Predestination and Free Will

Jesus Christ Died for the Sins of the Entire World

2 Peter 3:9 ESV: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Luke 9:23-26 ESV: “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.’”

John 1:29 ESV: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 3:16-17 ESV: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes” (believing) “in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

John 4:42 ESV: “They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’”

John 5:24 ESV: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

John 8:12 ESV: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

Romans 5:6-8 ESV: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 6:10 ESV: “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”

1 Timothy 2:6 ESV: “Who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

Hebrews 2:9 ESV: “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

1 John 2:2 ESV: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Summary

Jesus Christ died for the sins of the entire world, not just for the elect. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Coming to faith in Jesus Christ, although it is not of our own doing, requires that we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Christ in obedience to his commands, by his grace, and that we no longer walk in darkness (sin), or else we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

But Our Salvation is Not of Our Own Doing

The word “believe” or “faith” is the Greek word pisteúō, which means “to be persuaded,” and in this context of faith in Jesus Christ it means “being persuaded by the Lord.” And this fits with these passages of Scripture:

John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 1:12-13 ESV: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Summary

Coming to faith in Jesus Christ is not of our own doing, not of our own will, but only as drawn to Christ by God the Father and only as divinely persuaded of God. But what does God persuade us to do? He persuades us as to God’s holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of (forsake) our sins, to surrender our lives to him, and to now follow him in obedience to his commands, and to do the works that he prepared in advance that we should walk in them (in practice).

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2]  

Predestination and Free Will

I am reading in Romans 9, and it is too long of a passage of Scripture to quote the entire thing here, so please take time to read the whole chapter, but read it in light of all of the Scripture verses shared above, for you will read it in an entirely different light, if you do.

Romans 9:15-16 ESV: “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

Romans 9:25-33 ESV: “As indeed he says in Hosea,

Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’

    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”

“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’

    there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,

    we would have been like Sodom

    and become like Gomorrah.”

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;

    and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Summary

Although I confess that I still do not totally grasp all the meaning of what is said in Romans 9, I see that the overall picture here, from beginning to end, is about how the Jews, who were once God’s chosen people, as an entire race, had largely rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Messiah and were still trying to be saved by following the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws. But they were not true Israel by physical descendance, nor by keeping liturgical laws, but only by faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord, as is required of all who would belong to God and to have eternal life with God.

As a result of the majority of the Jews (the nation of Israel) rejecting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Messiah (the Christ), the Lord then opened the door to the Gentiles (non-Jews) to be saved from their sins and to have eternal life with God. For, prior to Jesus Christ being crucified on that cross for the sins of the entire world, that door was not open to the Gentiles but only to the Jews. (I am not saying that no Gentiles believed in God prior to this, though.) But now the Gentiles, by biblical faith in Jesus Christ, were God’s chosen people, along with all Jews who also believed in Christ as Lord.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

Yet, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20 ESV)

So, what is this saying with regard to predestination and free will? God made known to the people of the world who he is, i.e. his eternal power and divine nature, through his created works. Therefore, the people of this world are without excuse if we suppress that truth about God via ungodliness and unrighteousness, and if we do not honor him as God and give thanks to him, and if we exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling the created, and so we worship the created rather than the Creator, by our choice (see Romans 1:18-25).

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

https://vimeo.com/379484387

Back to the Basics

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you make it a den of robbers.’” Matthew 21:12-13 ESV

The word “church” means “people called out from the world and to God,” “the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom,” and “belonging to the Lord” (https://biblehub.com/greek/1577.htm). 

But the word “church” has come to mean buildings, and denominations (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc.). And, these denominations of men have, for the most part, united with the government (in the USA) in an unholy union, and they have turned the church into businesses of men, being marketed like any other businesses of men.

So, that is not “the church.” These businesses may be called “church,” but they are not “the church.” For they are united with the world, and their target market is the world, and so they pattern their gatherings after the world in order to draw in large crowds of people from the world.

So, if we unite ourselves with these businesses called “church” we are not living as those who are truly called out from the world and to God. So, we need to get back to the basics. We need to return to what the Scriptures teach about the church and how we are to function as the body of Christ, and we need to leave these institutions of men who are united with the world behind us in order to follow Jesus in obedience to his will for our lives.

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

    and I will be their God,

    and they shall be my people.

