SALVATION -------- EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

TheWhole Counsel of God For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” (Acts20:27) Evangelical churches have preached the gospel message and have given attention to the return of Christ and our hope of heaven. Sometimes, it is good to step back and look at the big picture,�the foundational perspective upon which the whole of Scripture isbased. Four foundational passages in the New Testament provide pillars for the whole counsel of God. John 1:1-14 �The Word (our Lord Jesus) was and is God; the Word made everything that was made; the Word was made flesh and dwelt among men. Romans 11:36 �All things are of Him, through Him, and to Him. Colossians 1:16-20 �By Him all heavenly and earthly powers were made; by Him all things are saved from destruction; by Him all things will be reconciled. 2 Peter 3:1-13 �He destroyed the first world because of evil; He will destroy this present universe by fire; He will create a new heavens and new earth. We can lose the reality of the forest because we are looking too closely at each tree. Sometimes it is helpful to back away from the technical aspects of theology or denominational policy and review the whole counsel �the overall sovereign purpose of our Creator,Lord, and King. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all mypleasure. (Isaiah46:9-10). HMM III ----------------------------- Another Divine Helper John 14:16-18 Have you ever wished you had a 911 number that rang in heaven whenever you had a need? Well, I have good news for believers. We all have divine assistance that’s even closer than a phone call: our Helper dwells within us. But if we are unaware of Him, we’llmiss many opportunities to benefit from the greatest asset in our Christian life—the Holy Spirit’s presence. Christ knew that when He left the earth, His disciples would be totally inadequate for the task He was giving them—to evangelize the world. Though they’d spent three years with Jesus, all they had seen and learned would still not sufficiently equip themfor what lay ahead. They needed supernatural help, and so do we—someone who will come to our aid, empower our service, and transform us from the inside out. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can achieve all this. Consider His qualifications: 1. He is a personal Helper, not some inanimate force. God’s Spirit is a member of the Trinity and coequal with both the Father and Jesus Christ. 2. He is a practical Helper who involves Himself in every aspect of our lives. 3. He is an adequate Helper because He’s omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. 4. He is an available Helper who permanently lives within us. Do you have any need that requires more power than omnipotence? Are you facing a decision that requires more knowledge than omniscience? Nothing we encounter is bigger than the omnipresent One who lives within us. Be calm and confident. No matter what challengesyou face, He can help. -------------------- TheFinished Work “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath donethis.” (Psalm22:31) This is the last verse of Psalm 22, the marvelous prophecy that describes so graphically the sufferings of Christ on the cross, a thousand years before the fulfillment. The preceding verse promises that this great event will, literally, “be told about the Lordin every generation.” Fathers would tell it to their children, teachers to their students, generation after generation declaring His righteousness. “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts” (Psalm145:4). This prophecy has been wonderfully fulfilled for almost 2,000 years as each generation of Christians tells the next generation the old, old story of “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1Peter 1:11), both of which are graphically foretold here in the 22nd Psalm. But this final verse especially stresses the fact that the work has been completed. Its last word, “this,” is not in the original Hebrew, so the final statement actually should read “He hath finished!” The most glorious aspect of the gospel message is thatHe has accomplished all that was needed to assure eternal salvation to every one who would “remember and turn unto the LORD” (Psalm22:27). This last great prophecy was fulfilled when He cried out as He was dying on the cross, “It is finished!” (John19:30). Just as He had, long ago, pronounced that “the heavens and the earth were finished” (Genesis2:1), completing His great work of creation, so on the cross He had finished the still greater work of redemption. What is left for us to do? Nothing, for He has finished it all! There is nothing we can do, either to create the world or to save our souls.We can only receive, in thanksgiving, what He has done. HMM ------------------------ He Makes Beautiful Things By Amanda Idleman Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so thathe cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." God is doing the work of creating beauty not perfection. A part of the Christian faith looks like growth, change, and obedience. We are always looking to our Savior asking him to make us more like Him. If we are not careful this holy process of sanctificationcan quickly transform into us striving for perfection. We stop relying on God as the one that creates new things out of our lives and start believing that by our own strength we can become “good enough” to earn our own salvation. Shame and guilt can distract us from the work of grace that God is doing in our lives. When all we see is how we are less than perfect, we can get distracted from the