Difference between Religion & Salvation

• Religion and Salvation - Most people are “religious” – including many who say they are “Christians” – and are very sincere and devoted to the ways of their religions; but they have never become saved. There is, however, a big difference between religion and salvation. Only a true believer – that is, one in whom the Holy Spirit “dwells” – has been adopted into God’s eternal family as one of His children and has become a “joint heir” of heavenly glory with Christ. A true believer is one who has entered into a personal, intimate and eternal relationship with God through salvation. Jesus Christ is the only way to escape the “second death” of God’s eternal wrath because He is God’s way: “I [Jesus Christ] am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Therefore, a true believer is no longer under God’s condemnation and wrath because the penalty for all of his or her sins – past, present and future – have been fully paid by Jesus Christ. John 3:16 declares “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Only a true believer has eternal life and his religion is “pure”. How can a religion be “pure and undefiled”? The word “undefiled” in Jam 1:27 means to be unsullied or unstained by sin: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this ... to keep himself unspotted from the world”. How can one be sinless and “unspotted from the world” in the eyes of God? This word “undefiled”, for example, describes both the Author of salvation (Jesus Christ) – “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens … (Heb 7:26)”, as well as salvation itself – “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you (1 Pet 1:4)”, which God has so lovingly given to His people. God the Son, Who is perfectly holy, harmless [innocent], and undefiled, became unholy, guilty, and defiled in paying for the sins of each born-again Christian: “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor 5:21)”. Only a true believer has a “pure” religion – that is, the only religion that has eternal spiritual value because it is “clean”, or “undefiled”. “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD” (Psa 119:1).

Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

1 John 5:11-13 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Jam 1:26-27 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27Pure religion and undefiled [uncontaminated] before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Tit 1:15-16 “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled [contaminated] and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

• Unsaved Man’s Religious Ideas are Based on Superstition - God allows those who are perishing to obtain some measure of psychological satisfaction from their vain (empty) and defiled (unclean) religious practices in a manner typified by the physical satisfaction derived from drinking physical wine and strong drink (Isa 28:7). Pagan religions and false gospels are based on “superstitious” doctrines that involve a fear of the supernatural but not a reverential “fear” of the True and “Living God” based on the sound doctrines of the Bible (Acts 17:22-31). Unsaved (natural) man has no spiritual understanding of truth. His superstitious religious beliefs are based on man’s “wisdom” – not God’s as set forth in His Word, the Bible. One more common aspect of all the pagan religions and false gospels of the world is the notion that man must do something to gain favor with whomever or whatever they worship. That idea is perfectly “logical” from a human perspective because we are self-centered beings. God describes the spiritual covering of unbelievers by the word “rags” and says that all of “unclean” man’s attempts at being “righteous” are like “filthy rags” in His sight (Isa 64:6). Sadly, their religious efforts are totally useless for obtaining a right standing with God. Therefore, they will remain spiritually impoverished without repentance unto salvation because the unsaved are “spiritually” dead (Eph 2:1-5). God, however, has stated very clearly that salvation is by His grace alone, through the faith of Christ and not by man’s “works” (efforts) in any way, shape, or form (Eph 2:8-10, Tit 3:5-7). God must cover us with the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness to be acceptable to God (Isa 61:10). There is nothing a man can do to make himself right with God before salvation takes place. Eph 2:8-10 declares, “We [believers] are His workmanship” – that is, salvation is “the gift of God” and result of God’s work in the hearts of His children. Once God saves someone, He puts a sincere desire in that person’s heart to obey His commandments and to serve Him by performing “good works” under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Eze 36:27). In other words, the only works of man that have any spiritual value are those performed after he becomes saved. Throughout the history of the world mankind has invented many kinds of religions and “do-it-yourself” salvation plans in order to get right with God, but only God’s actions that produce salvation from eternal damnation. The doctrines of God’s sovereign grace are repugnant to man. His natural, sinful pride causes him to reject the notion that God is totally in charge of His own salvation program. An unsaved person cannot bring himself to admit that salvation is totally God’s work for His glory. The complex aspects of the True Gospel are incomprehensible and illogical to the natural (or unsaved) man – in fact, they are “foolishness” to those who “perish” (1 Cor 2:12-16). 1 Cor 2:13 declares God’s wisdom is revealed by Holy Spirit: “not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual [comparing scripture with scripture]”.
  

