TRIUMPH OVER TEMPTATION

HOW CAN A CHRISTIAN resist sinful temptations? Whenever a person is saved, a great struggle begins. He still has the old nature, the sinful nature of Adam, which will try to drag him into sin all the time. But he also has the new nature, the life of God, which hates sin and wants to do what is right. The two natures fight against each other continually (Galatians 5:16, 17; Romans 8:5-8).

The old nature is incurably bad. It cannot be improved, and it will not be removed until the Christian goes home to heaven. God condemned it when Christ died on the Cross, and He wants Christians to treat it as if it were dead. Don’t encourage it! Don’t feed it! Don’t give it a chance! (Romans 13:14).

The new nature inspires the Christian to do good. It should be encouraged and fed.

This, then, is how the Christian resists temptation by saying “No” to the flesh, or old nature, and by nourishing the new life that is within. The following are practical suggestions as to how this may be done:

1.    Read the Bible! Study it! Memorize it! Meditate on it! Obey it! Notice Psalm 119:9 and 11. There we learn that the Word of God helps to keep us from sinning. Be sure, therefore, that you set aside a definite time each day for the reading of God’s Word (Colossians 3:16).

2.    Pray without ceasing! Whenever you are faced with temptation, ask God for help (Hebrews 4:16). He will give you the strength to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you try to resist by your own strength, you will surely fail.

3.    Seek the companionship of fellow-believers and not of the ungodly! (Proverbs 1:10-16; Hebrews 10:24, 25). It is often necessary to work and live with unbelievers, and in such cases we should witness to them both with our lips and by our lives. But we should not join with them in their worldly pleasures and amusements (Ephesians 5:11).

4.    Confess your sins immediately! As soon as you are conscious that you have grieved your Father by a sinful thought, word or deed, ask His forgiveness immediately. Do not wait until evening or until the end of the week (Proverbs 28:13).

5.    Keep busy for the Lord! Someone has said that idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Give your body to the Lord to use it as He desires! (Romans 6:19). There is plenty of work to be done, and you will be serving the Best of Masters.

6.    Engage in some physical exercise! Bodily exercise is profitable (1 Timothy 4:8). Because the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he should use reasonable means in maintaining his body in good health and strength. However, he should not allow sports to assume such an important place  that spiritual things are crowded out (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

7.    Starve the old nature! Be careful what you read, what you watch, where you go, and what you listen to (Colossians 3:5-9).

8.    Feed the new nature! Be occupied with Christ! When you are thinking about Him, you cannot be thinking about sin (Colossians 3:10-14). This is really the secret of holy living occupation with Christ. It is a fixed rule in life that we become like the object of our worship. 2 Corinthians 3:18 teaches us that we become like the Lord Jesus as we behold Him n the mirror (glass) of His Word. We are changed into His image and likeness by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

Occupation with others brings distraction.
Occupation with self brings distress.
Occupation with Christ brings delight.

    One final word! You will notice from the foregoing that deliverance from temptation is not a once-for-all experience, but a continual process of depending on God. No matter how old we get, or how much we may learn about the Bible, we are still in danger of yielding to temptation if we take our eyes off the Lord. A very godly man used to pray that God would keep him from dying as a wicked old man. We all need to pray the same petition (Colossians 3:1-4).

What Christians Believe
Chapter 16: Triumph Over Temptation
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

PERMANENT PRESERVATION

CAN A SAVED PERSON ever perish? If a person has been truly born again, he can never perish. The believer is safe and secure forever. Seven passages of the Scripture are listed below as evidence of this glorious truth, though many more could be given (The student should study each quotation carefully).

1.    John 10:27-29. Notice these words of Christ, “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish”. Plant your feet on that. This is the promise of Christ without any conditions attached. No sheep of His will ever perish! Notice, too, that both Christ and the Father hold you securely.

2.    John 5:24. Here again the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking. He promises that the person who hears His Word and believes on the One who sent Him has everlasting life, and will never come into condemnation, or judgment. If one believer were ever lost, then the Son of God would have failed keep His promise.

3.    John 3:36. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life”. Notice that it does not say “he will have everlasting life”. He has it at the present time. Now, how long is “everlasting”? Clearly it is forever.