hope that is alive in our world. Our hope is that He makes beauty from our ashes. As a parent I fall short yet amazingly I can behold so much beauty in the lives of my children everyday. As a wife I make mistakes, oftentimes over and over again, yet the perseverance and love that is enduring in our home is stunning. In my friendshipsand with my family, I don’t always have the right words but I am grateful for the way the stories of our lives are being written together. As a Christ-Follower, I often fall short and lack wisdom but God is still doing a good work in my life. Our hearts can be encouraged by the knowledge that even though the headlines in our world and sometimes the headlining thoughts in our minds are filled with negativity, ugliness, and darkness; God is still alive and active in our world. His light is illuminatingthe dark places, showing his ability to redeem his fallen creation. He has not given up on us. Genesis tells us the story of how God formed our world. When he finished and finally breathed life into his creation, he paused to say “It is good” (Genesis1:31). This world began as something good but soon sin and death entered the scene and began to cast a shadow on God’s work. Since then the story of the world has been God coming down to Earth doing all he can to rescue, redeem, and illuminate his fallencreation. Beauty is being made of us despite our fallen nature. The book of Revelation tells us that one day God’s beauty will be forever in our sights. We won’t have to struggle under the shadow that evil casts on this world. The new Heaven and new Earth will be our eternal home, with our God set securely on his throneof grace (Revelation 21). Our souls long for such a peace filled day! For now, we are a part of his work to bring His Kingdom down.His Kingdom is a place of creativity, beauty, light, and vibrance. Let’s be those that look for that beauty everyday, fighting against the urge to fixate on the problems. May the Holy Spirit illuminate the beauty of God’s creation for you. He is making everything beautiful in his perfect timing. He offers hope, peace, joy, healing, redemption, reconciliation, and comfort to his children even in our profound brokenness. His grace is enough for us (2 Corinthians12:9). Intersecting Faith and Life: Pause and journal about the ways you have seen God’s beauty around you. Write down ways God has brought healing even when you have failed. Recount how he has protected you when you faced a dangerous situation. Think of how God has taught you and grown yourcharacter during a difficult season. Note how God’s creativity and beauty is on display in creation and the people in your life. Perfection is not required for beauty to exist. ---------------------- Proven Faith 1 Peter 1:3-9 Faith is perhaps the most central element in the Christian life because it is the means by which we enter into salvation. But that�s only the beginning. From then onward, our faith�or lack of it�shapes our lives and determines what happens to us when the winds of adversity blow. Some Christians never lose their footing even in hurricane-force winds, but others aretoppled by the slightest gust. To understand why this is true, we need to examine the source of our faith. Inherited faith: If you grew up in a Christian home, you probably adopted some of the beliefs of your parents. This kind of godly foundation is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but eventually, each person must assume responsibility for his own beliefs. Textbook faith: The Bible is the ultimate guide for establishing our beliefs. But that�s not the only source of influence. Books, preachers, teachers, and friends all impact our convictions. Our theology may in fact be sound, but faith is merely mental acceptanceuntil it�s put to the test. Proven Faith: Only when we trust the Lord through the fires of adversity will we have faith that can stand. It is no longer based on what others have told us or what we�ve accepted as true but on our firsthand experience of His faithfulness. To evaluate your faith, consider how you react to adversity. Do you cling to the Lord or get angry at Him? Is your attitude one of rejoicing because He�s making you more like His Son, or are you bitter? No one can escape adversity, but those with provenfaith will benefit from it. ---------------- Knowledgeof Eternal Life �These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know thatye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.� (1John 5:13) It is important that a believer have real assurance of eternal life, and our text indicates that this was John�s very purpose in writing his epistle. It is dangerous, however, to use this verse as a �proof text� apart from the whole context of �these things� that John had written to give such assurance, because the question must be faced as to what constitutes real belief �on the name of the Son of God.� Many professing Christians may well have a superficial assurance of salvation because of a superficial faith. According to the apostle John, genuine belief in the Son of God can be tested by �these things� that he had written. Space here permits listing only a few of them, but all are important. �Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: herebyknow we that we are in him� (1John 2:5). �Ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him� (2:29). �We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren� (3:14). �And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And herebywe know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us� (3:24). �We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not� (5:18). Such words of assurance do not require that the believer be sinless (note 1 John 1:8-10), for the Greek tenses imply only that he does not sin habitually. Nevertheless, Christians who are comfortable in a nominal profession of faith, with little outward evidence of that faith, would do well to examine their faith in light ofJohn�s �tests of faith,� whereby we may �know that [we] have eternal life.