secure in the shepherd's hand
Transcript of secure in the shepherd's hand
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Secure In
The Shepherds
Hand
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written and compiled by Amy Chappell
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"I write this
to you who believe in
(trust in, rely on)
the name of [Jesus],
so that you may know
with settled and absolute knowledge
that you have eternal life.
(1 John 5:13)
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Index
The Shepherds Heart..4The Shepherds Work..5The Sheeps Righteousness..11
The Sheeps Reconciliation...16The Sheeps Dependence..17The Shepherds Stamp.19The Sheeps Advocate20The Sheeps Sanctification.21The Sheeps Authenticity.22The Sheeps Security..24The Final Word...26
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The Shepherds Heart(What is Gods heart in the matter?)
God does not want anyone to perish or be lost(2 Peter 3:9)
He doesnt take any pleasure in the death of anyone(Ez. 18:23,32)
He has not appointed us to incur His wrath(1 Thessalonians 5:8)
but that we might obtain salvation(1 Thessalonians 5:8-10)
It is His will that we be given eternal life(John 6:37-40)
It is His will that we be raised up on the last day(John 6:37-40)
He is pleased to save those who trust in and rely Him(1 Cor. 1:21)
He is delighted when we turn from our ways and live(Ez. 18:23)
He will never reject anyone who comes to Him(John 6:37)
He wants us to live(Ezekiel 18:23, John 3:16)
Father, I wantthose you have given me
to be with me where I am,
and to see my glory.
(Jesus, John 17:24a)
What man of you,if he has a hundred sheep
and should lose one of them,
does not leave the ninety-nine
in the wilderness and go after
the one that is lost
until he finds it?
And when he has found it,
he lays it on his own shoulders,
rejoicing. (Luke 15:3-5)
ForGod so loved the world(John 3:16a)
Greater lovehas no one than this,
that he lay down his life
for his friends.(John 15:13)
The thief comes onlyto steal, kill and destroy;
I have come
that they might have life,
and have it in abundance.
(John 10:10a)
I am the Good Shepherd.The Good Shepherd
lays down His own life
for the sheep.
I am giving My very own life
and laying it down
on behalf of the sheep.
(John 10:11, 15)
[He] loved meand gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20)
He did this that He mightclearly demonstrate
through the ages to come
the immeasurable
(limitless, surpassing) riches
of His free grace (unmerited favor)
in His kindness and goodness of heart
toward us in Christ Jesus.
(Ephesians 2:7)
Let us be soberand put onfor a helmet
the hope of salvation.
For God has not appointed us
to incur His wrath,
but that we might obtain His salvation
The truth is
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through [Jesus] who died for us
so thatwe might live together with
Him
and share His life.(1 Thessalonians 5:8-10)
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The Shepherds Work(What did God do about it?)
Because of His intense and overflowing love, pity, mercy, kindness,goodness and grace
Jesus came so that we could have life(John 10:9a, 10b)
He saved us(Jeremiah 17:14b, 1 Corinthians 1:21, Philippians 1:28)
He delivered us(2 Timothy 4:18, Philippians 1:28)
He purchased us(1 Peter 1:18-19a)
He made us His own(Philippians 3:12, 2 Timothy 2:19)
He made us free(John 8:36b)
He set us free from sin(Ro. 6:18,22,8:2,22; Jhm. 8:36, Heb. 9:15, Rev. 1:5)
He absorbed the wrath of God(Gal. 3:13, Romans 3:25, 1 John 4:10)
He took away our condemnation(Romans 8:34)
He justified us(Romans 8:33-34)
He cancelled the legal demands of the law against us(Col. 2:13)
He reconciled us to God(Colossians 1:22, 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 5:1)
He brought us to God(1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 2:13, Psalm 16:11)
He died for us so that we could live together with Him
(1 Thessalonians 5:8-10)
He made us alive when we were dead in sin(Ephesians 2:1, 5, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
He gave us his life(Ephesians 2:5, 5:39; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:15)
He made us a conqueror over death(1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
He made us reign in life(Romans 5:17)
He made us endure forever(Psalm 89:23a)
He gave us the victory(1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
He vanquished death forever(1 Corinthians 15:55)
He rescued us from final judgment(Hebrews 9:28)
He disarmed the rulers and authorities(Colossians 2:14-15, 1 John 3:8)
He secured our resurrection from the dead(Romans 6:5, 8:11, 2 Tim. 2:11)
He freed us from the bondage of the fear of death(Hebrews 2:14-15)
He recreated and regenerated us(Eph. 2:10a, 2 Cor. 5:17, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23-24, Gal. 6:15, John 3:3-8)
He made us new creatures(Eph. 2:10a, 2 Cor. 5:17, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23-24, Gal. 6:15, John 3:3-8)
He gave us His own righteousness(1 Corinthians 1:30b; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 45:24a, 25, 32:17, 61:10;Colossians 1:22; Psalm 89:6, 149:4-5, Romans 1:17, 3:20-23, 4:5, 11, 24, 9:30b-32,10:3, 10:4, Jeremiah 23:6)
He made us pure and faultless and holy before Him(1 Corinthians 1:30b; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah45:24a, 25, 32:17, 61:10; Colossians 1:22; Psalm 89:6, 149:4-5, Romans 1:17, 3:20-23, 4:5, 11, 24, 9:30b-32,10:3, 10:4, Jeremiah 23:6)
He gave us a new heart--a heart that can know and love Him(Deuteronomy 30:6, 1 Samuel 10:9,Jeremiah 24:7, 2 Cor. 4:6, 1 Kings 8:58, Ezekiel 11:19, Psalm 51:10a, Jeremiah 32:38-40, Acts 11:21, 16:14, Romans 2:4b, 2:29, 1 Cor.
2:16)
He gave us a clear conscience(Hebrews 9:14)
We have been reborn(Ephesians 2:10a, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23-24, Galatians 6:15, John 3:3-8)
We are Gods own handiwork(Ephesians 2:10a)
God is our salvation(Isaiah 12:2-3, Psalm 18:2, 25:5, 2 Sam. 22:47, Psalm 95:1, Rev. 7:10b, 19:1, 2 Sam. 22:15a)
Life is in Him
(John 1:4a, 1 Corinthians 1:30a, Psalm 36:9)
He said Yes" in Christ(2 Corinthians 1:18-19)
All Gods promises find their answer in Jesus(2 Corinthians 1:18-19)
Eternal life is gift--an irrevocable gift; He will never withdraw it(John 10:28a, 17:2b, Acts 8:20b,Ro. 5:17, .5:23, Eph. 2:8, 1 Cor. 1:30a, 1 Cor. 15:10, 2 Cor. 9:15, Revelations 22:17, Titus 3:5, 1Peter 1:21, 1 Timothy 1:14-16, 1 John 4:9-
10, Ephesians 2, Romans 11:29)
He does not change His mind about us(Romans 11:29)
He took possession of us and acknowledged us as His by putting His seal upon usand giving us His Holy Spirit as the security deposit and guarantee of the
"My memory is nearly gone,
but I remember two things:That I am a great sinner
and that Christ is a great Savior!"~John Newton, in his last years
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fulfillment of His promise(2 Corinthians 1:18-22, 5:5, 17; Eph. 1:11-14, 4:30; John 14:17; Romans 8:9; 1 John 3:24, 4:13-15; 1 Cor. 2: 12, 12:13; Galatians 4:29)
At the moment God chose us and justified us, it was as if we were already glorifiedin His presence in heaven(Romans 8:33-34)
He will never leave us or abandon us(Psalm 17:15, Matt. 28:20b, Joshua 1:5, John 14:17b, Psalm 23:4, Deu. 31:6,8)
He is holding us tight(John 10:28-29, Isaiah 40:10-11)
He will never let us go(John 10:28-29, Hebrews 13:5)
He is keeping us
(Jude 1:1, 24; Luke 15:3-5)
He will present us blameless, faultless and unblemished before His presence intriumphant joy(Jude 1:24)
It is finished (paid in full). ~Jesus
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What God's justice demanded, His love provided. The wisdom of God has
ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God withoutcompromising the justice of God: The death of the Son of God for sinners!
The best news in all the world (the gospel) is that God has decreed a way ofsalvation that also upholds the worth of His glory, the honor of His Son, and
the eternal salvation of His elect. He has given His Son to die for sinners andto conquer their death by His own resurrection. ~ John Piper
This Jesusyou crucified [But] God raised Him up, liberating Him from thepangs of death, seeing that it was not possible for Him to continue to becontrolled or retained by it. For David says in regard to Him, I saw the Lordconstantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken oroverthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state]. Therefore myheart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; moreover, my flesh alsowill dwell in hope [will encamp, pitch its tent, and dwell in hope in anticipationof the resurrection]. For You will not abandon my soul, leaving it helpless inHades (the state of departed spirits), nor let Your Holy One know decay or seedestruction [of the body after death]. You have made known to me the waysof life; You will fill me with joy in your presence. ~Acts 2:23-28
Is there wrath and curse hanging over us?1
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse forusfor it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.
