We finished part 3 with this. Paul was persuaded that God fully loved him. Not because he was so pure and holy. Paul was persuaded because he knew even if he made a mistake, God still loved him and God’s grace was sufficient.
You see, most of us struggle to do right, but fruit is not the product of struggle. A peach doesn’t sit there and grunt trying to become a peach, because when that peach is in the vine, the only thing that can happen is a peach will come forth. Fruit comes as a result of abiding in the vine.
John 15:4 – “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me”. What does abiding mean? Abiding in the vine involves obedience. How? How do we do that? What does that mean?
Lets use Ephesians 4:22-24.
22 that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Verse 22 says strip yourself of your former nature. That former nature characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion. Verse 24 says put on the new nature created in God’s image in true righteousness and holiness.
Verse 22 tells us to stop acting improper. Verse 24 tells us to start acting proper. Then verse 23 tells us how to get from 22 to 24. It’s what can be called the “bridge scripture”. 23 AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND. Having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude. Do you see where it takes place? In the mind where the devil likes to attack. It is impossible to get from wrong thinking to right without first changing your thoughts, which we know as renewing of your mind.
Phil 2:5 – Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Did you notice that the verse said which WAS also in Christ Jesus? Why did it say WAS? Well, first off, none of us will have the full mind of Christ until we are fully glorified. Secondly, it's referring to Christ's mind while on this earth as a man. Have that kind of mind. The renewed mind that sees things from God's perspective not the world's. Finally, Paul is referring to what he said in Romans 12 about not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Right believing is the key.
Rom 12:2 – and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
You see the battle is in the mind. It’s our stinking thinking. That’s why the once saved always saved theology plays on your mind if you dwell on it. It’s a doctrine of demons. But if you word it this way – I’m saved and believing in all God has for me. I’m trusting in God to do the right thing. I’m abiding in the vine and even if I falter, the Father still loves me. I’m secure in my salvation because of my faith and trust in the finished work of the cross.
From those declarative truths you can now state that you have eternal security with Christ. Understand it’s with and through Christ. Eternity is secure, and eternal, the only question is who will your neighbors be. The righteousness of God, or the children of the devil.
Let me remind you of a scripture in closing.
Acts 5:29. “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men”. Be careful of every wind of doctrine that comes along. Study it out. Test the spirit to see if it is of God.
Just walk in the grace and love of God and this once saved always saved interruption to our free life in Christ will dry up and go away. It’s what Paul called vain disputations.
1 Tim 1:4-9.
4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8 but we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners,
Also, 1 Peter 4:18 says
18 and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
I see two sets of people here. So what’s the bottom line? We are to walk in the safety of God’s love. We are to trust in His never ending grace. He will keep us in all his ways. Be obedient to the faith. Give up trying to be good enough for God, which is nothing more than old sacrifice.
In 1 Sam 15:22 scripture says “and Samuel said, hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
You are saved by grace through faith. You know who you are in Christ and who He is in you. You are embracing all that Jesus has done for you. The grace of God is not feeble or weak, but strong, powerful and everlasting, just like your salvation through faith by grace. You were saved once, but you’ll always be saved from here on out. Grace and Peace.
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