Grace Gospel 101 (Part 5): Eternal Security

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 5): Eternal Security

Start with Part 1 of the series here.

In a previous post we learned the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins. The last lesson taught us that salvation cannot be gained through any merit on our part. We must trust in Christ and His death on the cross for our sins. Now we come to two vitally important questions about salvation. Is it possible to know that you have salvation? After believing the gospel, is it possible to lose your salvation?

Assurance of Salvation

Will you go to heaven when you die? Having asked many people this question, I have received answers such as: "I hope so"; "I think so"; "I don't know"; and "No one can know until he dies." Let us consider this important question: Is it possible to know that you have salvation? Some would say that it is a sin of presumption to say that you know that you are saved. They insist that no one can know this until his life ends and he comes before God. What does the Bible say?

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13).

A Workman, Approved by God

A Workman, Approved by God

2Ti 2:15-17  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  (16)  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.  (17)  And their word will eat as doth a canker: …

What do we do with verses like the above? Do we steer away from them because they are too serious and foreboding? Do we ignore them because they are too weighty or admonishing? It is in times like these that we need to remember that these are not just words in a book, but that they are the words of God, our Creator, and words that carry life and truth that cannot be disregarded.

These verses tell us that there is a certain way of studying and understanding God’s Word. If we adhere to this, God approves us as workmen. If we do not adhere to that specific form of study, we are not approved by God as workmen, and we bring shame upon ourselves and upon the written Word. That shame and dishonour comes in the form of profane and vain babblings. Now, just stop there and take note. What is the message we are learning here? It comes down to this. If we do not study, understand, and communicate the Word of God in a specific way, the words that come from our mouth becomes profane, and is no more than useless babble to those that listen! That useless message, over time, will increase towards ungodliness, and will spread over and consume, not merely destroying the parts immediately affected, but will extend into the surrounding healthy parts and destroy them also. So it is with erroneous, unapproved doctrines. They will not merely eat out the truth in the particular matter to which they refer, but they will also spread over and corrupt other truths.

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 4): Salvation by Faith

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 4): Salvation by Faith

Start with Part 1 of the series here.

Man's Efforts

In the previous post we learned that all men have sinned against a holy God. This post taught us that sin results in a terrible penalty--eternal suffering in hell. We also learned about the good news; Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins. Though Christ died for the sins of all men, the Bible teaches that many men will not have their sins forgiven. Multitudes will suffer in hell for all of eternity. Who will be saved from hell? How can you be saved from hell?

All men are, in some way, aware of their sin problem and need of salvation. They may feel guilty, depressed, lonely, full of hatred, hopeless, empty inside, etc. Thus, men are looking for salvation from their problems and negative emotions. Some people have enough understanding to know that the problem is that sin separates them from God. They know that they need to be forgiven. The following are some ways that men try to solve their problems or obtain salvation:

God’s Multipart Plan to Redeem HEAVEN and EARTH (Part 1)

God’s Multipart Plan to Redeem HEAVEN and EARTH (Part 1)

If you look carefully at the timeline in the image, something is missing. You might even be able to identify the missing part without taking the clue from the books of the bible indicated in the bottom row.

Did you identify the missing part? Well, if you don’t know about rightly dividing (2Tim.2:15), and you are not familiar with the mystery doctrine of Paul, you would have needed the clue using the book names in the bottom row. If this is you, then I want to encourage you to take note and learn from this series of posts, as this will improve your interpretation of scripture, and provide you a deeper and more profound understanding of the Word of truth.

Now, let me start with the very first verse in the bible. Believe it or not, but it contains a very important key to understanding scripture,

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 3): Christ's Death

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 3): Christ's Death

Start with Part 1 of the series here.

Good News

All men have sinned against a holy God. Sin results in a terrible penalty--eternal suffering in hell. However, we will learn about God's marvelous love for mankind. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

The good news in the Bible is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. He paid the penalty for my sin and yours. Many people think that Christ came to earth mainly to set an example or teach us how to live. However, the primary reason for the birth of Jesus Christ was that He might die on the cross for our sins. There are many religions that claim to have wonderful teachings given by some holy man. However, only the Bible tells us that the Son of God came to earth and died for our sins. Jesus Christ "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25).

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 2): Sin's Penalty

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 2): Sin's Penalty

Start with Part 1 of the series here

Penalty or Discipline?

In a previous lesson we learned that all men are born with a sin nature and that all men are sinners by their own will. Even children are sinners. They lie, cheat, steal, and hate without even being taught to do these things. Now we will consider the serious consequences that sin brings. There are, of course, natural consequences to sin. As a child our parents may spank us if we lie. If we are caught stealing, we will be in trouble according to the laws of our nation. However, the full penalty of sin is still in the future.

God is a holy God and His wrath must come upon all that offend Him. The penalty of sin is not that God will discipline us. God may discipline out of love to correct His child (Hebrews 12:6). Sin's penalty however, comes from the justice of God and is intended to punish, not correct, the sinner. When a murderer is put to death, this does not correct him, but gives to him the penalty of his sin. In the same way, there is a penalty for sinning against a holy God.