MY DAILY BIBLE STUDIES - ASSURANCE OF SALVATION All God’s promises (eternal life, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, etc.) are valid to those who believing in God’s Son. Faith unto salvation is not a one-time, once-for-all faith (“I believed in Jesus seventy years ago so of course I’m saved), but it is an active, living faith that continues day by day to the end “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” {Study - I Peter 1:9 KJV}. Are you walking in obedience and believing in Jesus today? Is the oil in your lamp full today? The KJV Bible says, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” {Study - II Corinthians 6:2 KJV}, for none of us has a guarantee of tomorrow. If Jesus came back today, would you be eager to see Him or ashamed before Him? Jesus said that the branches that do not abide in the vine will wither, be cut off, cast into the fire, and burned “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” {Study - John 15:6 KJV}. We are warned: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” {Study - Philippians 2:12-13 KJV}. This does not mean we need to constantly fear losing our salvation; it means that salvation is a lifetime race of faith and patience, whereby we allow God to complete His work in us. A person must run the race and be found in Christ when he or she dies (or when Jesus returns) in order to partake of Jesus’ eternal inheritance “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” {Study - I Corinthians 9:24 KJV} – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” {Study - Hebrews 12:1 KJV}. “How then can I ever be assured of my salvation?” The answer is that assurance of salvation is found only in an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not found in a denominational creed, in doing good works for God, or in repeating a sinner’s prayer. No person or church has the authority to grant someone (dead or alive) certainty of salvation. Only the Spirit of Christ (Holy Spirit) within the heart of a believer has such authority. When you know and follow the voice of Jesus your Shepherd, a confidence and assurance will arise in your heart. “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” {Study - John 10:4-5 KJV}. Jesus’ sheep walk in obedience to His voice, know Him intimately, and are “living epistles” of the Gospel. “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:” {Study - II Corinthians 3:2 KJV]. THE CIRCUIT RIDER < <
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 23:11:16 +0000
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