Colossians 1:21-23 ESV
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
Fast Food Faith
The predominant gospel message being taught today in the
American church, although not in all gatherings of the church, is that we can
believe in Jesus (belief not defined), we can have our sins forgiven, now
heaven is guaranteed us when we die, but that how we live doesn’t matter. If
they don’t state in words that how we live doesn’t matter, it is implied by the
fact that they teach that a one-time decision to believe in Jesus now secures
us heaven and that it can’t be taken away from us no matter what.
For them, all it takes is a moment of believing in Jesus and
now they are on their way to heaven no matter what. But “believing” isn’t
really explained, so it is more of an emotional decision or an intellectual assent
that happens once and that is it, and then they take for themselves the freedom
to listen to the voice that is inside of themselves that tells them what is or
is not required of them, but that voice is of the flesh, not of God.
Now, I am certainly not saying that everyone who has ever
prayed a prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives did
so of the flesh and therefore they did not have a true heart transformation. But
many people are being taught that a one-time decision in their lives to believe
in Jesus guarantees them forgiveness of all sins, even future sins, and that it
guarantees them heaven when they die, regardless of how they live.
Some people now are taking it even further than that and
they are teaching that God no longer requires repentance, obedience, and
submission to him as Lord. For they call that “works-based salvation.” They
teach that all their sins are forgiven – past, present, and future – and so how
they live doesn’t matter to God. Some teach that God can’t even see when they
sin. And so they take upon themselves the freedom to keep on in deliberate and
habitual sin while claiming Jesus as Lord and as Savior, and while claiming
heaven as their eternal destiny.
If You Continue
But the Bible does not teach that kind of faith or that
diluted gospel message which is a creation in the minds of human beings who are
against Christ and his word and who are against submitting to Christ as Lord,
and who are against the forsaking of their sins and obedience to the Lord’s
commands (New Covenant). For one, we can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ
unless God the Father persuades us as to his holiness and righteousness, as to
our sinfulness, and as to our need to forsake our sins and to surrender to
Christ.
Also, Jesus Christ is the author and the perfecter of our
faith, so our faith is going to align with him and with his divine character
and with his word. For we don’t generate faith in and of ourselves. Even the
faith to believe in Jesus is gifted to us by God and is not of ourselves. And
also faith is defined in Scripture as obedience, and disobedience is defined as
unbelief. Thus, we show our faith to be genuine by what we do in response to
God and to his word and to his commands. If we don’t obey him, we don’t know
him.
[Eph 2:8-10; Heb
12:1-2; Jn 6:44; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb
3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 8:51; Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:10; Matt 7:21-23; 1
Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10,24; 1 Jn 5:2-3; 2 Jn 1:6; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:16; Heb 5:9; 1
Pet 1:1-2; Jas 1:21-25; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13]
The Scriptures teach that if we believe in Jesus we once
(past) were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds. We once lived as
slaves to sin. We once (past) engaged in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery,
lying, stealing, hating, etc. But then, because of what Jesus did for us on
that cross, and by faith in him, we were reconciled to God, so we no longer are
living as enemies of Christ, but we are now united with him in purpose.
Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us on that
cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his
righteousness. In his death he put our sin to death so that we might now no
longer be slaves to sin but so we would now live as slaves to God and to his
righteousness. For “holy and blameless and above reproach” are not just a
status. They are a lifestyle. Jesus died so we would now be holy in all our
conduct, so we would say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and so we will
live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (Titus 2:11-14; 1 Pet 2:24; Rom
6:1-23).
And this isn’t based in a one-time decision we make to
receive Christ. We must continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not
shifting from the hope of the gospel. And that faith involves repentance, and
submission, and obedience to our Lord until the very end. We must no longer
walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, but now we must walk according to the
Spirit in holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, obedience and submission to
Christ.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 ESV
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are all his servants. We
are his bond-slaves who have willingly surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ,
making him Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives. We have been crucified with him in
death to sin and we have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in
him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. For our old
self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to
nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin but to his
righteousness.
We have all been given salvation from our slavery to sin and
the hope of eternal life with God provided that we continue in him in
faithfulness and in obedience and that we don’t continue in deliberate and
habitual sin. For the promises of God all come with stipulations (conditions).
All throughout the New Testament there are Scriptures
containing the word “if,” meaning that what follows describes the conditions
for the promise to be fulfilled. Such as “if you obey,” and “if you continue till
the end,” and “if you forsake your sins,” and “if you love your fellow humans,”
and “if you continue in his word,” and “if you hold firmly to the word,” and “if
you have died with him to sin,” and “if we endure,” and “if we remain in him
and in his word,” etc.
So, what we need to understand here is that our salvation
from sin is not a one-time decision we make in our lives to believe in Jesus
after which it doesn’t matter how we live. Our salvation is progressive
sanctification and it will not be complete until Jesus returns to take his
bride to be with him for eternity. So, we are saved (past), we are being saved
(present), and we will be saved (future) when Jesus returns provided that we
continue in faithful obedience to our Lord and not in deliberate and habitual
sin.
Have
Thine Own Way, Lord
Words
by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907
Music
by George C. Stebbins, 1907
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine
own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine
own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just
now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine
own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
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