (Hebrews 13:20-21). They are for all of God's children, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the reason Spurgeon could say, "There is no pleading with God like reminding Him of His Covenant!" Bold prayer stands on the covenant promises of God.

Your Election Is Sure

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.

Your election is sure 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. Your election is sure by faith in Christ alone. The Bible says 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). Election includes all true believers in Christ. Your election is sure in the Elect One, even Christ Jesus our Lord.

To be in Christ means we are believers, 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 that saves believers from condemnation has its eternal purpose and fulfillment in Christ. God's purpose to save you is to the praise of His glorious grace in Christ (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Your election is sure by God's grace, through faith in Christ. Your election is sure in Christ alone.

Salvation Is God's Work

Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, "Salvation is the work of God. It is he alone who quickens the soul dead in trespasses and sins, and it is he also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both Alpha and Omega. Salvation is of the Lord." 

Salvation is God's work in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8). Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter. From beginning to the end, salvation is complete in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 10:9).

Salvation is God's work to those who are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). To be spiritually dead means our sins have separated us from God. Our inability to come to God was our unbelief and hardness of heart. But, God who is rich in mercy, comes to us as sinners with the goodness of grace, making us alive to new life in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Salvation is God's work through the gospel. The Spirit of God enables us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). God in Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our salvation (Revelation 22:13).

Salvation is God's work from the beginning unto completion. He began the good work in us. Likewise, he continues the work in us (Philippians 1:6; 2:13). The Lord begins and completes our salvation. Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our salvation. Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ completely saves.

God Will Forgive You

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

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

God will forgive you through the confession of sin. Christians are not perfect, just forgiven (1 John 1:8-10). Confessing your sins to God receives fresh cleansing. 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 there is any doubt about God forgiving 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. 

Why 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 Your 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). 

While some Bible teachers say the words of our Lord in Revelation 3:20 are 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.

Charles H. 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. That's Christ in your life.

The Faith that 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). Faith that endures can stand the test. Also, true saving faith is an abiding gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). If we have abiding faith, it endures through all manner of testing.

Jesus taught that those who fall away have temporary faith, who 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 (1 John 2:19).

When we are born again, God takes away our heart of stone and gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). The 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 Cor. 5:17). Abiding faith endures, unlike temporary faith. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

If we are saved by the grace of God, our hearts are changed with new desires. The 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). The new heart includes the will changed by God's grace. God began the work of salvation and completes it (Philippians 1:6). Unlike temporary faith, abiding faith endures unto complete salvation in Christ.

The Spirit-Filled Life

A.W. Tozer wrote, "The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people" (A.W. Tozer, How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit) 28. All Christians are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, when we yield to the love and power of God (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:19).

On the Day of Pentecost believers were both baptized and filled with the Spirit (Acts 1:5; 2:4). They were baptized by the Spirit to become the body of Christ collectively. They were individually filled with the Spirit. Nowhere in Scripture are believers commanded to be baptized with the Spirit. Believers are commanded to be filled, and to keep on being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

We are filled with the Holy 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). You are filled with the Holy Spirit through the power of God's love.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit by yielding to Jesus Christ our Lord through prayer and obedience. For that reason, A.W. Tozer could say, "The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people."

How Grace Saves Us

Grace saves us as God's unmerited favor in Jesus Christ our Lord. There is no way we can merit nor earn the favor of God. Grace saves us only as the gift of God. Faith in Jesus Christ saves us by the grace of God. We cannot be good enough to merit God's favor. Grace is not for good people. Grace is for sinners, and that includes all of us (Romans 3:23).

Grace saves us through deliverance from condemnation and everlasting punishment. It is by grace through faith we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). God works in and through us to do His will by grace alone. The Spirit of grace works in our hearts, which is the mind, will, and emotions. Grace gives us the ability and desire to do God's will (Philippians 2:13).

Grace that saves us in Christ is not in vain. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (First Corinthians 15:10). As a believer in Christ, you can say by the grace of God, I am what I am.

Grace saves us through a personal relationship with God, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace reveals God in us through the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). It's not what we do for God (Romans 11:6). Grace is what God has done for us in Christ. All that we are, or ever hope to be, is by God's grace in Christ.

Why God Hears Prayer

Charles Spurgeon said, "God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart. When you are so weak that you cannot do much more than cry, you coin diamonds with both your eyes. The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but His love." 

Know God hears prayer, because God is love (1 John 4:8). Some may think prayer is only about saying the right words, so they read a prayer or memorize a prayer. We can say words without considering God is love. Spurgeon understood that prayer is about a relationship focused on God's love. He said, "The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but His love." 

Spurgeon knew that God answers prayer for "those who have no hope in anything but His love." If you really believe that God loves you, then you know that He will hear you. If you love your children, you listen to them. He who loves you, listens to your prayers.

Spurgeon knew that prayer is trusting God's love to hear and answer. You may not understand how or when God will answer your prayers. Yet, as Spurgeon said, "The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but His love."

Be Justified Freely

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

Be 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).

Be justified freely by grace in Christ (Galatians 2:20). Faith receives the grace of God in Christ. Faith is the evidence that you are 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). God justifies you freely by grace, through faith in Christ.

Be justified freely in Christ unto righteousness. The only way you 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). God justifies you freely by faith in Christ.