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Tag: The Truths of Salvation

Habitual sin not saved

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in The Truths of Salvation, What’s new?.

If I struggle with a habitual sin, does that mean I am not saved?

On this side of heaven, every Christian will struggle with sin. The apostle John writes to believers of every generation: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8, NLT, see also 1 John 1:10). If Christians were destined never to wrestle with sin, then Jesus would not have taught His followers to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12, NLT). The good news is that, even though we still sin, we can confess our sins to the Lord, receive His forgiveness and cleansing, and remain in fellowship with God (see 1 John 1:9).

The Bible clearly shows that, after salvation, Christians continue to sin. No one is perfect. James writes, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way” (James 3:2, NLT; see also Philippians 3:12; James 3:8; 4:17). The author of Hebrews describes the believer’s battle with habitual sin and the need to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up” (Hebrews 12:1, NLT). In Romans 7:14–25, the apostle Paul writes openly and honestly of his struggle with sin: “The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (verses 14–15, NLT).

Habitual sin won’t cause us to lose our salvation or keep us out of heaven, but it can hinder our fellowship with God if we don’t humbly confess and continually seek restoration. As we grapple with sin in our Christian walk, we must never give up the fight or give in to our sinful desires. If we are to be adequately armed for the battle, it helps to understand what happens to us when we are saved. As soon as we place our faith in Jesus Christ and receive His salvation, we become new creations in Jesus Christ. Our old life of sin is dead and gone, and a new life begins (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4). At the same time, we are just starting a spiritual growth process called sanctification.

At the moment of salvation, God gives us the Holy Spirit to initiate an internal work of conforming us into the image of His Son (see Romans 8:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). He starts making us more and more like Jesus, and He continues the work over our lifetime (Philippians 1:6). It is a slow progression of “being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The process will not be complete until we see Jesus face-to-face (1 John 3:2). Only then will our struggle with sin cease.

God does the work, but we must submit ourselves into His hands and cooperate with Him. (Matthew 26:41; Luke 12:15; 1 Peter 5:6–11; James 4:7). Paul encourages all believers to “press on toward the goal” of Christian maturity (Philippians 3:12–14). Pursuing a lifestyle of habitual sin will impede our ability to live in the light, grace, and freedom that Jesus Christ intended for us (see Romans 6:11–14; 13:12–14). We can’t let guilt over sin take us out of the fight (Romans 8:1–17), nor should we allow God’s gracious willingness to forgive our sins to lull us into callous apathy, feeling like we can go on sinning (Romans 6:1–14).

John urges, “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:1–2, NLT).

God has given us Jesus Christ to advocate for us. Even when we do our best not to sin, we fall short sometimes. When we fail, we must remember that all is not lost. Jesus stands before the Father, pleading our case. He “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15, NLT). We can come to Jesus and find mercy and grace to help us with our struggle against habitual sin (see Hebrews 4:16). He paid the price and the penalty for our sins, including those committed after we were saved (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:25; Colossians 2:13–14; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24).

Scripture teaches us to be honest with ourselves and God about our struggle against sin, recognizing that we are incapable of overcoming the battle in our own strength and power. We can only be victorious by relying on the power of God’s Holy Spirit, letting the Spirit guide our lives (Galatians 5:16), walking and living by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), trying not to stifle the Spirit’s work (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30) but seeking instead to be filled with the Spirit, surrendering entirely to His control (Ephesians 5:15–20).

We can ask the Lord to discipline us in whatever way necessary to overcome any habitual sins in our lives. We can be smart and on guard in our struggle with sin (2 Peter 3:17; Romans 6:12–14), resisting temptations (Hebrews 12:4; James 4:7), avoiding enticements (1 Thessalonians 5:22), standing on God’s Word (Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16), and seeking the way of escape that God provides (1 Corinthians 10:13). It may take a lifetime, but by God’s grace, we will experience continuing, growing victory over sin.

Golden chain of salvation

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What is the golden chain of salvation / redemption?

In Romans 8:29–30, the apostle Paul presents a concise yet breathtaking formulation of God’s redemptive work from eternity to eternity:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
(ESV).

This passage introduces readers to five essential doctrines: (1) foreknowledge, (2) predestination, (3) calling, (4) justification, and (5) glorification. These doctrines are intricately linked, forming an unbreakable bond often called the “golden chain of salvation.”

The chain begins with God’s foreknowledge. This doctrine is probably the most misunderstood, although the same could be said about predestination. The word foreknowledge is composed of two separate words: fore, meaning “beforehand,” and knowledge. So, to foreknow is “to know beforehand.” This does not mean that God foreknew or foresaw our faith and then chose us to be “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” To the contrary, it means that, before the foundation of the world, God set His seal of affection upon those He purposed to elect (cf. Ephesians 1:4–5).

