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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000. (see text) |
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Chapter Twenty: |
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I Will Love Them Freely John 20:30-31 --
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are
written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His
name. Having just completed nineteen chapters which concentrated
on God's law, the last thing any of us should ever request from a
holy God is justice. For if we were to receive justice , each and
every one of us (without exception) would remain in our lost states
eternally, and subsequently be cast into the Lake of Fire (see
chapter eighteen ). Therefore, it would not be fitting to
conclude this manuscript without touching upon the most important
factor (and ultimate focus) of all Scripture: God's grace.
For, as stated earlier in this text, we are not saved by the Law,
but by grace . The law is merely the mirror which reflects our
sinful state. And, as J. Vernon McGee once elaborated, while
the mirror shows us that we need to be cleaned, the mirror doesn't
actually clean our faces -- for that, we need soap and water.
God's grace (as demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son on our
behalf) is the soap and water we require in order to receive His
free salvation. Romans 3:20 -- Therefore by
the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by
the law is the knowledge of sin. James 2:10 --
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in
one point, he is guilty of all. II Corinthians 3: 5-6 -- Not
that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being
from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us
sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but
of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit
gives life. Galatians 3:22-24 -- But
the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith
in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But
before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the
faith which would afterword be revealed. Therefore
the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might
be justified by faith. Galatians 3:10-11, 13 -- For
as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it
is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all
things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of
God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,
having become a curse for us ... Ephesians 2:4-9 -- But God,
who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved
us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ
Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest
anyone should boast. Apart from grace through faith, we cannot be saved.
Each of us is born estranged from God through our sin nature (see
chapter two ) – and therefore, under condemnation, awaiting
eternal separation and punishment at the hands of a Holy God who
cannot (by His very nature) simply overlook our sinful rebellion
(see chapter eighteen ). Nevertheless, our Holy God so
loved us that He arranged a means by which we might escape the
justice we deserve. John 1:12 -- But as many as
received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,
to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 3:14-17 (Jesus speaking) --
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved." While the law condemns us, God freely saves those who come
to Him by grace through faith in the substitutionarly death of His
Son, Jesus on the cross -- who
was without sin, having perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the
Law. While we could never keep the law, Christ did. And
His blood, shed in our place, is fully sufficient as payment for our
sin when we personally receive Him as our Savior and Lord. Hebrews 9:22b -- ...without
shedding of blood there is no remission. Acts 16: 31 --
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved..." Likewise, the Lord's sinless life of obedience is
meritoriously applied to our record, so that at the very moment of
our salvation, we are declared to be fully justified in God's sight. Romans 5: 8-9 -- But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. II Corinthians 5:21 -- For He
made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him. Colossians 2:13-14 --
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him,
having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting
of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Titus 3:4-7 --
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior
toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on
us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that
having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. Those who receive (through grace) God's free gift of
salvation, are counted as fully justified in His sight, and are to
serve the Lord, no longer as slaves to the law, but as heirs of
grace, in Spirit and in truth... Romans 7:6 --
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died
to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of
the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. II Corinthians 5: 14-15, 17 --
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus:
that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that
those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who
died for them and rose again… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new. Galatians 2:20 -- I
have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself for me. "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." Grace . It is the primary focus of God's word to us.
If you have not yet trusted the Lord as your personal Savior, come
to Him in faith, today. Hebrews 3:15 -- Today, if you
will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
II Corinthians 6:1-2 --
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you
not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: "In
an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of
salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted
time; behold now is the day of salvation. Hebrews 13:20-21 -- Now
may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead,
the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good
work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing
in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. I Corinthians 15:58 --
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord. II Timothy 1:8-9 --
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,
nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the
gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which was revealed by the
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel... Philippians 1:9-11 --
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and
more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the
things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and
without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with
the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory
and praise of God. I Timothy 6:20-21 --
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the
profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely
called knowledge – by professing it some have strayed concerning
the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. |
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