Therefore go out from their midst,

    and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

    then I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you,

    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.’” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV

“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

‘Come out of her, my people,

    lest you take part in her sins,

lest you share in her plagues;

for her sins are heaped high as heaven,

    and God has remembered her iniquities.’” Revelation 18:4-5 ESV

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

Something God gave me to share with all of you on this subject today, August 5, 2020:

Video Talk

https://vimeo.com/444776230 

Unceasing Anguish

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:1-8 ESV)

So, what was Paul saying here? He was concerned for the salvation of his fellow Jews, his kinsmen according to the flesh, of his own race, by physical birth, not by the Spirit, who had not yet believed in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives. They were God’s chosen people of the Old Covenant, and from their physical race was born Jesus Christ. But not all who are physical descendants of Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham just because they are his physical offspring. 

So, what is this saying? This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as his offspring. And what is the promise? It was that the Messiah (the Christ) would come through them, and it was a promise of an eternal inheritance with God for all who believed in God/Christ and for all who obeyed him. And if we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Galatians 3:16,26-29). 

So, the physical nation of Israel is not of God. They are not God’s chosen people. They are not the children of the promise. For it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but those who belong to Christ by genuine God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ. And by faith we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. But if we live by the flesh, we have no inheritance with God.

[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-21; Luke 9:23-26]

So, whether we are Jew or Gentile by physical birth, we are only the children of Israel and of Abraham and of God if we have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, if we have died with him to sin, and if we are now living for him in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. Not our physical race nor our parents religion nor our verbal professions of faith in Christ alone will make any of us to be children of God and thus heirs according to the promise. We must repent of our sins and obey our Lord.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:4-8; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16]

And this should concern us greatly, as it did Paul, that so many are falsely professing to be the children of God and heirs to the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed (Jesus Christ), whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth. And it should concern us greatly, too, that so many “Christians” are supporting and rallying behind an ungodly nation in their ungodly deeds when the Scriptures make it quite clear that all who deny that Jesus is the Christ are the antichrist – denying the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22).

Who we are to be rallying behind, and to be supporting, are our fellow Christians who by genuine faith in Jesus Christ have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, who are daily dying to sin, and who are walking in obedience to his commands, and who are serving the Lord Jesus with their lives in the areas of ministry to which God has called and equipped them for his service. And we should be supporting and encouraging all who are bringing to us the truth of God’s word and who are exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness.

But we are to be loving all people, and we are to be praying for all who do not know Jesus to come to genuine faith in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth. For we are all going to stand before the Lord, and we will all have to give an account for what we did with Jesus, and with his gospel, and with our lives in response to what he did for us on that cross. For if sin is what we obey, in practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Living Water 

An Original Work / November 21, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

My people have forsaken Me,

Their Savior, who died on a tree;

Made idols, and they worshipped them;

So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.

Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.

Those who turn away from You will be shamed;

The Spring of Living Water left behind.

Living Water satisfies.

The thirsty, let them come and drink;

Believe in Jesus as their King;

The gift of Jesus given them,

So they will never thirst again.

Indeed, the Living Water flows within.

It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.

Eternal life in heaven promised them.

Living Water glorifies.

Oh people, won’t you come to Him?

Obey Him and repent of sin.

Let Jesus come and live within.

Surrender all your life to Him.

My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?

Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.

Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?

Living Water sanctifies.

https://vimeo.com/379511565

I Want to Draw You a Picture

Based off Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22

I want to draw you a picture,

Not for your mantel or fixture.

It’s drawn with letters and numbers,

Focused on those who do slumber.

I know your works and endurance,

How you’ve found in Me assurance.

You’ve abandoned love had at first,

So, for other things you do thirst. (1)

I know now of your tribulation,

Of those who do now worship Satan.

Don’t fear what you truly will suffer,

But be one who surely will conquer. (2)

I know where you dwell, Satan’s throne,

You have made My name now your home.

But among you are those who teach lies,

So the people to sin do not die. (3)

I know of your love, faith, and works,

Your latter works exceed the first.

But you tolerate much seducing,

The practice of sin not reducing. (4)

I know of your good reputation,

But that is not your situation.

So wake up and strengthen what’s dying,

And cease with your constant denying. (5)

For you I have opened a door,

For My word you do not ignore.

Your enemies one day will see

I’ve loved you, and that you love Me. (6)

And lastly are those who’re lukewarm,

To God’s word they do not conform.