Acts 17:22-31 “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

1 Cor 2:12-15 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual [comparing Scripture with Scripture]. 14But the natural man [unsaved man] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that [faith] not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”

• Mans’ Works – Physical Circumcision, God’s Work – Spiritual Circumcision - Physical circumcision is an example of a perfectly “logical” works-type salvation doctrine that was being taught by some in the early NT church who tried to hold to the OT ceremonial laws (Acts 15:1-2, Acts 15:24), which were fulfilled and rescinded by Christ at the cross. Actually, God’s Law regarding physical circumcision was never a requirement for salvation. It was to be obeyed merely as a “token”, or a physical sign representing the spiritual reality of salvation (Gen 17:11). Ancient Israel “stumbled” over God’s salvation plan because they thought that religiously keeping the Law would make them “righteous” instead of trusting in God’s Mercy for salvation. When God said, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart” in Deu 10:16 and “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart” in Jer 4:4, He obviously had spiritual circumcision in view. By these statements God emphasized the fact that man cannot save himself by his own efforts (i.e., cut off his own sins) any more than he can circumcise the “foreskin” of his heart (i.e., his spirit essence). However, because mankind in general cannot possibly carry out those commands, neither can man keep God’s Law, so, the next logical question is, “Why then the Law?” God answers that question for us in these verses leading up to Gal 3:29. We see that God’s Law is intended to be a “schoolmaster” to teach us about our sin and our desperate need for a Savior – the Lord Jesus Christ. The Law is a representation of God’s righteousness and an indication of His very nature. “Circumcision” of the heart means spiritual circumcision – that is, the spiritual reality of salvation by the cutting away of sin and the shedding of Christ’s blood in the Atonement. Of course, no one can perform that operation on his own heart – only God can do it: “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Deu 30:6). That is the meaning of the “circumcision made without hands” in Col 2:10-11: “And ye are complete in him [Christ], which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ”. God replaced the Old Testament sign of “physical circumcision” with the New Testament sign of “water baptism”, and many today stumble on the spiritual significance of baptism in the same way the Israelites stumbled on the spiritual significance of circumcision. They do not understand that God referred to spiritual baptism, and they erroneously believe that water baptism is necessary for salvation: “... Except a man be born of water [typifying the Word of God] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”. Man must be “baptized” (i.e., have his sins washed away) by the Holy Spirit in order to receive God’s gift of eternal life: “I [John the Baptist] indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me [Jesus Christ] is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matt 3:11). Many pervasive and spiritually dangerous doctrines of man’s “works” being taught all over the world today insist that man must somehow participate in his salvation. These perfectly “logical” – but erroneous – doctrines have been taught and disputed throughout the NT period, but only the doctrines of God’s Sovereign Grace are true.
  

Rom 9:31-33 “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Gal 3:19-29 “Wherefore [Why] then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore [Therefore] the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized [baptized with the Holy Ghost] into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

What If I Examined Myself in the Light of the Bible and do NOT See Evidence of Salvation?

• But I have believed with my heart and confessed with my mouth. Can't I say that I am saved based on this? - our hearts are wicked before Salvation and out of the abundance of heart the mouth speaks. We must realize that God does ALL the work of salvation. The Bible teaches that we cannot save ourselves. No church, no religious ritual, no person, and no human effort can save us. Only the work done by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross and by the Holy Spirit in our hearts can save us.

Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Matt 12:34 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Jam 2:19-20 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works [Works is only the evidence of Salvation and not the cause of the Salvation] is dead?"

Acts 8:13, 21-23 "13Then Simon [the Sorcerer] himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.[this is the condition of all of us before Saved]"

• Only when we are given New Heart are we able to 'believe unto righteousness' and 'confess unto salvation'.

Luke 6:45-46 "45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? [following God's commandments is only the evidence of Salvation and not the cause of the Salvation]"

Eze 36:26-27 "A new heart also will I [God] give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

• But I have "received" Christ as my Savior. Can't I say that I am saved based on this? - We are only looking at John 1, verse 12 and missing out on verse 13. The people that are receiving him are already "born of God". verse 12 is the effect and verse 13 is the cause , not the other way around.

John 1:12-13 "But as many [those who are already 'born of God'] as received [as in recipients] him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

• Now I realize that we cannot save ourselves. No church, no religious ritual, no person, and no human effort can save us. what now? - God commands us to cleanup our sinful acts and turn from our sins and come to God with broken heart. God is a Merciful God and delights in Mercy. Remember that Obedience is NOT the cause of Salvation but God's Mercy and God's Grace.

