From Elisabeth Elliot's 'Let Me Be A Woman'.
If you are married, marriage is the gift God has given you in which you are allowed to serve Him. Be thankful!
Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living. Accept and thank God for what is given, not allowing the not-given to spoil it.
When you make a choice, you accept the limitations of that choice... saying Yes to happiness often means saying No to yourself.
Marriage is a responsibly undertaken life-union which is lasting, complete and exclusive.
Know that your true happiness lies in the will of God.
You forsake all others.
Appreciate what you have.
Marriage is dynamic. The possibility of growing apart need not be allowed.
The vows are staggeringly serious. But you did not take them trusting in your own strength to perform. The grace that enabled you to take those vows will be there to draw on when performance seems impossible.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Can we be sure of our own salvation?
I am writing this post in response to Phil's comment
'We must never presume we are to be saved'
on my post 'Encouragement'.
I think the Bible DOES give us assurance of our salvation, if we believe in Christ and persevere until the end.
Firstly, our salvation does not depend upon our own works. Our salvation, our means of being acceptable in God's sight, comes through Christ's perfection. It means that when we choose to trust in Jesus, God sees Jesus' holiness in place of our sinfulness. God forgives us and cleanses us through Christ's blood, the unique ransom for our sins. Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8), there is never any doubt about whether His sacrifice is enough for us. The writer of Hebrews is at pains to emphasise this to his Jewish audience, who were used to making regular animal sacrifices as part of the covenant system:
'Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.' Heb 7:27
'He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.' Heb 9:12
'But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Heb 9:26
Jesus' death and resurrection were planned by God from the beginning as His means of redeeming His people. So if we ever sin and shy away from God, thinking that we have sinned too much to be forgiven, this is actually a form of pride. We need to accept that Jesus' blood is enough to pay for our sins past, present and future. This brings fantastic freedom from guilt, and this is why the gospel is 'good news'.
So becoming a Christian is all about arriving at the point where you recognise that you can't save yourself, accepting Jesus' sacrifice for you, and deciding to put your faith and trust in Him and walk His way for the rest of your days.
It is important to remember that true faith is always lived out:
'In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.'
James 2:17
Our assurance of our own salvation comes from these two things:
1. Are we trusting in Jesus' blood to cleanse us from our sin?
2. Are we living each day for Jesus, continuing in our faith?
If you can answer yes to both questions, then even if you are struggling with sin or various doubts, you are still a Christian. It is if you are living totally against God, with no repentance, that you need to be worried about your salvation.
Paul writes to the Colossians:
'Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.' Colossians 1:21-23
Note the emphasis here. God does all the saving- He reconciles you by Christ's death to make you perfect in His sight- but we must continue in faith throughout our lives. Our faith is not just a prayer of confession when we are 12 years old; it is the daily living out of the Christian life.
'We must never presume we are to be saved'
on my post 'Encouragement'.
I think the Bible DOES give us assurance of our salvation, if we believe in Christ and persevere until the end.
Firstly, our salvation does not depend upon our own works. Our salvation, our means of being acceptable in God's sight, comes through Christ's perfection. It means that when we choose to trust in Jesus, God sees Jesus' holiness in place of our sinfulness. God forgives us and cleanses us through Christ's blood, the unique ransom for our sins. Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8), there is never any doubt about whether His sacrifice is enough for us. The writer of Hebrews is at pains to emphasise this to his Jewish audience, who were used to making regular animal sacrifices as part of the covenant system:
'Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.' Heb 7:27
'He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.' Heb 9:12
'But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Heb 9:26
Jesus' death and resurrection were planned by God from the beginning as His means of redeeming His people. So if we ever sin and shy away from God, thinking that we have sinned too much to be forgiven, this is actually a form of pride. We need to accept that Jesus' blood is enough to pay for our sins past, present and future. This brings fantastic freedom from guilt, and this is why the gospel is 'good news'.
So becoming a Christian is all about arriving at the point where you recognise that you can't save yourself, accepting Jesus' sacrifice for you, and deciding to put your faith and trust in Him and walk His way for the rest of your days.
It is important to remember that true faith is always lived out:
'In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.'
James 2:17
Our assurance of our own salvation comes from these two things:
1. Are we trusting in Jesus' blood to cleanse us from our sin?
2. Are we living each day for Jesus, continuing in our faith?
If you can answer yes to both questions, then even if you are struggling with sin or various doubts, you are still a Christian. It is if you are living totally against God, with no repentance, that you need to be worried about your salvation.
Paul writes to the Colossians:
'Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.' Colossians 1:21-23
Note the emphasis here. God does all the saving- He reconciles you by Christ's death to make you perfect in His sight- but we must continue in faith throughout our lives. Our faith is not just a prayer of confession when we are 12 years old; it is the daily living out of the Christian life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
