- Ephesians 2:10

God is always giving us a proof of His goodness and mercy because of the encouragement He always gives us that He loves us so much.  No matter how sinful we are, He always extends His loving hands and sharing His merciful heart to uplift and to give us hope and salvation.

God is good all the time. All the time, He is good. His purpose in saving us is to make us good people.  He says, “All things work together for good, to those who love the Lord.  Mother Theresa was noted for her good works.  She was able to feed the millions of hungry and abandoned children in India.  Dorcas, who was a seamstress in the New Testament, exerted much effort in the distribution of clothes to the poor and needy. Even after her death, her kind deeds and acts of benevolence were always remembered and treasured by all those whom she loved.  Many pious persons, upon knowing that they will die, will immediately donate their large sum of money to many charitable institutions. They knew they can’t bring their money in their life after death. Money is a good servant and is shared by many good people in serving them in times of great need.  Money is a bad master to them whose hearts are not pure.

We can make a difference by telling others about the goodness of God.  People who have no sense of direction and fulfillment can still find direction and meaning in their lives.  We can be kind enough to empathize with them showing their worth and importance. We can help build up and strengthen more lives.  We can become their true and loyal friends and let them confide with us.  If they are having rough times at home, ask them to come and spend time with us if possible.  Have them feel that they are well-loved and accepted.

What will be our missions and special roles under the sun?  We can do more good things to others.  Jesus says, “If you love Me, obey My commandments.” One of His commands is to give and share to others.  We can also pray for those who need our prayers. Our honest and fervent prayers can affect the lives of others though near or far away.  We can experience our greatest joy if we practice being good each day.

Jesus helps us to give us a clear vision and helps us see the real beauty in us.  We are really accepted by Him, giving us hope and encouragement.  We can also tell others about their goodness and special functions in lives.

We can always possess the right attitude by keeping His truth in our heads.  Maintain being good because we are His workmanship created in Him for good works.

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, for all the people you can, while you can.

– Ephesians 2:14

The Cross of Calvary – where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died- is the extraordinary instrument of freedom where our eternal liberty was secured.

You see, our freedom cannot be purchased with a social revolution or a majority vote. The source of our oppression is spiritual, not political, not economic or cultural. We are born sinners, separated from the life and liberty of our Creator, God. We are imprisoned by the darkness of sin, chained by its selfish grip and under the influence of the god of this world, Satan.

Our only hope is to be rescued by the One who alone has the power and right to liberate us from sin’s reign and rule. That is exactly what Christ did at the cross. He bore the penalty of sin- death- making it possible for us to be reconciled to the Author of spiritual liberty, Jehovah God.

At the Cross, Jesus released you from the curse of eternal death. When you receive Jesus Christ, you gain the incredible inheritance of eternal life. You still die physically, but your spirit is made alive by God. And you will be with Him forever! The cross shattered the bonds of sin, making spiritual freedom possible for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

Your freedom from sin’s penalty and power do not come cheaply. Your symbol of true freedom- liberty from the chains of sins and self- is a costly one. It is steeped in the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

On Calvary, Christ fought and secured your deliverance from sin. He paid the supreme price, the sacrifice of His divine life. The grace of God is wonderful, marvelous. But it is yours only through the ransom paid by God to God through Christ’s torturous death.

The Lord Jesus Christ died in the Cross for you to enjoy a great life. He wants you to be free from the bondage of sin and death. His love expressed in the Cross can go beyond any of your sins. The Cross can go beyond any of your hurts and pains. The unfailing love of God exceeds from heaven and here on earth.

Bearing the guilt of your sin, He died in your place, turning aside the wrath of Holy God. His sacrifices satisfied God’s justice and opened heaven’s doors to those who place their faith in Him. When you have faith in God’s love, it shall free you. Your faith in Christ grants you peace and hope. Your faith in Christ’s love for you gives you salvation. There is nothing cheap about salvation. It is a gift- a costly one. Nothing can ever compare to the precious gift of love of Christ.

Have you received Christ as your personal Savior? The gift of eternal life is free if you believe, but it was secured at a most extravagant price.

– Galatians 2:16

Have you ever doubt God’s love for you? Is it hard for you to trust God’s plans for you? How then do you slip into this anxiety- producing mindset?

Once saved, you may drift into a performance- based mentality, thinking your relationship with the Lord depends upon your conduct. This is heterodoxy. Only God’s grace saves you and keeps you saved. This is why we can’t boast before the Lord. Our salvation is a gift. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

The basis of acceptance before Him is the Cross where God the Father justified you (declared you not guilty) through His Son’s death. You are accepted not on your own merit, but wholly on Christ’s death on Calvary. It’s all because of His great love for you and for me. No other gift can amount to that gift of salvation just for you to have the privilege to be with Him eternally. Once and for all, Jesus died for all your sins. He is the ultimate sacrifice. When you are saved, your sins are forgiven- past, present, and future sins. The love of God covers a multitude of sins. The love of Christ can go beyond any pain, heartaches, and can cover all your trespasses. Nothing compares to this great gift of love.

Christ’s death on the Cross made us right with the Father. It enables us to surpass every challenge that comes our way. By the love of Christ, we have been able to enjoy a good life. The Lord has prepared a room for you in His kingdom, and that you can enjoy if you have Christ in your heart. Do you want to have the assurance of an everlasting life? Jesus is there for you. The gift of salvation is already there, all you have to do is grab it and open your heart to Him, and allow Him to move in your life.

If we are wrestling with doubt over your salvation, look to the Cross. The Cross which has been the best expression of God’s love, the Cross which is full of hope, the Cross which is full of assurance, the Cross which gives you the right to be one with the Father. Jesus, who died for you and me, will never leave you even you are at your worst. The Cross is very powerful over obstacles, doubts, and pains. It’s all because, Jesus loves you and will do everything for you. If you have received Christ by faith, you are eternally secure in God’s hands because you have decided to accept God’s gift of salvation. Nothing can alter that fact.

]]> http://greatisthelord.net/blog/548/saved-and-sure/feed/ 0 http://greatisthelord.net/blog/432/salvation-that-is/ http://greatisthelord.net/blog/432/salvation-that-is/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:12:28 +0000 Bobbie http://greatisthelord.net/blog/?p=432 What is Salvation? Why do we need salvation? Who and where do we find that Savior? When the first man and woman who were created and set in the Garden of Eden disobeyed God’s commandment regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, their fellowship with God had broken. Their disobedience put all of humanity, as well as the natural creation, under the authority and dominion of Satan, who had been cast out of heaven because of his own rebellion. The fall of mankind brought us under the power of a fallen nature, with its selfish desires and lusts (Ephesians 2:1-3). The fall of mankind put us in a situation where we seriously need a Savior, and that Savior should no other than Jesus, God’s only Son.

“But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6). The dominion of sin and the power of Satan over mankind were broken by Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, being born into this world as a man, living a perfect sinless life, and then giving his life in suffering and sacrifice to pay the debt of divine justice. Because there was no sin in Him, death had no legal hold on Him and He was resurrected by the power of God and then ascended to the throne of God (Hebrews 10:12-14).

God’s great love for us is shown, not only in Christ’s act of redemption, but in His eternal identification with us in our humanity as the second Adam, the beginning of a new creation (1Corinthians 15:45,49).

God’s purpose in offering salvation is not just to provide us a place in heaven. His purpose is to restore us to an intimate fellowship and love relationship with Him.

One author quoted:

“Longfellow could take a sheet of paper, write a poem on it and make it worth $60,000. That is talent.

Rockefeller could sign a piece of paper and make it worth millions. That is capital.

Uncle Sam can take an ounce of gold and stamp an eagle on it and make it worth $40. That is money.

A mechanic can take material worth $5 and make it into an article worth$50. That is skill.

A merchant can buy an article worth 80 cents, put it on his counter and sell it for a dollar. That is business.

God can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it, cleanse it, put His Holy Spirit into it and make it a blessing to all humanity. That is salvation.”

Got it my friend? In order for this to happen, our hearts and minds must be awakened to the passions and affections that are in the heart of God for us. The more our hearts are awakened to His love for us, the more our desire grows to return that love to Him.

God’s plan is for us to become the body of Christ with Him as our head (Ephesians 1:22-223).  God’s awesome plan is to put everything under the leadership and authority of Christ. How does God fulfill this plan? God fulfills this plan through His grace. Jesus Christ died and was resurrected to show the “surpassing greatness of God’s grace…so that we may be saved” (Ephesians 2:6-8). God chose grace, not force, to bring us into salvation because grace leads to faith, love and obedience. In the same way, experiencing the grace and goodness of God overcomes our fears, replaces it with faith and love, and motivates us to obey. Grace leads, instructs, helps and compels us to deny sin and live a life that is pleasing to God.

Anatomy of Grace. The problem is that we often take God’s grace for granted. We keep complaining; we keep on sinning. How do we appreciate God’s grace in our lives? Firstly, Ephesians 2:11-12 tells us to remember our past predicament without Christ to show how undeserving we are of God’s grace. Knowing our past makes us appreciate God’s grace, for although we are undeserving, He saved us. Secondly, we can appreciate God’s grace even more when we realize our present position in Christ and see how favored we are in Him. Ephesians 2:13-22 shows our position and what God’s G.R.A.C.E has accomplished for us:

Gap removed. God’s grace united us with Christ and “brought us near to God through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death”. It pertains to spiritual death or separation from God. But, through Jesus’ death on the cross, the gap has been removed – the cross became the bridge.

Reconciliation with God and other. Because of our sins, we were enemies of God and as such, we were objects of God’s wrath? That’s why before Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross of Calvary or during the Old Testament times, we can picture God as an angry God who always punishes the early inhabitants of the earth. If we read the Old Testament books in the Bible, God judges people, families, clans, and whole nation because of sins, rebellion or disobedience. It’s all because of sin. God hates sin. But God also love us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place so that we may live. Indeed, before we came to know the Lord, we were bound for hell. But praise God that because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, we were reconciled to God.

Access to the Father. The death of Christ gave us direct contact with the Father, “For through Christ, we all have access to the Father through the Holy Spirit…” (Ephesians 2:18). We were given the right and privilege to come before Him in prayer. We do not need a mediator; we may go directly to Him.

Citizenship in heaven. Through God’s grace, we became “…fellow citizens with all of God’s people and members of God’s household, with Christ as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-20). Are you part of God’s family?

Edification towards holy living. As members of God’s family, we are  being built up, continuously being molded and changed, so that we can “…become a holy temple…a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22). God’s desire is not just to have a family but also to have one that is ‘holy’. When we come into His household, God promises us that by His grace, He will build us up so that we can live holy lives. The grace of God will bring not only salvation but also sanctification. We are works in progress and God will continue to change us.

The evidence of God’s G.R.A.C.E is Christ on the cross. By God’s grace, we have been saved through our faith. Our salvation is God’s gift. Have you accepted this gift? Are you walking in a manner worthy of your calling as God’s adopted child?

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4-9, “But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

God’s amazing plan is to exalt Christ over the whole world. Jesus is the King of kings and has authority and power over all. Ephesians 1:22 says, “all will submit to Christ, including governments, evil forces, even Satan”.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. People make mistakes by following so many ways apart from the One who is the only way, truth, and life. No religion can save us. No amount of good works and sacrifice can save us. Jesus is God’s gift to us. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding (Ephesians 1:7-8). True enough, God has done so much for us that He sent His one and only Son to die for us, to redeem us through the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus will never loose its power to save, its power to change, its power to give strength and overcome evil. Jesus Christ is the center and sum of the Bible and He has won my confidence by His authenticity and love and power. We can see His authenticity and love in the record of his words and deeds, and we can see His power especially in His resurrection from the dead. Let me mention just four things among others that support my confidence in the resurrection of Jesus.

1. Jesus bore witness to His own coming resurrection. Two separate witnesses testify in two very different ways to Jesus’ statement during His lifetime that if His enemies destroyed the temple, He would build it again in three days (John 2:19; Mark 14:58; Matthew 26:61).
2. The tomb was empty on Easter. God raised Jesus from the dead. This is what He said would happen. It is what the disciples said did happen. If it’s a lie, would they have risked their lives and accepted beatings for something they knew was a fraud?
3. The disciples were almost immediately transformed from men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21; John 20:19) into men who were confident and bold witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 2:24; 3:15; 4:2). Their explanation was that they had seen the risen Christ and had been authorized to be His witnesses (Acts 2:32).
4. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim. The church spread on the power of the testimony that Jesus was raised from the dead and that God had made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The Lordship of Christ over all nations is based on His victory over death.

These are some, not all of the evidences that support my confidence in Jesus as the true revelation of God. It is my prayer that you believe and put your confidence in Jesus.

Jesus is God’s amazing solution for the dilemma of men, which is sin. We are dead to sins and trespasses. We deserve to die as sinners but Jesus took our place. He shed His blood and rose again so that He can give us life. We can be sure of receiving God’s amazing solution because of grace. It is not a result of works that no one should boast. Most people try to go to heaven through good works. But since spiritually we are dead to sin, no amount of good works will save us. The only way to go to heaven is through the grace of God. And once we are saved, God wants us to be involved in good works. However, you will never experience the saving grace of God until you are willing to repent and turn your life to Jesus, you will not see the transforming power of God’s grace. When you give your life to Jesus and take that step of faith, you will know and experience the unfathomable riches of Christ!

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

–Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

Often times people feel security of salvation whenever they do good deeds.  It seems that they believe God could be flattered by church donations, alms to the poor, construction of church buildings and orphanages.  Well, nothing is wrong about these things or acts.  It is very helpful to the advancement of the gospel of the kingdom of God.  Yet, this does not guarantee that the soul of a person, no matter how good he is, will be saved.

Sometimes, these so called good deeds become bribe and the briber thinks God can be fooled.  Or sometimes, people innocently believe that doing such good things can bring one’s soul closer to God.  But Saint Paul teaches the church at Ephesus a different thing in this passage at Ephesians 2:8-9.

The salvation of our souls is a special favour – a gift from God himself the day we believed in him.  He taught that it is not a reward for all the good things that we had done.  This is so, that none of us can boast about it.

If salvation can be instantly available for those who are good, it will be unfair for those who could not afford to do good.  How can the poor be saved?  How can a street beggar donate to a church project?  How about those who are in jail?  Will the doors of salvation be permanently shut to them?  God would be unfair if so.

Do we still remember the thief at the side of Jesus during his crucifixion?   The Lord Jesus Christ promised that he will be with him in paradise that same day. He didn’t ask him his religious affiliation nor did he ask this thief of baptism or any good deed.  He simply honoured his humility to admit that he is a sinner and one who deserves death on the cross.  No other rituals were done that day of salvation from that thief.

Most of us are not as sinful as that thief, so to speak but seldom do we admit our being a sinner before God.  Many times, we concentrate on doing good things and doing religious stuff – things that we think will save our souls.

God loves us so much that he gave salvation to us as a gift.  We don’t have to pay for it or suffer first before we could avail it.  All we have to do is humble ourselves and admit our sins – big and small in our eyes and that’s it.  He is always willing to forgive us and cleanse us from our wickedness.  Plus, of course that special gift – salvation by his grace alone – without any need to suffer or exert any effort.  A very special gift!  Consider him in your life today.

1.    Salvation. God’s perfect will is salvation for everyone, which comes by grace through faith in Christ, not on the basis of our good works, but Christ’s (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Salvation is a free gift. Have you thought that maybe you could manipulate God to save you because you do things to earn points with Him? It is totally by God’s Grace that any of us are saved! There’s only one way and there’s no other. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me”. Without the way, there’s no going. Without the truth, there’s no knowing. Without the life, there is no living.

2.    Revelation (Word of God).  Once we have a personal relationship with Christ, God guides through revelations in His Word. We need His Word to direct our path and strengthen our faith. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the  man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Our part is to be diligent in studying His Word, that we may know His perfect will for our lives, that we may live out God’s Word, and that we may become teachers of His Word.

3.    Conviction (Obedience). It is not enough to just know God’s Word. Good works is the evidence of salvation and our love for God. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). If we abound in kindness, humility and compassion, we glorify God and open doors of opportunities to share the Gospel of Christ.

4.    Dedication. What we do with our bodies or what we do while we are in the body should please and honor God. Romans 12:1 appeals, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship”.  We pray, “Lord, here are my hands, lips, eyes, ears, feet. Every part of my body is dedicated to You. Use them as You wish for Your glory”.

5.    Supplication (Prayer). “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Prayer is our communication line with God. We pray because God commands us to; it is His will for us; and it is the sovereign method He uses to fulfill His divine plan.

6.    Separation. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We are a new creation set apart for Christ. “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16). There should be no more room in our lives for these things in the world.

7.    Transformation. Romans 12:2 tells us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”.  As we grow in the Lord, we grow in godliness and maturity to discern the will of God for any situation or any matter needing decision.

That should do it. Now, ask yourself these questions: Salvation, have you come to faith in Jesus? Revelation, do you spend time in God’s Word? Conviction, do you obey God’s Word? Dedication, have you given your life to Christ? Supplication, do you commune with God daily in prayer? Separation, have you separated yourself from the things of the world like craving to possess what we see, passion of sex, and the boastful pride of life which refers to position –when we make idols of ourselves through our career, social status, beauty, fame, education, achievements, talents, intellect, or ministry? Transformation, do you have a renewed mind so that you can discern the leading of the Spirit?

We can trust God to lead us for His glory. May these seven key words guide us to do, not our will, but His…nothing less, nothing else.