The next link in the golden chain of salvation is predestination, which is also composed of two word parts: pre-, meaning “beforehand,” and destination. Thus to be predestined is “to be destined beforehand.” The difference between foreknowledge and predestination is that the former does not tell us what God has destined (or planned) for the elect. This is where predestination comes in. Having set His seal of affection upon us, God then “predestined [us] to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Our destiny, therefore, is to bear the image of Christ (cf. Ephesians 2:10). To this end, God calls, justifies, and glorifies us.

The third link in the golden chain of salvation is calling. In theology, there are two different kinds of calling: external and internal. The first call is external, general, and indiscriminate. This call, also known as the gospel call, is exemplified in Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, ESV; cf. John 3:16; 7:37). This kind of call can be resisted (Matthew 23:37; Acts 7:51).

The second call is internal, specific, and effectual. Thus, it is more than an external invitation to trust in Christ for salvation. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, God prepares the hearts of His elect to hear, receive, and respond positively to the gospel message. This call is effectual (or effective) because it accomplishes God’s intended purpose of drawing the elect to Himself and giving them new life (John 6:36–37; 10:14–18, 11:43). It is the effectual call that is meant in Romans 8:30.

The fourth link in the golden chain of salvation is justification. Simply put, justification is the act of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God (Romans 5:1). Believers are declared righteous “not because of works done by us in righteousness” (Titus 3:5, ESV), but solely because of the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone.

Let us not suppose, however, that we produce the faith required for justification: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV, emphasis added). In other words, saving faith is a sovereign and gracious gift of God.

The fifth and final link in the golden chain of salvation is glorification. In glorification, God will remove us from the presence of sin and place us into an eternal state of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). On that glorious day, the light of God will shine upon us, and we will be free from sin, darkness, imperfection, and error. We will know Him fully, even as we are fully known by Him (1 Corinthians 13:12).

In Romans 8:30, Paul speaks of glorification in the past tense. This is because of his assurance that “he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV).

The golden chain of salvation reminds us that salvation is entirely an act of God (Jonah 2:9). It is God who foreknows, predestines, calls, justifies, and glorifies. The appropriate response is to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV).

Golden chain of salvation

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What is the golden chain of salvation / redemption?

In Romans 8:29–30, the apostle Paul presents a concise yet breathtaking formulation of God’s redemptive work from eternity to eternity:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
(ESV).

This passage introduces readers to five essential doctrines: (1) foreknowledge, (2) predestination, (3) calling, (4) justification, and (5) glorification. These doctrines are intricately linked, forming an unbreakable bond often called the “golden chain of salvation.”

The chain begins with God’s foreknowledge. This doctrine is probably the most misunderstood, although the same could be said about predestination. The word foreknowledge is composed of two separate words: fore, meaning “beforehand,” and knowledge. So, to foreknow is “to know beforehand.” This does not mean that God foreknew or foresaw our faith and then chose us to be “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” To the contrary, it means that, before the foundation of the world, God set His seal of affection upon those He purposed to elect (cf. Ephesians 1:4–5).

The next link in the golden chain of salvation is predestination, which is also composed of two word parts: pre-, meaning “beforehand,” and destination. Thus to be predestined is “to be destined beforehand.” The difference between foreknowledge and predestination is that the former does not tell us what God has destined (or planned) for the elect. This is where predestination comes in. Having set His seal of affection upon us, God then “predestined [us] to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Our destiny, therefore, is to bear the image of Christ (cf. Ephesians 2:10). To this end, God calls, justifies, and glorifies us.

The third link in the golden chain of salvation is calling. In theology, there are two different kinds of calling: external and internal. The first call is external, general, and indiscriminate. This call, also known as the gospel call, is exemplified in Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, ESV; cf. John 3:16; 7:37). This kind of call can be resisted (Matthew 23:37; Acts 7:51).

The second call is internal, specific, and effectual. Thus, it is more than an external invitation to trust in Christ for salvation. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, God prepares the hearts of His elect to hear, receive, and respond positively to the gospel message. This call is effectual (or effective) because it accomplishes God’s intended purpose of drawing the elect to Himself and giving them new life (John 6:36–37; 10:14–18, 11:43). It is the effectual call that is meant in Romans 8:30.

The fourth link in the golden chain of salvation is justification. Simply put, justification is the act of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God (Romans 5:1). Believers are declared righteous “not because of works done by us in righteousness” (Titus 3:5, ESV), but solely because of the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone.

Let us not suppose, however, that we produce the faith required for justification: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV, emphasis added). In other words, saving faith is a sovereign and gracious gift of God.

The fifth and final link in the golden chain of salvation is glorification. In glorification, God will remove us from the presence of sin and place us into an eternal state of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). On that glorious day, the light of God will shine upon us, and we will be free from sin, darkness, imperfection, and error. We will know Him fully, even as we are fully known by Him (1 Corinthians 13:12).

In Romans 8:30, Paul speaks of glorification in the past tense. This is because of his assurance that “he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV).

The golden chain of salvation reminds us that salvation is entirely an act of God (Jonah 2:9). It is God who foreknows, predestines, calls, justifies, and glorifies. The appropriate response is to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV).