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| The Lordship of Christ |
| Repentance is a change of mind toward God that results in a changed life. When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, He gives you power to turn from your wicked ways and begin living God's way. It is evidence of true saving faith. |
Jesus Christ is Lord! Salvation is by God's grace alone through faith alone in the blood of Jesus Christ alone apart from any of our works or obedience, but obedience is the fruit of salvation. When God gives a person a new heart, they desire to follow Him in holiness. When there is no fruit in a persons life you wonder if they have the root. Only God knows for sure. Our obedience doesn't save us, but it should be the result of true saving faith.
At the moment of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in your heart that Christ paid your sin-debt in full (past, present, and future sins) when He shed His precious blood and died on the Cross, believing that God raised Him from the dead, you are at that moment justified, saved, born again by the Spirit of God. Justification is a legal term that means "declared righteous." When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, God declares that person righteous in His sight. Christ's righteousness is imputed to the sinner.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Justification is a one time act of God, the sinner is justified freely by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is saved forever. Then sanctification begins and is a lifelong process whereby God changes the person from the inside to be more like Christ in everyday practice.
When a man obeys God, he gives the only possible evidence that in his heart he believes God. We cannot see a person's heart, only God can. Those who are born-again by God's grace will desire to walk in holiness, pleasing to the Lord, thankful for so great salvation.
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| The cross: Christ’s death on the cross paid the full penalty for our sins and purchased eternal salvation. His atoning sacrifice enables God to justify sinners freely without compromising the perfection of divine righteousness. His resurrection from the dead declares His victory over sin and death. Justification by faith: Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone - plus and minus nothing. Good works: Sinners cannot earn salvation or favor with God. Prerequisites for salvation: God requires of those who are saved no preparatory works or prerequisite self-improvement. Eternal life: Eternal life is a gift of God. Immediate justification: Believers are saved and fully justified before their faith ever produces a single righteous work. Believers and sin: Christians can and do sin. Even the strongest Christians wage a constant and intense struggle against sin in the flesh. Genuine believers sometimes commit heinous sins. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Repentance: The gospel calls sinners to faith joined in oneness with repentance. Repentance is a change of mind toward sin and God that results in a change of life. It is not a work but a divinely bestowed grace. Repentance is a change of heart, but genuine repentance will effect a change of behavior as well. Faith: Salvation is all God’s work. Those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are saved utterly apart from any effort on their own. Even faith is a gift of God, not a work of man. Real faith therefore cannot be defective or short-lived but endures forever. Faith’s object: The object of faith is Christ Himself, not only a creed or promise. Faith therefore involves personal commitment to Christ. In other words, all true believers follow Jesus. Faith’s effects: Real faith inevitably produces a changed life. Salvation includes a transformation of the inner person. The nature of the Christian is different, new. The unbroken pattern of sin and enmity with God will not continue when a person is born again. A changed life is not required for salvation, but when a person gets saved it will certainly change their life. Salvation’s extent: The "gift of God," eternal life, includes all that pertains to life and godliness, not just a ticket to heaven. Holy desires: Those who truly believe will love Christ. They will therefore long to obey Him. Assurance: The Holy Scripture is our ground of assurance of salvation (John 5:24; John 6:47), but behavior is also an important test of faith. Obedience is evidence that one’s faith is real. On the other hand, the person who remains utterly unwilling to obey Christ does not evidence true faith. Perseverance: Genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the faith. Those who later turn completely away from the Lord show that they were never truly born again. |
CAREFULLY COUNT THE COST OF FOLLOWING CHRIST
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
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