The subject assurance of salvation explains explicitly the goodness and kindness of God in all its riches.
What the world need to solve it’s current problems, is a revelation of who God is. He’s the answer to the question of humanity. This is why knowing God is very vital.
In our days, God has been slandered, that is, some people feel God is too demanding, not knowing that God has no standard required from us anymore. We cannot meet God’s standard and so God sent our Lord Jesus to meet the standard on our behalf.
People don’t know how good God is and this is because of the religious misuse of the law( both the old testament system and writings) in the body of Christ.
In dealing with this, we must talk about the law and grace. From the old testament, people described God in a way that makes people develop phobia for Him. People see God as too big to be approached, his voice is as thunder, an always angry and swift to judge God and the likes. All of these damages God’s image in the minds of people. The sinner hears this and becomes afraid and those who are in church feel burdened.
Read John 1:17-18
17. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (Kjv).
From the above text, we see that God can ONLY be perfectly known through Jesus Christ. We use the incomplete revelations of the old testament to explain who God is and we go ahead to look for God from those who have not seen him, ignoring the Christ. How will you know God in such way?
Only Jesus has seen God and the only way to know who God really is, is to know Jesus. Whatever Jesus can do, God can do and whatever God can do, Jesus can do because Jesus is the perfect image of God.
Read Heb 1:3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: (kjv)
If Jesus is the perfect expression of God, if He perfectly mirrors God, it is then wrong to seek to know God from Moses or anyone else. In Moses’ case, it was an angel that came to him. When a messenger is sent, he comes in the name of the one who sends him.
If Jesus does not destroy people that means God does not destroy people.
Jesus is the invisible God made visible. He demystifies God. God was never seen not by man or angels but because of his intense love for me, he came as a man in Christ.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
(Colossians 1:15)
1 john 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (kjv)
Jesus who is God made manifest only expressed God’s grace and love, not to put more burdens of the law on people. He was even accused of breaking the law but he was the only one that has ever truly fulfilled the law. Instead of an eye for an eye, he gave forgiveness for our sins.
In the case of the woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus showed clearly where God’s heart is in
John 8:7… So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her (Kjv).
All who were with sin left and Jesus who was without sin was left alone.
8-11
8. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (kjv).
Jesus is both the judge and justifier. He is love. Do you see God’s love displayed in this passage? If Jesus did not condemn her, God does not condemn her either because what Jesus sees the father do, he does.
The law said: don’t fellowship with sinners or you will be unclean and will have to go for cleansing but Jesus actually fellowshiped with them. This is what the legalist will not do. Zacheus was one of those who the world saw as a publican (sinner) but Jesus ate with him.
Read Matt 9:11. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? (Kjv)
If you were zacheus how would you feel haven received so great a love? Of course you will give love in return. If Jesus accepted him, it means God accepted him. Jesus touched the untouchable.
Read Matt 8:1-3. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
2. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
3. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (kjv).
Jesus could have just prayed for him but he identified with him. This is who God is.
Jesus loves the unlovable.
Read Luke 8:2….. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, (kjv).
He did not run from them, he cured them because he loved them.
This is who God is as seen true the Lord Jesus Christ- God who is love, full of grace.
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION (2)
A wrong understanding of the purpose of the old testament writings and system brings problem. It was same old testament writings that Timothy knew and was wise unto salvation.
2Timothy3:15
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
The problem is because most people think the law was given inorder for us to observe so as to be in a relationship with God. They see the law as God’s standard if they must relate with him. They feel if you don’t do your part God will not do his part. They feel there are things you need to do to enter God’s kingdom.
The law has its purpose, it was never intended to bring us into relationship with God or give us life. If it could, Christ wouldn’t have come. The purpose of the law was to make us see how unholy we were and as a result quit trying to earn salvation by our performance(self righteousness) but on the contrary just recieve the righteousness of God which come by faith of Christ.
Read Rom 10:3
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God (kjv).
Trying to be righteous by your own efforts is rejecting God’s gift. The legalist feel they can please God by observing the law and this can never be true.
Read 1 Cor 15:56
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law (kjv).
The strength of sin is the law for it reveals our sins making us all the more conscious of sin, and the more we are conscious of sin, the more actually sin. Whenever the law is preached, sin increases and you cannot repent and turn from your wicked ways because all further admonitions in the law gives empowerment to sin. The preaching of the law makes people worse, it shows them that they cannot meet God’s standard.
Read 2 Cor 3:7&9
7. But if the MINISTRATION OF DEATH, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
9. For if the MINISTRATION OF CONDEMNATION be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory (kjv).
(Emphasis mine)
Nobody can keep the law, it is the ministration of death and condemnation.
Does this mean the law is evil?
The apostle Paul explains this for us.
The problem was not with the law but with mankind and the law could not rectify it, rather it exposed the death that was already at work in us.
Read Rom 7:13-24
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23. 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.
24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
This is the condition of many serving the law of sin.
Anytime the law is preached as the requirement to obtaining life from God or as a means of pleasing God, then death and condemnation is being ministered.
Depending on the law can never put you right with God because you cannot keep the law. Even those who preach it are hypocritical about it and vulnerable to it.
Romans 3:19-20
19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.
Again Galatians 2:16
KJV:Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED.
(Emphasis Mine)
And again
Galatians 3:21-22
21. Is 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.
22, BUT THE SCRIPTURE HATH CONCLUDED ALL UNDER SIN, THAT THE PROMISE BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST MIGHT BE GIVEN TO THEM THAT BELIEVE.
Jesus is the only help we have and as such let’s preach him, the world needs him; He is the only one who can and has kept the law. And by His obedience we are saved.
So we don’t look at our obedience or righteousness to get saved but Christ’s obedience and righteousness.
Romans5:18
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Titus3:4-5
4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5. 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;
Understanding the righteousness of Christ assures our heart concerning our salvation and not the codes and conducts of the law.
Beloved, take your eyes off performance, stop being self absorbed and fix your eyes on the performance of Christ and be Christ absorbed. Stop being sin conscious, it would only lead to more ungodliness. Rather be Christ conscious which will lead to true holiness by God’s Spirit.
2Corinthians3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
WHY DID GOD GIVE THE LAW WHICH HAD NEGATIVE EFFECT
THIS IS IT: We have already been bitten with sin and did not know it. The purpose of the law was to make men realize that they have been bitten by sin and give up on themselves. This singular act is what leads to repentance. The law reveals Gods standard of holines. When we realize we cannot match up @ this point we surrender to JESUS.
Read Gal 3:23…….. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed (kjv).
Interpreting the law by pointing to Jesus is acceptable; showing people that their efforts cannot save them.
Read 1Tim 1:8…. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;(kjv).
When this is properly applied, it makes men give up on themselves and rely on Jesus.
So many have been fed with the idea that their performances attracts God’s blessings. This is a misuse of the law, it was like that in the old testament but you can never be careful to do all that is written. It kills faith in what Christ has done.
It will interest you to know that before the law, God actually dealt with mankind in Grace.
Read Genesis 4:9…… And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?(kjv).
His response could have brought death, if it was the old testament.
Vs. 14…. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me (kjv).
It was God’s intervention but the blood of Abel cryingout for vengeance.
Vs 15…… And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him (kjv)
A mark of protection was placed on a murderer? How!
Read Lev 24:17…… And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death (kjv).
This is what should have happened to Cain but instead of death he got protection. Thus is obviously the grace of God.
About Abraham and Sarah.
Read Lev 18:9…. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover (kjv)..
Having sexual intercouse with your sister was punishable by death but grace covered them. There was nothing like sin b4 the law.
Jacob married Rachel and Leah who were sisters. The law condemns it.
Read Lev 18:18….. Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time (kjv).
Instead of punishment, Jacob was blessed by God… This was the life before the law. God was not @ this time inputing mans sins against him.
Read Rom 5:13…… (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law (kjv).
Sin was not charged to mans account. Jesus’ death was not only to forgive sins but to bring us into Gods family.
God is never against anybody but he’s faithful to judge sin which he has pudged in Christ. The judgment that comes in people is a result of their rejection.
Read Rom 4:15……. Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression (kjv).
The law releases God’s wrath.
A display about sin releases Gods wrath on sin.
The law gave a perfect standard, took away self dependence, making them depend on God.
Read Rom 6:14…… For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace (kjv).
Grace strengthen righteous living.
The punishment for sin has been paid for. All the sinner needs to do is out faith in the finished work of Christ. That’s why its important that what the make it clear that what saves is the gospel.
Read John 12:32…. :And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (kjv).
No more wrath to you who put faith in Christ.
Read Isaiah 54:9….. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee (kjv).
God is not longer angry with……….. Because we have been pudged in Christ
Read 1 john 4:17….. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world (kjv).
Now!
JESUS + ANYTHING =NOTHING
JESUS =EVERYTHING