Can I Know I'm Saved?

                                                "The Good Shepherd" by Waiting For The Word/ www.flickr.com/photos/waiting for the word/5691333367

CAN I “KNOW” I'M SAVED?

PART 5

I've written now about the the way of salvation, as far as initial salvation goes, but what about our life down here and the future beyond this life? That too, is a part of salvation, and this is what we want to explore today!

So yes, it is true that once we are initially saved, that we will never lose our salvation. Why? Because Christ made full and not partial payment for our sin! More on that in a bit, but for now let us define what is meant by the three parts of salvation. Well, as said, the first part is that act of faith in the Savior who saves us from the consequences of our sin. For we read, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Then, secondly, we have this life. Here, He saved us from the power or dominion of sin. God says, “Sin will no longer have dominion over you.” (Romans 6:14a) Then comes the third and final stage of our salvation, deliverance from the very presence of sin in Heaven. Yes, this is also a part of salvation, but it obviously has as yet not happened! For it is written, “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11b) So, there we have it, the three parts of salvation!

Now, just to touch briefly on the thoughts regarding whether we can lose our salvation or not. Well, did Jesus purchase us a full, or a partial salvation? If it is indeed full, then it includes all three parts of that salvation, including our future in Heaven above! Further to that, the Word says that upon believing, “We should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16b) Notice, it says that that we “have,” present tense, “everlasting life”! How, I ask, can you lose something that has no end? Also, Hebrews 7:25 says, “He is able to save to the uttermost [completely] those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Look, if we can lose our salvation, then the fault would be with Jesus! It is clearly He who saves, and not us! If we could lose our salvation, then Jesus would be to blame for not “make[ing] intercession for [us].”

Someone may bring up Hebrews six, but we must first realize that you never interpret a clear passage of Scripture with an obscure/difficult passage of Scripture, but always the reverse. Now, we must realize the context of the Hebrews passage. Who is it addressed to? It is written to Jews. Are you a Jew? Likely not. This speaks of those who tasted of the truth of Christianity and the New Covenant (New Agreement), and either have, or are contemplating going back to Judaism. Though they were never actually saved in the first place. That is what is being addressed there. So then, to get “unsaved,” you would have to pay back Christ the death He died for you and kick the Holy Spirit out who has come to take up permanent residence in you! And yes, somehow undo “eternal life”. So I ask, are you stronger than God?

So, can we know that we are saved and will be in Heaven for sure? The Word of God says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may KNOW that you HAVE eternal life.” (1John 5:13) How can we “know” these things with such a certainty? When we are trusting that Jesus, who is God, is able to fully save us, because we trust that what He did was enough, and we don't need to help God out at all. We are simply resting in Him and His finished work on our behalf!

See you next time, for a look into the future, for our last segment of this six part series!

Victor J. Reimer

*Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyrighted © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What Does the Future Hold For Me?

                                         "Highway to The Sky" by Jim Sher/ © copyrighted\ www.flickr.com/photos/blyzz/8464682670

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR ME?

PART 6

Now regarding the things to come. Well, we've already discussed Heaven and Hell previously. Yet, what about the things regarding “the end”? Things respecting judgment and the resurrection? First off, these things are very near! For we read, “He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.'” (Revelation 22:20) Let's take a look and see...

THE SAINTS RESURRECTED

So, now, let us examine these things in chronological order. First at hand is the resurrection of the saints. For it is written, “But we do not want you to be uniformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left [Christians], will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) We also read, “But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” (1Cor.15:23) We see then, that the Christians are the first to be resurrected, that is after Christ, who is the “firstfruit.”

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Now, immediately after the resurrection of the saints, a time called, “The Tribulation,” will begin and last for seven years. This period can further be divided into two sections. The first half will be a period of relative peace. For the false Messiah – the Antichrist will be ruling the world. Then in the middle of this period he will break the covenant and all-out havoc will ensue, such as the world has never seen before! He will demand worship as if he were God. All those who refuse to bow will lose their lives.

Just to very briefly look at another view that is commonly held. Many insist that the Christians will have to go through the great tribulation. However, if you closely look at the book of Revelation, you will notice that all mention of the church falls silent after the first chapters regarding the seven churches. Instead, you will find everything referring to Israel. For the church will have been taken from the Earth to be with Jesus Christ, and now once more, God will be dealing with the Jews. Hence the latter half of the great tribulation is also known, biblically, as “Jacob's trouble.”

