WORK OUT YOUR SOUL’S
SALVATION…
93 WHAT ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE
THAT STATES FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS
DEAD?
DON’T WE NEED TO COUPLE OUR FAITH WITH OUR WORKS FOR
SALVATION?
James 2:17 & John 6:28-29
Faith without works is dead. So, what shall we do that we might work the
works of god? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is
the work of
God, that ye believe on
him whom God hath sent.
Ministers are quick to quote
that “faith without works is dead,” but they fail to mention that faith with
the wrong works is equally dead. When it
comes to salvation, works are required – but
not the works of men; only the works of God. Many Christians idolize
“the works of righteousness that they have done;” but God counts these as
filth. (Titus 3:5, Isa. 64:6) Such
Christians fail to realize that regardless of their good works and wholesome
living, "if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain (dead), and you
are yet in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15:17)
Why would your faith be dead if Christ is not risen? It is because your faith would be:
WITHOUT WORKS
and, faith without works is
dead. (James 2:20) This is why the plan
of salvation mandates that after confessing Jesus is Lord, you must:
“believe in thine heart that God
raised him from
the
dead, and thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9)
For:
“if Christ be not raised, then our
faith is vain (dead),
and we are yet in our sins. ” (1 Cor. 15:17-19)
Without the resurrection of
Jesus Christ, our faith would be without works and the born again experience
would not be possible.
Now, if you in any way, shape, or form helped God raise Jesus from the dead, then your works did contribute to your salvation. Since you did nothing of the sort, the only work that enlivens your faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As it is written:
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus
BEGOTTEN
us AGAIN by the RESURRECTION
of Jesus Christ, to an inheritance reserved
in heaven
for you who are kept by the power of
God." (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
You were not lost
by your works and neither can your works save you. You were lost by the works
of the first Adam, and must be saved by the works of the “last Adam,” who when
asked what exactly were the works of God replied:
"Believe on me for the very works'
sake." (John 14:11)
“For this is the work of God, that
ye believe
on him whom God hath sent." (John
6:29)
Believers are “born again”
meaning:
“begotten again”
by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ, the crowning work that saves us from our sins and gives us life
eternal. (
.
Note:
Concerning salvation, the doers of the Word are literally the believers
of the Word.
For “What must we do
(work) to be saved? Answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shall be
saved." (Acts 16:31) “What must we do that we might work the works
of God? “ Answer: “Believe on him
whom God has sent.” (John 6:28-29) Order
audio supplement: What is a Christian?
94 CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF,
A CHRISTIAN'S OUTWARD LIFE CANNOT
CONFIRM HIM OR HER AS A CHILD OF GOD.
John 10:24
"How long
dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be
the Christ, tell us plainly."
Believe it or not, the only
way people knew God was in Christ was when Christ or God the Father revealed
this to them! No one came to this conclusion by observing his life or
lifestyle, including his disciples. (John 10:30, John 14:10) Likewise, it is only by your testimony that
people will know that you believe that Christ is in you, because no one can see
him in you, including you. He’s hidden remember? This is why he’s called “the hidden man of
the heart.” (1 Pet. 3:4)
In spite of popular Christian opinion, born again believers
cannot live in such a way that sinners can see Christ in them. (Gal. 5:17) If your life in the flesh could distinguish
you as a son of God, then the Roman soldiers must have been utter buffoons, to
have needed help from “a devil” (Judas)
to point out which of the twelve was Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living
God. (John 6:70, Matt. 26:48) Judas need
only have said:
"Oh, he’s the fairest of ten
thousand. Surely
you can spot him out of twelve."
Or:
"It’ll be obvious. He’s the one who looks like
the King of kings and Lord of lords. You
won’t need my help.”
Or:
spotting him. He'll be the one
letting his light
shine. He's the light of the
world, you know."