� HMM ------------------------- No One Like Our God By Emma Danzey Isaiah 42:8 says, "I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.� I Am the Lord, That Is My Name The Lord makes it very clear in this verse that He is the only God. His name is the only name by which we can be saved. This parallels to Acts 4:11-12 which says, �This Jesus is �the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.� �Salvationexists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.�� In Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah is prophesying to the Israelites. He is calling them out for their rebellion and idolatry. In Isaiah 42, he is telling of Jesus� coming. When we think about the magnitude of the fact that we as believers are given relationship with God on high, this humbles us. We become overwhelmed by the sweet gift of knowing the Lord personally. We are in awe that the Creator and Savior loves us and wantsto walk alongside us through life. He is the Almighty, He is the Everlasting God, He is the Alpha and the Omega, but He is also our Friend and Father. And My Glory I Will Not Give to Another Exodus 15:11 says, �Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?� Moses and Miriam led this song to the people of God once they crossed the Red Sea when the Lord delivered them from the oppression of their enemies. They recognized that no one could have done what the Lord did. There is no other who deserves glory. I lovehow in Isaiah, God says that His glory, He will not give to another. He is so sovereign, so perfect and so holy that He Himself is the only one who could even allow someone else to receive glory. Nothing is out of His control and His perfect hands. In fact, He is so glorious that we cannot see His face or we would die. Exodus 33:20 says, �But,� He said, �you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.�� He is so glorious that on the Mount of Transfiguration, those who looked upon Jesus glorified saw Him glowing and his robes as bright as lightning. The voiceof God even came in a cloud and it so scared and humbled the disciples that they fell on their faces before Him. God�s glory is so powerful and so mighty that we cannot stand in His perfect presence. Nor My Praise to Carved Images The Israelites were really good at creating idols for themselves or falling into the temptation to worship other idols from other nations. However, the truth is that we are all susceptible to this sin. Idolatry may not look like physical carved images for ustoday, but think about social media profiles, our houses, cars, popularity status, or hobbies. We can quickly have hearts that are not all about Jesus if we are not careful. Isaiah reminds us that our praise is to only go to the One True God, not to anythingor anyone else. Idols compete with our hearts. They might even be good gifts that God has given to us like family or friends. However, anything that takes the place of the Lord is an idol. We must be careful not to worship the gifts, but only the Giver of the gifts. Wemust be alert and aware of our areas of weakness so that we can glorify Jesus alone. He deserves total praise and the carved images of Israel and our own �carved images� today are considered spiritual adultery against our Savior. May we remember today andevery day that our Savior and our Lord is the only one who is God. He deserves our complete hearts and our sole worship. Intersecting Faith and Life: How does knowing God is the only way make you feel? How can this bring comfort to you? How have you been glorifying the Lord lately? What �carved images� do you need to give up as idols to make room for the One True God? Further Reading: •Exodus 15:11 •Matthew 17:1-13 •Acts 4:11-12 ------------------------ SoSend I You �Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.� (John20:21) For approximately three years the disciples had followed Jesus in His travels, had listened to His teaching, and participated in His ministry. They had forsaken �all, and followed him� (Luke5:11). They had seen Him ridiculed, opposed, oppressed, suffer deprivation, and be rejected by the religious leaders of the day, as well as by most of the common folk. They had watched while Judas, a trusted friend, had betrayed Him and then had fled whenthe Jewish leaders and a Roman guard arrested Him. This beloved leader, for whom they had had such great hopes and in whom they had placed such great trust, had then been scourged, beaten, spit upon, lied about, and nailed to a cruel cross to die in agonyand abject loneliness, even abandoned by His loving heavenly Father. A few days later, the disciples had �assembled for fear of the Jews� (John20:19), for perhaps the Jewish leaders were trying to stamp out all semblance of His following, and they feared for their own lives now that Jesus was dead. But suddenly, Jesus stood in their midst and showed to them His hands and His side as proof ofHis death. Yet, He was alive. �Then were the disciples glad� (v. 20). We are now prepared to fully appreciate the words of our text. It is as if Jesus said, as my Father has sent me, so I send you, and look what they�ve done to me. But even though suffering and hardship will follow, have no fear. My peace and my Holy