This will be a time of great distress! We read of such things as this: “The sea, became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.” “The sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by its fierce heat.” (Revelation 16:3,8) We also read, “I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17) This is but a sample of the terrifying things that will transpire upon the Earth during the seven year tribulation period when God judges the ungodly.

As I mentioned earlier, this period will also be a time when God again deals with Israel. Out of this company, only a remnant will be saved. The Bible speaks of the “144,000.” These “144,000,” will be a witness in the Earth. Many from the nations will be saved during the tribulation period because of their witness. So what will become of these believers? It is written, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.” (Revelation 20:4-5) Notice that this company is to the exclusion of all believers prior to the Tribulation period. So then, we see another company of believers, this time from those who were saved during the tribulation period.

THE MELLENIUM

After the tribulation events are completed, Jesus Christ Himself will reign upon the Earth in the midst of the Jewish nation of Israel. This period of time will last for 1000 years. It will be a period of true peace under the true Messiah, as opposed to the imitation peace under the false Messiah of the Antichrist.

ARMAGEDDON

After this 1000 year period will be the Battle of Armageddon. At this point Satan is released from the pit and will gather the non-believers from the nations in an attempt to overthrow Christ and the Jewish nation. He will promptly be overthrown by Christ Himself. The ungodly of the world will now be resurrected and cast into the Lake of Fire, where all the unholy angels are, including Satan himself. This will be their permanent home. From here on, God will reign forever and ever in the new heavens and Earth wherein righteousness dwells! (See 2Peter 3:11-13)

I know I left out a tremendous amount of details, but this simplifies things in order to get the general gist of how the “end time” events play out. This then, brings our six part series to a close. Thank you for taking the time to read this six part series! See you soon, for more informative posts!

Victor J. Reimer

*Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyrighted © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Can I Get In On It?

                                         "Gesichert 1"/ www.flickr.com/photos/anonymouscollective/17094198893

HOW CAN I GET IN ON IT?

PART 4

Here we are again! Let us now put this critical puzzle piece in place.

A REMEDY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS

Last time we saw that Jesus Christ was called, “the Lamb of God.” We also saw, that all the sacrifices in the Old Testament spoke of Him. Before that, we saw that all God's rules, including the ten commandments, could only show us that we are sinful, just as a mirror does. We concluded that there was no hope in and of ourselves. We saw that we needed a deliver to save us! Then, we received the news that Jesus had arrived to, “take away our sin.” Yet, how would He do this? Well, just like the lambs had to die, so Jesus would die. Just like the person in the Old Testament would lay their hand on the head of the sacrificial animal, showing that all their sins were transferred to the animal, so all your sin and my sin was heaped on Jesus. Then, just as the animal had to die for the sins of that person as their substitute, so Jesus died to pay for all your sin that was heaped upon Him. For it is written, “And the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6b) Look! Jesus Christ took your place, your sin, and your death! In this way the wages for your sin was paid in full – past and future too! We know what the Scriptures say, “The wages of sin is death,” and “Without shedding of blood [death], is no forgiveness.” (Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:22) That is why Jesus died – there was no other remedy!

IT'S PERSONAL

Now, if Jesus paid the penalty for everyone's sin, including yours, why isn't everyone saved? Well, this is were it really gets to be a personal thing – trust. So we must see that the Bible speaks of three words that have essentially the same meaning: trust, believe, and faith. Let me now give you an example of how this plays out. Let's say, the government could decide to pay for everyone's debt in all its land. It could write out cheques for everyone. However, unless you cashed that cheque, it would do you no good, would it? No debt would be paid. The bank could still cause you to foreclose. Those you owed, could still sue you. See then, that it works the same way with God. He paid your debt, but unless you actually trust Jesus the Saviour as your own Saviour, it will do you no good. God will still hold you to account for your sin and you'll have to pay in Hell forever! This is why the Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8) Again, we read, “Whoever believes in him [Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18) So, have you “cashed your cheque”?

WILL I ACCEPT GOD'S GIFT?

