Tag: truth

We Are Eternally Redeemed

We Are Eternally Redeemed

It’s an interesting truth to realize that we are redeemed for all eternity!  Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our own, personal Savior, He is committed to bringing us “to glory.”  Let’s review some pertinent Scriptures:

And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.  (Heb 5:9 ESV) 

Jesus became the SOURCE of eternal salvation to all who obey Him and follow Him.

For it was fitting for God [that is, an act worthy of His divine nature] that He, for whose sake are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the author and founder of their salvation perfect through suffering [bringing to maturity the human experience necessary for Him to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest].  (Heb 2:10 AMP) 

Jesus is committed to every believer, because He is perfectly equipped for His role as our High Priest.

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he went into the Most Holy Place once for all and secured our eternal redemption.  (Heb 9:12 ISV)

Jesus poured out His own, sacrificial blood upon the heavenly mercy set, in so doing has guaranteed our eternal redemption [salvation, deliverance, emancipation].

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  (Eccl 3:11 NIV, emphasis added)

God, our creator, has set eternity in the human heart.  Even in our imperfect, human condition, we have an aversion to the concept of death.  I believe this is due to the fact that we’ve been made in the image of God, who is an eternal being.  Our human hearts, whether we know it or not, resonate with the concept of living eternally.  Jesus has made that possible for us because He IS the SOURCE of our eternal salvation.  Hallelujah!

Rejoice!  Your Name is Written in Heaven

Rejoice!  Your Name is Written in Heaven

Are you aware that once a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior & Redeemer, their name is written in Heaven in the book of life?  It’s a wonderful truth that is encouraging and enlightening.

Let’s see what the Bible says on this subject:

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.  (Lk 10:20 NKJV)

Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.  (Phil 4:3 NIV)

Everyone who has power and wins will wear white clothes. I will not take his name from the book of life. I will speak of his name before My Father and His angels.  (Rev 3:5 NLV)

When your name is written in heaven in the book of life, it means that you can rest in your salvation.  It doesn’t mean that you should allow yourself to get spiritually sluggish, though.  We all need to grow and continue to mature in our spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer.  Several ways to do this are to:

  • read the Bible faithfully and regularly;
  • memorize and meditate upon Bible passages;
  • attend a fellowship of believers regularly to receive teaching from a Pastor and to be encouraged in your faith; and
  • turn to and trust the Lord in every life circumstance.

The fact that you—as a blood-washed believer—have authority over devils and demons should be a reality to you. It should not be something you take lightly or for granted, but something that is an established fact in your life and in your walk and in your talk. Meditate on the Scriptures that are the source of your authority in Jesus Christ. Don’t rejoice that demons are subject to you – but rejoice that you are washed in the blood of Jesus; that you are saved; that your name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life!  (Source:  https://www.revival.com/a/970-rejoice-that-your-name-is-written-in-the-lamb-s-book-of-life#gsc.tab=0) 

Rejoice that you are born again and on your way to heaven for all eternity! 

Walking in Freedom

Walking in Freedom

Since we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have been living in spiritual freedom.  There are many passages of the Bible that support this truth.

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.  (Ps 119:45 NIV)

God’s Word has a way of setting us free—free from evil; free from sin; and free from conformity to the world.

When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble.  (Pro 4:12 NASB)

Freedom (in Christ) means that our steps will not be obstructed; nor will we lose our footing when we run in the race of life.  Praise God!

We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. So stand strong. Do not change and go back into the slavery of the law.  (Gal 5:1 NCV)

Here is another version of the same verse in Galatians 5:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  (Gal 5:1 NKJV)

We’ve each been set free from the bondage of sin; the expectations of other people; and the fear of failure, among many other things.  When Jesus sets a person free, they are undeniably and truly set free.  (Joh 8:36)  Ponder these truths from God’s Word and rejoice and celebrate your freedom. 

Growing Spiritually

Growing Spiritually

The Scriptures make it clear that God wants His children to grow and mature spiritually.  We must mature in our relationship and walk with Jesus Christ; but we must also mature in our Christian witness as we live our daily lives.

Let’s read some appropriate verses to our topic:

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  (Eph 4:14-15 NIV)

Therefore, after you have gotten rid of lying, Each of you must tell the truth to your neighbor because we are parts of each other in the same body.  (Eph 4:25 CEB)

And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.  (Phil 1:9-11 NASB)

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.  (Col 2:6-7 NKJV)

The heavenly Father’s objective for each one of us is to mature and acquire the characteristics of our Savior Jesus, living a life of love and unpretentious service.  The Lord has given us fellow Christians to assist us in growing spiritually.  Let’s examine that a little.

We have seasoned pastors, counselors, and teachers to advise us and point us in the right paths.  Our pastor will teach us sound doctrine, and he will model speaking the truth in love. Other mature believers around us will also serve the same objective. 

Every believer must also add individual study of the Scriptures, and the memorization of selected Bible passages to help in their own spiritual development.  This practice will help us to evade false teachers, which is very important.  Don’t believe and follow every wind of doctrine that confronts you.  Seek the Word, and the advice of mature friends and mentors in such circumstances.

We are being equipped by God to do the work of the ministry.  Our primary task, as a mature Christian, is to make disciples and prepare others to serve Christ.  What a privileged and honorable calling!  Praise God!

Working for God Is Never Wasted

Working for God Is Never Wasted

One truth to be certain of that is taught in the Bible is that working for God will never be worthless or unproductive.

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.  (Ac 20:24 NLT)

An important aspect of our work for the Kingdom of God is that of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ

Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, unmovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that the work that you do for the Lord isn’t wasted.  (1 Cor 15:58 ISV)

In our service to the Lord, the qualities that we’ll absolutely need will be persistence, steadiness, and faultless effort in our mission and in our commitment to Jesus Christ.

For this reason we do not lose heart: Even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 Our light affliction, which lasts but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . . .  (2 Cor 4:16-17 MEV)

We need to exercise self-control so that we do not lose our motivation to complete the tasks to which we have been called.  Our inner self—our spiritual self—is renewed continuously by the indwelling Holy Spirit and by our consistent reading of the Bible.  Remember, it’s the Lord Jesus whom we serve, and He will give us our eternal reward.  (Col 3:23-24)  God bless you.

God’s Temple

God’s Temple

The Bible reminds us that all who have made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior are the Temple of God.  The Holy Spirit lives within each one of us; and collectively, we are the Temple of God.  Glory to God! 

Let read these Scripture passages:

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?  (1 Cor 3:16 NIV)

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself . . .  (1 Cor 6:19 NLT)

He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you.  (Joh 14:17 GNT)

These verses tell us some important truths. 

  • God’s Spirit lives within each of us,
  • We do not belong to ourselves—we belong to God, so we must use our bodies to bring honor to God,
  • The Spirit reveals the truth about God to each one of us,
  • The Spirit of God remains with us and in us.

One important fact to remember is that since believers are the Temple of God, we should take good care of our bodies.  We should eat in a healthy way; avoid smoking or any other harmful activity; exercise regularly; take care of our mental health; and bathe regularly.  We are the daily hosts for the Spirit of God, so we honor God by keeping ourselves in good shape. Hallelujah!

God reaches the world through His people, the Church.  Because the Lord has created us His Temple, He has made us holy, set apart, intended for the distinctive use of God Himself.  Temples are places meant for worship, so praising God should always be a part of our lives.  Hallelujah!

Light Dwells with God

Light Dwells with God

The Bible tells us that ‘light dwells with God.’  What does this mean to us as believers?  That’s what we hope to learn through this study!  Let’s read the Scriptures on this topic:

He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.  (Dan 2:22 ESV)

He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom.  (Job 12:22 NLT)

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  (Joh 8:12 NKJV)

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  (1 Joh 1:5 RSV)

“Light dwells with God” is a true statement on many levels.  After reading the selected passages, we can understand that God knows what is in the darkness, not least because God knows everything, including the hidden secrets and dreams of the heart.  God sees into the motives of individuals, as well.

