How do we know that our salvation is secure? We live in a time and society where just about everything we buy is made sure by a warranty. When you buy a new car, it comes with a three year warranty. Now you can extend that warranty at the time of purchase to six years. Television, household appliances, and athletic gear, to name a few, are all covered by a warranty, and you can extend those warranties. Merchants are very aware that by backing their product with a warranty will help in selling their product. The whole idea behind a warranty is the longevity of a product We want to extend our lives by paying attention to nutrition and exercise. If we develop a medical condition, the doctor prescribes medications that helps in extending our lives. There is a vast amount attention spent on wanting to live longer and enjoy the “golden years” of our lives. It is as though there is something within each of us that desires to live longer. There is nothing wrong with wanting to live longer. I believe it speaks to the fact that God has designed our human bodies to be a temporary dwelling place for our souls, with the desire to extend our lives. When God sent Jesus to the cross to die for our sins, He provided a way to eternal life. It comes with conditions and a warranty. The conditions to have our lives extended for eternity are found in the Bible. God has made it very clear what it takes to serve Him. Let us look at the conditions that God requires to obtain the gift of eternal life. The starting point - John 3:15-17 - It is God‘s desire that everyone on earth be saved, and given the gift of eternal life. These verses clearly tell us what God wants for each one of us. “15 ‘That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” The next step - What does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? Knowing this opens the door to being saved from our sins and physical death. Everyone dies, that is reality, but what happens to the believer in Jesus Christ? John, an apostle of Jesus Christ, tells us that Jesus said, we won’t perish, because we will be given eternal life. The best way to discern what it means to believe in Jesus Christ is by obeying what Jesus said. We see that the apostles carried out what Jesus said to do, as recorded in the Book of Acts. Let us start with what Jesus said concerning salvation and then how the apostles carried out His instructions. Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus, in these verses, spoke to the eleven disciples, and gave them their commission, which is referred to as the Great Commission Matthew 28:16-17 “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’ ” The start of the church began with Peter standing up with the eleven apostles, who were all filled with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and he preached the first sermon, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which began the New Testament Era. His sermon is recorded in Acts 2:14-40. What we have recorded for us in the Book of Acts, is the carrying out of the Great Commission, which was given to the disciples by Jesus Christ. And when Peter concluded the message, given to him by God through the Holy Spirit, the multitude that were assembled together and heard the message were “pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The multitude that was there, were made up of Jews who had come from all parts of the world to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. We see in the verses to follow how they responded to the good news of Jesus Christ. Acts 2: 36-40 “36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Believing in Jesus Christ means that a sinner convicted of sin in his or her life, will repent of their sins and be baptized by immersion in water, for the remission of their sins. In Acts 8:36-39, there is one more thing that needs to be done and that is confessing the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God. In this passage of Scripture, The Spirit spoke to Philip and told him to go and join himself to the chariot the Ethiopian Eunuch was traveling in. What we have in this passage of Scripture, in addition to believing in Jesus, is confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Ethiopian Eunuch believed in Jesus Christ and showed repentance by wanting to be baptized in water by immersion. “29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.” Therefore, believing in Jesus Christ means that a believer will confess Jesus Christ, before others, repent of their sins and be baptized, by immersion, in water. Then what follows is living faithfully for Jesus Christ, by obeying His commandments. John 14:12-17 “12 ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” The book of Acts is the recorded Word of God, concerning the history of the church. Therefore, the great commission Jesus gave the twelve apostles, in Matthew 28:18-20, was carried out by them as recorded in the Book of Acts. Now that we have seen what it means to believe in Jesus, what happens when we die? For the answer to this question, let us look at 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. 2 Corinthians 5:1 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, told the saints at Corinth, Greece, that there is another body waiting for them when they die. “1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’ Paul uses the analogy of an “earthly house” that refers to the human body in verse 1. He reassured the saints at Corinth, that if they died they had a glorified body, of God, that they would have to live in for eternity. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 - Paul said that there was another body for the Christian. “42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-58 has the entire account of the body we will have in eternity. 2 Corinthians 5:2-5 - God has given the Holy Spirit as a seal of His promise to Christians. “2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.” Paul said to the saints at Corinth, that they all looked for that time when they would be given their bodies, which are from heaven. He also said that God has sealed the promise of eternal life by the “earnest of the Spirit.” Therefore, what God has promised, He will bring about. In the meantime, let us be steadfast in our faith. “57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 References: King James Version Bible Gateway - Thank you for public access to Bible verses. By Public Domain bible hub /john/14-15. Thank you for the reference to where Jesus said “ ‘ If you love me, keep my commandments.’ ”
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:02:37 +0000
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