BIBLICAL VIEW ABOUT SALVATION IN CHRIST PART 4

“AND GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, WHEREBY YE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION.” Ephesians 4:30


That one can rebel against The Holy Spirit’s is evident in the way many believers live their lives in disobedience to The Word of God. But He is a patient Spirit who understands human weaknesses and bears long trying to help them overcome their weaknesses. This is why the Word declares in James 4:7,


“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:7, 10


The Holy Spirit walks with humble people. You are the one that must humble yourself before Him. Many Christians are so proud and stubborn and they are given the Holy Ghost tough time. This is why you see many speak in tongues and still swim in sins.


CAN REAL BORN AGAIN SIN?


Yes they can and they do. Paul referred to the Corinthians Christians as carnal people.


“AND I, BRETHREN, COULD NOT SPEAK UNTO YOU AS UNTO SPIRITUAL, BUT AS UNTO CARNAL, even as unto babes in Christ. I HAVE FED YOU WITH MILK, AND NOT WITH MEAT: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. FOR YE ARE YET CARNAL: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3


These were spirit filled believers and they were born again. They were heavily gifted by God’s Spirit but were feeding bottle believers.


“SO THAT YE COME BEHIND IN NO GIFT; WAITING FOR THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST:“ 1 Corinthians 1:7


If you have really read through 1 and 2 Corinthians you will discover that apostle Paul had serious problems with this set of believers. These were born again people who were not ready to grow up in their salvation experience even with all what Paul had taught them and The Holy Spirit’s presence in their midst.


The problem they had was that they were not fully ready to allow God to work in them and grow up in their salvation experience. Paul knew if they die in such a state they will go to hell irrespective of their confession of The Lordship of Jesus.


“KNOW YE NOT THAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: BUT YE ARE WASHED, BUT YE ARE SANCTIFIED, BUT YE ARE JUSTIFIED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11


Paul was talking to believers. He warned them of the end of unrighteousness. THERE IS NO ETERNAL SECURITY FOR SINNING BELIEVERS BUT FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. His grace is there but we have to make up our minds to yield to The Spirit’s Tutoring and allow Him to help us.


The church today is like this set of people who believe the acceptance of salvation is all it takes to please God and make heaven. They neglect the issue of total obedience to the laws of righteousness. They put everything on God. No wonder we have gifted sinful believers and ministers on our pulpits today whose end will be like the people in Mathew 7


“MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS? AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.” Mathew 7:22-23


I want you to read the verses above very well again and again. These were born again believers. He didn’t deny the exploits they did in His name but only told them what they didn’t do.


“…DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY”


They refused to do what they were expected to do believing salvation is all about God and man has no part to play in it. Their unrighteous lifestyle denied them access to eternity with Jesus. Are we not seeing many ministers who emphasize all the other packages of salvation but neglect the main foundation for them all-RIGHTEOUSNESS?


“ IN RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALT THOU BE ESTABLISHED: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. “ Isaiah 54:14


“BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT. “ Mathew 5:48


“For THE GRACE OF GOD THAT BRINGETH SALVATION hath appeared to all men, TEACHING US THAT, DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS, WE SHOULD LIVE SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, AND GODLY, IN THIS PRESENT WORLD; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM ALL INIQUITY, AND PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF A PECULIAR PEOPLE, ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS.” Titus 2:11-14


Born again believers who profess to know Christ are gifted in all the other packages of salvation but neglect the issue of righteousness. We can exercise our faith to get miracles, signs and wonders but we do not exercise our faith to live right. We are becoming rich and wealthy while we remain in our filthiness. We are getting contracts and big time jobs while we wallow in our sins. We are getting married and giving out hands in marriage while we romance unrighteousness. We are making waves, fame and what have you yet iniquity rules in our lives.


ARE WE SAVED?
 
YES.
 
BUT ARE WE LIVING TO GOD’S STANDARD?
 
NO.


The church today is just like the Laodician church in THE BOOK OF REVELATION. They had accepted the gift of salvation and were enjoying the packages but neglected the number one thing that concerns God mostly-RIGHTEOUSNESS


“I KNOW THY WORKS, THAT THOU ART NEITHER COLD NOR HOT: I WOULD THOU WERT COLD OR HOT. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. BECAUSE THOU SAYEST, I AM RICH, AND INCREASED WITH GOODS, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING; and KNOWEST NOT THAT THOU ART WRETCHED, AND MISERABLE, AND POOR, AND BLIND, AND NAKED: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; AND WHITE RAIMENT, THAT THOU MAYEST BE CLOTHED, AND THAT THE SHAME OF THY NAKEDNESS DO NOT APPEAR; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Revelation 3:15-18


IS THIS NOT THE TRUE PICTURE OF THE CHURCH TODAY?
We have become so cold to the things of God especially in the area of our Christian living. It’s mind boggling what many ministers of the Gospel do in the secrets and they are still bold to teach half-baked truth. You can see male pastors today frying their hairs, putting on ear-rings, keeping concubines, watching indecent films, giving positions to unregenerated people in their churches, romancing politicians, living large and luxuriously etc.


I saw a female Gospel minister exposing her boobs on the internet while teaching the Word of God. I saw another female who called herself an apostle dress seductively on the internet. Are we not cold and lukewarmed? You might called them agents of darkness but they are confessing that Jesus is Lord. Is that not all that it takes be saved?


And we still believe that man has no part to play in the free gift of salvation he received from God. O When one decide to accept God’s salvation, he has a lot to learn in order to grow in that grace of salvation.

 

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BIBLICAL VIEW ABOUT SALVATION IN CHRIST PART 2

If you have not read PART 1 of this series kindly click on the link below so that you can flow along with me.

 BIBLICAL VIEW ABOUT SALVATION IN CHRIST PART 1

“AND I AM SURE THAT THE KING OF EGYPT WILL NOT LET YOU GO,

NO, NOT BY A MIGHTY HAND.“ Exodus 3:19

Why will God made that statement concerning Pharaoh?

God knew he was naturally stubborn, pompous, arrogant and proud. He demonstrated this when he told Moses in Exodus 5:2

“AND PHARAOH SAID, WHO IS THE LORD, THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIS VOICE TO LET ISRAEL GO? I KNOW NOT THE LORD, NEITHER WILL I LET ISRAEL GO.”

Hope you can see his overblown arrogance from the verse above? Did God give him an opportunity to repent? Sure He did.

“Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou SEE WHAT I WILL DO TO PHARAOH: for WITH A STRONG HAND SHALL HE LET THEM GO, AND WITH A STRONG HAND SHALL HE DRIVE THEM OUT OF HIS LAND.” Exodus  6:1

God was ready to show forth His power that might persuade Pharaoh to repentance. All the plagues that came on Egypt were the acts of God to show His supremacy over Pharaoh and his gods. At the fourth plague, his magicians acknowledged the hand of God.

“And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.  THEN THE MAGICIANS SAID UNTO PHARAOH, THIS IS THE FINGER OF GOD: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. “Exodus 8:18-19

Did he see the acts of God?

Yes, he did.

Did he repent?

No, he didn’t.

Are many seeing the acts of God today?

Yes, they are.

But are they repenting?

Few.

It took the killing of the first born sons of the Egyptians before Pharaoh allowed them to go.

But what did he do after they left?

He mobilized his army to go and bring them back.

“AND IT WAS TOLD THE KING OF EGYPT THAT THE PEOPLE FLED: AND THE HEART OF PHARAOH AND OF HIS SERVANTS WAS TURNED AGAINST THE PEOPLE, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?  And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:  And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.”  Exodus 14:5-7

Was it God that turned their hearts?

No. It was a choice they made. Verse 8 of that place now said,

 “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt …” Exodus 14:8

This came after he made up his mind to pursue God’s people. That hardening means the Lord encouraged, strengthened, emboldened. It’s like God saying, since you have decided not to repent let me leave you alone to do what will lead to your destruction.

What is the meaning of God’s Sovereignty that many misconstrue today.The word SOVEREIGNTY MEANS ABSOLUTE CONTROL OR THE POWER OF TOTAL CONTROL. I want to take you deep into an apostolic teaching and not just mere logo some are very proud of.

God has absolute control over all creation but He gave man dominion over the earth.

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, AND SUBDUE IT: AND HAVE DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Gen 1:28

God is not a bossy God or one that must have His way by fire by force. He made all things and gave them a freewill (THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHOICES).Even the angels of God were not robots or forced to obey God. They have the ability to make choices.

God is love. WHEN LOVE IS FORCED IT NEGATES THE DIVINE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE OF LOVE. That is why you can’t force a lady to love you as a man vice versa. And if by any means you were able to coerce the lady to love you it will not be true love again. GOD IS LOVE AND HE WANTS US TO SERVE HIM IN LOVE NOT IN FEAR.

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. GOD IS LOVE; and HE THAT DWELLETH IN LOVE DWELLETH IN GOD, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

This is the basic truth. When you are truly saved, you are not coerced to serve God; you serve Him because you love Him. I serve Him not because of what He can do for me, but because I love Him. When you truly love God, you don’t have that negative fear about God. You are awed of who He is. That is why in 1 John 4:18,it says,

“ THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE; BUT PERFECT LOVE CASTETH OUT FEAR: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”  1 John 4:18

So the sovereignty of God is the one of love and not the one of a tyranny or a dictator. We must flow in His love constantly and not abuse it for selfish gains.

“WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN, THAT GRACE MAY ABOUND?” Romans 6:1

 The angels of God knew about His sovereignty and that was why satan could rebel against God. Isaiah 14:12-14. He was also able to persuade other mighty and low angels to join in his rebellion against God. The Bible told us one third of the angels followed him. Revelation 12:3

They exercised their free wills even though it was against God’s will. It was a choice they made and the devil never forced them but they made the conscious effort to rebel against God. IF SUCH BEINGS WHO WERE IN HIS PRESENCE DAILY COULD REBEL AGAINST GOD, HOW MUCH MORE HUMAN BEINGS WHO HAVEN’T SEEN HIM OR EXPERIENCED HIS AWESOME PRESENCE.

The angels were kind of saved so to speak but voluntarily decided to throw it all away in order to be independent. satan only wanted independence and sole worship from the other angels. He knew very well there was no way he could defeat God. It was absurd. To overthrow His Creator, not in infinite light years.

We see that God sovereignty is imbedded in love and HE DOES NOT CONTROL ANYONE AGAINST THEIR PERFECT WILL. Everyone makes choices. WE ARE FREE TO MAKE CHOICES BUT WE ARE NOT FREE FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH CHOICES. The universe has been programmed to run by cost and effect principle. This is called the LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING.

WATCH OUT FOR PART 2. Like I said, it’s going to be one long series. God help us all.

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Jesus remains, 

THE CHIEF SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE UNIVERSE

BIBLICAL VIEW ABOUT SALVATION IN CHRIST PART 1

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, THE LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS. And, Let every one that nameth the NAME OF CHRIST DEPART FROM INIQUITY.  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.  IF A MAN THEREFORE PURGE HIMSELF FROM THESE, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and MEET FOR THE MASTER'S USE, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:19-21

The Word of God is greater than anyone no matter how great that figure might be in Christendom. Salvation is from God. It is a free gift offered by the eternal God to man to redeem his soul from eternal destruction in the pit of hell. It cost God a lot via sacrificing His Son on the Cross of Calvary through the shedding of His blood for the remission of sins. But is made available freely to as many who desire it.

The grace of God is on all who have accepted the Lordship of Jesus after total repentance from sin. We are not saved by our own effort it is by the mercy of God. As true as this statement is we need to understand that God does not force salvation on anyone. IT IS A MATTER OF PERSONAL DECISION THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL CAN MAKE JESUS HIS LORD. Jesus said,

 “COME UNTO ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matt 11:28

This was Jesus’ call to salvation. Come unto me is an appeal that Jesus made to the people of His own days and He is still making it today.

“BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR, AND KNOCK: IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM, AND WILL SUP WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME. “ Revelation 3:20

There is a decision to be made for anyone to get saved. You must make up your mind to accept the free gift of salvation from God. God does not force anyone to be saved but He wants everyone to be saved but it has to be a personal choice.

“He came unto his own, and HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT. But as MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”  John 1:11-12

It is very clear from the above that a choice and a decision are involved in the issue of accepting the free gift of salvation. I want to reveal the heartbeat of God for all humanity. Even though He wants all men to be saved but HIS WILL ALONE CANNOT SAVE MAN. Man must make that conscious effort to accept His free gift.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.” 2 Peter 3:9

Look at this statement, “…NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE”

This is the will of God. That all should come to repentance. But the question is this,

WILL ALL COME TO REPENTANCE?

I believe you know the answer already.

Romans 3:23 declares,

“FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, and come short of the glory of God; BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS: “Romans 3:23-24

We are sinners by virtue of the fallen nature we inherited from Adam. WE DON’T BECOME SINNERS WHEN WE SIN, WE SIN BECAUSE WE ARE SINNERS.

“WHEREFORE, AS BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, FOR THAT ALL HAVE SINNED” Romans 5:12

But when we decide to accept the free gift of salvation in Christ, then we become justified by His grace. Redemption plan is something that is meant for all but not all will accept it.

Why?

We have the right to exercise our wills against the will of God as free moral beings. God doesn’t bend our wills to His own.  Although He can create circumstances that can help us bend our wills as He did unto Nebuchadnezzar when he became a human animal for seven years Daniel 4.

“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that livethfor ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:  … NOW I NEBUCHADNEZZAR PRAISE AND EXTOL AND HONOUR THE KING OF HEAVEN, ALL WHOSE WORKS ARE TRUTH, AND HIS WAYS JUDGMENT: AND THOSE THAT WALK IN PRIDE HE IS ABLE TO ABASE.”  Daniel 4:34-37

The godless king bent his will to acknowledge the supremacy of God. Unlike His counterpart Pharaoh who hardened His heart even after God demonstrated His power and majesty in Egypt. There is a question people have asked about the case of Pharaoh which some school of thoughts has termed THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD. This school believes it was God that hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that He could destroy him. This is where people need to flow with the Holy Spirit in order to receive DIVINE REVELATION and explain The Scripture better.

WATCH OUT FOR PART 2, I have not said anything yet. This is going to be one long Bible Revelation Series.

FOR MORE SPIRITUAL HELP YOU CAN CONTACT ME ON:

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Jesus remains,