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Now as we start into Part II of Bible teachings, we hope
you have counted the cost and sought God for salvation. As
we explain the terms and assurance of salvation it will
line up with your experience if you are truly converted.
To
be converted is to be changed. When we get saved we are
changed from a sinner to a saint, or from a child of the
devil to a child of God. Jesus said in Matt 18:3...except
ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven. When we are saved we
become like children, trusting, innocent, etc.
JUSTIFICATION
There are
two major aspects in the initial work of salvation. They
are justification and regeneration. They happen to us
simultaneously. Justification is salvation from the guilt
of sin. This is the legal act of salvation. Rom 5:1
says--Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have peace with
God because we have been forgiven of our past sins and are
now free from guilt. Because of the atonement of Christ we
stand justified in God's sight. Not justified because we
were not guilty, because we were, not because we did not
deserve punishment, because we did, but justified because
Christ paid the penalty for us. Thank God for Jesus.
REGENERATION
The
second aspect in our initial salvation is regeneration.
Regeneration means to get new life or to receive the new
birth or to be born again.
SALVATION...A
NEW BIRTH
The
experience of salvation received through Christ is also
represented as a birth, a birth of our spirit. Sinful man
is represented in the scriptures as being dead
spiritually. Isa 59:2 tells us that sin separates us from
God. Spiritual death is a separation from God. For
example, Col 2:13--And you being dead in your sins or in 1
Tim 5:6--But she that liveth in pleasures is dead while
she liveth. When we are born again we are no longer
separated from God. Hence, in Eph 2:1-2, we read--And you
hath He quickened (made alive or ressurrected) who were
dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time passed ye
walked according to the course of this world....So we see
that when we are "redeemed" or "saved"
our soul is both justified in God's sight and "born
again" or "regenerated".
A
PRESENT REALITY
Again we
say that the born again experience, bringing everlasting
life, is not for some future age but is now during this
present dispensation. In Jn 5:24 Jesus tells us...He that
heareth my Word and believeth on Him that sent me, hath
everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation; but
is passed from death unto life. Peter is also talking to
those that have already received the born again experience
in 1 Pet 1:23 when he says--Being born again not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of
God, which liveth and abideth forever. Everyone born into
this world is born of corruptible seed as flesh is
corruptible. Those receiving the spiritual birth, those
that are born again, are born of incorruptible seed.
ASSURANCE
OF SALVATION
Now about
the knowledge or assurance that we have obtained Bible
salvation. Personal experience, plus the scriptures, teach
us that we can know.
GUILT
REMOVED
One way
is the removal of guilt of our committed sins. We read
that Jesus came--To give knowledge of salvation unto His
people by the remissions of their sins. (Luke 1:77)
WE
LOVE EVERYBODY
1 John
3:14 says--We know that we have passed from death unto
life, because we love the brethren....We also even love
our enemies, and of course we love God. As a sinner we did
not really love God from our heart for we were living in a
state of indifference to His claim on us. But after
receiving salvation, we gladly say as does John in 1 John
4:19--We love Him because He first loved us. That is why
truly saved people live like the Bible teaches. As Jesus
says in John 14:23--If a man love me, he will keep my
words...
HIS
SPIRIT BEARS WITNESS
Then the
best and clearest evidence of our acceptance with God is
the internal witness of Hos spirit. As we have already
stated, salvation is received by faith. So even though we
cannot explain this "witnessing" in our soul in
words, we can say thank God it is real and can be
experienced. Rom 8:16 says--The spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
Yes, real Bible salvation is a "know-so"
experience.
SALVATION
MAKES US NEW CREATURES
As a true
Christian you are a changed person looking at life with an
entirely different view. Many are the testimonies that say
after conversion, "the sky seems bluer, the grass
greener, and the whole world looks more beautiful than
before." As a child of God you will not want to be
going to the wrong places or doing the wrong things. Yes,
we say there is a definite change in the affections,
attitude and outlook of the truly converted. As Paul says
in 2 Cor 5:17--Therfore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold all
things are become new.
SALVATION
MORE THAN GOOD MORALS, BAPTISM OR CHURCH JOINING
As
an old creature, you may have been a good moral person,
but just being a good person is not a Bible Christian. The
scriptures inform us that a true Christian is a good
person, plus something else. That something else is life
from God that is received when one is truly born again.
There are millions who are professing Christianity, some
perhaps because of being baptized as an infant, others
because they have joined some church but who have never
been born again. Those who fall into this group are not in
the narrow way towards heaven but are on that broad way
that leads to hell and everlasting destruction! We
realize, when we expose those disgracing the name of
Christianity, we will make some enemies, but to awaken
those deceived who will heed the warning before it is
everlastingly too late: we say as does Christ, YE MUST BE
BORN AGAIN!!!
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