John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

Jer 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Isa 55:6-7 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his [our] way, and the unrighteous man his [our] thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

• God gives Grace [Salvation] to the Humble. Who are the humble? These are the people that Hope and Wait on God for Salvation who realize that they do not deserve Salvation and nothing they can bring or do can get them right with God, including their humbleness. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [saved] rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Luke 15:18-24 "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe [the robe of righteousness of Christ], and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."

Psa 34:18 "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Psa 62:7-8 "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

Rom 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."

• Today is the day of Salvation, don't put it off to seek him. Turn away from your sins today. This doesn't mean that you have Salvation in the instant you started seeking him and turning away from your outward sin. Repentance is turning away from the inward Sin, which only God can turn us away from. Salvation or New Birth is instant but not in your hands and not in your time but in God's hand and God's time. Hope and Wait on Him for your Salvation.

Heb 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

2 Cor 6:2 "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured [helped] thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Lam 3:26 "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."

How Can I KNOW If God Has Saved Me?

• Examine Yourselves, Prove Your Own Selves - This is a very important question that we should all seriously consider, “How Can I KNOW If God Has Saved Me?”. This question gets to the essence of what life is all about. God tells us everything we need to know with regard to His salvation plan for mankind in His Book, the Bible, and God explains that assurance of our salvation is indeed possible as 1 John 5:11-13 explains. We must realize that God does ALL the work of salvation. The Bible teaches that we cannot save ourselves. No church, no religious ritual, no person, and no human effort can save us. Only the work done by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross and by the Holy Spirit in our hearts can save us. Believing, or having “faith”, in the Lord Jesus Christ is the result of salvation – not the cause of it. Rom 5:10 declares that if God has saved you, your spiritual war with God has ended: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”. In other words: If God has saved you from Hell, the Lord Jesus Christ paid for ALL of your sins with His life so that you now have eternal life, and you made no contribution to your salvation in any way, as Tit 3:4-7 declares. However, if God does not save you before you die or the Lord Jesus Christ returns in judgment, you will face eternal damnation in Hell under the wrath of God as a payment for your own sins. If God has already saved you from eternal damnation, He has put His Spirit within you and resurrected your soul (that is, you became a new creature in Christ); as God stated in the verses Eze 36:26-27 and 2 Cor 5:17. In 2 Cor 13:5 and 2 Pet 1:10, God commands us to evaluate our spiritual condition to determine if we truly have received the gift of eternal life based on what the Bible teaches about salvation. In the next part of this study we will ask ourselves several questions based on the biblical evidences of salvation to help us “examine” the state of our souls.

1 John 5:11-13 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Tit 3:4-7 “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Eze 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

2 Cor 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

2 Pet 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”

• Do you recognize Jesus Christ as Lord, God and your Savior? as one Triune God? - In Rom 10:10 we find this statement: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”. God has much to say about a person who merely pays “lip service” to God and does not seek Him with all his “heart, soul, mind, and strength”. The word “Lord” here is actually conveys the idea that Christ “has lordship over” or “exercises dominion over”. We must never forget that one can only do this when one has become saved – or born from above since by birth and nature we have a sinful and wicked heart, as Jer 17:9-10 describes: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked...”. Salvation is a matter of the heart as Rom 2:29 teaches: “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, ...”. This is very apparent in Luke 6:45 “... of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”. Salvation takes place spiritually in man’s heart, or soul, by the Word of God as well as by the will of God, which is what Jam 1:18 states, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth...”. Both man’s belief, or faith, and confession are the results of salvation and are never the means of salvation.

1 Cor 12:3 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

Col 1:14-16 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

Isa 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor [Holy Spirit is the Counsellor], The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Tit 2: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

Phil 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Rev 19:16 “And he hath on his [Lord Jesus Christ] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

• Do you have the Authority of the Bible? - Do you believe that “All Scripture” is from the mouth of God? and are you humble enough to be corrected with the evidence of Scriptures, if you were under wrong understanding. Do you find that you have a strong desire to grow spiritually by reading and studying the Word of God, the Bible? The most important fact we need to come to grips with when studying or reading the Bible is that it is God’s holy, inspired, and infallible Word. It is the supreme authority for every believer, as we learn from 2 Pet 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”. 1 Cor 2:12-13 provides the most significant principle for studying the Bible, which is "comparing spiritual things with spiritual” – comparing Scripture with Scripture, namely that we are to use all of the Bible and only the Bible to find truth. As we do this we must keep in mind that all of the Bible is written from three distinct vantage points: 1. Historical accuracy – recording actual people, places, events, and conversations, 2. Moral teaching – highlighting a moral command to be followed, 3. Spiritual meaning – pointing to some facet of the Gospel (incidentally, this is the most difficult level to ascertain, due to the intense amount of study and prayer that is required). The Bible is thus to be trusted implicitly given its divine authorship, as the sole authority in the life of the child of God. Rom 10:17 explains, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

