November 10, 2005

• There’s a popular lie out there that says a believer can doubt they are saved. Perhaps you believe this lie. Well, it’s actually not that “humble” to question your salvation. Read 1 John 5:10. “The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.”
  
  God has testified that everyone who believes the gospel, “IS justified”, “IS born of God,” “IS saved,” and “shall NOT come into judgment”. Now, if it was possible for someone to believe the gospel, but doubt their salvation, then that would mean a believer could CALL GOD A LIAR. Because if a believer doubts their salvation, they are denying God’s promise to save ALL believers.
  
  This is why John says, believers do not call God a liar. Instead, “The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself … And this is the witness: that God gave us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son.” So, all believers HAVE THE WITNESS in their consciences. And what is “the witness”? “God gave us everlasting life.” To believe the witness, therefore, is to KNOW that YOU have everlasting life. It is to have a BARE BELIEF OF THE BARE TRUTH. It’s to credit the testimony of God, and to be convicted that God’s promises are sure and certain. In other words, receiving or coming to Christ is MERELY to believe the gospel. “As many as RECEIVED Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones BELIEVING into His name”(John 1:12).
  
  It’s not like an elect sinner rationalizes their way into the gospel. They don’t gradually “find out” about the True God’s character. Conversion is a SUDDEN, TOTALLY UNEXPECTED change of mind to the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. “Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those not seeking Me; I became known to those not inquiring after Me.” … And your ears shall hear a word BEHIND you, saying, This is the way, walk in it.”
  
  In fact, prior to conversion, you can know NOTHING of the True God. You are ignorantly worshipping devils. “But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served as slaves to the ones by nature not being gods. But now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and poor elements to which you desire again to slave anew?” (Gal 4:8-9).
  
  There’s only One God, and He has one peculiar character. If someone does NOT believe in attributes of God outlined in Scripture, then they do not believe in God at all, but an idol. “And there is no God other than Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none except Me.” (Isa 45:21). So, if you do not believe in the Just God and Savior of the Scripture YOU ARE A RANK ATHEIST. There are no other gods besides this Jehovah, and since you do not believe in Him, you have missed out on Theism (so to speak) and are left, with, and only with, Atheism.
  
  On the other hand, maybe you claim to believe in the Just God and Savior of the Scripture. If so, I have some questions for you.
  
  Is your God really and truly just? Can he say, “cursed is everyone who does not keep all these statutes”, “unless your righteousness surpasses the Scribes and Pharisees you shall not see the kingdom of God,” “For whoever shall keep all the Law, but stumbles in one, he has become guilty of all,” “the soul that sins shall die.”
  
  In other words, does your God DEMAND ABSOLUTE, UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE and pronounce a CURSE on ALL who cannot meet His demand?
  
  This is the God of the Scripture. He will NOT fellowship with anyone who does not have a righteousness EQUAL to His own. “Who shall go up into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall rise in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity and has not sworn deceit. He shall lift up the blessing from Jehovah, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psa 24:2-5).
  
  Now, the only man who has ever had a righteousness EQUAL to God, is the God-man Jesus Christ. Only He had clean hands and a pure heart. Psalm 24, from which that expression is taken, is INTERPRETED in the New Testament as a Psalm about Christ. In Ephesians 4:8, the Apostle Paul interprets the expression “having gone up on high” (from Psalm 68) as speaking of Christ. Now, this expression is very similar to Psalm 24, “rise in His holy place … go up into the hill of Jehovah.” Both Psalms are speaking of Christ.
  
  This explains how God can be Just and a Savior at the same time. We spoke earlier about how God DEMANDS perfect perpetual obedience to His Law. Well, Christ obeyed that Law perfectly whilst He lived. And guess what? When He did this he was acting as a SUBSTITUTE (in the place of others). “Through the obedience of the One the many shall be constituted righteous.” (Rom 5:19). “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, having come into being out of a woman, having come under Law, that He might redeem the ones under Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Gal 4:4-5).
  
  This means that when God transfers Christ’s obedience into a sinner’s account, that sinner is justified (declared not guilty). It means that the chief of sinners do not have to love, obey or commit themselves in order to get God’s favor. The Father is ALREADY perfectly “WELL PLEASED” with the work of the Son. So, NOTHING is required for the elect sinner’s justification. Let me say it again: Abraham was JUSTIFIED APART from his love to God, He was declared righteous by the object of his faith, Christ. Christ’s righteousness was IMPUTED to Abraham.
  
  But there is still a question unanswered. What happened to God’s curse on all who sin? Doesn’t the soul that sins die?
  
  This is were The Atonement comes into view. Christ took ALL the Elect’s iniquity on the cross, and suffered HELL in place of them. Here is a glimpse into the suffering He underwent for them — Christ says in the Psalms, ” My wounds have putrefied and rotted … But I am poor and in pain; O God … The cords of death hemmed me in; and the pains of Sheol found me; I find distress and sorrow … Look on my affliction and my pain … My heart is pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling come on me; and horror has covered me. …  Evening and morning and at noon I will complain and cry aloud; and He will hear my voice. … O God, do not be far from me; my God come quickly to help me. … Unless Jehovah had been my help, my soul would almost have dwelt in silence. … O Jehovah my God, help me; save me according to Your mercy … Let Your hand help me; for I have chosen Your Precepts. … All Your Commands are faithful; they persecute me with lying; help me! … Let my soul live and it will praise You; and let Your judgments help me.”
  
  As the New Testament says, Christ was made a CURSE, made sin (i.e. the elect’s sin were transferred to him) and suffered the chastisement of the Father.
  
  This is the gospel. Do you believe it?
  

  • 9:32 pm
  • 2 Comments