(Gal. 3:13)
Is there condemnation against us in the courtroom of heaven?2
Who shall bring any charge against Gods elect? It is God who justifies.Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died. (Rom. 8:33-34)
Are there innumerable trespasses mounting up against us?3
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgivenessof our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (Eph. 1:7)
Is righteousness required that we cannot produce?4
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in himwe might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). By the onemans obedience the many will be made righteous. (Rom. 5:19)
Are we cut off from eternal life?5
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, thatwhoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16)
Are we trapped in the dominion of sin that ruins our lives?6
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to
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sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). He died for all, that those
who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for theirsake died and was raised. (2 Cor. 5:15)
Will all the follies and failures of our past drag us down with irrevocable,
destructive consequences?7
We know that for those who love God all things work together for
good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
Have we lost all the good things God planned for his children?8
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, howwill he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:32)
Is there any hope that sinners like us could spend an all-satisfyingeternity with God? Can I ever come home to God?9
Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous,that he might bring us to God. (1 Pet. 3:18)
Here in the cross is where every enemy of joy is overcome: divinewrath, as [God] becomes a curse for us; real guilt, as he becomes forgivenessfor us; lawbreaking, as he becomes righteousness for us; estrangement fromGod, as he becomes reconciliation for us; slavery to Satan, as he becomes
redemption for us; bondage to sin, as he becomes liberation for us; pangs ofconscience, as he becomes cleansing for us; death, as he becomes the
resurrection for us; hell, as he becomes eternal life for us.Through the cross God purchased and secured every possible
blessing that could ever be needed to make us happy forever. He who did notspare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him
graciously give us all things? Everything we need to be satisfied in God, the
cross has made certain. It cannot fail. ~1-9John Piper
In the words of the apostle Paul
Those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom Hecalled, He also justified. And those whom He justified, He also glorified. Whatthen shall we say to all this?
If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can be our foe, if God ison our side? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect when it is Godwho justifies and puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forwardand accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen?
Will God, who acquits us? Who is there to condemn us? Will Christ
Jesus, who died, or rather who was raised from the dead, who is at the righthand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?
Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering andaffliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hungeror destitution or peril or sword? Amid all these things we are more than
conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us. For I ampersuaded beyond doubt that [nothing] in all creation will be able to separate
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Although I am an unworthyand condemned man,
my God has given me in Christall the riches
of righteousness and salvationwithout any merit on my part,
out of pure, free mercy,so that from now on
I need nothing except faithwhich believes that this is true.
(Martin Luther)
The Father has deliveredand drawn us to Himself
out of the control and dominion ofdarkness
and has transferred usinto the kingdom [of Christ]
in whom we have our redemptionthrough His blood, which means
the forgiveness of our sins.(Colossians 1:13-14)
He is the propitiation(atoning sacrifice) for our sins.
(1 John 2:1-2)
By sending his own Sonin the likeness of sinful flesh and for
sin,he condemned sin in the flesh.
(Romans 8:3)
He personally bore our sinsin His own body on the tree.
(1 Peter 2:24a)
He was woundedfor our transgressions,He was bruised
for our guilt and iniquities;the chastisement needful to obtain
peace and well-being for uswas upon Him,
and with the stripes that wounded
Himwe are healed and made whole.
(Isaiah 53:5b)
This is My bloodwhich is being poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins.(Matthew 26:28b)
The Son of Man cameto give his life
as a ransom for many.(Matthew 20:28)
[He] died for usso that whether we are awake or
asleepwe might live with him.(1 Thesallonians 5:10)
You must know (recognize)that you were redeemed
You were purchased
with the precious blood of Christ.(1 Peter 1:18-19a)
Jesus Christ.ever loves usand has once for all time
loosed and freed usfrom our sins
by His own blood.(Revelation 1:5a)
We have now been justifiedby his blood.
(Romans 5:9)
Since, therefore,we have now been justified by his
blood,how much more certain is it
that shall we be saved by himfrom the indignation and wrath of
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God?