4.    Romans 8:38, 39. The Apostle Paul announces that neither death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height nor depth can separate the Christian from the love of God. And lest any child of God might worry that he might separate himself from the love of God, Paul adds, “nor any other creature”. The believer is as safe as God can make him.

5.    2 Timothy 1:12. Paul here expresses his confidence that Christ is able to keep what Paul had committed to Him, that is, his soul. In John 6:39, we learn that God has entrusted Christ with the preservation of all believers. Is it possible that Christ could be unfaithful to His trust?

6.    Jude 24. The Lord Jesus is the One who is able to keep Christians from falling, and to take them safely home to heaven. Christians are no more able to keep themselves saved than they were to save themselves in the first place, but Christ is able (1 Peter 1:5).

7.    Romans 8:30. “Whom He justified, them He also glorified”. Every saved person is glorified. Although Christians do not yet have their glorified bodies, yet it is so certain that God speaks of it as an accomplished fact. If you are justified, then, as far as God is concerned, you are glorified too. In other words, the Christian is just as sure of heaven as if he was already there.

In connection with the subject of the Christian’s security, the following facts should be remembered.

1.    A Christian does not lose his salvation when he sins. Christ has already paid the penalty for all the sins – past, present and future. God will not demand payment twice. Since Christ has died for my sins, I will never have to die for them. God the righteous Judge, forgives the sinner who believes on Christ.

2.    But when a Christian does sin, he displeases his heavenly Father, and the happy family spirit that should exist between the child and his Father remains broken until that sin is confessed (1 John 1:9). Notice clearly that there is a big difference between God, the Judge, dealing with a sinner, and God the Father dealing with an erring child. In the former case, the penalty for sin is death and hell. In the latter case, the result of sin is broken fellowship (1 John 2:1, 2).

3.    Even the Christian cannot sin cheaply. If a child of God wanders away from his Father, he can expect to be corrected (Hebrews 12:6, 7). The Father might use sorrow or suffering to bring him back.

4.    While a Christian can and does, unfortunately, commit acts of sin, no true child of God lives a life of continual sin. If a person can keep on sinning without being brought back to fellowship with God through chastening, it is a sure sign that he was never born again. Our security must not be an excuse to sin, but rather an incentive not to sin.

5.    There are several verses in the Bible which might seem to indicate that Christians can be lost again. However, if you examine them carefully, you will find that they refer to those who merely pretend to be Christians, or to those who have known the way of salvation and have rejected it. Nowhere do the Scriptures say that a truly born again person can perish. It is only such persons who are secure.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 15: Permanent Preservation
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

SURE SALVATION

HOW CAN A PERSON know for certain that he is saved? Read the following facts over and over until you fully understand them.

1.    The Bible is God’s Word. It is absolutely true. You can trust it.

2.    The Bible says that if you repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved.

3.    Now the question is “Have you ever come to Christ as a lost sinner, and asked Him to save you? Have you ever accepted Him as the Substitute who bore the penalty of your sins?”

4.    If you have, then God tells you in the Bible that you are saved.

In other words, - and this is very important to understand – assurance of salvation comes through the Scriptures. This truth is clearly taught in 1 John 5:13. Every Christian should memorize this verse.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Notice the italicized word. John wrote to those who had believed on Christ so that they might know what they had eternal life. If you have believed on Christ, you are saved. The Bible says so.

The trouble with so many is that they depend on feelings rather than on the Bible. They say, “I do not feel saved”. They expect some mysterious emotional experience, and when they do not receive it, they doubt that they were ever saved. The person who bases his assurance of salvation on his feelings is certain to have difficulty because feelings change from moment to moment. God’s Word, however, never changes. Trust the Bible and not your feelings.

But perhaps someone will ask, “Shouldn’t a person feel happy when he is saved?” The answer is definitely “Yes”. However, one must know he is saved before he can feel happy. Assurance comes first, and then feelings follow. We know we are saved because the Bible says so. We feel happy because we know we are saved.

In addition to the Scriptures themselves, there are other means of assurance for the believer. Here are three marks of a saved person.

1.    The person who is saved loves his fellow Christians (1 John 3:14).

2.    The person who is saved has the witness of the Holy Spirit within him (1 John 5:10; Romans 8:16). The witness of the Spirit is the inner joy and peace which is given to those who believe the Word of God when it says that all who believe on Christ are saved. The Spirit witnesses to Christians through the Bible.

3.    The person who is saved hates sin and loves what is right. Although a Christian can and does sin, sin no longer controls his life (Romans 6:14). He no longer lives in the continual practice of sin.

As a believer grows in the Christian life, his assurance will become stronger and stronger. There are at least three definite steps which he may take to help in this direction. 

1.    Read the Bible regularly and believe it with all your heart.

2.    Pray to the Lord to strengthen your faith as you read His Holy Word.

3.    Tell other about the One who has saved you from sin.

Finally, there is a helpful bit of advice for those who are not sure if they were ever saved, but who really want to be. Perhaps you think you might have trusted the Savior sometime in the past, but you are not absolutely certain. You long to know without any doubt that you are a child of God.

Here is what you should do. Tell the Lord that you are not sure if you are ever saved before, but you want to be saved right now. Tell Him that you know you are a lost sinner and that if you die in your present condition, you will go to hell. Then receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, believing that He died on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of your sins, and that He is able and willing to save you.

Now turn to Acts 16:31. What does it say will happen if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? It says, “Thou shalt be saved”. It is the Word of God. Believe it. When Satan comes to you and tries to make you doubt your salvation, turn to Acts 16:31, or John 1:12, or John 3:36, or John 5:24, or Romans 10:9. Show him that God says you are saved because you have believed on Christ. He will not trouble you with doubts if you show him the Scriptures.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 14: Sure Salvation
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

RESULTS OF REGENERATION

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS when a person is born again? Here is what takes place when a soul is born again. First, the person realizes that he is a lost sinner and that he deserves to spend eternity in hell (only the Holy Spirit can make anyone realizes this). He then repents of his sins, that is, he acknowledges to God that he is a sinner and that he needs a Savior. He accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and at that moment he is born again. His sins are forgiven. He receives eternal life from God.

But that is only a small part of the story. It is just the beginning. We learn from the Bible that many other wonderful things occur when God saves a man. Here are ten other amazing occurrences:

1.    For one thing, the believer is accepted in the Beloved One (Ephesians 1:6). This means that he stands before God in all the acceptability of His Beloved Son. God sees him in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). It also means that the Christian is welcome in God’s presence as long as Christ is welcome, and that is clearly forever (Ephesians 2:6, 7).

2.    Also, he becomes a child of God (John 1:12). You can imagine how honored you would feel if you were the child of some world-famous ruler. How much greater honor it is to be the child of the mighty Maker of the universe, before whom angels bow! (Galatians 3:26)

3.    He is justified by God (Romans 5:1; 8:30, 33). God, the Judge, declares the believing sinner to be “NOT GUILTY” and looks upon him as if he had never sinned. He can do this because Christ has died as a substitute and has borne all the punishment which the Christian should have borne. Thus the Christian stands without guilt in God’s sight, and he will never be punished for his sins (Romans 8:1).

4.    He becomes indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Bible plainly teaches that God, the Holy Spirit, actually dwells within each believer (1 John 4:13). The body of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this sacred privilege, the child of God should be careful what he says, what he does and where he goes.

5.    He becomes a member of the true church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The church is described as “the body of Christ” (Colossians 1:18, 24). It is composed of all true believers in the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:47). There is no greater honor on earth than to be a member of the true church.

6.    He becomes an heir of God (Romans 8:17). God is the Creator of the universe and He owns all things. God’s children are promised that they will one day reign with Christ over all the earth, and they will then possess all things.

7.    He becomes a saint (Romans 1:7). Those who are saved are spoken of in the Bible as “saints”. A saint is one who has been set apart for God by the Holy Spirit (Psalm 4:3). In God’s sight every saint is holy, because God sees him in Christ, and Christ is absolutely holy (1 Corinthians 1:2).

8.    He is complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). The Christian has a perfect standing before God. He is as near and as dear to God as Christ is. When a person has Christ, he has all that he needs for a happy life and a happy eternity.

9.    He receives the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). He will soon notice that he has new desires, new ambitions, a new hatred of sin, and a new love for his fellow Christians. When the divine nature is encouraged by the believer himself, he will become more and more like the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18). This is God’s purpose for every one of His children.