This did not happen, because human observation could not distinguish Jesus as the Son of God by his holy life! (1 Cor. 2:9) This is exactly why he was crucified. (Isa. 53:2)
Even after living with Jesus, Peter needed God the
Father’s assistance to recognize Jesus
as the Son of God. Not even Jesus’ life
in holy flesh could assist Peter to see
him as the Son of God. Jesus’ deity was not displayed through human flesh,
as he stated, “the flesh profiteth
nothing.” (John 6:63, Phil. 3:3) Think
about John the Baptist, the greatest man born of woman, even he had severe
doubts about whether Jesus was the
Christ, even after hearing God the Father say so, while simultaneously watching
the Holy Spirit land on Jesus in the form of a dove. (Matt. 3:3-17) Now, if those who saw Jesus
life could not identify him as the Son of God, then it's quite ridiculous to
think people will recognize you as a
child of God by your life or lifestyle.
Recall that for all of Jesus' holy living in "sinless" flesh, he was accused of having a demon. (Matt. 12:24) Jesus prophesied:
"If they have called
the master of the house Beelzebub (prince of devils) how much more shall
they call them
of his household." (Matt. 10:25)
The only time God’s glory
was revealed in Christ was during his transfiguration and in John's description
of him in the book of the Revelation.
Likewise, the first and last time sinners will see Christ in you will be
at “the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19) When your mortal body puts on incorruption,
then we shall be like him. (1 John 3:2)
It would have been far easier for someone to identify God in Christ than
for someone to see Christ in you, yet no one did. Likewise, if you are born
again, the lost cannot discern
this. They may think you are “religious”
or a "good Joe" or even a Christian, but an authentic son of
God? Never! People may see your works of righteousness,
but they can never see Christ's righteousness in you because of your faults,
flaws, shortcomings, and errors. In
short, your humanity. Always remember,
no one can see Christ in you by your actions, even if your works are greater
than Jesus', as he said they would be! (John 14:12) Order audio supplement: Doing Greater Works than Christ.
Suppose a drunken bum stumbles into the Smithsonian Institute
and swallows the Hope Diamond, and you later met him on the street. You would never suspect this man had a
priceless treasure beneath his filthy rags.
Yet, this is exactly how the Father views you, the born again
believer. Christians dwell in “vile
bodies” of sinful flesh, and like the drunk who swallowed the Hope Diamond,
when the Almighty looks at you, he looks beyond your filthy rags of your
flesh’s righteousness and perceives the treasure you have in your earthen vessel, the new creation of “Christ in you;” God’s
precious jewel. (2 Cor. 4:7, Matt.
13:46, Mal. 3:17) Just as the bum has to tell you he possesses a treasure
inside his earthen vessel, the only way
people will know Christ is in you is if you testify of this; otherwise, your
gospel is hiddenen. (2 Cor. 4:3)
Christian, Christ is the hidden treasure within your
earthen vessel that no thief can steal.
God treasures your salvation and it is kept by a power far greater than
you. For it is kept by the power of God,
and therefore cannot be lost. (1 Pet. 1:5)
People who believe you can lose salvation think you are somehow keeping
Christ within you through your own power.
“Christ the power of God,” is the keeping power of our salvation. Order audio supplement: Can People See Christ in You?
95 IT’S NOT THE LIFE YOU LIVE THAT MAKES YOU
A CHRISTIAN. YOU ARE A
CHRISTIAN BECAUSE OF “THE LIFE” THAT
LIVES IN YOU.
Gal. 3:2-3
“This only would I learn of you. Received
ye the Spirit (the hidden man) by
the
works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish that having
begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
Popular Christianity substitutes the following for the plan of salvation:
“Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a lifestyle.
Sow a lifestyle, reap an eternity.”