Spirit willbe with you to assure your ultimate victory (compare verses 21-22). If we would be His disciples, sent out as He was sent out to accomplish His eternal work here on Earth in His physical absence, we must likewise expect persecution, peace, power, and victory. JDM ------------------------ Sanctification: God's Grand Plan Jeremiah 29:11 The heavenly Father has a grand plan for the life of every person, and it can be summed up in the word sanctification. If you have never been certain of the term's meaning, you are not alone--many people are unclear about its definition. However, believersshould understand it because the word defines them. In its verb form--sanctify--the term means "to make holy" or "to separate." So when something is sanctified, it is separated from its former common usage and is dedicated for sacred purposes. The Old Testament mentions a number of things that the Lord sanctified:He made the seventh day holy, set aside the Levite tribe as priests, and even consecrated places like the Holy of Holies inside the tabernacle (Gen.2:3; Num. 3). The heavenly Father still sanctifies people today. Before a person places his faith in the Savior, he is spiritually dead and, in fact, an enemy of God (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom.5:10). But the moment someone chooses to trust in Jesus Christ, his sins are wiped away, and he is adopted into God's family. That individual is set apart as a child of God, with a sacred purpose. This means believers are not here to chase after personal gain but to serve the Lord and bring Him honor andglory. As members of God's family who are called upon to reflect His glory, believers are referred to as "saints." We are given this moniker--which shares its root with sanctification--not because we live sinless lives, but because we live a life consistent withthe One we represent. -------------------- TheFather Testifies of the Son “Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and willglorify it again.” (John12:28) This is the last of three remarkable occasions during the earthly ministry of Christ when God the Father spoke directly from heaven concerning His only begotten Son. The first was at His baptism. “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew3:17; also Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). This thrice-recorded testimony was given primarily to the forerunner, John the Baptist, who said, “And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remainingon him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (John1:33). The second was to three chosen disciples at the transfiguration. “Behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew17:5). Years later Peter recalled, “This voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount” (2Peter 1:18). Finally, the Father spoke in the words of our text for the day in direct response to the prayer of His Son at the beginning of the final week before His crucifixion. The message was to His Son but for the people. Jesus said, “This voice came not because ofme, but for your sakes” (John12:30) as He spoke of His imminent death on the cross. When God spoke from heaven, the message was to assure and encourage His own dear ones: John, the disciples, and Jesus Himself. But it has also become an exhortation to all people for all time. Jesus Christ is God’s Son, and God is glorified in Him. Hear Him!HMM ---------------------------- ByMan Came Death �For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, evenso in Christ shall all be made alive.� (1Corinthians 15:21-22) These verses, coupled with others throughout the Old and New Testaments, teach a very important principle not fully appreciated by those Christians who would hold that man evolved from lower animals or even that his tenure on Earth was preceded by millionsof years. For if the earth is old, then death is part of the natural order of things, and billions upon billions of organisms have lived and died, struggling for existence, surviving only if they were �fit.� Taken at face value, however, the Bible indicates a far different scenario. Evidently, at the beginning, all living creatures (i.e., conscious life as opposed to plants and non-conscious �animals�) were created to live forever. There was no death, for all weredesigned to be vegetarian (Genesis1:30). God had warned them of disobedience to His one command: �For in the day that thou eatest thereof [i.e., of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] thou shalt surely die� (or more literally, �dying thou shalt die�) (Genesis2:17). All of creation was placed under the curse of death at that time, the animals (3:14), the plants (v. 18), the ground (v. 17), and mankind (vv. 15-17, 19); all would be dying. Sadly, as we know all too well, this situation continues today (see Romans 8:22). But if death is a part of the created order, what can our text mean? Furthermore, if death was not specified as the penalty for sin, what does the death of Christ mean? Belief in the concept of the old earth destroys vital doctrines, including our redemptionthrough Christ�s death. Thankfully, the reign of death and the curse will end one day (Revelation21:4; 22:3) as God restores the creation to its intended state. JDM ----------------------- BlindHearts �Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is inthem, because of the blindness of their heart.