10.    He immediately begins to enjoy the constant protection of God (Romans 8:28). Nothing can happen to a Christian without God’s permission. In other words, there are no accidents in a believer’s life. Everything that does happen to a child of God is for his own good. Even trials, tests and disciplines work for his spiritual benefit (Romans 5:3-5). Thus a Christian truly leads a “charmed” life.

In view of these marvelous provisions which God has made, every Christian should show his appreciation in at least two ways.

1.    He should never cease to worship God for salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.    He should give his life in willing service to the One who gave His life on Calvary’s Cross (Romans 12:1).

What Christians Believe
Chapter 13: Results of Regeneration
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

FUTURE EVENTS

EVERY BIBLE student is thrilled to be able to read about events that are still future. Only in the Bible is the future unfolded. In this lesson, we shall consider some of these events in the order in which they will happen.

I CHRIST’S COMING FOR HIS SAINTS (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

    The next event to occur is the coming of Christ to take His people home to heaven. This is known as the Rapture. Christ will descend from heaven. The bodies of believers who have died will be raised. Living believers will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.

    Note the following facts about coming of Christ.

1.    It may happen at any moment (Revelation 22:7).

2.    Only those who are truly saved will participate (1 Corinthians 15:23).

3.    It takes place instantly, “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

4.    Not all believers will die but all will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51). They shall be like Christ (1 John 3:2; Romans 8:16-25).

II THE TRIBULATION (Matthew 24:5-31)

    After the Rapture, the earth will experience a period of great suffering and sorrow known as the Tribulation. During this period, the Jewish people will return to the land of Palestine in unbelief. A great evil ruler will arise known as Antichrist (meaning against-Christ). He will demand worship from the people. It will be a time of such great suffering that unless the days were shortened, no life would survive. However, God will preserve those Jewish people who have been faithful to Him.

III CHRIST’S COMING TO REIGN (Malachi 4:1-3)

    Toward the end of the Tribulation period, the Lord Jesus Christ will come back to the earth in great power and glory. He will destroy His enemies, including Antichrist, and judge those nations which persecuted faithful Jews. Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for 1000 years.

IV THE MILLENNIUM (Isaiah 32:1; 35:1-7; 65:17-25)

    When His work of judgment has been completed, Christ will set up His kingdom on the earth. Jerusalem will be His capital. He will reign upon the earth for a thousand years. This period is known as the millennium. It will be an era of peace and happiness. We read that nature will be entirely different, for the lion will lie down with the lamb. The desert will blossom like the rose. Men will live to very old ages. It will be a time of great prosperity. There will be no wars. Although sin will not be entirely absent, it will be punished immediately whenever it occurs.

V THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT WHITE THRONE (Revelation 20:11-15)

    At the end of Christ’s 1000-year reign, the Judgment of the Great White Throne will take place. This is the judgment of the wicked dead. No saved persons will be involved. The graves will give up the bodies of unbelievers, and hades or hell will give up their souls. They will then stand before Christ to be judged. Because their names are not found in the Lamb’s book of life, they will be found guilty and sentenced to the Lake of Fire to suffer conscious and eternal punishment.

VI ETERNITY (Revelation 21:1-8)

    The final picture of the future is the eternal state. The earth as we know it will have been destroyed by fire. Time, as we know it, will have ceased. All true believers will be enjoying endless happiness in heaven. All who have rejected the Savior will be suffering in the blackness of darkness forever. The question that faces each one of us we draw to the end of these Bible studies is this, “Where will I spend eternity?”

What Christians Believe
Chapter 12: Future Events
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

HEAVEN AND HELL

MEN HAVE ALWAYS had a sincere interest in the future. This interest has aroused questions such as the following: Does death end all? Where are the dead? What can we know about heaven and hell? First, we shall consider the question:

I WHAT HAPPENS TO A MAN AT THE TIME OF DEATH?

    At the outset, we need to remember that man is a tripartite being, that is, he is composed of three parts – body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The first part is material being, the other two are non-material. With a spirit, man is capable of God-consciousness; with a soul, he is capable of self-consciousness; with a body he is capable of world-consciousness. Only God’s Word can divide between the soul and the spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

    Now, at the time of death, the soul and spirit leave the body. The body is put into the grave. In the case of believers, the body is described as sleeping (Acts 7:59, 60; 8:2), while the unsaved person’s body is spoken of as dead. The soul and spirit never sleep. If the person who died was saved, the soul and the spirit go to a place of joy and happiness – heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21, 23). If the person was unsaved, the spirit and soul go to a place of sorrow and punishment – hades. In Luke 16:19-31, our Lord clearly teaches that those who have dies are conscious. Be sure to read this important passage.

II WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HELL?

    As we have already noted, the spirit and soul of an unbeliever wing their flight to hades at the time of death. Hades is a place of conscious punishment (Luke 16:23-25; the Revised Version correctly uses “hades” for “hell” in v.23). The soul in hades is spoken of as a person, having eyes, tongue, ears, fingers and memory. There is full knowledge of the conditions there.

    The Bible speaks about another place of torment in addition to hades. That other place is hell – the Lake of Fire. At the Judgment of the Great White Throne, which will be discussed in the next chapter, the souls in hades will be united with the bodies which are to be raised from the graves. Christ will then pronounce the final sentence of judgment upon the wicked dead, and they will be cast into the Lake of fire, the eternal abode of the lost (Revelation 20:11-15). Hades may thus be likened to the local jail where the prisoner temporarily awaits his sentence. The Lake of Fire may be likened to a prison to which are committed those under sentence for the duration of their earthly existence. In describing hell, our Lord speaks about the undying worm and the unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43-48). It is a place of conscious punishment.

    Is punishment for sin eternal? In the book of Revelation, the phrase “forever and ever” is used to describe the misery of the lost (Revelation 14:11).
   
    Can a God of love allow men to go to hell? (1) God does not want men to perish. He provided for man’s salvation through the work of His Son on Calvary’s Cross (Romans 5:6, 8). If men reject the Savior, they go to hell by their own choice. (2) God is a God of love, 1 John 4:8, but He is also holy, 1 Peter 1:16. He must punish sin. (3) Men do not hesitate to put sick people in hospitals, criminals in jail, or corpses in the cemetery. This does not indicate a lack of love on their part.

    What about the heathen who has never heard the Gospel? Like the rest of mankind, heathens are lost sinners, and only Christ can save them. They can tell that there is a God through the works of creation, Romans 1:20 and Psalm 19:1; and through their own consciences, Romans 2:15. If they live up to the light which they have, God will give them more light – see Cornelius, Acts 10 and 11.

III WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HEAVEN?

    The Scripture clearly teach that there is a place of bliss for all who know and love our Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven is a place. The word is used in the Bible in three different ways. First of all, the region of the clouds is called heaven (Genesis 1:8). Then the area where the stars are located is known as heaven (Genesis 1:17). Finally, the word is used to describe God’s dwelling place. Paul calls this the “third heaven” and “Paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Heaven is always mentioned as being “up”. Satan said, in Isaiah 14:13-14, “I will ascend into heaven”.

    We know that our Lord is in heaven today. After He was raised from the dead, He ascended in a body of flesh and bones. He carried glorified humanity into heaven (Luke 24:38, 39, 51; 1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 1:3).

    There is a great host of believers in heaven, for when the true Christian dies, he is “absent from the body – present with the Lord” 2 Corinthians 5:8. These believers are enjoying the presence of Christ “which is very far better” Philippians 1:23.

    What is heaven like? The writers of the Scripture could not find language that would describe it. In Revelation 21:10-27, John describes the foundations, wall, gates, and street of the heavenly city. Our hearts are attracted by its beauty. We know that there will be no sickness, sorrow, tears, pain or death in that fair place (Revelation 21:4). But best of all, the Lord Jesus Christ will be there, and He will be the supreme delight of every believer’s heart.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 11: Heaven and Hell
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

FAITH

ONE DOES NOT STUDY the Bible very long before becoming conscious of the importance of faith. A sinner cannot be saved apart from faith (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Therefore it is important that we should find out what this word means.

I WHAT IS FAITH?

    Faith is personal confidence. We use the word in everyday conversation, as follows, “I have complete faith in my doctor”. We mean that we trust him with our case. So, in the Bible, faith is personal confidence in God. It means that we believe what He says, and trust Him to save us and to keep us.

II WHERE DOES FAITH COME FROM?

    As we look around us in the world, we realize that some men do not have faith in God, and thus they are not saved. This leads us to inquire as to the source of faith. In a very real sense, this faith is a gift of God (John 3:27). God gives men the power to believe on Him.

    But how does a man receive faith? The answer to this is found in Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. Therefore, if a man does not have faith in God, he should read the Bible. As he reads, he should pray somewhat as follows: “God, if this Book is Thy Word, if Jesus Christ is Thy Son, and if He died for me, then show me these things as I read the Bible”. God has promised that any man who wishes to do His will will come to a knowledge of the truth (John 7:17).

III WHAT IS THE TRUE OBJECT OF FAITH?

    Faith must have an object. This object may either be a person, such as a relative, or a friend, or it may be an inanimate thing, such as an airplane or an elevator.

    It is not enough to have faith. Faith must be placed in a trustworthy object. A man may have faith in his automobile to take him to a certain place, but if the automobile is badly in need of repairs, he will soon find that his faith has been misplaced.

The Bible sets forth the Lord Jesus Christ as the true object of faith (Acts 20:21). The important thing is not how much faith a man has, or what kind of faith he has, but whether his faith is in Christ. If it is, then the man is saved.

A man may believe all that the Bible says about Christ and yet not have faith in Him. You may believe that a certain train will leave the railroad station at 11 A.M. and that it will arrive at a distant city at 5 P.M. You may believe all the facts about the train; yet you do not really believe in the train to take you to your destination.

So you may believe that Christ was born in Bethlehem, that He died on Calvary, that He rose again and ascended into heaven. But you have not really put your faith in Him until you trust Him to save you from your sins and take you to heaven.

IV EXAMPLES OF FAITH

    The Scriptures are filled with examples of faith. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews has been called the “Honor Roll of Faith” because it lists some outstanding men and women who had faith.

    Two other instances might be cited. The first is the faith of the centurion in Matthew 8:5-10. The centurion believed that Christ could heal his servant by merely saying the word.

    The other is the faith of the woman of Canaan, Matthew 15:22-28. She pleaded that the bread reserved for the chosen Jews should be given to her, a Gentile. Her faith was humble and persistent.

V THE REWARD OF FAITH

    True faith never goes unrewarded. No one has ever trusted God in vain. Every seeking sinner who has repented of his sins and who has put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has been saved.

    The Savior said, “Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out” John 6:37.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 10: Faith
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

GRACE

I INTRODUCTION
  
ALL GOD’S DEALINGS with mankind at the present time are on the basis of grace. This means that He shows men favor which they do not deserve.

The word grace is found over 160 times in the Bible. Of these occurrences, 128 are in the New Testament. God is spoken of as “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10). Christ is described as being “full of grace” (John 1:14). The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:29). Thus the three persons of the Godhead are closely linked with grace.

II DEFINITION

    The word used in the Old Testament carries the meaning “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior”. The New Testament word means “favor, goodwill, loving kindness”.

    The following definitions have proved helpful in explaining what grace is.

    Grace is love displayed to unworthy objects. God is love; but when He bestows that love on guilty, unclean, rebellious sinners, then it is grace.

    Love that looks up is adoration. Love on its own level is affection. Love that descends is grace.

    Grace is God showing nothing but love and mercy when we deserved nothing but wrath and judgment. It is God bending toward us in infinite love.

    Grace is seen in God giving heaven’s Best to save earth’s worst.

III ITS PROVISION

    Grace is not to be confused with works. If man could obtain salvation by doing good works, then salvation would simply be his wages (Romans 4:4-5; Romans 11:6).God does not owe anything to man. Salvation is a free gift.

    Grace is not to be confused with law. Men are not saved by keeping the law. They are saved by grace. The following will help to make this clear.

(a)    Law brings a work to do. Grace tells of a work that is done.

(b)    Law says, “This do and thou shalt live”. Grace says, “Live, and thou shalt do”.

(c)    Law says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God”. Grace says, “God so loved the world,” John 3:16, and “We love Him because He first loved us” 1 John 4:19.