So, it really all “boils down” to this, who or what are you trusting, if anyone or anything at all? Are you trusting your good works? In that case, you see yourself as your own saviour, and are saying that God the Father sent His Son to die on the cross for no reason. Do you really think you know better than God? God said, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified [made right with Him] in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Further, it says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And still further, we read, “For we hold that one is justified [made right with God] apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:20, 23, 28) Instead, we read that we, “Are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:24-25) Simply said, God sent His Son Jesus to pay for you by His death, in order for you to be pardoned and walk away free! We could simply say, do you think that Jesus is a sufficient Saviour for you? God tells us about those who “rebelled” against Him, that, “They were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:19)

What is your decision?

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,

so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

that whoever

believes

in him

may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world [you],

that he gave

his only Son,

that whoever believes [you?]

should not perish

but have

eternal life.”

John 3:14-16

Victor J. Reimer

*All scripture taken from the ESV.

The Extreme Extent of God's Love For You!

                                           "Olympos Climbing" by Stefanos Nikologianis/          www.flickr.com/photos/snikologiannis/702902587

THE EXTREME EXTENT OF GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU!

PART 3

A BRIEF RECAP

Just to briefly recap. In the first segment, we saw that God is holy and separate from sinners. For it is sin, that separates us from our holy Creator-God. Then, in the second segment, we saw that God's rules show us that we are sinners. Just like a mirror reveals that we have dirty faces, so the ten commandments show us that we are stained with sin. We saw too, that “the tree of knowing the rules,” could not give life. Still further, we saw that the ten commandments could not give life either! In fact, they both brought about death – separation from our holy Creator-God. So we realize then, that a mirror cannot clean one, it only reveals our dirty faces – so God's laws do the same. So, where do we turn for deliverance then? That is exactly what we want to look at today! Let's check it out!

AN ANIMAL PICTURE

So, back to the garden we go again. This time we want to look at the second tree, the tree of life. This tree offered its eaters “eternal life.” Yet, Adam and Eve chose not to eat from it. After there sin, God would clothe them with animal skins. This meant that there was death. So, as we saw earlier, this showed that there had to be a substitute for Adam and Eve. It also showed that the payment for sin was death. Lastly, it showed that the remedy had to come from God, not us. This shows, as a picture, what it would take for a person to be restored to fellowship with God.

However, God would continue to underline, and reunderline this picture through the course of the Old Testament. We would see Abel bring an animal from the flock to sacrifice. Again, the same thing was being pictured – a substitutionary death. Later, we would see Abraham place his son Isaac on an altar and a ram taking Isaac's place. Same picture again – substitution! Still later, we would see the Israelites kill the passover lambs in Egypt before their departure. Same picture again! Yet, in this instance, we're given more details. The lamb had specific requirements and eating regulations. It had to be perfect, a year old, a male, some of its blood had to be put on the person's door frame, and it had to be roasted, eaten in the home, and so on. However, this was only the beginning of God using this picture. We discover the Israelites killing tens of thousands of animals for sacrifices throughout the Old Testament, but, when we arrive in the New Testament they stop. Ever wonder why? Ever wonder what all those sacrifices were about? Why all the death?

GOD'S REMEDY

These questions begin to be answered, when we hear John the Baptist say, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) You see, back in the garden again, God had promised that He would send a deliver to save humankind from their sin. Now, John announces that this deliver has finally arrived, by announcing, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” Understand then, that all the Old Testament sacrifices of animals could not remove sin, it only showed us, as in a picture, what it would take for our sin to be removed and fellowship restored with God. So, who was this deliver? None other than the Lord Jesus Christ! Notice, He is called, “the Lamb of God.” See then, that He would be the ultimate sacrifice for us! He would be the fulfillment of the Old Testament picture of the sacrificed animals! He would be your and my Substitute! The One who would pay by death the penalty for your and my sin! He would be our Savior! This is the reason why there would be no further need of sacrifices. Jesus had paid the the sin-debts of everyone! For it is written, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Then, further, we read, “We have been sanctified through the body of Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:4, 10)

IT'S PERSONAL

Think of the Passover again. Think how it had to be a male – Jesus. That there could be no blemish – sinless Jesus, and so on. Then, during the Passover, the home with the blood applied would be “passed over.” There would be no death in the home. However, in the Egyptian's home, there would be death – there was no blood applied. Yet, in the Israelite homes there was no death because a death had already taken place – the lamb had died. However, the Egyptians had no lamb. Hence, the Egyptians had to pay the price themselves. In the case of the Israelites, judgment had already fallen, but in the case of the Egyptians, it was still outstanding. What a contrast!