2 Tim 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

2 Tim 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

1 Cor 2:12-13 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

Psa 119:97 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”

• Do you Fear and tremble before God and His Word? - By nature none of us have this fear of God as we learn from verses, such as Isa 29:13, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men…”. This is a similar statement to what we find in Mat 15:9 where the Lord Jesus declares, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”. Genuine fear of God – like genuine worship of God – must be done according to God’s Word “in spirit and in truth”. Those whom God has saved, or reconciled, have a deep fear and sensitivity to God’s Holy Word, the Bible, because they are fully aware that His Word is an extension of God Himself. Everything in the Scriptures shows us that God is not to be trifled with or lightly esteemed, as we understand from a passage like Mat 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. The child of God fully comprehends the ominous warning of Gal 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” and trembles as he recognizes that God works in him “to will and to do of his good pleasure”, as Php 2:13 teaches.
  

Isa 66:2 “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”

Heb 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Php 2:12-13 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

• Do you have an earnest and a continual Desire to Obey the Will of God as set forth in the Bible? - It is amazing that God would reveal Truth from His Word to those who have become His children by means of the new birth. Luke 10:21 states: “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight”. However, God also indicates that the truth which He alone reveals is meant to be obeyed. This is the thrust of the statement we find in Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” and should be the result of all Bible study. What we learn in the pages of the Bible is not to be used to show how much we know, or how much we can assimilate, or how much we can explain; rather, it is to be humbly obeyed. Rom 7:5 portrays man’s inherent inability to be under, or obedient to, God’s Word prior to salvation: “Because the carnal mind is enmity [or hatred] against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”. It is important to recognize that the phrases “in the flesh” and “carnal mind” refer to one who is unsaved. On the other hand, the phrases “in the spirit” and “under grace” are speaking about one who is saved. Eze 36:26-27 so beautifully illustrates the reality of the new birth and the characteristic of one who have been raised from spiritual death to life and become a “new creature” – an insatiable desire to be obedient to the Word of God: “... I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them”. Obedience is the evidence of Salvation. John 8:31 continues : “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;” and 1 John 2:6 insists as well, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he [that is Christ] walked”.

Eze 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

John 14:15 “If ye love me [Jesus Christ], keep my commandments.”

Rom 2:13 “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

Jam 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

1 John 2:3-5 “And hereby we do know that we know him [Jesus Christ], if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

• Do you have “Spiritual peace with God” and “Spiritual peace of God”? - One of man’s greatest desires is to live in peace, or the absence of war and strife. However, wars are the result of man’s sinful nature and will never be abolished on this sin-cursed earth. As “the Prince of Peace” many people think that Jesus came to bring some kind of political or secular peace among nations or groups of people. Why then is the Lord Jesus called “the Prince of Peace” in the Bible? A spiritual war between God and rebellious mankind exists, as we read in Rom 8:7 “Because the carnal [unsaved] mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”. Jesus said He came to bring peace between God and His people in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. The peace that results from salvation is called “peace with God” in Rom 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. True believers have peace with God because of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross that has “reconciled” them to God, as explained in 2 Cor 5:19: “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation...”. Do you have an ongoing desire to thank and praise God through prayer as you learn to trust Him more and more in every aspect of your life? In other words, Do you have “peace of God”? When we have become reconciled to God by salvation, God also gives us the “peace of God”, according to Php 4:6-7. Faith to trust Him results from the “peace of God”.

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.

Eph 6:17-18 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

1 Thess 5:16-18 “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Pro 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

• Does the Holy Spirit give you Assurance that you are Born of God? - One day we might “feel” saved; the next day, as a result of some sin, we don’t. We have to put our feelings aside, and only trust in what the Bible proclaims. An authentic Christian’s trust, hope, confidence, and faith needs to be firmly established in what God has written in His Word. Is it possible to know that one is a child of God from the Bible? By God’s mercy, the answer is yes, as 1 John 5:12-13 affirms that believers can “know” they have eternal life: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written [God’s Word] unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God”. What is really in view in these Scriptures is the fact that believers receive assurance of their salvation from the Bible – the written Word of God – and the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is yet another evidence of salvation. 1 John 4:13 reveals, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit”. And Rom 8:9 affirms that one is NOT a child of God without the indwelling Spirit of God: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. Now, to summarize what we have learned today: First, the Holy Spirit is given to the believer as the “earnest” (or down payment) of his salvation. Secondly, we are not to trust our feelings at all; we must lean altogether on what the Bible sets forth. At times, however, our hearts can work against us, as 1 John 3:18-22 indicates; but even when that happens, we must rest altogether in the work and faith of the Lord Jesus. Eph 3:12 testifies that a believer have boldness in the day of judgement, not because of his doings but because of what Lord has done for him at the cross: “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him”. The fact that our own hearts “condemn”, or blame, us does not necessarily signify that we are unsaved. On the contrary, it appears that as a Christian matures in grace, he is increasingly mindful of his own unworthiness and sinfulness. At the same time, he is increasingly aware of God’s unfathomable grace, as Rom 5:20b so powerfully insists, “… But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” The Scripture testifies that God is indeed “greater than our heart, and knoweth all things”. A true Christian’s heart can either serve to condemn or absolve him, as he obeys God’s Word or fails the various “tests” that God employs to determine his spiritual condition. Ultimately, a believer desires to be obedient to his Master above all else, as God works in him “to will and to do of His good pleasure”.

Rom 8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

John 1:12-13 “But as many as received him [as in recipients], to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

1 John 3:18-22 “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

• Are the “Works of the Flesh” Diminishing in your life - Are you continuing to turn from your sins? and leading a Godly Life? In Rom 8:13 we find these words, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”. Mat 26:41 adds, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. From even a casual reading of the Bible, we are brought face to face with not only our innate weaknesses and inadequacies but, more importantly, with our sins that are sending us pell-mell to eternal damnation. This is the accurately painful description that Eph 2:3 paints: “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”. The word “conversation” means “lifestyle”. What is the lifestyle of someone who is NOT saved? Gal 5:19-21 itemizes the works of the flesh and warns: "... of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”. On the other hand, 2 Cor 5:17 describes a born-again believers new nature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. At this point in our discussion, I think it would be helpful to remind ourselves of each believer’s dual nature. Quite possibly the tendency to emphasize one aspect more than the other can shape how we look at ourselves in terms of possessing or lacking assurance of salvation. Let us consider each “side” of a Christian’s whole personality. Even after a person is redeemed he struggles with sin because his body still remains unsaved, even though in his soul he has received eternal life. This is clearly seen in a number of verses like Rom 7:20, “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”. The apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, reveals in Rom 7:25 the Scriptural assessment that a child of God must constantly keep in mind, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. Gal 5:16-18 and verses 24-25 further add: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]… And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. This internal dualism is the true Christian’s greatest spiritual struggle, bar none, as Rom 7:24 pinpoints, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The deliverance that Paul refers to is found in the words of 2 Cor 5:1-4, which expresses the believer’s yearning to be forever clothed with his glorified spiritual body. 1 John 3:1-3 highlights this as well, adding the dimension of hope with regard to glorification, which is the final stage of salvation.

Gal 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Rom 7:21-25 “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man [or the soul]: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members [or my body]. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin… ”

Gal 5:16-18, 24-25 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law… And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”

Rom 6:11-20 “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

1 Cor 9:27 “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Rom 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

2 Cor 5:1-4 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle [our physical body] were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4For we that are in this tabernacle [our physical body] do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”

1 John 3:1-3 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he [Christ] shall appear, we shall be like him [Christ]; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him [Christ] purifieth himself, even as he [Christ] is pure.”

• Is the “Fruit of the Spirit” becoming more Evident in your Life? - We see in Eph 2:10 that true believers are God’s “workmanship”, which means “the fruit (or product) of a workman’s labor”. We also see in Gal 5:22-26 that true believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives: “...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: ...”
  
  
  
  • Love – It is interesting how God starts off this list of “fruit” with “love”. Of course, the greatest demonstration of love is found in the Lord Jesus Christ, as Rom 5:8 declares: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. There is no greater love than for God to become sin on behalf of His people, the elect, and to suffer the equivalent of eternity in Hell for them. As a result, God reveals that love is the chief hallmark of the Christian in John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”. God also goes to great lengths to define love in many verses, such as 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous”.
  
  
  • Joy – In Hab 3:18 we discover this beautiful statement, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation”. Each believer has been given “joy” as a fruit of the Spirit, which is a direct result of the incomprehensible salvation that God has granted. Neh 8:10 is a very comforting verse which declares, “... for the joy of the LORD is your strength”
  
  
  • Peace – The Lord Jesus came to this earth on a mission of “peace” – but not in the physical sense that most people imagine. Because mankind by nature abhors God and holds Him in the highest contempt, Eph 2:14-15 describes the spiritual, eternal peace between God and man that Christ secured for many: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace”. Isa 26:3 speaks of the wonderful peace that God has gifted to each of His children: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”.
  
  
  • Longsuffering – The “longsuffering”, or patience, of God can be readily seen throughout the Bible. Actually, it is astounding that God is so patient with rebellious man. Indeed, with the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives Col 1:11 admonishes us to be, “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”
  
  
  • Gentleness – Following the pattern of their Master, those who are part of the eternal church are equipped with the fruit of “gentleness”, or kindness, as Eph 2:7 describes, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
  
  
  • Goodness – Eph 5:9 gives us an excellent description of “goodness” as one of three main categories of the fruit of the Spirit: “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” We also read in 2 Chr. 6:41, “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.” Remember that “priests” and “saints” are both synonyms for the children of God.
  • Faith – Every believer receives “faith” as a result of salvation and are commanded to “walk by faith, not by sight” in 2 Cor 5:7. In other words, everyone who has experienced the new birth will understand the meaning of Heb 11:6 that says, “without faith it is impossible to please him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
  • Meekness – The Bible gives us some wonderful pictures of the “meek”, or those who have inherited the quality of “meekness”. Mat 21:5 portrays the Lord Jesus in such a fashion: “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” Moses, as a great type of Christ, is described in Num 12:3 in these words, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”
  • Temperance – “Temperance”, or “self-control”, is a remarkable fruit of the Spirit that motivates the true follower of Jesus Christ to forsake sin and follow the commands of Scripture. The Greek root word is translated as “power” in Eph 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
  There is “no law” against these nine fruit of the Spirit because they reflect the righteous nature of God Himself. True believers can sincerely exclaim the words of Eph 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all  spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ!”

Gal 5:22-26 that true believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

• Are you able to love God and your fellow man also?

Matt 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Matt 5:43-45 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

1 John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.”

1 John 4:21 “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”


Gal 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”


Gal 6:2,5 “2Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 5For every man shall bear his own burden”


Eph 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

• Are you finding that the pleasures of this world do not interest you as much as they did in the past?

1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

• Do you grieve more and more in your spirit because of your sins, as you see yourselves in the light of the Bible and are you striving to eliminate those sins from your life for the glory of God?

Rom 7:22-23 “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

1 John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him [Jesus Christ] a liar, and his word is not in us.”


1 Tim 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

Eph 4:30-32 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Col 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Col 3:23-24 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

• Are you becoming more comfortable with the True Gospel of salvation (based on the sovereign grace of God) so that it is neither foolish nor offensive to you? Do you fully understand that God does ALL the work of salvation and are you willing to give Him ALL the praise and glory for His precious gift of eternal life?

1 Cor 2:14 “But the natural man [unsaved] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Cor 3:18-20 “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise [in the Word of God rightly dividing Truth comparing Scripture with Scripture]. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”

Eph 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

• As you grow in grace, do you have a greater desire to be a witness for Jesus Christ? - Without a doubt, one of the most difficult arenas in which to be a witness is among our own family members. It is indeed a proving
  ground without parallel, and we face all kinds of tests daily. How are we going to react? Are we going to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit
  or the works of the flesh? Thus, family life according to God’s Word becomes the forge, hammer, and anvil that shape our Christian
  living and growth.

Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

2 Cor 2:15-17 “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”

1 Pet 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

2 Cor 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

• Are you ready to suffer for Jesus sake and Gospel sake?

Acts 5:41 “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

Rom 8:14-17 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

1 Thess 3:3-4 “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 4For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.”

Phil 1:29 “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake”

Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

• Do you yearn for the day when you will meet your Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, face to face?

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

2 Cor 5:1-2, 6-8 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven… Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

Rom 14:8 “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.”

If I Blasphemed Holy Spirit, Do I have any Hope of Salvation?

