Welcome, Andrew. Good words --- important
words. It is surprising to me how many Christian folk want to
believe something other than this message of hope. They are
everywhere -- even here on TT. Good folk who
believe that works save them rather than
the bibilical notion (IMO) that our works extend from the
salvation that is within us -- one we call The Christ.
Thanks again for your words.
From:
Andrew C. Bain <
If someone doubts that they are a
believer of the gospel, because they sin, then they do not understand the
gospel.
The WHOLE point of the gospel, is
that Christ came to save filthy vile hell-deserving sinners who will continue
to sin after their conversion (their change of mind to the truth). The LAW
was NEVER meant to be the grounds of someone's assurance before God. By
it is the knowledge of sin. By it Christians are convicted of sin.
But how do we know their is a
Law? How do you know their is such a thing called sin? Where did you read that
adultery is wrong, drunkenness is rebellion, and bitterness is abominable? By
the Word of God. Well, doesn't the Word also say, "By His knowledge
shall My righteous servant justify many" and "HE SHALL BEAR THEIR
INIQUITIES" (Isa53). So if you have the knowledge of Christ, you
are justified. If you believe that Christ was a ransom for many, your
iniquities are as far as west is from east. How can you doubt? How can you
doubt God? He can't lie. He knows everything. And He says that ALL
who believe in Christ ARE .... no pause ... they ARE JUSTIFIED from ALL
THINGS that they could not be justified by the Law of Moses (Acts 13:39). To
doubt His testimony is to spit in his face (so to speak), call Him a Liar, and
blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.
Recently, someone tried to tell
me that the NT Hebrew Christians doubted their salvation, because
they were wondering whether or not Christ had atoned for
their wicked Judaism prior to their conversions. Now, I agree
that converted Jews would have been convicted of the
apostasy of their past Judaism. And this conviction arose from the
Bible. The believing Jews in Rome would have been convicted by Romans 10.
Here, God judges Israel apostate. He basically says Israel is full
of Pharisees and hypocrites IGNORANT of the righteousness of God. But does God stop
there, leaving all the Jews dead in their sins? Without faith,
without hope, without God in the world? No. God never sends someone
the Law without the Gospel.
And imagine
one converted Jew -- who we'll call Yechezkel --
reading Romans 10. Yechezkel would have been reminded that when he was an
apostate Jew, he had NOT been "submitted to the righteousness of God"
and that he had been "ignorant of the righteousness of God". Yechezkel
have would be convicted that he had been an Atheist, with NO knowledge or
understanding of God (Romans 10:2). He had been BLIND. In Satan's
grip. Dead in sins. Anti-Christian. A God-hater. A liar against God. A
blasphemer against the Holy Spirit.
But this was all past for Yechezkel.
He now believed that Jesus FULFILLED the prophecies of Old. He know believed
that Christ was the END of the Law for righteousness. God had revealed to
Yechezkel (by the Spirit testifying to the Word) that
Christ fulfilled and magnified the Law for EVERYONE -- ALL those -- who have
believed, do believe, and will believe.
And only those who believe
and are sure that He is the Christ, have His righteousness in their
account. God condemns doubters as lost. Romans 10:6: Do not say in your
heart, Who will go into heaven? Romans 14:23 He that doubts ... is
damned.
Yet, our imaginary friend
Yechezkel has as much certainty that he will be
heaven that Abraham is already. Yechezkel only knows both of these
truths by the Word. He's never seen Abraham in heaven. But God tells him
that Abraham is. And guess what? God also says that not only was Abraham
justified by His faith (that is, justified by who he believed in, Christ), but
so is EVERYONE who believes.
Because if you confess the
Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from
the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED.
Andrew Bain
Sydney,
Australia