So, what about you, do you have “a lamb,” or will you have to pay your own sin-debt yourself?

Make sure to check back for the next critical puzzle piece in the big picture!

Victor J. Reimer

*All Scripture taken from the ESV.

How Good Do I Have to Be?

                                          "Bullseye" by Emilio Kuffer © copyrighted
                                                                www.flickr.com/photos/emiliokuffer/6384294717

HOW GOOD DO I HAVE TO BE?

PART 2

So, last time we took a look at the holiness of our Creator-God. This time, we want to take a look at how we stack up to God's expectations of His creation, namely you and I! What does our “score” look like? How does God, our ultimate Judge, judge us? Let's take a look!

First, we must take a little meander back into the garden in Eden where God had initially placed Adam and his wife Eve. It is here, that God placed two trees – two choices. A tree, we could paraphrase, “The tree of knowing what the rules are.” The second tree was called, “The tree of life.” God also explicitly warned, saying, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) So, what was so deadly about this tree? Let's check it out!

So, Adam and Eve had it all, right? A most amazing place to live, fruit trees of every description, rivers, abundant tame creatures, perfect health, a fabulous marriage, and a perfect relationship with God – what could be better? Well, they too thought all was well until...the devil, also called Satan, snuck into the garden to tempt Eve. She caved, and ate from the tree God had warned them about – Adam ate too. They would now find out the consequences of their sin. They would find, that though the tree they ate from appeared to be good, in that it seemed to offer life, that it actually brought death, just like God had warned! From their sin, we will learn a valuable lesson – if we will listen and pay attention! Yet, what of the other tree, that did offer life, why hadn't they eaten from that tree? Yet, this is the choice they made. God would not force them against their will. God would not force them to love Him. Yet, there would tremendous ramifications. Humanity would now be on a devastating spiral of sin, broken relationships, and heartache, all because Adam and Eve chose to trust a stranger instead of the God they knew to be loving.

Suddenly, feelings of guilt and shame swept over Adam and Eve! Should they admit their guilt, or try and cover it up? With fingers trembling with nervousness, they hurriedly fashioned themselves some fig leaf clothes, and hoped their efforts would be good enough to pleases their Creator-God! Then they went and hid, cowering in shame and fear. What would God say? What would He do? How would He handle their sin against the Creator-God? They would soon find out.

God came looking. He made the initiative, because God loved them still. Now they were really beginning to realize, just how much God loved them! Yes, God grilled them, though He knew what they had done. Yet, He gave them a chance to admit their sin, but instead they played the blame game! However, God would not have the wool pulled over His eyes! For it is written, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13) The truth is, their sin brought death, just like God had warned. They were now separated from their holy, Creator-God! Their friendship was over! That was the first meaning of death. The second, was that they would also physically die, and they did. Finally, they would be cast away from God for their entire existence after their physical death. The Bible calls this, “The Second Death.”

Yet, God did not leave them there, He showed them what it would take for their relationship to be restored and for them to avoid the “Second Death.” God would take animal skins and clothe them. This would show, A, that God, and not us, has the remedy for our sin, and B, it would show that their must be a substitutionary death as payment for their sin. So, no, Adam and Eve's seamstress skills were wholly inadequate! Their efforts fell far short of God's expectations!

So, we have seen that Adam and Eve didn't score very well. We could say, they failed the test. They were unable to keep from doing evil and do the right that the devil had promised the tree could do – even though they understood what they should, and should not do. In plain words, knowing what God's rules were didn't help, as they had no power or ability to obey those rules.

Adam and Eve had thought that they knew better than God. Yet, they were sorely mistaken! Even though God had lovingly given them an amazing place to live and had generously provided them with everything they could ever want, yet, they thought that God was withholding something good – He was not. The reality is that Satan had lied. God, on the other hand, had spoken the truth. Satan didn't give a care about them, but God loved them deeply! Where was Satan to be found after their misadventure? Yet, God sought them out even though they had sinned against Him! Now we know who really loved them, don't we?!

