HF169 - Possessing by Faith
To: Hebraic-Foundations@YahooGroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Monday, February 26, 2007
Subject: Bible Study HF169 - Possessing by Faith
Hebraics,
In this Bible study I want to deal with the one area that people struggle over in coming to the Lord Jesus. It has to do with a works-righteousness mentality. I hope this study will be a blessing to everyone. There is a true faith that we are to walk in, that is, in learning to posses by faith that which we cannot earn.
This is Bible Study HF169 - Possessing by Faith
One of the worship songs we sing at Christian Challenge includes, 'To possess by faith what I could not earn, all surpassing gift of righteousness.'
The song is entitled 'Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear) by Graham Kendrick. The entire song reaches into the heart of our salvation through Jesus Christ.
As a prelude to this study I want to share the lyrics of this song. Read them with your heart. I'll then share how a works-righteousness religious group actually robs God's people of their true salvation heritage in Christ.
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Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear) Kendrick
All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own;
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You Lord.
Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
To be found in You and known as Yours,
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You Lord.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings;
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You Lord.
................
Works-righteousness doctrines set forth the premise that salvation is something that has to be earned on our part. The end result of these sorts of teaching is a form of of fear. Fear teachings leave adherents never knowing for certain when they are ultimately saved. The truth of the matter is that we were ultimately and eternally saved at the cross. There is nothing to add to this. Nothing can be taken from it.
And so in the fear doctrines people wonder which work will determine when their salvation is complete. And if there is one sin left undone, this one sin can mean the very sentence to hell. How horrible are these fear generated teachings.
But is this what our salvation is really about? The answer is never! Believers can know that they are ultimately saved the moment they receive Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior. They just need to understand the true message of the cross.
The apostle John said, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears [punishment] is not perfected in love." (1Jn4:18)
John is saying that as long as a believer is living in fear of punishment, or in fear of losing their salvation, then God's love has not completed its work in that believer's life.
The apostle Paul said, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom8:1)
The literal Greek expresses it this way - 'There is not now nor can there ever be a damnatory sentence against any who is in Christ Jesus.'
How could the apostles make such ultimate-salvation statements? It is easy. These statements belong to the finished work of the cross.
Jesus not only died for our sins, that is, for the whole of our sinful existence from the beginning of our birth until our passage out of this life, but at the cross a life exchange took place. He exchanged His life for our life. This is why the cross is called `the finished work of Christ.´ If it is finished, then there is nothing to be added to it.
The finished work of the cross means that the enemy can never again bring a charge against any of God's people. Every believer's life is now hidden in Christ. This is what makes our salvation complete.
How can this be? The reason is that the finished work is so complete that the death, burial, resurrection and ascension and glorification of Jesus Christ is placed on the account of every believer. Out of the cross God covered us with His own righteousness. Who can bring a charge against God or against His Christ?
John explains why God's love is able to cast out all our fears of condemnation and of punishment. Listen carefully - "By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Christ] is, so also are we in this world." (1Jn4:17 - We have literally been clothed with the life of Christ.)
As Christ is in heaven, so are we on earth. This is why Paul said that nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord. (This is how Romans 8 completes itself.)
Is any of this contingent upon anything we can earn by our own efforts? Not one little bit. Any idea of earning our salvation is a distortion of the true message of the cross. The only thing a person is called to do to be saved is to truly believe in Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. Believing is something that is done with the heart. And true believing implies a repentance is in place. Out of a heart of faith comes our confession of faith in Him.
Listen to these Scriptures:
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the son (obedience involves repentance) will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (Jn3:35 - Especially directed to the Jewish people during time of Christ.)
"Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (Jn5:24)
"The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given concerning His Son." (1Jn5:10)
I would encourage any member who is struggling over the message of salvation to take time to read the book of Galatians.
Keep in mind that every apostle preached the same gospel. The one thing required for salvation is for a person to called upon Jesus as their own Lord and Savior. Peter and Paul both said, "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
When a person confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, there is a transfer of that person from the authority of darkness, into the kingdom rule of God's beloved Son. In this transfer the believer is given a change of clothing. They give up their old sinful garments and are given the very garment of Jesus. They are clothed with Christ.
In this transfer of kingdom rule, the newly born human is also given a Christ-like nature. Though they can and will stumble at times, their new nature will not allow them to remain in a stumbling state. Sin will forever remain contrary to their new nature in Christ.
There is more - Not only is this newly born human clothed with Christ, but he becomes a member of God's family. He is positionally seated with Christ on His throne. He belongs to the royal family of God. Thus he is a heavenly citizen in an earthly body.
And it doesn't stop there. This new child of God is made a full heir of all that Jesus has inherited out of the cross. Paul said that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
If all this is truth, what then is the problem? The problem is in the believing.
If we no not believe rightfully, we then go about trying to earn our salvation by works. Once again the doctrine of earning our salvation will distort the word of the cross. These distorted message become a source of religious bondage.
On our Ask the Pastor site I am often asked which religion is right. My answer is always the same. There is no right religion. There is only a right relationship with the Lord. And this right relationship is found by believing in Jesus Christ.
The answer? It is never faith plus works. Salvation is the free gift of God. Certainly there are good works to be had. For believers our good works will always be an after-the-fact of our having been saved by grace through faith.
Salvation by grace is the message of the cross. By faith we experience the death side and the life side of the cross. We die to our selves, to our works, to our self-righteousness, to our pride of life, and thus we die to our old sinful life. In coming to the cross we accept Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sinful life.
Out of the death of the cross we then enter into the life side of the cross. The work of the cross is placed on our account. We receive our new life in Christ Jesus. Eternal life is not simply about duration of life. It is about a quality of life that is only found in Jesus.
It all comes back to what the song - To possess by faith what I could not earn; all surpassing gift of righteousness.
These are just some things to think about
Blessings,
Buddy
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Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy <at> ChristianChallenge.Org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hebraic-Foundations/
Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DepartingUPC/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)