What are you saved from?

If you were to ask a person if they are saved, you might get all types of responses.  Some may say, “Yes, I’ve been baptized,” “I’m a good person,” or “I go to church.”  These are typical responses but none of them are in itself proof you are saved.  They may be fruit of salvation, but fruit without the root will only die.  We need to get right to the root of this thing we call salvation.  It’s amazing that so many people think they are saved, but probably don’t even know what salvation is.

In this short tract, we will explain three areas that salvation deals with.  All of these relate to what Christ did on the cross and what God applying that to our lives does.  There are definitely other areas, but these are three that cover much needed ground.  Notice that all of them deal with sin, which is the reason Christ had to die upon the cross. 

Penalty of Sin

Out of the three we will mention, this one is spoken of the most.  Most people know that they can have their sins forgiven if they believe in Christ.  Sadly, many have exalted this truth above other truth and end up with error.  Christ did on the cross what was necessary for God to be able to forgive us.  Pardon is release from the penalty of sin, which is death. (Romans 6:23)  When God forgives a person, they are alleviated from the pains of spiritual death and the life of God is imparted to them.  Having forgiveness of sins is a source of joy that bubbles from each person who knows the reality of it.  One thing that must be understood is that being saved from the penalty of past sins should produce a gratitude that brings honor, love, respect, and obedience to God.  Knowing what it is to be saved from the penalty of sin should never bring about lasciviousness. 

Power of Sin

The second thing that we will mention is that salvation brings deliverance from the power of sin.  Romans 6 teaches us that those who have real salvation have power over sin.  This chapter teaches that sin no longer reigns or has dominion over a Christian.  No more than Americans have to obey foreign rulers do Christians have to sin.  Because God has adopted Christians into his family, no outside family or kingdom ever has power over them.  The only exception would be when a Christian willingly decides to submit to that other power.  If Christ is your King, no other kingdom has to have control over you. 

Practice of Sin

The third point flows along nicely with the second one.  If we now have power over sin, that means we do not have to practice sin.  Some say that we have to sin or that we sin all the time.  This is impossible if sin doesn’t have power over us as Romans 6 teaches.  It’s just like saying we must obey the Chinese government everyday.  If someone told you that, you would think they have lost their mind because China’s government doesn’t control us.  It’s just as absurd to say that sin reigns in a Christian’s life after they have been born again.  The Bible actually says something shocking in 1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”  This verse makes a direct link between the practice of sin and Christ coming to the world.  If you have been regenerated, it’s as if God’s gene has been placed within you where you now follow in God’s character.  The thought that Christ came to destroy the works of the devil that we might not live in sin, should bring joy rather than anger if we love God and hate sin!

These are three main areas that if a person is saved, they should know and understand very well.  Our hope is that you read this tract and thoughtfully examine yourself to see if you know these three areas, not just through mental comprehension, but through experience.

The Pharisee Song

Camouflaged Rebellion

The grace described above is not the grace that brings salvation, but a sham and a counterfeit.  This counterfeit grace goes right along with counterfeit preachers preaching counterfeit messages to counterfeit converts in counterfeit churches.  Simply put, there is neither life nor reality with this grace.  The Bible boldly proclaims that there are some who have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness.  They have changed one of the most holy and precious concepts of the Bible into a tool of deception.  One would almost wonder how such a thing is possible but concerning the wicked changing the glories of God into what they want, “now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” (Gen 11:6)  Let all of those who have received the true grace of God be reminded that the Lord will come down at an appointed time to confound those who obey not the Gospel nor know God. 

So, what is “true grace?”  There are many aspects of grace, so many that this small space won’t be able to contain them all.  Since that is the case, I will limit the scope to dealing with regeneration.  Regeneration is the change in which God works in a person to such a degree that the dynamic of it is equal to the physical birth of a child.

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

(Titus 2:11-14)

This grace that brings a person to salvation from sin (Matt 1:21) is a teacher.  The glory of the new covenant is that God puts inside of a man the very spirit of truth.  It teaches us to deny certain things.  Very few love God enough to actually obey what He has revealed.  The world system is corrupt and lays in total wickedness.  Ungodliness should be the very thing a Christian abhors since it is not of God.  Think about it, if you are born of God how can you say you love that which hates your origin?  How difficult it is to be friends of someone who absolutely hates and stands against your birth place and your parents.  Would they be your best friend?  It would be hard to find common ground with them.  They love the very thing you hate and despise what you honor.  Surely, if you love what God hates you are an enemy of God.

Another thing this grace does is give us an urgency and expectancy to see Him glorified.  This grace teaches us to wait for that glorious appearing.  The Christian waits to see the glory of God and does what he can to magnify it so others can see.  One who has a reality of God’s great majesty just isn’t interested in anything that would distract him from God.  The total thrust of his being is to glorify who he longs to commune with.  This type of mindset is so far removed from those who boast of a false grace.  Those who are under false grace aren’t looking to glorify God, but rather glorify self by seeing how they could deceive God so they could stay in their sin.  God isn’t a fool and he won’t be mocked.  You will sow what you reap.  I’m talking about sin and death, obedience and life, not your tithe-check.  Keep your money! God doesn’t want it unless he has your total love and devotion. 

The third thing is that it brings complete salvation.  As the scripture says, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”  It doesn’t say he gave himself to merely save you from hell- no he came to save you from sin itself.  He came to draw you out of sin that you might have true life.  If you were in a burning building, I wouldn’t just give you a flame retardant suit and tell you to just wait until you die, then hopefully it will be better.  No, I would deliver you out of the fire that you might have freedom in this life and the life to come.  That is biblical salvation.  He delivers you from sin and bondage that you may serve him.  “Let them go that they may serve me!” is the cry of God to the bound.  His desire is to set people free from sin into the reality of freedom..  Jesus calls men from the dead, but he doesn’t leave them bound in grave clothes.  With Lazarus he demanded that he be loosed from what bound him, so it is with you. 

  In summary, grace isn’t merely something that blinds God’s eye to your rebellion or lusts.  It changes actions and desires.  How foolish it is to think we have camouflage so that God won’t see us, when in reality “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrew 4:13)

Resolutions or Regeneration?

Now that we are a few weeks into the New Year, I would guess most of the New Year’s resolutions have now faded away.  It’s somewhat funny how that happens.  People indulge for months and then when it comes to be January 1^st they resolute to do something different for the next year.  After some hours, weeks, or maybe even months the resolutions fade into the distance while the same old habits seem sitting in the present right beside us.  There are a few things we can see about this.  1) We don’t mind promising to do things without counting the cost of it.  2) We have little self discipline.  3) Its more convenient to stay the same even when we know the final outcome is harmful.

In Luke 14:28-32, Jesus gives a few examples about what it is to be a disciple.  The first example is about a man who decided to build a tower.  Jesus asks them a rhetorical question to the effect of, “Who would begin to build a tower and neglect to first count the cost?  Perhaps after he starts it, he will not be able to finish so in turn others are going to mock him.”   Wouldn’t it be embarrassing for everyone to know you had this great building project and you get a fourth of the way completed and you run out of money?  I’ve seen houses like that.  Every time you drive by you think, “I wonder if they will ever finish that house.”  The point of what Jesus is saying is that a wise person would sit down and see what the cost is before he starts building.  So, before a person becomes a disciple he or she needs to consider the cost. 

The second example Jesus uses in this passage is about a king going to war.  The principle is the same, but the example is a little different.  In this example, Jesus basically asks, “What king going to war doesn’t evaluate his enemy to know how many soldiers he needs to fight against them?  Or doesn’t consider if it’s wiser to just send representatives to try to have peace?”  A wise king will examine a situation before he starts sending soldiers into battle.  He will want to know how many he should send or if he should just try to make a pact of peace with the enemy.  Again, the point is that when we plan on entering into something we should be counting the cost and the effects of the outcome.  Becoming a disciple is no different.  We should be considering the cost of following Christ and how our going half way will bring mocking upon us and those in anyway related.  You don’t think this will happen?  Just think about one of the well known preachers who have fell into open sin. 

Self discipline is quite a thing to consider.  It’s not hard to be disciplined when someone else is following your every footstep and punishing you every time you get out of line.  You know that if you do something wrong the other person will bring the fitted punishment and there won’t be any escape.  Why?  Because you can’t stop the punishment just by allowing a thought to float across your mind.  When it comes to self discipline, if you don’t want the punishment all you need to do is not inflict it.  You’re the judge, jury, and defendant.  Some have said that power corrupts.  Well, this isn’t entirely true.  Sin corrupts, but when you have power you can neglect to inflict upon yourself the punishment for your sin. 

Our life is... well... our’s. It’s funny how people speak against government officials.  They either say or insinuate things like “they have been put into power and yet neglect to consider how it affects everyone else when they make a decision.   What an abuse of power!  They just do whatever they what to benefit themselves!”  Are you any different than that a corrupt politician?  You have been put in charge of your life.  Are you going around making decisions without considering what the out come will be?  Just because you have power not to inflict punishment upon yourself doesn’t mean there isn’t a courtroom much more supreme than yours.  Christians need to learn to deny themselves and not corrupt the power God has given to them. 

The final thing to consider is that it’s easier to stay the same rather than change.  Anyone who has made a resolution to change some eating habit for the next year knows this.  We get in routines and can do things nearly mindlessly.  We can get out of bed still half asleep and some how make it through the morning completely dressed and ready- and afterwards barely remembering it.  That is the power of routine.  Depending on what it is, the routine can be either a good thing or a bad thing.  When it comes to conversion, not only do mere routines have to change but an entire lifestyle. Why would a man continue on to destruction knowing the outcome?  Simple.  It’s easier.

When it comes to the Christian life, a resolution just isn’t enough.  There must be regeneration.  Mere decisions or ought-to’s aren’t enough. There must be a new gene (hence regeneration) placed within us and then a life patterned after that family lineage.  If we are born again, we are in the family of God.   Resolutions can easily come and go but for a person to really “turn a new leaf” he needs to be made new, that is, regenerated.  Do you merely make resolutions that die after a few moments or has God given you something lasting like regeneration?

Currently A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish By John Butt, Carmen Benjamin see related

Spiritual Obesity

As almost everyone knows, obesity is very common in the United States.  There are quite a few people who are well over their suggested weight.  Another thing we all know is that the suggested weight is usually something unobtainable or if it is obtained the person nearly looks malnourished.  The weight just seems like something that some idealist came up with and no one either could get to that weight or would even want to.  Thankfully, spiritual matters aren’t quite the same.

Whether everyone knows it or not, spiritual obesity runs ramped in the United States.  The “suggested weight” that God has in mind is perfectly obtainable and good.  Many people sit and listen to sermons or read books that “build them up” yet all they get is fattened up.  When a person continues to eat and eat but then never exercises they will gain unneeded weight.  The problem in America isn’t a lack of Christians “eating” but them choosing to eat the wrong things and not exercising. 

Every Bible student should know that in the latter times there will be much deception.  Many of the epistles talk about it.  You can find information in the letters to Timothy, to the Thessalonians, and in Jesus’ own words in the Gospels.  Paul tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 4 that men will be seduced and give heed to wicked doctrines. Not only will they believe them, but they will teach them to others.  In a time of deception and crooked televangelists, we need to examine everything we hear in light of God’s word. 

It’s not spiritual junk food that we need.  Many would rather just listen to something that tastes good to the spiritual mouth but has no real nutrition.  It’s really easy to listen to sermons about how good you are and how much God loves you.  It’s a whole other ballgame to endure sound doctrine and see the true requirements of God.  Eating can be very pleasurable, but the primary reason to eat is not pleasure but to benefit the body by giving it nutrients.  When a person sees eating as primarily an act of pleasure they will eat the wrong things and end up putting on unneeded weight.  The same is true with hearing preaching.  The primary reason to hear preaching is not for entertainment but edification.  With any edifice you build, there is going to be building up and tearing down.  Some things need to be thrown out of the way while others need to be built upon.  Many people have things God would like to tear down in their lives.

Even if you always ate foods that were good for you, that in itself doesn’t cause spiritual fitness.  There is another thing that is truly vital.  And that other thing is exercise.  I may not like it either but the fact is that even if I only eat grade A foods, I won’t magically morph into someone who is in top shape.  Very few American Christians know much about spiritual labor. We know some about laboring in a bad economy, but little about laboring in God’s economy.  Why are so few willing to do without the icing on the cake so that others can have meat and potatoes for dinner?  Probably because the taste of icing is more pleasurable to my tongue than having to buy meat and potatoes, and then have to deliver the food to someone in need.  It’s just too much and not convenient.  And besides, I want my cake and icing, and to eat it too!    Few people are willing to do without their extras so that others can have the real substance.  If people are found to not be partaking of that Bread from Heaven (ie Jesus) they will die of eternal malnourishment.  When is the last time you have delivered a loaf of bread to someone in need?

Even if the whole world is out of shape, that doesn’t mean you have to be.  We are able to be in spiritual shape.  There are two things that we must make sure we are doing.  The first is hearing the true word of God and not some counterfeit.  The other is using the nutrients from that word and putting it into action.  While I was in high school, a teacher told me a simple way a person could lose weight or maintain their weight.  To lose weight, burn more calories than you take in.   Then to maintain weight, burn as many calories as you take in.  And to gain weight, take in more calories than you burn.  If the word of God is similar to calories, what type of food are you taking in and how much of it are you putting into action?