� (Ephesians4:18) It is a tragedy for a person to have blinded eyes but infinitely worse to have a blinded heart. No one ever willfully chooses to be sightless, but spiritual blindness is a product of the human will. After Christ had given sight to the man born blind, the Pharisees still refused to believe, so Jesus said to them, �For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind....If ye were blind, yeshould have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth� (John9:39, 41). Like these ancient intellectuals, it often seems that modern intellectuals are incurably blind. They profess to teach science and philosophy of the highest complexity, but their understanding is darkened, and their hearts are blinded when it comes to the savinggospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul says: �If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shineunto them� (2Corinthians 4:3-4). Even very religious people, people who believe in God as Creator, may blind themselves when confronted with the truth that the Creator must also become their Savior. �But their minds were blinded...even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon theirheart� (2Corinthians 3:14-15). Nevertheless, Christ came as �the light,� and when anyone will simply in faith �turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away� (2Corinthians 3:16), and the gospel will �shine unto them� (2Corinthians 4:4). HMM ------------- NeverLike This �And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never soseen in Israel.� (Matthew9:33) In His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus was fully human (except that He did no sin). He probably looked and acted very �average,� yet He continually performed works of healing and other miracles that were utterly different from those magical deeds attributedto the many conjurers of the day. When the man �sick of the palsy� was instantaneously and completely cured, he �went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion� (Mark2:12). It was no wonder that Nicodemus, Israel�s greatest teacher at the time, acknowledged to Jesus that �no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him� (John3:2). It was the same with His teachings. When officers were sent to arrest Him because of these teachings, they came back empty-handed, reporting simply that �never man spake like this man� (John7:46). His words and deeds were uniquely from God, and those who saw and heard Him should have known this. It was appropriate that when the time came for Him to fulfill Zechariah�s prophecy concerning the coming of Israel�s King, entering Jerusalem on a donkey, Hehad to �find a colt tied, whereon never man sat� (Mark11:2) to serve as His kingly chariot. Others before Him had come into the city on donkeys but never like this, on an unbroken colt. And when He died, He had to be buried in �a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid� (John19:41). His birth was different, as were His life and death and burial, from those of other men, and �there is none other name...whereby we must be saved� (Acts4:12). HMM ---------------- ThatWhich Endures Forever �But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.� (Psalm9:7) This world will eventually pass away. The law of entropy assures us, in fact, that everything decays and dies. Atheistic scientists have even calculated that the very protons of which matter is composed will eventually disintegrate. And the Bible itself alsotells us that the present earth and heaven �shall wax old as doth a garment� and �shall perish� (Hebrews1:11). But God Himself is eternal! As our text confirms (and many other texts agree), �the LORD shall endure for ever.� And that is not all! His glory will remain! �The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works� (Psalm104:31). And His great name will never change. �His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him� (Psalm72:17). That also means that His righteousness will never change. �His righteousness endureth for ever� (Psalm112:3). Then also �his mercy endureth for ever.� All 26 verses of Psalm 136 end with this wonderful assurance, and the same promise occurs 16 other times as well. If God�s perfect righteousness will last forever, then His great mercy must also endure forever, and weshall continue to thank Him for His everlasting mercy in all the ages to come. Next, God�s Word will endure. �For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven� (Psalm119:89). �But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you� (1Peter 1:25). Finally, because God is forever, we also shall live forever. �His seed shall endure for ever� (Psalm89:36). �The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever� (1John 2:17). HMM ------------------- Why Tests of Faith are Important By Liz Lampkin "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1 Faith in God is something all believers have. When we ask for anythingthrough Christ Jesus, it is our faith that drives the assurance that we will receive it. However, faith is not only the confidence that we will receive what we ask according to God�s divine will for our lives. It is also having confidence that God will provideall that we need and trusting Him no matter what the situation looks like. Imagine praying for a son and watching him grow. As you watch him grow, so does your love for him. Then you�re told to sacrifice Him. This was one of Abraham's tests of faith. God commandedAbraham to take Isaac to Mount Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice. Without question, Abraham gathered his things, two men, his son, and wood for a burnt offering, and went to where God told him to go. As they traveled, on the third day, Abraham saw MountMoriah from afar. He instructed the young men traveling with them to stay where they were, and he and Isaac would continue towards the mountain to worship. When they were done worshipping, they would return to this place. Then, Abraham gathered the wood, fire, and a knife, and he and Isaac went towards the mountain. As they went forth, Isaac saw that there was no lamb for sacrificing. He says to Abraham that he sees the fire and wood, and then he asks where the lamb is. Withouthesitation, Abraham told Isaac that God would provide a lamb for a burnt offering. As they arrived to the place where God instructed them to go, Abraham built an altar, laid the wood in order, bound his son, and placed him on the wood. He then took the knifein his hand and prepared to sacrifice his son, but not before an angel of the Lord called out to him, commanding him not to lay a hand on Isaac. The angel knew that Abraham feared and trusted in God because of his willingness to sacrifice his son without question.When the angel said this to Abraham, he looked behind him and saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He then took the ram and offered him up as a burnt offering instead of his beloved son. Abraham's faith was tested by God to see how much he trusted Him. Not only this but his obedience was tested. He didn�t question God, He didn�t try to reason with God or compromise His instructions. He simply went forth, in faith and obedience, knowing thatthe outcome would be what God wanted and it would work out for his good. Intersecting Faith and Life: God refines us by putting tests of faith before us for His glory. Has your faith ever been tested? Have you ever wondered why? Tests of faith come to develop our character. They drive you to a better commitment and a different level of obedience to God. Theydrive you to pray differently, fervently. They build your trust in Him. They drive you to delve into His Word for a deeper understanding of who He is and who He is to you. They help you understand where you are with your relationship with God and how to develop a more profound one with Him. The journey through tests of faithis not an easy one. Let�s be honest, many of us are not as strong in our faith as Abraham was. However, God is aware of our strengths and weaknesses along this course. That�s why he gives us tests of faith so we can become stronger in our faith in Him. Ifyou�re struggling with a test of faith or even in your faith in God, pray and ask Him to help you along the way. Ask Him what He wants you to do when each test comes about. Ask Him how He wants you to respond and, most importantly what He wants you to learnabout Him during this time. Tests of faith are necessary for our growth. Without them, we would always remain babes in Christ. ------------------------- Lifein Christ �In him was life; and the life was the light of men.� (John1:4) A host of biochemists and other scientists have tried for over a century to determine how life evolved from non-life. Such a quest is absurdly impossible, for the simplest imaginary self-replicating system would be infinitely more complex than the most elaboratemachine ever designed by man. Life can come only from life. The first human life, indeed the first living system of any kind, could only have come by special creation from the living God. �For I am fearfully and wonderfully made� (Psalm139:14). Thus, �in him we live, and move, and have our being,� and He is �not far from every one of us� (Acts17:28, 27). The Lord Jesus Christ is the one �by whom also he made the worlds� and who now is �upholding all things by the word of his power� (Hebrews1:2-3). The beating of our hearts, the breathing of our lungs, the very atoms of our bodies are continually sustained by Him. Were He to withdraw His power for a moment, life would cease, and all light would become darkness. Even those who reject Him andblaspheme His name owe their very existence to His power and grace. �As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself� (John5:26). Life is �in him�; He alone can conquer death and raise the dead. �As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will� (v. 21), for as �the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was madea quickening spirit� (1Corinthians 15:45). Thus, �he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life� (1John 5:12). Through faith in His sacrificial death and resurrection life, �ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.� Henceforth is Christ Himself �our life� (Colossians3:3-4). HMM --------------------- Your Kingdom Come By Emma Danzey Matthew 6:10 says, �Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.� Your Kingdom Come This verse is part of the Lord�s Prayer when Jesus was modeling how to pray to the Father in front of the disciples. Shortly after acknowledging God as holy, Jesus makes this bold statement. Your kingdom come. It might sound strange for God the Son to be saying to God the Father that His kingdom should come. Isn�t Jesus� kingdom God�s kingdom? The purpose of this statement was that Jesus was choosing to submit to the Father�s will. UltimatelyJesus came to earth to die on the cross to glorify God and bring salvation to humanity. Jesus was fully God and fully man. So in fulfilling His roles perfectly, He was perfectly powerful and never sinned, yet He lived a perfect life and submitted to the Lord in the ways in which we could not. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, �For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.� Colossians 2:9 says, �For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.� Your kingdom come is a prayer for the Lord to move and work and make a way for people to get to Him. Jesus is literally the answer to His prayer. He was going to die and be raised so that people can join the kingdom of heaven. God wishes that noneperish, but all would come to repentance. Your Will Be Done Jesus set the example to pray for the will of God. We may not always understand His will or choose it, but we can lean into prayer and ask Him to reveal His plans to us and read His Bible, which tells us His plans for our lives. Romans 12:2 says, �Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discernwhat is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.� Of course, Jesus already knew God�s will because He is God, but He showed us in His perfect humanity how to ask for the Lord�s plans to take place and to rely on Him in His sovereignty as Lord. On Earth as it Is in Heaven As believers, we know that Heaven is a place of perfection. We know that earth is broken and sinful. Jesus prayed the desire to see the glory and beauty of God the Father on this earth. Soon after His ascension, we read about the Holy Spirit entering the livesof believers in Christ. Still to this day, when someone places faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit immediately enters that person�s heart and seals him or her for eternity. (Ephesians1:13) People everywhere now have the ability to live by the Spirit and not their flesh. Where before, the Holy Spirit would only rest temporarily, now after Jesus, believers have permanent full-time access. This means that people around the world are living by the fruit of the Spirit. They are able to choose to live like Jesus by the Spirit�shelp and to reveal to this dark world of the glorious light that is Christ. Jesus was in Heaven, came down to earth, and then ascend into Heaven. He was the frontrunner for Heaven coming down to a sinful world. He then sent His Spirit as a gift to continuespreading the good news of the gospel. We can celebrate this blessing today because of His sacrifice and perfect plan. Intersecting Faith and Life: How are you asking God to move in your life and in the lives of others around you? Spend some time praying and reading the Bible as you ponder what God�s will is in your specific circumstances. How can you thank the Holy Spirit for being present in your lifetoday? Ask Him to help you to live by His power and be aware of how He wants to move in and through your life to share the gospel with others. Further Reading: •John 10:30 •John 14:6 •2 Peter 3:9 ------------------- Thesinner�s prayer is a prayer a person prays to God when they understand that they are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Saying a sinner�s prayer will not accomplish anything on its own. A true sinner�s prayer only represents what a person knows, understands,and believes about their sinfulness and need for salvation. The first aspect of a sinner�s prayer is understanding that we are all sinners. Romans3:10 proclaims, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." The Bible makes it clear that we have all sinned. We are all sinners in need of mercy and forgiveness from God (Titus3:5-7). Because of our sin, we deserve eternal punishment (Matthew25:46). The sinner�s prayer is a plea for grace instead of judgment. It is a request for mercy instead of wrath. The second aspect of a sinner�s prayer is knowing what God has done to remedy our lost and sinful condition. God took on flesh and became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John1:1,14).Jesus taught us the truth about God and lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life (John8:46; 2Corinthians 5:21). Jesus then died on the cross in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve (Romans5:8). Jesus rose from the dead to prove His victory over sin, death, and hell (Colossians2:15; 1 Corinthians chapter 15). Because of all of this, we can have our sins forgiven and be promised an eternal home in Heaven - if we will just place our faith in Jesus Christ. All we have to do is believe that He died in our place and rose from thedead (Romans10:9-10). We can be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. Ephesians2:8 declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Saying the sinner�s prayer is simply a way of declaring to God that you are relying on Jesus Christ as your Savior. There are no "magical" words that result in salvation. It is only faith in Jesus� death and resurrection that can save us. If you understandthat you are a sinner and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ, here is a sinner�s prayer you can pray to God: "God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believethat His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen!" Didyou pray the sinner�s prayer and truly understand and believe what it teaches? If so, please click on the �I have accepted Christ today� button below. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- Question: Am I really saved if I continue to sin? If I am a Christian and I continue in a habitual sin, will I still go to be with God when I die? To answer the question of whether you are truly saved if you continue to sin, first establish that you are indeed saved. Saying the sinner�s prayer does not necessarily save a person. So let�s see what will saveyou. What is salvation? If we do not have a scriptural understanding of salvation, how can we know whether we truly have it? Salvation is simply the deliverance from sin through faith in Jesus Christ. A person is truly saved when He accepts that he is a sinner, repents for his sins,and by faith, accepts the free gift of salvation made possible by Jesus� sacrifice on the cross as revealed in the Bible. Simply giving your �heart� to Jesus in an emotional high, or merely �sincerely� meaning it when you recite a prayer for salvation is the false doctrine of easy-believism and will have absolutely no effect if you do not believe the Gospel as revealed in the Bible. Referto the Gospel for more details. The Bible is clear that only God can know for sure whether a person is saved or not � because only God can search the hearts of men (Jeremiah 17:10, Romans 8:27). However, the Bible also teaches that there will be spiritual evidence of a person who is saved.This is because we had a dead spirit when we were lost in our sins, but when we believe, God quickens us and the Holy Spirit then dwells in us. So examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5) and see whether you find thechanges the Bible says will follow in a person who has been saved. Sin in a believer�s life The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This is why all of us need the only Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. However we do not stop sinning automatically when we get saved (1 John 2:1). As the apostle Paul wrote,we continue to live in a fallen world and we indwell a fallen mortal body afflicted by sin and corruption. There is a constant battle raging within the believer � a war between sin and the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:17). Paul refers to the sinful fleshly natureas the old man who is crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6) when we believe and are bornagain. However even though we are no longer under the influence of sin, we still have to contend with it. This is the race the God asks us to run faithfully, to not walk in the flesh but in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 9:24). So when we sin, it does not meanthat we are not saved � it is only the reality of a regenerated spirit having to deal with the body of sin. What about habitual sins such as adultery or addictions? The important principle to understand is that a believer will not be happy or content to continue sinning. Rather he or she will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who convicts them of their sin and willearnestly desire freedom and liberation from that particular sin. The Bible does not require that we not sin in order to �maintain� our salvation � this is the false doctrine of works where salvation is merited by a person�s good works and therefore demandscontinuation in a sinless state. Salvation is a free gift that is not earned but given by the grace of God and received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). If we did not earn it, we cannot lose it by something we do or did not do. We cannot lose our salvation � oursalvation is eternally secure (this is the doctrine of eternal security). If a person does not come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and does not desire to stop sinning, the presence of the Holy Spirit is missing and such a person isnot saved. Now we must mention the false doctrine of lordship salvation taught by those like John MacArthur, whereby a person is said to not have saving faith if there is no willingness to acknowledge Christ�s authority (or lordship) over his life. What does this meansimply? Reading the many confusing statements MacArthur has made on the topic, we understand that he says a person is not saved simply by repenting and believing in Jesus, but only when he commits to stop sinning (which may be at a later point in life). Thedestructive effect of this false teaching is that it causes true born-again believers struggling with habitual sins to doubt their salvation. According to Lordship salvation, a professing believer who has not yet given up a habitual sin does not have savingfaith (or in other words there is no such thing as a carnal Christian). The main issue is that in this teaching, the emphasis is on man�s actions rather than what Christ has done. So while its advocates are at pains to say that this is not a doctrine of worksin disguise, a plain and consistent reading of the doctrine as taught by its proponents causes one to arrive at this conclusion. Secondly, it supposes that men can truly judge the state of a person�s salvation merely by the evidence in their lives. While inmost cases it is possible to get a fair idea of a person�s salvation by his actions / fruits, this is by no means definitive unless the person denies Jesus. Only God knows whether a person is saved or not, to claim that we can say for sure whether a personis saved or not is overstepping the bounds of the Bible and equating ourselves with God. Conclusion If you have examined yourself and are sure that you are saved and yet cannot overcome some particular sins, it doesn�t mean that you are not saved. You should ask God to help you to be free from it. We cannot overcome sin through our own efforts. It is onlyby depending daily on the power of God that we can overcome sin. You may also approach your Pastor and, if necessary, under His guidance seek good Christian counseling. There are lots of good Christian counselors available who specialise in areas such as familyrelationships, Biblical personal finance management, running a business, addictions, etc. You can also seek the help of your spiritual friends, have a strong Christian to whom you could be accountable to, and who would pray for your situation to help you toachieve victory over a sin in your life. Even the fact that you realise that you have a problem with some sin in your life is already a step forward. We pray that you experience the full freedom and restoration that Christ has lovingly purchased for you throughHis death and resurrection.