Because the King of Glory, our Messiah and Savior, dwells in the heavenlies, LIGHT literally dwells with Father God!  Jesus made Himself known in the Bible as the ‘Light of the world,’ and He says clearly that when we walk with Him, we never walk in darkness but have the Light of life.

Lastly, 1 John 1 declares that God is Light and in Him is no darkness whatsoever.  We are merely stating the truth of the Word of God by sharing that:   He is light itself, and the Father of lights; the light of nature, grace, and glory, is with Him, and from Him; the light of the word, the light of prophecy, and the light of the glorious Gospel; and also the Light of the world, the Sun of righteousness, is the Messiah.  All glory and honor and praise belong to Him!

We Are Foreigners

We Are Foreigners

The truth of where Jesus came from was a vital fact in His life on earth.  Jesus knew that He was not from this world. 

But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.  (Joh 8:23 NKJV)

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  (Joh 17:16 NIV)

Through the Gospels, Jesus constantly refers to:  1)  who He is; 2) to Whom He belongs; and 3) where He is from—the place to which He would also return.

Jesus was here to do the will of His Father in Heaven.  Heaven is far superior to this earthly realm, and Jesus knew that truth.   The world’s principles were not Jesus’ principles; and the world’s system was not His system.  Praise God!

Jesus would perform signs, wonders, and miracles when He walked on earth because He was operating as a citizen of Heaven.  All things are subject to Jesus.  (1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22)

When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, each one of us stopped being a mere human being.  We were born anew, and our citizenship changed, and we became citizens of Heaven. (Phil 3:20) 

. . . having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever . . . (1 Pet 1:23 NKJV)

And just as Jesus was not of this world, we are no longer of this world.  We are foreigners and strangers to this world.

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  (Joh 17:14 NASB, emphasis added)

So, we must look at every aspect of our lives and every circumstance in our lives from a new perspective.  We should look at our finances, our relationships, and our challenges from a new perspective.  We must look at them from the perspective that we are already, at this very moment, seated in Heaven in Jesus Christ.

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus . . . (Eph 2:6 KJV)  Hallelujah!

Do Not Spread Lies

Do Not Spread Lies

The Scriptures abound in warnings and in guidelines for wise people to follow.  The question is, “Do you want to be wise?”

Wisdom tells us that we should not spread lies—not for any reason, under any circumstances, no matter how compelling or understandable our justifications may sound.

Let’s read some of the teachings of Scripture on this topic:

A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.  (Pro 14:5 ESV)

You are not to spread a false report, nor are you to join forces with the wicked to be a malicious witness.  (Ex 23:1 ISV)

A false witness will not be unpunished, and he who speaks lies will perish.  (Pro 19:9 MEV)

When a person tells a lie, they join forces with the wicked!  Did you realize that?  I’m sure you didn’t. 

A lie is described in the Bible as malicious, which means malevolent, spiteful, cruel, or wicked.  Clearly, we can understand why these attributes would be ascribed to the wicked.  Wicked means evil, bad, depraved, immoral, sinful, impious, or fiendish.  All of these qualities are linked to our spiritual enemy, the devil.

Furthermore, Proverbs 19:9 says that a liar will be punished, and will even perish. It doesn’t mean that the person will die immediately, but that if they don’t change their ways, that they will perish eternally.

Since we serve the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6)—the God who is love (1 Joh 4:8)—we believers are to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus.  Jesus asked His Father to forgive His tormentors in Luke 23:34, so we must forgive others.  Jesus characterized Himself in John 14:6 as ‘the truth,’ so we can understand that TRUTH is very important to Him. Brothers and sisters, we are people of Light serving a living, loving, and merciful God.  Show forth His attributes to the world each day, and your actions will generate glory and thanksgiving to God.