God, however, was not yet done explaining things to us humans! He really wanted us to understand His holiness and our helplessness. So what did God do? He gave humanity even more rules! Yes, God gave the ten commandments! God was going to show just what He expected from us! He told us not to mess around with those whom we're not married to. He even went on during His walk on Earth to inform us that that included even having such thoughts! He also told us not to murder, and again, He would later explain this to mean, even the thought of wanting to do such! Of course we are also told not to, steal, cheat, or worship anything or anyone other than Himself! This is just a sample of what He told us, but it gives us an idea of what He commanded.

So, how have you fared? What would you give yourself? Maybe 75%? I don't know. However, would it surprise you if God demands 100% perfection for you to get a passing grade? Well, it's true! You say, “Impossible!” Yep, that is exactly the point God was making by giving the ten commandments! God's point was the same as with Adam and Eve – we can't follow His rules – they just bring death. In fact, these rules display to us that God is holy and that we are evil, sinful beings. They show that we cannot possibly save ourselves by trying to be good. The truth is, even our good, is seen as “filthy rags” by our holy Creator-God. This is very bad news for us. Our sin, stands as a great big chasm, between us and God.

Do we have any hope? Absolutely! That is just what we'll be looking into next time! See you then!

Victor J. Reimer

*All Scripture taken form the ESV.

What Is God Like?

                                               FreeImages.com/Mike Johnson

What's Your Relationship Like With God?

TAKING IN THE BIG PICTURE

This will be a six part series. Included will be:

1. What Is God Like?
2. How Good Do I Have to Be?
3. The Extreme Extent of Jesus' Love For You!
4. How Can I Get In On It?
5. Can I “Know” I'm Saved?
6. What Does The Future Hold For Me?

The Holy Bible is a unique book given to us by our Creator-God. This amazing book tells about the most important things of this life and the one to come. This book unfolds to us the character of God, His expectations of us, and declares all we need to know about the future too. What an incredible book! Let us touch on some of the most vital subjects it contains. Are you ready? Let's go!

WHAT IS GOD LIKE?

PART 1

The first words God chooses to share with us are, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) We know then, that God created everything – it was not left to chance, or an accident – God designed it! All these things He fashioned in six literal days. On day six, the climax of God's epic creation - people. He made both a man, Adam, and a woman, Eve. These would be the first two people, and they would be husband and wife. From these two, come the rest of humanity! These two human beings, God would place in the most awe-inspiring place, the garden that He personally designed for them - Eden. They had need of nothing, all was perfect. God had proven Himself to be a God of love! Yet, did the first man and woman reciprocate that love?

I wonder now, if you were to get out a canvas and paint a masterpiece, who you would say it belonged to, and who would have the right to do with it as they pleased? I'm sure you'd respond, “It's mine, I can do with it whatever I want!” Ah, you're right! So it is with God! He made you and me and then wrapped around us His marvelous creation for us to enjoy! Wow, what an awesome God! Who could we possibly compare Him too? The Bible says of Him, “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5) Yes, we are answerable to God, because He made us. He has every right as such, to tell us how things must be done, and in some sense, the Bible He gave us, is His instruction book for us!

So what is God like? Can we chat with Him? Can we go to live with Him in His home called Heaven when we die? Is He an angry God, or a caring and loving God? Well, we already noted that God is loving. However, we want to get a fuller picture of God, and we will get to these answers soon enough, but for now, we want to look at the fact that God is holy.

First of all, what does “holy” even mean? Well, it means to be without sin. “What is sin,” you ask? It is that which misses the bull's eye of a target. You see, God has placed certain rules for the people of His creation. We'll be looking at this subject more in another segment, but for now, we'll see that these rules show us the absolute perfection of our Creator-God. God has never sinned and the truth is, it is impossible for Him to sin. Now, not only is God holy, but His dwelling place, called Heaven, is also holy. For the Bible says, “His holy heaven.” (Psalm 20:6)

We further read of God that He is, “Holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” (Hebrews 7:26) Yet God's desire is that we have a relationship with Him and worship Him. For we read, “But this command I gave them, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'” (Jeremiah 7:23) We see then, that God is holy, that we are sinners, and that God is “separate from sinners. Yet, we see too, that God desires a real relationship with you and me. That is what God has always intended and desired. He desires to shower His love and blessings upon us!

So, we are beginning to get a little understanding of God and His holiness, but just what does this imply for you and me? We'll dive into next time! See you there!

Victor J. Reimer

*All Scripture taken from the ESV.