So says the carnal mind of some religious leaders whose redemption must be questioned, because if this is their plan of salvation, then they are not saved. This gospel is not a gospel, but a religious platitude that teaches salvation by works. The life you live will never make you a Christian. (Gal. 1:6-7) You are a Christian because of “the life” that lives in you, “Christ in you,” your only hope of Glory. (John 14:6)
The definition of a Christian is everyone who has Christ’s Spirit born in his/her heart by believing the Gospel (good news) of what his death, blood, and resurrection accomplished. As it is written, “he that hath the son hath life.” If this newly minted Christian never prays another prayer, the “new man” born in him does not abandon the soul it eternally redeemed. (1 Cor. 15:47) Though the man may never enter a church, he remains saved. He’s saved not because he is setting a good example of Christian conduct and lifestyle, but because of the one who said, “I am the life, and I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” dwells in him, although quenched. (John 14:6, Heb. 13:5, 1 Thes. 5:19) Unquestionably, this is a deplorable state for any Christian, yet it’s far better than being lost. (2 Cor. 5:10)
You became a Christian when God sent “the Spirit of his Son” into your gospel believing heart. This miraculous birth occurred the moment you believed the gospel, and his eternal Spirit born in you cannot be exterminated by the “works of the flesh,” only grieved. (Gal. 4:6, 5:19, Rom. 8:9) As a Christian, your guidelines for living are found in the “instructions in righteousness” contained in Scripture:
“that it may be well with thee,”
not so you can retain your gift of eternal life. This gift is already yours, and its “reserved in heaven for you.” (Rom. 6:23) The only way to rid yourself of eternal life would be to kill it. Now God himself confessed he could not have extracted everlasting life from Adam, had Adam eaten of the tree of life. (Gen. 3:22) Imagine how much more powerful is the strain of eternal life that resides inside every believer, since it is the exact life of God himself. As it is written, “He who hath the son hath life.” (1 Jn. 5:12) Conversely, he who terminates the Son has terminated life, eternal life. If one Christian terminated the life of God in himself, not only would he lose his salvation, but you would also lose yours because he would have executed God. Order audio supplement: Was Adam Created with a Carnal Mind?
Note: The word states: “If one died for all, then were all dead, and they which live should not live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.” (2 Cor. 5:14-15) The Christian has the sobering obligation to be Christ’s ambassador for the furtherance of the gospel, although the loss for not doing so is not disclosed. According to the Interlinear Greek Bible, the word “loss” translates from Greek as “to receive damage, “though you shall be saved yet so as by fire.” (1 Cor. 3:15)#
96
THOSE
WHO THINK THE BORN AGAIN CAN LOSE THEIR
SALVATION HAVE YET TO COMPREHEND WHAT
THE WISDOM OF GOD ACCOMPLISHED FOR THEM
AT THE CROSS. 1 Cor.
2:8
“We
speak THE WISDOM OF GOD in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom,
which God ordained before the world unto our
glory: Which none of the
princes of this world knew: for had they
known it, THEY WOULD NOT
HAVE CRUCIFIED the Lord of
Glory.”
If you
could ask Satan what he regrets most, he would not say he regretted his rebellion in heaven or his plot to
dethrone the Most High God. If he could
tell the truth, Satan would confess he regretted having his principalities and
powers crucify the Lord. For the
Scripture records if Satan had known the hidden wisdom God had up his sleeve,
he “would have never crucified the Lord of Glory.” (1 Cor. 2:8)
After destroying the first family in
Satan thought he could use the weapon of death to destroy the Son of
God, and the cross was his weapon of choice to destroy “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” However, as with the giant Goliath, Jesus
used Satan’s own weapon to puncture the head of his enemy. (Gen. 3:15, Hab.
3:13) For through death (Satan’s
weapon), Jesus destroyed him that had the power of death; that is, the devil.” (Heb. 2:14) It is therefore fitting that the Almighty
caused Satan to come to the same “place of the skull,” where 2,000 years
earlier David, a future King of the Jews, cut off Goliath’s head, brought his
skull to that place, and buried
it. It is supposed that the name given
to this hill was gradually transliterated from Gal-goliath to Golgotha, “the
place of a skull” - the skull of
When Satan was gloating in his lair over his victory in crucifying the Son of God, Jesus overthrew this devil along with his principalities and powers by turning the violence of death upon them. Jesus made a laughing stock of them “openly, triumphing over them in” their own domain. (Col. 2:15) The Scripture records that had Satan or his minions of darkness known Jesus would use death to enter and destroy their kingdom of darkness, and “triumph over them in it, they would have never crucified the Lord of Glory.” (Hab. 3:13, 1 Cor. 2:8) By his resurrection, Jesus secured salvation for the human race.