(d)    Law condemns the best (Romans 3:19). Grace saves the worst (Romans 3:24; 4:5).

(e)    Law reveals sin (Romans 3:20). Grace reveals salvation (Titus 2:11-13).

IV THE NEED FOR GRACE

    Man is a sinful rebel against God’s holy law (Romans 3:23; Colossians 1:21). Therefore, he deserves nothing but God’s judgment.

    Man stands guilty before the bar of God, having broken God’s holy law (Romans 3:19; Galatians 3:10; James 2:10). As such, he is subject to the curse of God.

    Because he rejected and murdered God’s Son man has no claim on God at all (John 12:31-33; 3:18).

V SALVATION BY GRACE

    If man is to be saved, it must be by God’s grace. But God is holy and He cannot overlook sin. Sin must be punished.

    The Gospel tells us how God can save sinners by grace, and still be holy in doing so. Christ suffered the wrath and judgment of God against sin. On the basis of the work of Christ, God can forgive the sins of those who trust the Lord Jesus.

    Christ has finished the work. Grace only demands faith on the part of the sinner who seeks salvation (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

VI BLESSINGS THROUGH GRACE

    Grace brings many wonderful results to the sinner. Three of the greatest of these results are the following:

(a)    Salvation (Titus 2:11-13). This means that a Christian has eternal life.

(b)    Justification (Romans 3:24-26). This means that God reckons a sinner who has believed on Christ as being blameless.

(c)    Standing before God (Romans 5:2). This means that a true believer can enter into God’s presence by prayer. He is no longer separated from God by his sins.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 9: Grace
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

SALVATION

CLOSELY LINKED with the subject of the new birth is that of salvation. The former concerns itself principally with the necessity, source and nature of the spiritual life all men need from God; the latter emphasizes the delivering effects and scope of God’s provision in Christ. We shall think of seven things in connection with salvation.

I ITS DEFINITION

The word simply means deliverance. It is commonly used to describe the act by which a person is delivered from a danger which threatens him. We speak of a person being “saved” from drowning, or from a burning building, or from a sinking ship. In each case, three things are taken for granted. In each case, three things are taken for granted. (1) The person to be saved was in danger of death. (2) Someone saw his peril and went to his rescue. (3) The rescuer was successful in his mission and delivered the person from his perilous plight, and thus “saved”, “Savior”, and “salvation” occurs very many times in the Bible and has exactly the same meaning in a spiritual sense.

II ITS NECESSITY

The necessity for God’s salvation is due to two facts which each person must face.

1. The fact of man’s sin. We have already discussed in our previous lesson, the spiritual condition of all men by nature, and we pointed out that each human being comes into the world possessed of a sinful nature that constitutes him a sinner by birth. This sinful nature, in time, is evidenced by sinful thoughts, words, deeds, and attitude of enmity to God. The Bible makes this abundantly clear (read Romans 5:12, 18, 19; 6:16; 8:5-8; Genesis 6:5; Ephesians 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4; Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:20-23; Romans 1:21-32; 3:19-23). It will be evident to all from these Scriptures that man is: (1) A sinner, needing forgiveness. (2) Lost, needing to be found. (3) Doomed, needing deliverance. (4) Guilty, needing pardon. (5) Spiritually dead, needing life. (6) Blind, needing illumination. (7) A slave, needing liberation. Man  is thus utterly helpless to save himself.

2. The fact of God’s righteousness. God is holy, and must punish sin. He will “by no means clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:6, 7). He has revealed His hatred of sin, and His sentence against all who die in their sins. This is eternal banishment from His presence (see John 8:21, 24; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:22-31; Jude 11-13; Revelation 20:11-1 5). The obvious conclusion is: Since man is a sinner, and God is righteous; the sinner needs to be delivered or saved from the penalty of his sins. His cry should be: “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30-31).

III ITS PROVISION

The Gospel is the good news that God in wondrous grace has abundantly provided this salvation through the Person and the work of His beloved Son. Two things are clearly taught.

1. Christ came to be the Savior of sinners (Matthew 1:21). The Son of God, equal and eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, became incarnate in order to provide salvation (John 3:16, 17; Mark 10:45; Matthew 9:12, 13; John 10:11, 15-18).

2. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, this salvation has been provided, to god’s complete satisfaction.  As Christ willingly hung upon the cross, He assumed the full liability of our guilt and sin, bore our sins in His own body, and died as a substitute sacrifice on behalf. God indicated His complete acceptance of this sacrifice of Christ by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His own right hand (read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:6-9; Acts 4:10-12; 5:31; 17:31).

IV ITS CONDITION

Since Christ has accomplished, by the sacrifice of Himself, all the work needed for the sinner’s salvation, what must the sinner do in order to experience this salvation?

1. He must repent. Repentance consists simply of a change mind which results in a change of attitude toward sin, self, the Savior and salvation; which, in turn, is evidenced by a change of action (read Luke 13:3; Acts 17:31; 20:21). The sinner’s indifference will give place to an earnest desire for salvation; his pride to humility; his self-satisfaction to a frank confession of his helpless, hopeless and hell-deserving condition.

2. He must believe the gospel, or the testimony of God concerning the Person and work of Christ (see 1 John 5:9-10). As a lost and guilty sinner he must believe that Christ died for him, individually; that Christ bore his sins, took his place and by His death, accomplished all the work needed for his salvation (Romans 4:5).

3. He must accept the Lord Jesus Christ, by a definite act of his will as his own personal Savior, henceforth to own Him as the supreme Lord of his life (John 1:12; Romans 10:9, 10; John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; Ephesians 1:13). This is the crucial act. Will you not, right from your heart, say: “Lord Jesus Christ; owning myself to be a guilty, lost sinner; but believing that Thou didst bear my sins and die in my place on Calvary; I now definitely rest in Thy finished work and receive Thee as my own Savior, henceforth to own Thee as the Lord and Master of my life”. This is what it means to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31).

V ITS ASSURANCE

How may one know, for certain, that he is saved? We answer without any hesitation: by the Word of God. God declares plainly and in black and white, that every soul trusting in His Son is forgiven, saved, the possessor of eternal life and secure forever (read Acts 13:38; 1 John 2:12; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 John 5:13; Romans 5:1; 8:1; John 10:27-30).

VI ITS SCOPE

Salvation has a three-fold aspect: past, present and future.

1. Past. Salvation from sin’s penalty, or consequences. Since Christ has endured the full penalty which was due to our sins, the believer is delivered from its dread consequences (see John 5:24; Romans 8:1).

2. Present. Salvation from sin’s power, or control. Because of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence, plus the impartation of a Divine nature, the believer is now enabled to enjoy deliverance from the dominion of sin in his life (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Peter 1:3, 4; Romans 6:1-14). This does not mean that the believer is incapable of sin; far from it, for he still possesses the evil nature called “the flesh”. It does mean however, that, in the measure that he avails himself of the means God has provided, sin shall not be the dominating factor in his life. This present deliverance will depend on: (1) the reading and study of and obedience to the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15). (2) The keeping constantly in touch with God by prayer (Hebrews 4:14-16). (3) The yielding of one’s body to God for both a righteous and useful life (Romans 6:13; 12:1, 2). (4) The prompt confession to God and the forsaking of all known sin (1 John 1:8, 9; Titus 2:11-15).

3. Future. Salvation from sin’s presence, or committal. This will take place at the coming of Christ, when He will raise the dead and change the living, so that they will have bodies incapable of sin, decay and death. This is the final aspect of salvation that we look for (Hebrews 9:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

VII ITS RESULTS

These are multitudinous (Ephesians 1:3-14). We shall select a few.

1. Peace with God (Romans 5:1). No longer at enmity.

2. Acceptance before God in Christ (Ephesians 1:6).

3. Joy in God as His children (Romans 5:10, 11; 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26-4:7).

4. Living for God (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 4:2-5).

5. Service to God in the way of good works and testimony for Him (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 5:16; Mark 16:15, 16).

6. Worship, praise and prayer unto God (John 4:23, 24; Hebrews 10: 19-22; Hebrews 13-15; 4:14-16).

7. An eternal home in heaven (John 14:1-3; Revelation 22:1-5).

May each reader give himself no rest until he knows, on the authority of the Word of God, that he is eternally saved!

What Christians Believe

Chapter 8: Salvation

Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School 

Chicago, Illinois