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7. Persistent sin after profession reveals the lack of a genuine conversion – We are all born in sin because of Adam. Our sin nature causes us to sin all our lives. We are not talking here about a single act of sin or sins committed occasionally. We’re referring to persistent sin. One of the hallmarks of a believer is they will feel guilty when they sin. They will be remorseful. Over time a believer will sin less and less and when they do sin they’ll find they don’t enjoy it as much as they used to.

1 John 3:6 – Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

1 John 9-10 – Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

A sinner doesn’t stop cold turkey. It takes a little while for most of us to get where we want to be. It’s more of a two steps forward and one step backwards kind of deal. If a Christian keeps sinning as much as they used to I’d have to question their salvation experience. If a Christian finds he still enjoys it when they sin and they feel no remorse or regret for sinning then they aren’t saved. Their hearts haven’t changed. If a person professes to be a Christian and they continue to commit the same sin over and over they’re still lost.

Matthew 17:20 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Luke 6:45 – A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

8. Perfection is never achieved in this life – Near the end of his life the Apostle Paul lamented that he didn’t have as intimate a relationship with the Lord Jesus as he would like. Paul wanted to know and experience all that God had provided for him in salvation. Paul continued to press on and pursue the Lord. After 30 years of service to God Paul still hadn’t arrived where he wanted to be. The greatest Christian who ever lived still wasn’t satisfied! Paul’s attitude contributed to his greatness.

Philippians 3:13-14 – Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Why is it today some Christians are complacent in their Christian experience and others feel they’ve achieved sinless perfection? Some give the impression they have done God a favor by accepting Christ. A believer shouldn’t lament failures of the past. A believer is to reach for the future with a positive attitude. The Apostle Paul practiced the motto, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” All Christians should follow Paul’s lead. In this life, no matter how holy you are, you will never reach ultimate perfection. Perfection will be achieved one day, at the coming of Christ.

1 John 1:1-2 – My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Christians should have goals but expect and accept failure as a part of Christian life. Don’t be discouraged. We’ll always fail more than we succeed. When we do fail we should have the determination to do better next time. We are to obey God’s commands in the Bible and walk humbly with the Lord. We are to pray to God and ask for our sins to be forgiven. We are to persevere in the faith until Jesus Christ comes.

Do your best and God will do the rest. No man could ever keep his salvation by doing good works. He could never do enough. Our salvation rests on God’s grace. There is an obvious principle in Scripture I’ve felt acutely in my life. The closer one draws to God the more sensitive to his own sinfulness he becomes. I used to think I wasn’t such a bad guy but the more I study God’s Word the more I realize how naked and sinful I really am before a holy God. When I see my true sinful state I’m even more amazed at God’s abiding love for us.

5. Service to God must be based on love and not fear – You can’t coerce, threaten or force someone to serve God. It must come from the heart out of love and gratitude for what God has done for us. God made us and he loves us. God is our Father and we are his children. As children of God we return that love. How could we not? God sent his only begotten Son in heaven to come to the earth and die on the cross so that our sins might be forgiven. God gave up what he cherished the most so that we could have eternal life in heaven in his presence. God showed his love for us and saved us from hell. How could we not love a God who cares for us so deeply? How could we not serve a God who provides for all our needs? Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior leads to saving grace. It means to serve Christ out of love and for what he has done for us.

Romans 12:1- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 – For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Ephesians 4:1 – I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

6. Sin severs fellowship with God but not the relationship – There is no moral flaw in God’s character. God is holiness personified. God cannot abide sin. Light and darkness cannot exist together; therefore a holy God and an unholy person cannot have communion. Fellowship with God is only possible if the believer walks in the light of Christ, whose blood cleanses us of all sin. This fellowship between the believer and God is easily broken by unconfessed sin. God is gracious and merciful to forgive our sins if we repent.

1 John 1:5 – This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Communion between the Savior and his own does not require repeated baths of regeneration (salvation), only daily washings of the soul that has become soiled walking through a hostile world. That happens as we confess our sins to God daily, asking for forgiveness. What this all means is that God may stop talking to us because of our sin if we don’t confess it but God will never let go of our eternal souls. We belong to God. Our salvation is secure. We will be in heaven one day in the presence of God our Father.

John 13:10 – Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

The British rock band “The Who” issued a single record in 1969 titled, “Pinball Wizard.” It was about a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who was a master at playing the pinball machine. The goal was to rack up the highest score and nobody could beat him at it. I’m giving away my age here because I remember playing pinball. There are no more pinball machines that I’m aware of except possibly in museums. Pinball has been replaced today by video games. But they are both still games with the same goal, which is to score the most points. Usually these video games will list the top scorers on each machine so you know the score you have to beat. The Christian life is much like a video game or a pinball game. It’s all about keeping score. When it comes to leading an exemplary Christian life the Apostle Paul is our top scorer. The Apostle Paul was the ancient world’s equivalent of the, “Pinball Wizard” of my youth. The Apostle Paul is without question the greatest Christian who ever lived because he has racked up the most points in heaven based on his record of good works.

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

We know a lot about the life of the Apostle Paul. We know God chose Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. We know Jesus appeared to Paul in person on three different occasions. We know Paul visited heaven at least once during his ministry. In the Bible we learned that God brought Paul back to life after he’d been stoned to death during one of his missionary trips. These are all great and wonderful things to know but they’re not what separated Paul from other Christians. The Apostle Paul was great because he figured out how to keep score in the game of Christian life and he was good at it.

Luke 6:45 – A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Paul preached the gospel to the Gentiles but there were better preachers than Paul. Paul wrote many of the New Testament epistles but there were other good gospel writers as well. While there were a number of early church leaders, what made the Apostle Paul the greatest church leader who ever lived was his many good works for the kingdom of God. Paul worked tirelessly to start many of the early churches and he nurtured their growth. Paul was a master of doing the little things that pleased God. Paul, more than any other person, was responsible for the rapid growth of Christianity. One of the keys to Paul’s success was his great fear of displeasing God. Paul’s goal of pleasing God was always before his eyes.

Psalm 37:3 – Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

The Bible repeatedly exhorts the believer to witness for Christ and do good works. We know when believers die the Holy Spirit will immediately take their spirit to heaven to be in the presence of Christ. We know at some point all believers will stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus to receive their reward for deeds done in the flesh on earth. Other than a brief mention of five rewards, or crowns, the Bible doesn’t give a lot of details on how these rewards are tabulated or distributed. Let’s look at this logically to see if we can learn more. We know there is a spiritual law that says, “you reap what you sow,” and that it applies to both our rewards and our punishments because God is just and fair to saint and sinner alike. While the Bible is unclear on the reward for believers there is clarity on the punishments to be received by unbelievers.

Proverbs 13:21 – Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

We know when the unsaved die their spirits immediately go to hell within the earth where they’ll be in constant pain and agony. Think of hell as a temporary holding cell for the damned until judgment day. At the end of the 1000 year millennial reign of Christ on the earth the unsaved will be resurrected bodily from hell to stand in judgement before Christ at the Great White Throne judgement. All unbelievers will be judged on every evil thought, every evil word, and every evil deed. Unbelievers will then be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

God is all about reciprocity. This is an important thing to remember. If God is going to judge and condemn men on every every single little thing they’ve ever done wrong in their lives you can rest assured God will use that same criteria in reverse to reward Christians for every single one of their good works no matter how small. In the Bible God doesn’t come out and say explicitly what our reward will be for our good works done here on earth. But the Bible does clearly say believers will be rewarded for their good works and we know God is generous. God will be generous to his children just as we would be to our children.

Psalm 37:27-28 – Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

At the bema seat we know that all Christian works will be judged by fire. God refers to the three categories of Christian works as straw, wood and precious metal or stones. Those with works of straw and wood are burned up but those with works of precious metal or stones will survive the fire and be rewarded handsomely. I don’t believe our rewards will be as black and white as that. I believe there will be a wide range of rewards in heaven. There has to be because of the variety of every good work to be judged. We can’t all be great Christians like the Apostle Paul. Most believers will not do great things for the kingdom of God. Most in heaven will not be giants of the faith but all believers are in heaven for a reason. All believers have done some good works or they wouldn’t be in heaven. All believers are children of God and all will receive some reward in heaven because God is good, kind, generous and gracious. How could believers not be rewarded?

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 – For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The Bible tells us our rewards will be based on our witness for Christ and our good works. We don’t often get a chance to witness but we can do good works for the kingdom of God every day. If we persist in doing good works our rewards in heaven keep adding up all the days of our life. Our treasure trove in heaven is not something God gives us. It’s something we accumulate ourselves over a lifetime of Christian service and living for God which Jesus presents to us on the last Day. The more good works we do on earth the more treasure we have stored up in heaven for us. This treasure equals a future reward from Jesus. It’s not rocket science. It’s simple really, once you know the rules of the game. We must guard against being prideful. We must serve the Lord with all love and humility.

Proverbs 11:17 – The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

Every single good thing goes to your account after you become a believer. When you give kind words of encouragement to someone who needs it or you perform a small kindness for someone who cannot repay you it adds up. When you drop $5 in the Salvation Army kettle or send $20 to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital it adds up. When you help a little old lady cross the street or go pick up medications for an elderly person who can’t travel it adds up. We’re all thinking we need to do great things for the kingdom of God for it to be counted as treasure in heaven. I posit that in heaven believers will be rewarded for every single good deed no matter how small or insignificant we think it might be. In heaven we’re going to find that most believers whose works are precious metal or stones are those who have accumulated many small good works over a lifetime of godly service until it becomes a mountain of precious metal or stones. The quantity of good works will matter as much as the quality.

John 5:28-29 – (Jesus speaking) – Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

The Bible makes it abundantly clear believers are to continue doing good works all their lives. There are no qualifiers. We are simply to obey this command of God. Believers do good works because they love God and because they love their fellow man. If a believer realizes their good works are also building up treasure in heaven at the same time then so much the better. There is no shame in doing good, even if part of the reason is self-serving. The Bible says we should knowingly build up treasure in heaven by our works. The believer would still do good works without any possible reward in heaven because they love God and their fellow man.

Matthew 17:20 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore by their fruits you will know them (believers).

Any heavenly treasure earned by a believer is only a secondary consideration. Satan is always going to try to put it in your mind that you shouldn’t do good works for God. Satan wants you to believe you’re sinning against God if you think about building up treasure in heaven by your good works. Get those thoughts out of your mind. Give Satan the boot. Every good work you do, no matter how minor, adds to your heavenly bank account. The Apostle Paul wasn’t ashamed of pursuing treasures in heaven while at the same time serving God and neither should we. As a Christian, live every day to do something good for the kingdom of God and the Lord will smile on you. Consciously make an effort to do at least one good work a day to honor our Father in heaven.

John 4:36- (Jesus speaking) – And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

1 Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Hebrews 12:1 – Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 – Let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Luke 12:33-34 – (Jesus speaking) – Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

4. God will faithfully reward believers for genuine works they produce – The Bible speaks of rewards, privileges or crowns that can be gained in heaven by the child of God for faithful Christian service and living down here on earth. The Bible only mentions five crowns up for grabs but there are probably many more. The important thing is the rewards we earn during our short 70-80 year lifespan lasts for eternity. What we earn will last for billions and billions of years! That’s a good return on any time you invest in God’s work. I know this much, heaven is going to be wonderful beyond anything we can possibly imagine and it’ll be the same with the rewards we receive in heaven for our work on earth.

A. The incorruptible crown – This reward is given to those who live a disciplined, Godly life under the dual control of the Holy Spirit and self. All believers who go to heaven will receive at least one crown just for getting there and I believe this is the universal crown given to all the saints in heaven. Nowhere in my research can I find any corroboration on this but it’s just something I feel inside.

1 Corinthians 9:25 – And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

B. The crown of rejoicing – This reward is given to those who have been faithful and effective in witnessing for Christ. This is the crown I long for the most for several reasons. Witnessing for Christ is the Great Commission of Jesus to all his disciples. We all want to please God and nothing would please God more than for us to obey the command dearest to his heart, which is witnessing for Christ. I can’t bear the thought of any fellow human being going to hell for eternity. I worry about all the lost souls. The thought of it keeps me up at night. If I can share the gospel message of Christ and do my part to help save at least one person for the kingdom of God then my life will have had meaning. My life will have mattered. That’s why I blog. My web site is named onemoreforjesus.net for this reason. My goal is to instruct and exhort others to study God’s word and witness for Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 – For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

C. The crown of righteousness – This reward is for those who have fulfilled God’s will for their lives and who love the coming of Christ. When I was searching for God the first thing about Christianity that caught my eye was fulfilled Bible prophecy. I love Bible prophecy and I love studying it. God gave us Bible prophecy to prove he is who he says he is, Almighty God. The Bible contains over 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have been fulfilled and well documented. When that fact soaks in you know the Bible you’re holding in your hands is the word of God. Of all the prophecies in the Bible, the coming of Christ to rapture the saints in the air is the one I love the most.

2 Timothy 4:8 – (Paul speaking) – There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

D. The crown of life – This reward will be given to those who have endured persecution for their faith. Every martyred saint will receive this reward. One of the reasons we should rejoice when we face trials for our faith is the prospect of receiving this crown in heaven. It’s possible this crown is the one given to all believers who enter heaven instead of the incorruptible crown. I’m not sure which one it is. Whatever this crown is for I want it.

James 1:12 – Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

E. The crown of glory – This reward is given to pastors who have faithfully guided their local church. God doesn’t call everyone to ministry but everyone can still gain this reward by being deacons and other church leaders. Believers who teach Sunday school and direct Bible study classes also qualify for this reward. The key is you’re sharing God’s word with others for their edification. You’re helping others to gain knowledge, understanding and wisdom from God’s word. I qualify for the crown of glory because my blog site promotes the studying of God’s word and witnessing for Christ. The Apostle Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived and he was not ashamed of seeking out the treasures of heaven and we should follow his lead. The Bible is our guide telling us how to gain the riches of heaven so let’s proceed with determination and purpose.

1 Peter 5:1-4 – The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory which does not fade away.

3. Proper doctrine is essential for salvation – As I said earlier, the Christian must know what they believe and why they believe it. A Christian must not be spoon-fed their faith by the church or anyone else who may be wrong or have some hidden agenda. Every Christian is responsible for reading the Bible themselves and studying God’s word for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Every Christian has the responsibility of talking to God daily in prayer and seeking the revelation of God through the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is commanded to witness for Christ. A person must believe in the following core tenets of the Christian faith or they are not saved:

A. The existence of God – I’m not talking about Allah, other gods or multiple gods. I’m talking about Jehovah, the the one true living God in heaven.

B. The sinfulness of man – The atheists of the world believe man is his own god and that man is basically good. The Bible teaches us man is wicked and eternally lost without the saving grace of God.

C. The deity of Jesus – Atheists and other religions believe Jesus was a good man, a wise teacher, and a prophet but he was not divine. A Christian must believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth and took on flesh. A Christian must believe Jesus is God.

D. The substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Christ – Christians must believe Jesus Christ came to earth for the purpose of dying a terrible death on the cross in our place so that our sins could be forgiven by a just God. For God’s grace to be applied the believer must accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Christians must believe Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all men, past, present and future. Christian’s must believe that Jesus was crucified, was buried, and on the third day arose from the dead. Christian’s must believe Jesus ascended back to heaven and now sits at the right hand of God making intercession for us.

E. The necessity of the regeneration of the Holy Spirit – Christians must believe they are born in sin and the only way to heaven and eternal life is by the mercy and grace of a loving God. The Christian must believe that when they accept Jesus Christ and their Lord and Savior they are saved unto eternal life. This occurs when the Holy Spirit gives us a new spirit without sin (regeneration). Our eternal spirit has been born again.

2 John 9 – Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

The believer must be intellectually and morally convinced of these truths and must willingly receive the person of Christ into their life. A genuine, initial belief in the doctrines of our faith and reception of Christ as Lord and Savior will continue throughout the believer’s life. The genuine Christian will never waver from this doctrinal position, or deny it. That’s why millions of Christians will be beheaded during the tribulation. The antichrist will lock up Christians for ten days to give them an opportunity to recant their faith. The vast majority of Christians will go to their death rather than deny God.

Colossians 1:21-23 – And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven.

If someone considers themselves a Christian they must believe in Jesus or they are not saved. Christianity means, “Christ’s men.” Holding fast to the doctrine of Christ is evidence of salvation and, conversely, anyone who denies any part of the doctrine of Christ is not saved and they will face the wrath of God on the last day. When it comes to believing Christian doctrine a person is either all in or all out. Failure to believe any part of the doctrine of faith means you are not saved. A person who holds fast until the end to the tenets of Christianity that I’ve just described will be presented to Jesus Christ in heaven on the last day for their reward. Personally, my goal is to always do what pleases God and my fondest wish when I’m standing before the bema judgement seat of Christ on the last day is to hear Jesus say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.”

2. Salvation will manifest in outward signs – If a believer has genuine saving faith it will produce genuine works of righteousness in a persons life. I’m not saying once you’re saved you have to turn into the Apostle Paul but there should be changes in your life to reflect your new position with God. Others may not notice the difference in you but the believer will know they have changed inside.

Matthew 7:17-18,20 – (Jesus speaking) – Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

You can only do what God calls you to do and everyone has a different calling. God calls on some to do great things for the kingdom of God and others are called simply to obedience and walking humbly with God. Most of us will fall somewhere in between. There are at least twelve things that believers will manifest when they are saved. A believer should manifest one or more of the following traits:

A. Enjoys fellowship with God, Jesus, and fellow believers.

1 John 1:3-4 – That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

B. A sensitivity to sin.

1 John 1:8-10 – If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

C. Basically obedient to the commandments of Scripture.

1 John 2:3-5 – Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know we are in Him.

D. Hatred of the world and its values.

1 John 2:15 – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

E. Love of Jesus Christ and look forward to his coming.

2 Timothy 4:8 – There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

F. Sin less as a believer.

1 John 3:5-6 – And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

G. Loves other believers.

1 John 3:14 – We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

H. Experienced answered prayers.

1 John 3:22 – And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

I. The inner witness of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:16 – The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

J. The ability to discern between spiritual truth and error.

John 10:27 – (Jesus speaking) – My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

K. Belief in the basic doctrines of the faith.

1 John 5:1 – Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

L. Experience persecution for their Christian position.

John 15:18-19 – (Jesus speaking) – If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

As a believer I’ve experienced all of the above traits of salvation in my life to one degree or another, except for persecution for being a Christian. Christians in America haven’t had to face persecution yet but according to the Bible it’s coming. Know what you believe and why so as to gird yourself for the coming hard times. If you’re a Christian and you don’t recognize any of the the above traits in your life you may want to reexamine you faith to see if you’re truly saved. Start by studying God’s Word and praying for God to reveal himself through his Holy Spirit.

1. Salvation is not repeatable – A natural birth cannot be reversed or repeated. In the Bible when God talks about being reborn he means spiritually. At conception God gives each of us a piece of himself, an eternal spirit. According to the Bible, God has begotten us. God made our physical bodies from the dust of the ground and he placed in that body an eternal spirit. In every sense of the word God is our father. It was actually the Holy Spirit who gave birth to our eternal spirit at conception and we know that the Holy Spirit is God. That’s why we refer to the Holy Spirit as the divine womb.

John 1:12 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name.

1 John 5:1 – Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves Him who is begotten of Him.

1 John 5:18 – We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

At birth our eternal spirit has the sin nature from Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden. Since Adam was the first man he is our family patriarch. The spiritual law of imputation means every man who came after Adam in his family (us) has Adam’s sin passed on to him. God cannot abide sin and will not allow sin in heaven so therefore our eternal spirit cannot go there in its sinful state. If our eternal spirit can’t go to heaven the only other place it can go is hell. Those are the only two choices we have. Another spiritual law is the wages of sin is death. We are all born in sin and headed straight to hell with no way to save ourselves.

John 3:3 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:6 – (Jesus speaking) – That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:8 – (Jesus speaking) – The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

God devised a salvation plan for man. To satisfy a just God the removal of the sins of man required a blood sacrifice from a sinless man. Since all men are sinners, we are lost. God had to send his own Son to earth in the form of a man to qualify as that spotless blood sacrifice in our place so that our sins might be forgiven. Even though Jesus Christ died for the sins of all men, that precious gift of divine blood has to be received to be applied. A person must believe in God and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to redeem us of our sins by his sacrificial death on the cross. A person must believe Jesus was crucified, was buried and then arose from the dead on the third day in a resurrected body and now sits at the right hand of God in heaven.

A person by faith must accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The moment we become believers we are saved unto eternal life by the blood of Christ. The divine womb of the Holy Spirit births a “new” eternal spirit and removes the old one. We get a one for one swap of eternal spirits instantaneously that we can neither feel nor detect. We only know it happens because the Bible says it does. Just remember when we become adopted sons of God our old spirit is exchanged for a new one without sin on it so we can enter heaven when we die. We are born a second time spiritually. We have been reborn in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

For proof in Scripture look at the above verses and understand what it says. It says God has, “begotten us again,” which means God has birthed an eternal spirit in us a second time. The first birth was at conception. Our eternal spirit has been reborn at salvation. Why? So that our sins can be forgiven and we can be translated to the kingdom of God by our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our “living hope” is to also be raised from the dead and receive a new glorified body like the one Jesus has. Notice also that God says all believers have an inheritance (eternal life) waiting on them in heaven. Furthermore, God says our salvation is “reserved” in heaven which means it’s guaranteed. Most importantly, our salvation unto eternal life is, “kept by the power of God.” God is holding onto our salvation personally until we get to heaven to receive it. If God has our salvation in his hands nothing can loosen his grip on our eternal spirit. God will never let go of us.

John 6:51 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

John 6:35 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6:27 – (Jesus speaking) – Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because Gof the Father has set His seal on Him.

Jesus repeatedly uses the metaphor of food and water to represent salvation and eternal life. Just as we need food and water to survive in our physical bodies, so we need faith in Jesus Christ to be given eternal life in heaven. Our spiritual food and water is provided by our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Salvation is only needed one time for all time; and you can’t lose it. The Bible says once we’re saved God holds our salvation in his hands for us until the last day when our redemption will be completed by Jesus Christ. Once we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God it means we’re saved and the Holy Spirit will never leave us until our death. That’s what it means to be sealed by the Holy Spirit.

When we die the Holy Spirit will take us straight to the presence of Jesus in heaven. The Holy Spirit within us is God’s seal of ownership ensuring we have eternal life. It can never be revoked. Romans 8:38-39, makes it clear that once God has us in the kingdom of God nothing can take us out of his hand. Satan can’t remove us, we can’t sin enough to remove ourselves, and God won’t change his mind and let us go. Once you’ve given your life to Jesus Christ your spot in heaven is secure and it is guaranteed by the power of Almighty God. If you can never lose your salvation you don’t have to worry about having to repeat it.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 10:28 – (Jesus speaking) – And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:29 – (Jesus speaking) – My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

Luke 1:37 – For with God nothing will be impossible.

I’ve never lost my excitement over God’s Word. Every verse in the Bible is a gem, full of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. I’m like a kid in a candy store running to each one saying, “this one is my favorite.” Over the years I have probably had more than a dozen favorite verses. In previous blogs I have identified at least half a dozen verses as my favorite. We usually all start with John 3:16, as our favorite verse. Then we migrate to Psalm 23:4, and possibly the Lord’s Prayer. Personally, I’m fond of Isaiah 1:18, because God is telling us to come reason with him about our salvation. I’ve always been impressed by the fact God is inviting us to come talk to him any time about our salvation.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are like red crimson, they shall be as wool.

Psalm 23:4 – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

My newest favorite Bible verse, and I’m really serious about it this time, is Jeremiah 29:11. Jeremiah was an Old Testament prophet. In the Old Testament times God spoke to Israel through his prophets. God spoke to the prophet directly and the prophet relayed God’s message to the people. In this verse God is sharing a personal message not only to the Jewish people in ancient times but to all people in all times. God is also speaking directly to you as if you’re the only person who matters; as if you’re the only person who has ever lived. Pay close attention to this message from God just for you:

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God is sharing a lot of information in this short verse. I’ll break it down into words and phrases so we can discuss each part and what it means for us personally:

1. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,”

God is speaking to us in the first person by repeatedly using the “I” word which means we’re in a one on one personal conversation with God as if there was no one else present in the room. Because God says “you” it’s just God and you and there’s something he wants you to know from him personally. We know that God thought about us in the past because God made us and we are wonderfully made. By using the word “think” instead of “thought” God is letting us know not only has God thought about us in the past, God is thinking about us now in the present time and he is always thinking about us. We are always on God’s mind. Imagine that, the Creator of the universe is always thinking about us which means we’re important to God. If we’re important to God that means God cares about us. If God cares for us it means he loves us.

2. “says the Lord,”

When God speaks to us directly we’re very important to him. In addition to using the first person “I”, God indicates the situation is current and ongoing by the word “says” instead of “said”. This confirms to us again that God never stops thinking about us. It tells us not only does God love us, God dotes on us like we would for a favorite grandchild.

3. “thoughts of peace and not of evil,”

In this phrase God is telling us what he’s thinking about pertaining to us. We know that our enmity with God came about because of our sin and this resulted in our broken fellowship with God. We know that our sin from Adam has led to our separation from God and the prospect of eternal death in the lake of fire. By using the word “peace” God lets us know he has a salvation plan to end the enmity between God and man, which is faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, not only results in peace with God, it gives us the peace of God. God doesn’t have any evil thoughts. Evil in this phrase refers to the wrath of God, which God has reserved for the unrepentant sinner. This word “peace” lets us know God has only good thoughts toward believers. The saved children of God need not worry about the coming wrath of God and the condemnation which is reserved for the unbeliever. The unsaved will go to hell forever.

4. “to give you a future and a hope.”

Again, because God is saying “you”, it’s meant to be a one on one personal conversation between you and God. “To give” means God is giving something to his children, believers in Christ Jesus. In this phrase when God says “a future” he’s referring to being in heaven with him. After we die there are only two places we can go, heaven or hell, and there certainly is no future in the lake of fire where we’d be in torment forever. So God has in the past, and is now, thinking about our future in heaven in his presence. You’ve got to remember that the Bible says whatever God wants will come to pass so our presence in heaven with our Father is a certainty. When God says he is going to give us “a hope” he is talking about the cross, the resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus paid for our sin debt by his sacrificial death on the cross. In Scripture our blessed “hope” is that when we die we will be also be resurrected and receive a glorified body like Jesus. The Bible assures us Jesus was the first fruits of salvation of which we also will partake.

In summary, Jeremiah 29:11, tells us God is crazy about us and he’s always thinking about us. God has a salvation plan so we can get to heaven and be with him forever. God can’t wait for us to get to heaven so he can shower us with honor, glory and riches beyond our wildest dreams. Do you remember the Bible story about the prodigal son? This story of the prodigal son is really about us and the father in the story represents God. God is revealing something about himself in this story. The father in the prodigal son story sat on his front porch every morning looking off to the horizon hoping to see his boy returning home to him. The father never stopped loving his son and never stopped watching for him to come home. The father never gave up hope that his boy would return to him one day.

Our God is the same way. God made us and sent us off into the world to find our salvation. God is on the front porch of heaven watching and waiting anxiously for us to be saved and return home to him in spirit first and then eventually in heaven in person. The father in the prodigal son finally saw his son coming down the road and rushed to meet him. The father showered his son with kisses, placed a new robe on him and a ring on his finger. The father ordered a celebration feast in the son’s honor. The son didn’t deserve the father’s grace but such was the father’s love that he gave his son all that he had. God is waiting to shower us with the same kind of love, honor, and glory that the prodigal son received.

I’ve spoken to people who’ve accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior but they’re still unsure if they’re really saved or not because they don’t feel any different physically. Some people believe they’re saved but they feel unworthy of being saved and fear they won’t be able to hold onto their salvation if they continue to commit sins. We’re looking at salvation from a human perspective instead of how God sees it. God is good and God is great. Keep that in mind when thinking about God. God is inclusive and his arms are open wide to welcome us into heaven. After all, God has a plan to save us and not condemn us. God does not throw up roadblocks to keep us out of heaven. It’s just the opposite. God would like nothing better than to have all his children join him in heaven. That’s why God has made our salvation as easy as possible. So easy that some people think there must be a catch, but there isn’t. Salvation is a gift of God and not contingent on how we feel about it.

John 10:28 – (Jesus speaking) – And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:29 – (Jesus speaking) – My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

1 John 2:25 – And this is the promise that He has promised us-eternal life.

Our God is a God of mercy but also justice. God wants us with him in heaven but we must make the choice of our own free will. Salvation isn’t about us, it’s about the promises of God. Salvation is a work of God and he’ll handle all the details. God gives us the precious gift of eternal life for his eternal glory. Salvation means eternal life and once something is made eternal by an act of God it cannot then be undone and made “not eternal”. Nobody else could do it and God won’t do it. That would make God a liar and the Word of God untrue. God is ever faithful and will always fulfill his word. If that were not the case then God wouldn’t be God and we’d still be in our sins and have no hope of eternal life. If our salvation is not forever then the Christian faith becomes null and void. Christianity rests on the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of Christ rests on eternal life being permanent when given. Once saved, always saved; otherwise Jesus died in vain.

John 3:18 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 6:40 – (Jesus speaking) – And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:37 – (Jesus speaking) – All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

Hebrews 7:25 – Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those that come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

It’s natural for us to think we are not worthy of salvation; because we aren’t. None of us deserve salvation. Every human being is born with a sin nature from Adam and because of that we all continue to sin the rest of our lives. We can sin less but we can’t stop sinning altogether. Salvation is not about us, it’s about God and his love, mercy and grace toward man, his special creation. We see ourselves and our current sinful state before a holy God and feel we are totally unworthy which is understandable. Because of the vast gulf between a holy God and our sinful state we can’t imagine what God could possibly see in us to make us worth saving. But God made us and to him we’re priceless. God sees us spiritually; how we’ll be in heaven where we’ll be the sinless, glorified sons of God that he has ordained. Whatever God purposes God already sees as a fact because God’s will always comes to pass.

1 Peter 1:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 13:5 – I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Ephesians 1:4-5 – Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

You’re saved because God says you are in his Word. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about what Scripture says on this matter. There are no exceptions. God says what he means and means what he says. God cannot lie and God cannot be unfaithful to his Word. Relax. Trust in God. If you were sincere when you prayed the sinner’s prayer to God you’re saved unto eternal life. That’s it, end of story. You won’t feel any different physically but spiritually you’re a new person because God says you are. When God saves someone unto eternal life he gives that person’s new spirit to his Son Jesus as his own possession and the gift is irrevocable. Would God glorify himself and Jesus by giving our spirit to his Son only to take it back later? I don’t think so. God never changes his mind and God never makes mistakes.

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

In death the soul separates from the body, but believers can never be separated from God. Once you’re saved you’ll always be a child of God. That doesn’t mean we’re free to sin without recourse. We will always be accountable to Jesus for our sins. If we sin persistently God will discipline us like any parent would do for his child. God could spank us in a number of ways and the punishment gets progressively stronger to fit the sin. We could suffer financial loss. We could suffer material loss. We could lose our effective service to God and our fellowship with God could be severed. We could suffer illness. In the worst case scenario, we could suffer physical death where God decides to bring us home before our sins become any more egregious. In all these cases we could potentially lose our reward but our position in heaven as sons of God is safe and secure. Eternal life is ours forever.

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

1 John 3:1 – Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

1 John 5:11 – And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

1 Corinthians 4:15 – For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Romans 11:29 – For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Do you remember the movie, “The Green Mile,” starring Tom Hanks? It was a movie about inmates on death row back in the 1930’s. Have you ever imagined yourself in a similar situation, on death row awaiting your execution by the electric chair or by lethal injection? Imagine that all legal challenges to reverse your sentence have failed and the only hope you have left to avoid execution is a last minute a pardon from the governor of whatever state your prison is in. I have a vivid imagination and I’ve thought about how I would feel in that situation. But my mind didn’t stay on that topic for very long because the thought of being on death row was uncomfortable to think about. In fact, it is a downright scary subject to dwell on. Most of us shudder at the thought of being on death row and say to ourselves, “I hope I never do anything that puts me there.”

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.

John 3:36 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

It’s also human nature to put off thinking about our own mortality. We all know we’re going to die someday but most of us just put off thinking about it altogether. Just like we put off thinking about God and what we ought to do about him. One of the problems that we have is a lack of information that stems from us not reading God’s Word. The Bible provides all the knowledge, understanding and wisdom we’ll ever need to make informed choices about our lives. Let me be clear. Every person who has even been born on this earth comes into the world already on death row. When Adam fell from grace in the Garden of Eden for the sin of disobeying God Adam’s sin was passed on to all men who came after him. That was the spiritual law of imputation at work. That sin nature we human beings received at birth causes all of us to continue to sin on earth all our lives There are no exceptions.

Romans 3:20 – Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Ephesians 2:1-2 – And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.

God cannot abide sin and he won’t allow sin in heaven. Even thought God made man to fellowship with him in heaven our sin separated us from God. One of the spiritual laws of heaven is the wages of sin is death. Since we’re all born in sin our sentence is death. I’m not talking only about our physical death (the first death) which we all have to face. I’m also referring to our spiritual death sentence (the second death) in the lake of fire for eternity which we’ve all earned by our sins. God knew we couldn’t remove our sins and save ourselves so he sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. Jesus came to redeem us so our sins could be forgiven. God is better than any governor could be because only God can issue us a pardon that’ll get us off spiritual death row. Only God can pardon or forgive our sins, which will restore the broken fellowship between God and man and allow us to go to heaven to be with the Lord forever. Our deliverance by God can only come through our belief in Jesus Christ and our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Luke 19:10 – (Jesus speaking) – For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

1 John 5:12 – He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

You either have everlasting life within you or the wrath of God upon you. Those are your only two choices. Another spiritual law of the kingdom of God is that you must accept God’s mercy and grace unto eternal life before you physically die. The wrath of God hangs over all the unsaved like the sword of Damocles. Imagine you’re facing the guillotine and your neck is already in the notch waiting for the blade to fall and end your life. Only the thread of a human heartbeat keeps the blade from falling on the neck of all unbelievers. The moment believers are saved unto eternal life God removes their neck from the notch of the guillotine leading to spiritual death. By our faith in Jesus God has forgiven our sins.

Hebrews 9:27 – And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

God has given us his Word, the Holy Bible, so we can become aware of the spiritual blade that is suspended over our heads and so that we can remove ourselves from the danger. God exhorts us all throughout the Bible to study his Word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom so we’re aware of the danger of spiritual death we all face. You cannot act appropriately in this world until you know what to do and the Bible tells us everything we need to know. The Bible is key to understanding what we’re supposed to do in this world so it’s critical we read it. God made us and he has a reason for everything he does. God is allowing our time here on earth as our grace period, our “testing time”, for us to decide whether we will serve God or Satan and the Bible is our guide to the truth of God.

John 1:4 – In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God’s grace automatically extends to all children from conception up to the age of decision, which is normally around twelve years old. It varies depending on the individual. God is both merciful and just. When a person is old enough to make a decision about God he must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to be saved unto eternal life. To reject Jesus or to make no decision means we don’t get our pardon from God and we remain on spiritual death row. On the last day when Jesus judges the unsaved the death sentence will be carried out. Unbelievers will be tossed into the lake of fire for eternity.

Here’s the picture I want you to hold in your head. Imagine you’re bobbing up and down in the lake of fire and brimstone like a cork. You’re screaming your head off because you’re in constant pain and agony 24 hours a day of every day for all of eternity. Remember that a hundred billion years is only a blink of the eyes in eternity. No matter how uncomfortable it may be to think about our impending death, thinking about the alternative of going to hell is downright terrifying to contemplate but we must do it. Our eternal soul depends on it. We must avoid the fate of eternal damnation at all costs. We must take action now and make the right decision before it’s too late. We’re only a heartbeat away from either heaven or hell so please repeat the sinner’s prayer to God right now and ensure your eternal destination is heaven and not the lake of fire.