Christ crucified seven enemies of born again believers at the cross.
Seven Enemies Crucified at the Cross
1)
The World : Gal.
6:14 =========> The
world was crucified
unto you and you to it.
2) The Flesh : Rom. 6:6 =========> The servant
of sin, the old
man was crucified with him.
3) The Devil : Heb.
2:14, Hab. 3:13 ===> The founder of sin was
destroyed by the cross.
4) The Law : 1 Cor 15:56, Eph. 2:15
=> The strength of sin is the Law
now nailed to the cross.
5) Wrath : Rom. 4:15 ========> The Law works the wrath of
God on
sinners (humans)
so God crucified it.
6) Sin : 2 Cor. 5:21
=======> Sin was nailed to the cross.
Jesus being made sin for us.
7) Death : 2 Tim 1:10, Rev 20:6 ===>
Jesus abolished death, sins
wages, to deliver us from so
great a
death.
Had
Satan known the manifold wisdom that God enveloped in the cross to provide “so
great salvation” to all the souls he held ransom, he would have never crucified
the Lord of glory, for doing so he brought about his own destruction. (1 Cor.
2:8, Heb. 2:14) Since “the Strength of Sin, the Servant of Sin, and
Sin itself have been crucified with Christ, what strategy can you or Satan
devise that will displace one believer’s salvation. (Eph. 3:10) In case you have forgotten: “There is no wisdom or counsel against the
Lord,” especially against his plan to provide eternal salvation, eternal life,
and eternal redemption to all who believe. (Eph. 1:19, Heb. 9:12, 1 John
5:11-12) Jesus Christ is the finisher of
our faith, you know. Order audio
supplement: Seven Enemies the Law Gave
You.
97 BORN
AGAIN BELIEVER'S "ARE DECEIVERS YET
TRUE,” FOR ALTHOUGH
BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED, MANY HAVE
NOT BEEN TRANSFORMED.
"I,
brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,
even as babes in Christ. For ye are yet carnal because there is among
you
envying and strife, and divisions, are ye not
carnal (natural) and walk as men?
Be not conformed to this world, but be ye
transformed by the renewing of the
mind.” (1 Cor. 3:1, Rom. 12:2)
Paul certainly told the truth when he
wrote that believers are "deceivers yet true.” (2 Cor. 6:8)
You can prove this by doing the following: Choose a lost family member to speak
with. Let's call him Skip. So Skip meets
with you, and you begin by saying:
“Skip, I want to share
something with you that I haven’t shared
with many people.
I want you to know that I’m “born again.”
In fact, I’ve been given
power to become a son of God, and
have been translated into the
and a hidden man lives
in me. I was dead in sin, but now I have
eternal life. I also have an unction from the Holy One and I
know all things. I am perfected forever, and all things are
mine, because I’ve
been "washed in the blood of
the lamb,
and you can be, too. I know these things are hard for you to
believe Skip, but I am a king, and a priest unto God, and one
day God will appoint me
and people who believe as I do to judge
the world. My name has been written in the Lamb’s book
of life, and
one
day, whether I'm dead or alive, my body is going to disappear to be
caught up to meet the
Lord in the air. Then, my deeds will be
judged and
I will “receive a reward, marry
Jesus Christ, and we will
have our marriage supper in heaven. Seven years later, Jesus,
myself, and millions of others who believe
like me, will get on white
horses, ride through the galaxy back to planet earth
to participate in his
Second Coming, where he will end the battle of
Armageddon. Then,
I will rule and reign with him, and you can,
too. All you have to do is
believe the blood of a little
Jewish man named Jesus, who was born
of a virgin over two thousand years ago, can
wash away your sins today.
And that
his Father, God, no less, raised him from the dead after his
body had been three days and three nights in a
tomb. Skip, if you
believe this you shall not perish, but have
everlasting life in a new
heaven and new earth. However, if you don’t
believe this, you will be
cast alive into a lake of fire that burns with brimstone to spend all
eternity.
Unless Skip is less than five years old, "Will he not say ye are mad?” (1 Cor. 14:23) I dare say Skip would think you’re a raving lunatic and call the man with the butterfly net after you! Yet, everything you told him was true, and the half was not told him! (1 Kings 10:7) Believers are deceivers yet true! (2 Cor. 6:8) Now, when you combine this with the fact that many Christians walk in carnality (ordinary ungodliness) it’s no wonder the self-righteous who are lost say, "Well, if that's a Christian, I don't want to be one.” In this sad way, believers are “deceivers yet true” because to the natural man character counts as Christianity.
The born again are "deceivers yet true"
because we are not Christians by the lives we live, though many of us want the
world to think so. Believers are
Christians because they invited the life of Christ in them when they first
believed. If we were saved by the lives
we live, we would be saved, lost, saved,
then lost again, day in and day out, year in and year out. Friend, many lost people often live lives far
morally superior than carnal believers, but they will eventually end up in
hell, not because of the lives they lived, but because they did not receive by
faith the life they could not live, Jesus Christ. (John 14:6, 11:25) Meanwhile, the true believer, though carnal,
will be escorted by angels through heaven's gates, and regarded as greater than
the greatest man born of women, John the Baptist. (Matt. 11:11, 1 John 3:9)
Furthermore, if a Christian lives such an exemplary life
that sinners say, "I want to be like him or her, what good does it do? A
person can only imitate your actions, not your beliefs! Christians are deceivers yet true, because
one's Christianity always boils down to the life of Christ that cannot sin, the
new life born in them at the new birth the moment they first believed the
gospel. (1 John 3:9)
Peter acknowledged that "Paul
wrote things which are hard to be understood.”
(2 Pet.
3:15) Interestingly, the hardest paradox to
understand is that just because someone is saved doesn’t necessarily mean that they
live a godly life. Legalists attempt to
convince us that only saved people
can “live godly.” Whereas, Peter, James, and Paul informed us
that carnal believers can “walk as men,” and men naturally are not godly. The nature of the flesh still inhabits the
physical body of the born again, and if left unchecked our human nature is
quite capable of performing “every evil work.” (James 3:16) Peter instructed the born again to add
godliness to themselves. Why must
“godliness” be added to the character of the born again? Because godliness is not an innate quality in
the born again believer! Godly character comes from the purposeful pursuit of growth in grace,
not as a result of salvation. (Titus 2:3)
Nevertheless, God perceives the born again as godly not by character,
but by:
"the mystery of godliness, which was hid
from ages and
generations, is Christ in
you, your hope of glory.”
(Col. 1:26-27)
After accepting Christ’s eternal salvation, we are given, “instructions in righteousness,” such as “be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Rom. 12) Failure to follow the Scriptures “instructions in righteousness” do not result in Christ revoking your free gift of eternal salvation, eternal redemption, and eternal life. It does, however, result in you receiving diminished blessings in your natural life. Believers are to follow the New Testament’s instructions in righteousness so “it may be well with thee,” and not for the purpose of gaining, sustaining, or maintaining one’s free gift of eternal salvation. This is the primary reason believers who are praying for a Christian mate should be sure they are very specific, because although the mates they find may be saved, they may not be necessarily be godly. (1 Cor. 3:1) Believers are deceivers yet true. Eternally True.
98 LOSING
THEIR SALVATION WAS NEVER AN ISSUE WITH
THE APOSTLES OF
THE
EARLY CHURCH. THEY SIMPLY BELIEVED THEIR
SAVIOR WAS THE
AUTHOR OF "ETERNAL SALVATION.” John 10:28
"And
I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall
any
man pluck them out of my hand.”
In the early church, the Apostles
argued, fussed, and fought about many things, but never had one dispute over
whether born again believers could lose their salvation. Jesus Christ preached
more messages on eternal security in their presence than anything else. Jesus preached:
· "He
that believeth on the Son HATH
EVERLASTING LIFE.”
· "He
that cometh unto me I WILL IN NO WISE
CAST OUT.”
· “Everyone
that believeth on the Son MAY HAVE
EVERLASTING LIFE.”
· "He
that believeth on me HATH EVERLASTING
LIFE.”
· “Whosoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood, HATH
ETERNAL LIFE.”
· "I
am the bread of life whosoever eats this bread HE SHALL LIVE FOREVER.”
· "I
give unto them eternal life and they SHALL
NEVER PERISH.”
· "Whosoever
believeth on me should not perish but HAVE
EVERLASTING LIFE.”
· “He
that believeth on the Son HATH PASSED
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE.”
Jesus preached everlasting life, and everlasting life lasts and lasts. Once you possess everlasting life, how can you end it? If a person can end everlasting life, then it was not everlasting was it?
Jesus’ disciples were so gung-ho about everlasting life that they even believed the rumor that John, the disciple Jesus loved, would not die. (John 21:23) They did not think it a thing incredible that John had everlasting life that didn’t depend on him making vows and promises about how he would conduct himself thereafter. Legalists teach that we must make such vows to merit and retain the free gift of eternal life. That is false doctrine. (Gal. 6:13) Recall that in the beginning Satan told Eve, "You shall not surely die.” However, after the death, blood, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this same father of lies has changed his tune by telling believers in Christ "You shall not surely live.” When ministers of Satan preach how to get saved, they roar, "You will not surely die unless you:
·
Stop sinning!
Repent and turn from your wicked ways!
·
Believe in God, and keep the Commandments!
·
Attend worship services and love God with all
your heart!
·
Do service to humanity.
·
Live the life by walking the walk and talking the
talk!
·
Read your Bible and pray every day.
·
Fast and pray and live by the golden rule.
·
Be a good person. Do good works.
·
Keep the vows you made to the Lord.
·
Testify how good God has been.
·
Speak in tongues.
·
Believe in God and get water baptized.
·
Get baptized in Jesus’ name.
·
Believe it’s your works that makes Jesus Lord of
your life.”
Satan's
ministers will never tell you the only
reason, "You shall not surely die” is because you are born again! Sinners are granted eternal life the moment
they believe in the death, blood, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to receive the life of Christ born into their
hearts by faith. (1 John 5:11-12) Jesus
warned Nicodemus, who, by the way, fulfilled the first 10 premises above, that
he would not even see the kingdom of God without the second birth. (John 3:12,
Rom. 3:20)
Although Satan deceived Eve, he could not hoodwink
the Apostles into contemplating the possibility that the redeemed could lose their salvation. The Apostle Paul believed that no thing could
separate the souls of the redeemed from their permanent placement in
Christ. (Rom. 8:38) Paul wrote to the born again at Rome that
"you have the end everlasting
life.” (Rom. 6:22) Peter was shown in a vision that whatsoever God cleanses was
not to be called common (unholy) or unclean again, irregardless that Moses’ Law
still deemed it unclean. (Acts 10:15,
28) The
disciple who was rumored to live forever was most vocal about eternal
life. John wrote:
"This is the
record, that God hath given (past tense) to us
eternal life, and this life is in his
son. He that hath the
Son hath life.” (1 John 5:11-12)
How
did you obtain the Son that will never leave or forsake you, but through the
new birth? John concluded with:
"These things
have I written unto you that believe on
the name of the son of God; that ye may know
that
ye have (present tense) eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
Your name was written in the Lamb’s book of life by the author of your eternal salvation, Jesus Christ. Now, if you can lose your eternal salvation, it is evident that it wasn't eternal, and you have shown its author to be a liar. (1 John 1:10, 5:10) Amen? For:
“We know that the
Son of God is come and has given us
an understanding, that we may know him that is
true, and
we are in
him, even Jesus Christ. This is life
eternal.”
“God hath given
(past tense) to us eternal life, and this life is
in his son.
He that hath the Son
hath life.” (1 John 5:11-12)
Now,
in John’s style I ask you, “Who is a liar but he that denieth” that the born
again possess eternal salvation.
Moreover, “Who is a liar” but he that preaches that the born again can
lose their salvation!