So, I’m standing at your front door,

So hear Me, and not Me ignore. (7)

An Original Work / January 11, 2024

More Than Conquerors

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“’For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39 ESV)

When we read a passage of Scripture like this it is always good if we can read it in context, asking ourselves to whom this applies. For it does not apply to everyone who makes a verbal profession of faith in Jesus Christ. It does apply to everyone who is in Christ Jesus, yes, but by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in him (John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8-10), who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For if our minds are set on the flesh, the end result is death, not life everlasting.

So, for us to claim these promises of God, we must be those who are walking (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh, who are walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in holy living and no longer in sin, in practice, although not necessarily in absolute perfection. And we must be those who, by the Spirit, are daily putting the deeds of the flesh to death and who are now being led by the Spirit of God in how to live (see Romans 8:1-14).

For God is for us who are for him, and we show that we are for him by our submission to him to his will and purpose for our lives, and by our walks of faith in obedience to his commands and in holy living, and no longer in sin. And this isn’t teaching that no one will be against us, for that would be contrary to what Jesus and his NT apostles taught us all throughout the New Testament. For they taught us that we will be hated and rejected and persecuted for the sake of the name of Jesus and for his righteousness.

But the inference, I believe, is that those who are against us cannot take away from us what God has provided for us. They have no real power over us in light of our salvation and eternal life with God. Although they will oppose us and persecute us, the Lord is our strength, and he will sustain us if we are willing and obedient. So even if they bring charges against us, and even if they condemn us, if we are following the Lord in obedience to his commands, he will not bring charges against us, and he will not condemn.

Also, if Christ is Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, and if we are walking according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh, nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. We can, if we choose to, separate ourselves from his love if we choose to walk in sin and not in righteousness and holiness, and if we turn our backs on him and we go our own way and not his way. For the Scriptures teach that if we claim to know God and to be in fellowship with him while we walk in sin and don’t obey him, we are liars.

[1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Matthew 7:21-23]

But if we are walking in his ways and in his truth, and not in sin, then we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. We can have victory over sin, Satan, worldly influences, opposition, persecutions, and temptations, trials, and tribulations – all in His power, strength, and wisdom, and because of his grace to us. We do not have to cave to (give into) our circumstances or to how others treat us or view us. We can rise above it all and live for Jesus, and do his will for our lives, despite all else that comes into our lives.

Courageous!  

An Original Work / December 24, 2013  

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness 

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith 

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from 

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth; 

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance. 

https://vimeo.com/112338495

Your Love Inspires Me

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ I Thessalonians 1:3

Jesus Christ loves us so much that he willingly died on a cross, taking upon himself the sins of the entire world, just so you and I could go free from slavery and the control of sin over our lives. When we come to him in faith, turning from our sins, and turning to follow him with our lives, he fills us with his Holy Spirit, who teaches us about him, and who leads, counsels, comforts, inspires and encourages us in the way of truth and righteousness. 

Jesus Christ not only came to deliver us from Satan and from slavery to sin, but he has delivered us from the grave and has given us the hope of eternal life with God in glory. He is always with us, and he will never leave us nor forsake us. Because of his great love for us it should inspire us to want to know him more – to spend time with him, and to walk in his ways.

Your Love Inspires Me  

An Original Work / April 28, 2011

Your love inspires me 

to want to know you more.

I worship and adore 

my gracious, loving Lord.

Washing all my sin, 

purify within,

Your grace and 

Your loving kindness 

save from sin.

Because of what You’ve done 

for me, I praise You, Lord.

You freed me from my sin, 

and made me whole within.

As I come to You 

with a contrite heart,

I pray that 

Your love and mercy, 

You impart.

Jesus died for you, then 

He rose up from the grave.

He conquered death and sin, 

so by our faith we’re saved.

He became a man. 

This was in God’s plan, 

So that we might be forgiven, 

cleansed within; 

saved from sin. 

https://vimeo.com/118775647 

We Who are Called According to His Purpose

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30 ESV)

Who are those who love God? They are those who obey his commandments. If we truly love God, we are those who have, thus, been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Therefore we are not to let sin reign in our bodies to make us obey its desires, for if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But obedience to God ends in eternal life (John 14:15,21,23; John 15:10; Romans 6:1-23).

And if we love God with this agape love, which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, godly, upright, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to him, then we will deny self, die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, by the grace and in the power of God dwelling within us. We will prefer to live through Christ, choosing his choices, and obeying them in his power. And we will choose not to deliberately and habitually sin against our Lord and against other people.

Now for us who love God in this way, God works all things together for good, for those of us who are called according to his purpose. And these would be those of us who have answered that call to deny self, leave our lives of sin behind us, and to follow Jesus Christ wherever he leads us in doing whatever he calls us to do. But “good” may not necessarily always align with human thinking. For good is whatever is good for us, which includes suffering for the sake of righteousness, but which produces in us perseverance.

So this “good” is defined by God and not by us, and it is whatever God deems is best for us in order for him to conform us to the likeness of Jesus Christ in character and in behavior. So it may not always feel good to us when we are experiencing it, but it will all work out for what is for our best, for what will lead us to be holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord. And it will produce through us what is best for those whose lives we influence by our walks of faith in Jesus Christ.

Now, according to the Scriptures, God in his sovereignty foreknew us and predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, even before he laid the foundations of the earth. He formed us in the wombs of our mothers, and in his book were written all the days that were formed for us even before one of them came into being. And he called us to a holy calling. For he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. So, as obedient children, we are not to be conformed to the passions of our flesh as we once were.

[Jer 1:1-19; Psalms 139:13-16; Acts 26:18; Rom 1:6-7,18-23; Rom 6:15-21; Rom 8:28-29; 1 Co 1:9; 1 Co 12:1-31; Gal 5:13; Eph 1:3-4; 1 Thess 4:1-8; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 10:26-31; 1 Pet 1:14-16; 1 Pet 2:9; 2 Pet 1:3] 

So, because of what Jesus Christ did for us in putting our sins to death with him on that cross, so that we will die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, then we are to die daily to sin and follow him in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit. And he made the way for us to do that, by his grace, and in his death and resurrection. So he is our model, and he is the one we are to be being conformed to his likeness. For that is why he died, that we might no longer live for self but for him who died for us.

Now all of this is the working God in our hearts and lives and does not come from anything from within our own self or our own flesh. Not one of us can be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God unless God first persuades us as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of our sins and to walk humbly in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands. But it involves us cooperating with God in his work of grace in our lives by us submitting to him and to his will.

So, even though it is Jesus Christ who justifies us and who glorifies us and who makes us right before God, this does not happen unless we bow the knee to God and we surrender our lives to him to do what he has called us to do and to be. For when Jesus justifies us he conforms us, with our cooperation and participation, to his standard, to be upright, and to be made righteous, but not in status only, but in practice. He changes our hearts, but only as we yield to him and to his work of transformation in our hearts.

For we are not marionettes with him holding all the strings and with us having no control whatsoever on the choices that we make and on the actions that we take. And we must still participate with him in his work of grace in our lives or it won’t happen. All throughout the New Testament we are instructed that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience. We must put off sin and put on righteousness. Yes, we can only do this in the power of God, but we still must obey our Lord’s commands.

For if we don’t, and if we think that we can just profess faith in Jesus Christ and now we are “good to go” to heaven when we die regardless of how we live from that moment forward, then we need to know what the Scriptures teach. For they teach that if sin is our practice, and not walks of obedience to the Lord, that we will not inherit eternal life with God. And if we say we are in fellowship with God and that we know God, but we make sin our practice, and obedience is not our practice, then we are liars.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

In Truth 

An Original Work / January 10, 2012

Fellowshipping with my Lord, Savior, King.

He is Lord of all; Lord of ev’rything.

He is with me through ev’ry hour of day,

List’ning to me speak, as I humbly pray.

He cares for my needs, 

and He intercedes for me,

‘cause He loves me in ev’ry way.

Obey His commands, and do all He says.

Sitting at His feet, daily in His word,

Let His word speak to me in ev’ry way,

Giving comfort and healing through each day.

Oh, how Jesus loves,

And He cares for you,

Which is why He died for our sins, in truth.

Love our Lord God, Savior, and King of kings.

Worship Him in truth, for He reigns supreme.

He created us with a plan in mind

For us to be His servants, and Him mind.

Follow Him in truth;

Go where’er He leads.

Share His love with others, and their needs meet.

Others: their needs meet. 

https://vimeo.com/125738283