• These sins against Holy Spirit are forgivable.

Acts 7:51 "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."

1 Thess 5:19 "Quench not the Spirit."

Eph 4:30-32 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Heb 10:29 "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite [Greek enubrizo, insult] unto the Spirit of grace?"

• blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable and is eternal sin.

Matt 12:31-32 "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."

Mark 3:29 "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."

Luke 12:10 "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."

• willful sinning and ignorant sinning - If blasphemy of the Spirit makes it impossible to receive forgiveness and continuing to sin willfully makes it impossible to receive forgiveness, and there is only one sin that makes forgiveness impossible, then blasphemy of the Spirit is the same as continuing to sin willfully after understanding the truth.

1 Tim 1:12-13 "And I [Paul] thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief."

Heb 10:26 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"

• But isn't all or most of the sin willful? isn't Unsaved heart is source of all blasphemies. We know something is sinful and we do it anyway. We lie. We steal. Whatever. Even after we become saved we fall into sin again and again. We still have the unsaved flesh which is warring against saved soul. We sin intentionally, knowingly. Even the people out there who do not have the Bible, they have “the Law written in their hearts.” So they know that adultery is wrong or that murder is wrong. They sin still, willfully, knowing that these things are evil.

Matt 15:18-20 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

Pro 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

Rom 1:19-20 "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"

• So what does it mean the sin of blaspheming the Holy Ghost? That is when repentance is impossible? That is when there is “no more sacrifice for sins.”? Is it an impossibility to become saved if you have sinned or blasphemed Holy Spirit willfully? Let us examine more closely. It was in Jesus day, it was the leaders of Israel who said of Jesus that He had “an unclean spirit” and that “He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils, that “He hath Beelzebub.” He brought the new covenant, the New Testament, in the days of Christ, and the Holy Spirit was completely involved in Jesus’ ministry. The Spirit moved Him in the wilderness to be tested. The Spirit, “like a dove,” descended upon Him. Again and again and again, the Spirit was leading Jesus, and so He was very instrumental in the completion of the New Testament. Yet the Pharisees and the scribes were saying that Jesus was not of the Holy Ghost. They were saying that it was not the Holy Spirit that was behind this; it was the devil. In that case, they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit. They were sealing their own fate, because it meant that they would never leave the Old Testament congregation of Israel. They did not think that Jesus was the Messiah. They did not think that God had sent Him. They were going to remain in the synagogues, in their traditions of circumcision and whatever else they could follow. As a result, there would never again be forgiveness within the nation of Israel. Never again would God bless the ministry of a teacher of Israel, a rabbi. Never again would God save anyone through the work of the Old Testament corporate body, the nation of Israel. This is a corporate sin.

Mark 3:22,28-30 "22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. 30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit."

Matt 21:42-44 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone [Jesus Christ] which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [Nation of Israel] , and given to a nation [New Testament Church] bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

Rom 1:2-4: "(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

• This does not mean that there can not be people, individuals, who could not still come out of this blindness. So they could still be like the Apostle Paul “who was before a blasphemer.” Paul was under the teaching of those same scribes and Pharisees who had said that Jesus had Beelzebub. He was growing up in that church, in that Old Testament system of worship. He was sitting under the feet of those men, and they were teaching him that this was “after the way which they call heresy.” Paul was going to persecute those who were “of the way.” He was going to Damascus to hail men and women and throw them into prison because he was convinced that it was not of God. He was a blasphemer, but he did it ignorantly. So to conclude, God could still have mercy on anyone, even if they had wrong ideas themselves, blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Even if they had wrong understanding, they could still experience the grace of God and the mercy of God and Salvation.

1 Tim 1:12-13 "And I [Paul] thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief."

Phil 3:5-7 "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."

Was the Holy Spirit Indwelling in Old Testament Believers?

• Except a man be Born Again, he Cannot See the Kingdom of God - Whether Old Testament believer or New Testament believer, one is always saved by God's Grace and God's Mercy. Always has the Holy Spirit been he who regenerates believers, convicting them of sin, working faith in their hearts. Salvation is the Work of Holy Spirit who blesses the Word of God to the believers hearts to make them born again. From the point of this New Birth, God's Spirit dwells in those individuals. Jesus explains this New Birth to Nicodemus. Later on in His dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus has this to say to him: “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” (John 3:10). The point Jesus was making is that Nicodemus should have known the truth that the Holy Spirit is the source of new life because it is revealed in the Old Testament.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [Word of God typified by water] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh [unsaved state]; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[saved state]”

Eze 36:25-27 “Then will I sprinkle clean water [Word of God typified by water] upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing [by the Word-Eph 5:26] of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

• They that are In the Flesh Cannot Please God - Whether in Old Testament or in New Testament, the Bible differentiates between the one in “spirit” and the one in “flesh”. To be “in the flesh”, “after the flesh” and; “carnally minded” is not merely defining one’s physical existence, but is a statement of one’s spiritual condition, the nature of one who is unsaved and in the kingdom of Satan. On the other hand, to be “in the spirit”, “after the Spirit” and; “spiritually minded” refers to someone who has become saved by the will and Word of God and illustrates the nature of a true Christian – one who has become a citizen of God’s kingdom. This distinction is evident in the following verses. If one has not been born “of the Spirit”, they are, by biblical definition still “of the flesh”. Rom 8:9 affirms that one is not a child of God without the indwelling Spirit of God. The words “Spirit”, “Spirit of God”, and “Spirit of Christ” in Rom 8:8-9 all refer to the Holy Spirit.

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth [makes you alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Rom 8:5-10 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Gal 4:28-3 “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise [Elect of God]. 29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.”

• If any man have Not the Spirit of Christ, he is None of His - Just as the coming of Messiah was the great promise of the Old Testament, so is the coming of the Spirit the great promise of the New Testament, although Jesus Christ is the lamb slain from before the foundation of the World and Holy Spirit is at work in the lives of the true believers through out the history. Atoning of sins by Christ's blood and renewing and regeneration by Holy Spirit is required for Salvation in any generation in the history of the world. The Fruit (Gal 1:22) of the Spirit’s regenerating work is Faith (Eph 2:8). By this Faith produced by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, Old Testament believers looked ahead to the cross, believing that what God had promised in regard to their redemption would come to pass. They saw the promises and “welcomed them from a distance” (Heb 11:13), accepting by faith that what God had promised, He would also bring to pass. We see indwelling of Holy Spirit in David's life. God's Spirit can also come on an unsaved individual, though it may not be God’s intention to save that person but to accomplish God's purpose. We see this in the lives of wicked Balaam (Num 22:12-13), and in the life of Saul, the first king of Israel (I Sam 10:9-12).

Rom 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

1 Pet 1:10-11 “Of which salvation the prophets [of old testament time] have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

1 Sam 16:13 “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him[David] in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.”

Psa 51:10-11 “Create in me [David] a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”

1 Sam 10:10-12 “And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 12And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 Sam 16:14 “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.”

• What happened on the day of Pentecost? - The Feasts, feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread and the feast of Pentecost/Firstfruits had a spiritual meaning that God fulfilled with His Gospel. Jesus was the fulfillment of the feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread. The Bible teaches that the “fellowship”, or salvation, of the Gentiles (the “nations”, or non-Jewish people) was hidden, or was a “mystery”, until God chose to reveal it on the Day of Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection. That was when the Holy Spirit was poured out and the Feast of Pentecost/Firstfruits was fulfilled, and God’s program to evangelize the world was instituted. Let me hasten to add, however, that God “hinted” to this in the Old Testament when He saved certain individuals, who were obviously not Jews. Some examples are: Rahab the harlot of Jericho, Ruth the Moabitess, and Ebedmelech of Ethiopia. Though Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World, though the Holy Spirit is at work in OT believers (indwelling in them) and though the Salvation was extended to Gentiles but only few were saved. For eg; Bible records, there were seven thousand at one point whom the Bible says “have not bowed the knee to Baal”; and He saved 120 thousand in the city of Nineveh. Now that the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, had gone to the Cross, it was God’s plan to evangelize the whole world. The old Testament Church represented by Nation of Israel (who refused the corner stone Christ) ended and the New testament Church Age (with Christ as corner stone) began with 3000 souls being saved, by the outpouring of Holy Spirit. The evangelizing of the world began. The Holy Spirit was to be poured out upon the nations as the messengers of the Gospel going forth from the churches and congregations that God was establishing would carry the good news of salvation and a great multitude will be saved.

1 Cor 5:7 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”

Acts 2:1-5 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.”

Matt 21:42-44 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone [Jesus Christ] which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [Nation of Israel] , and given to a nation [New Testament Church] bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

Psa 118:22-24 “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Rev 7:9-12 “…I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes [Robe of Righteousness of Christ], and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen”