Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 8 - We shall reign in life through Jesus Christ)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 8 - We shall reign in life through Jesus Christ)

Wow!!!! Part 7 was an incredible post! Paul, through inspiration, imparted to us some deep spiritual knowledge concerning two salvation experiences, and then topped it off with a few "much more" statements that lay out the blessings of God's grace and love for us through Christ. One thing remains constant though in this section of Romans, but ultimately through all Paul's epistles, and that is that EVERYTHING is in, and through, Christ. God has elevated Jesus Christ to his right hand. No other man has come close to, or could ever attain to, the righteousness of Christ, and this is gloriously seen in the way that God has resurrected him from death and raised him up, FAR, FAR above, seating him in the place of honour and highest glory, at the right hand of God, and has given him all things, and has placed all things under his feet, and has given him all power, and a name above every other, Eph.1:20-23.

Dear reader, I want you to take note at how extensively God has rewarded Jesus Christ. What caused God to honour Jesus as much as this? Is it because Jesus is God's Son? Many would think that God honoured Jesus because Jesus is God’s Son, but the honour is not because of title. No. The honour and glory that God bestowed upon Jesus is because of his faith, obedience and humility. See this scripture for confirmation:

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 7 - Much more then, being now justified)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 7 - Much more then, being now justified)

If you have been following this study, you should be well aware that we have been looking at justification, which is the first step of the broader term called salvation. Romans 5 is a transitional chapter that moves us out of Romans 1 to 4, concerning justification, and into Romans 6 to 8, which leads us into the beginning of sanctification. 

Word statistics in the KJV helps to confirm this fact because it is interesting to note that if you search for all spelling variants of justification, there are 29 entries scattered about in Paul's epistles. Out of those 29, 25 of them are in Romans and Galatians, and 4 additional entries in the rest of his epistles. In Romans there are 17 matches where 15 are in Romans chapters 1 to 5 and 2 in Romans 8. There are 8 in Galatians, because Paul's letter to them is to do with correcting their wayward understanding of salvation: see Gal.3:2-3. The point I'm making is that the believer is educated in the foundational understanding of justification in Romans, and then corrected in its practice in Galatians. So, barring these two books, Paul never teaches directly about justification again, because a believer, even by the end of Romans 5, should have settled on the truth of justification and moved past this serving of 'milk', into 'meatier' truths in the curriculum of Paul's doctrine.

As mentioned in the closing statements of part 6, I'd like to expound on something important in Paul's closing statements concerning justification. Let's first read the passage and then I want to provide some interesting insights in these verses,

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth [entrusts, commits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  (9)  MUCH MORE then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be SAVED FROM WRATH through him.  (10)  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, we shall be SAVED BY HIS LIFE.  (11)  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Reconciled AND saved by his life are different parts of God's salvation

Reconciled AND saved by his life are different parts of God's salvation

Read this verse in Romans chapter 5 and take special note of the tenses used to describe reconciliation and salvation by his life.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Let's take a deeper look at what it is saying:

--being reconciled

Reconciliation is the first part of our salvation. It is the part that the majority of believers understand and relate to. Reconciliation comes about by being justified through the hearing and believing of the grace gospel. In simple terms, Romans chapters 1 to 4 educate us on God's righteousness, man's unrighteousness and ungodliness, God's wrath upon those who reject Him, and God's grace upon those who believe in His Son. It is through this grace of God, by means of the cross of Christ and His resurrection, that God can be just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus, Rom 3:26. 

This justification was settled 2000-years ago at the cross. God's decree is that those who believe on the cross work of His Son freely receive this justification. This is already done, hence it being past tense. We are given confirmation of this fact in chapter 5, which is the conclusion of chapters 1 to 4. Chapter 5 and verse 1 starts with the word, "Therefore...", which means that we take into account all that was said in chapters 1 to 4, and then we conclude with this:

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  (2)  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Our salvation does not end at the cross! There is MUCH MORE to what Jesus did for us!

His cross marks the start of your salvation, His resurrection is God's power to run the race and win the prize of the high calling of God.

Don't be blinded in your mind by the enemy. Don't remain ignorant and childlike in the faith. Get into the Word of God and let it educate and sharpen you unto the full redemption plan of God and His purpose for your future and vocation in the ages to come. Our Lord's cross marks the start of your salvation; His resurrection is God's power to run the race and win the prize of the high calling of God.

Read this important message here:

https://thebigpictureviews.blogspot.com/2024/09/his-cross-marks-start-of-your-salvation.html

Understanding functional death and spiritual life in Paul's doctrine

Understanding functional death and spiritual life in Paul's doctrine

The reason a lot of people don’t have assurance of salvation today is because their faith has never been rooted and grounded in the first cornerstone of the Romans foundation, concerning the righteousness of God. Israel was ignorant of God's righteousness, and because of that, they continued to establish their own, Rom.10:1-4. One can distinguish a man who has placed his trust in the righteousness of God from one who has not. The man who hasn’t, is still trying to establish their own righteousness through the works of the law. Righteousness under the grace doctrine is not our own righteousness, nor our repentance, nor some religious experience we had 25 years ago. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Our faith today is rooted and grounded upon the very righteousness of God through Christ, Rom.3:21-28.

Look at Rom.5:21: “That as sin hath reigned unto death...” How then did sin reign unto death? Through Adam's disobedience and the law of God. Let’s continue, “As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness.” Now let’s ask, “who’s righteousness is this verse speaking of?” Yours and mine? God’s grace doesn’t reign through our righteousness, God’s grace reigns through the righteousness of His Son. You have access now to the grace of God because of Christ's righteousness, not yours. And the purpose of this grace that now reigns through righteousness is to get rid of the death that came by sin and to bring eternal life. Life and death deal with your relationship to sin and righteousness. A man that’s bound to sin is a man that’s in death. A man who cannot live unto righteousness is a man that’s dead to God. Romans 6 and 7 speaks a lot concerning death, but this is not death in the context of our physical death. Much of the context of death in these chapters is functional death, meaning that a person has no profit to God and cannot function in the spirit of righteousness and godliness. 

You wouldn't even know you had the Holy Spirit unless the Bible told you.

You wouldn't even know you had the Holy Spirit unless the Bible told you.

Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh, Gal.3:3? So how did the Galatians get the Spirit of God? By the hearing of faith which comes through the written word. Ephesians 1:13 says, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, unto the day of redemption." You were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption. Did you feel that happen when you got saved? Did you feel the Spirit of God come into you and circumcise you, and put off the body and the sins of the flesh, and take your soul and join it to the Lord Jesus Christ? You didn't feel any of these things. The Word says that we walk by faith. You wouldn't even know you had the Holy Spirit unless the Bible told you. The Holy Spirit did not come upon you like with Peter, James, and John, when they started talking in tongues, displaying mighty signs and miracles, and laying hands on the sick. Their dispensation was one of signs and sight. The truth is that we are in a different dispensation: one of faith; not of feelings! Thus, anyone who is seeking for the Spirit through signs, through feelings, through their physical senses, are not walking in the faith of our doctrine. They are living in ignorance of the written word of God according to the doctrine given to the Body of Christ through Paul’s epistles.

What does the scriptures say? The scriptural truth is that once you hear the gospel and put your trust in Jesus Christ, you are regenerated by the Spirit of God, and that Spirit of God baptizes you into Christ, sealing you there to the day of redemption. Then from that moment on you are to ‘drink in that spirit’ that comes from spending time in the word of God, 1Cor.12:13, not seeking it by the laying on of hands or trying to find that fresh anointing of the spirit at the church alter.  The written word of God is God’s spirit and life, Jn.6:63. When you partake in the word, you are ‘filled by God’s spirit’, Eph.5:18, renewed in your mind, increasing in the mind of Christ, 1Cor.2:16, in tune with the will and the judgements of God. We receive the Spirit of God by spending time in His Word and we walk by that Spirit when we give ourselves over in obedience to that word that is Spirit and life within us.

Redeeming the time on things of eternal value

Redeeming the time on things of eternal value

Do you realize that the vast majority of what happens in time is irrelevant. If it has nothing to do with God’s Son and living by His Word, it counts very little in the utter vastness of eternity. This small vapour of a life we have in this body is NOTHING compared to the eternity we will spend in one of two places. If you believe in Jesus Christ and His cross work, then you are called to an eternal, heavenly vocation, Eph 4:1, and you should be giving serious consideration to that life and purpose in the ages to come, which is being affected by what we do today. Read 1Co 3:10-15 for some details.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes Solomon says,

Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

How does Romans 5 to 8 work in a Human Being? (Part 1 - One Human, Three Parts)

How does Romans 5 to 8 work in a Human Being? (Part 1 - One Human, Three Parts)

The following post is a personal interpretation of my understanding of the tri-part structure of a human being, and how the living Word (or Spirit) of God works within these parts. The focus of the extended study is not so much on the different parts of the human, but rather to investigate how the Word of God works within the human, and which part of them it affects most. There is an interesting twist in the study, as Paul also introduces two lives, or two 'laws' within the human, that is of greater significance, and to which this study will invest more time to understand.

The Tri-part Structure of a Human Being

The Bible tells us that every human is a tri-part being. Spirit, soul, and body. Let's see what the Word has to say about this.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 4: Positional Grace: The Two Administrations)

Start this post series from the beginning, here.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 4: Positional Grace: The Two Administrations)

This is the second part of Positional Grace. To gain proper context, please review Positional Grace (Part 1) before reading this post. 

In part 1 of Positional Grace we learned that this first level of grace is set in place in the heavens. In essence, positional grace is your justification. The moment you believe in Jesus Christ, hearing and responding to the gospel of grace, you become eternally saved. There are events that happen in heaven that account for your saved status. This is expounded upon in part 1, but the key points of these events are as follows,

The Debate on Eternal Security

The Debate on Eternal Security

There is so much debate and misunderstanding on the subject of eternal security. The moment one mentions the phrase “once saved, always saved”, it triggers such backlash from others in the community saying that this is a false doctrine and there is no scriptural evidence for this. Then they go about trying to prove the opposite, that one can lose their salvation. They grab their Bibles and list the following scriptures below, adding a bunch of conditions and requisites to state their case.

Matthew 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 
Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Hebrews 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 
Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 

The Journey: Part 4 - The Two Natures of a Believer in Christ

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 4 - The Two Natures of a Believer in Christ

As we progress in this journey, we need to keep two things in mind,

First, to provide us hope, strength, and passion to continue, we must know what our destination is.  We are making our way to that destination of being adopted sons of God and being glorified beyond measure in our Head, Jesus Christ. The vehicle to get us there is the Word of God, and our fuel is studying the Word so that it becomes part of us, quickening us in spirit and energizing us to growth. 

Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ

Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ

QUESTION:

What will happen to the souls of those who died before Jesus Christ? Did they go to the nothingness or hell if they didn’t know Jesus’ name. They died before Him. So where are they now?

If the time of Jesus death have no meaning, then what meaning has it? Why was His death needed? If He did not die, would we go to hell?

I don’t get it. If they will be saved even before Jesus’ death, then His death is pointless. If it has any meaning and value, then why would those who died before Him be damned? Isn’t that proof that we aren’t equal before God at all?

ANSWER:

The doctrine of death and the afterlife is wide and there are many different theories. Some believe in “soul sleep” which means while the body is 6-feet under at death, they are aware of nothing. No consciousness, no thinking or experiences, but just waiting in ‘sleep’ for their resurrection in their order. The Bible has many references that can suggest this.

Eternal Life or Eternal Death – Man's Choice

Article written by Arthur J Licursi (on his website here)

The "gospel of Christ" is the most glorious offering our creator God could make unto lost mankind.

"For I [Paul] am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it [Paul's "gospel of the grace of God" for this age] is The Power of God unto Salvation to every one that BELIEVETH…" (Romans 1:16 (KJV))

The one caveat in the above verse is to "BELIEVE," trusting in Christ, as the Sole Basis of One's Salvation. This means all men are free to Choose Salvation unto eternal life or, alternatively, they may reject Christ… unto "everlasting destruction."

Q-A: Why do we go through Suffering? Suffering does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.