(Romans 5:9)
For if while we were enemieswe were reconciled to Godby the death of his Son,it is much more certain,
now that we are reconciled,that shall be saved through his life.
(Romans 5:1 0)
God is faithful (reliable,trustworthy,
and therefore ever true to Hispromise,
and He can be depended on); by Himyou were called into companionship
and participation with His Son.
(1 Corinthians 1:9)
If we have been united with himin a death like his,
we will certainly be united with himin a resurrection like his.
(Romans 6:5)
I died, and beholdI am alive forevermore,
And I have the keysof Death and Hades.(Revelation 1:18).
I am the resurrection and the life.Whoever believes in me,
though he die, yet shall he live.(John 11:25)
If we have died with him,we will also live with him.
(2 Timothy 2:11)
Since we believethat Jesus died and rose again,
even so, through Jesus,
God will bring with himthose who have fallen asleep.
(1 Thessalonians 4:14)
God raised the Lordand will also raise us up
by his power.(1 Corinthians 6:14)
If the Spirit of himwho raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you,he who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodiesthrough his Spirit who dwells in you.
(Romans 8:11)
If we have died with Christ,we believe that we shall also live with
Him,because we know that Christ,
being once raised from the dead,will never die again;
death no longer has power over Him.You have been raised from the dead
to perpetual life.(Romans 6:8b-9, 13a)
By going through deathHe ma[d]e of no effect
him who had the power of death--that is, the devilAndHedeliver[ed]
and completely set freeall those who through
the haunting fear of deathwere held in bondage
throughout the whole courseof their lives.
(Hebrews 2:14a-15)
For he chose us in himbefore the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in his sight.In love he predestined usto be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ,in accordance with his pleasure and
will to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us
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that Christ is our Savior...
then we have a God of love,
and to see God in faithis to look upon His friendly heart.
So when the devil throws
your sins in your face
and declares that you deservedeath and hell,
tell him this...
I admit that I deservedeath and hell. What of it?
For I know One who sufferedand made satisfaction in my behalf.
His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God.
Where He is, there I shall be also.(Martin Luther)
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Our righteousness is in Him,and our hope depends,
not upon the exercise of grace in us,but upon the fullness of grace and love
in Him, and upon His obedience unto death.~John Newton
The Sheeps Righteousness
And this is His nameby which He shall be called:
The Lord Our Righteousness.(Jeremiah 23:6)
In the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed. Therighteousness which comes by believing with personal trust and confidentreliance on Jesus Christ. And it is meant for all who believe. (Romans 1:17a,3:23a) Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness have attained it by faith[a righteousness imputed by God, based on and produced by faith]. WhereasIsrael, though ever in pursuit of a law for the securing of righteousness, actuallydid not succeed in fulfilling the Law. For what reason? Because they pursued itnot through faith, relying instead on the merit of their works [they did notdepend on faith but on what they could do]. For being ignorant of therighteousness that God ascribes and seeking to establish a righteousness of their
own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness. (Romans9:30b-32,10:3)
God saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had
done, but because of His own pity and mercy. (Titus 3:3-7a) He personally boreour sins in His own body on the tree. By His wounds you have been healed. (1
Peter 2:24) He gave us His own righteousness and made us pure and faultlessand holy before Him. And He will present us blameless, faultless and
unblemished before Gods presence in triumphant joy. (Jude 1:24, 1 Corinthians1:30b; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 45:24a, 25, 32:17, 61:10; Colossians 1:22;Psalm 89:6, 149:4-5, Ro. 1:17, 3:20-23, 4:5, 11, 24, 9:30b-32, 10:3, 10:4,Jeremiah 23:6)
Because of [the] intense love with which He loved us, even when we were
slain by our own shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together infellowship and in union with Christ. He gave us the very life of Christ himself, thesame new life with which He quickened Him, for it is by grace (His favor andmercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgmentand made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised us up together with Himand made us sit down together, giving us joint seating with Him in the heavenlysphere by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus. He did this that He might clearlydemonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable, limitless andsurpassing riches of His free grace (unmerited favor) in His kindness andgoodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2)
Where sin increased and abounded, grace(God's unmerited favor) has surpassed it and
increased the more and superabounded, so that,just as sin has reigned in death, so grace (Hisunearned and undeserved favor) might reign also
through righteousness which issues in eternal lifethrough Jesus Christ our Lord. (Galatians 5:20-21)
Oh, what a difference it makes to beassured, in the discouraging darkness of our own
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imperfection, that we have a perfect righteousnessnamely, Christs. The best
news in all the world is the news that God will, by faith alone, count [us] asrighteous because of Christ. This is the great ground of joy in the word of the
cross: Justification is by grace alone (not mixed with our merit), through faithalone (not mixed with our works), on the basis of Christ alone (not mingling his
righteousness with ours), to the glory of God alone (not ours).5
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But it is from Himthat you have your life
in Christ Jesus,whom God made
our Wisdom from God,[revealed to us a knowledgeof the divine plan of salvation
previously hidden, manifesting itselfas] our Righteousness,and our Consecration
[making us pure and holy],and our Redemption
[providing our ransomfrom eternal penalty for sin].
(1 Corinthians 1:30)
He appeared so that he mighttake away our sins.
(1 John 3:5a)
[Jesus] was delivered upfor our trespasses
and raisedfor our justification.
(Romans 4:25)
If we [freely] admitthat we have sinned
and confess our sins,He is faithful and just
(true to His own nature and promises)and will forgive our sins
[dismiss our lawlessness]and [continuously] cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)
Come now,let us reason together:though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.(Isaiah 1:18)
You were washed clean(purified and made freefrom the guilt of sin),
and you were consecrated(set apart, hallowed),and you were justified
[pronounced righteous],by trusting in the name of [Jesus]
and in the Holy Spiritof our God.
(1 Corinthians 6:11)
He saved us...by the cleansing bath
of the new birth (regeneration)and renewing
of the Holy Spirit,which He poured out
so richly upon usthrough Jesus Christ
our Savior.(Titus 3:3-7)
I, even I, am Hewho blots out and cancels
your transgressions
and I will neverthink of them again.
(Isaiah 43:25)
They will all know MeFor I will forgive their iniquity,and I will remember their sin
no more.(Jeremiah 31:34)
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You who were deadin trespasses
and in the uncircumcisionof your flesh
(your sensuality,your sinful carnal nature),
God brought to lifetogether with Christ,
having freely forgiven usall our transgressions.
(Colossians 2:13a)
You have forgivenand taken away
the iniquity of Your people,You have covered
all their sin.(Psalm 85:2)
He does not treat usas our sins deserve
or repay us accordingto our iniquities.
As far as the east is from the west,so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.(Psalm 103:10, 12)
Blessed (happy) are thosewhose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are covered upand completely buried.
Blessed (happy) is hewho has forgiveness
of his transgressioncontinually exercised upon him.
(Romans 4:7, Psalm 31:1a)
For by a single offeringhe has perfected for all time
those who are being sanctified.(Hebrews 10:14)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,my soul will exult in my God;
for He has clothed me
with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me
with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom
decks himself with a garland,and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels.(Isaiah 61:10)
All beautiful you are, my darling;there is no flaw in you.
(Song Of Songs 4:7)
For the Lordtakes pleasure in His people;He will beautify the humble
with salvationand adorn the wretched
with victory.Let the saints be joyfulin the glory and beauty
which God confers upon them;
let them sing for joyupon their beds.
(Psalm 149:4-5)
Where sin increased and abounded,grace (God's unmerited favor)
has surpassed itand increased the more
and superabounded,so that, just as sin
has reigned in death,so grace (His unearnedand undeserved favor)
might reign also
through righteousnesswhich issues in eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Galatians 5:20-21)
In Your name they rejoiceall day long,
and in Your righteousnessthey are exalted.(Psalm 89:16)
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I have been crucified with Christ[shared His crucifixion];
it is no longer I who live,but Christ lives in me;
and the life I now live in the bodyI live by faith in (reliance on
and complete trust in)the Son of God,
who loved meand gave Himself up for me.
(Galatians 2:20)
[He] is ableto present youunblemished (blameless, faultless)before the presence of His gloryin triumphant joy and exultation
[with unspeakable, ecstatic delight].(Jude 1:24)
To Him who ever loves usand has once for all
freed us from our sinsby His own blood,
and formed us intoa kingdom (a royal race),
priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory
and the power and the majestyand the dominion
throughout the agesand forever and ever.
Amen (so be it).
But now since you have beenset free from sin
and have become the slaves of God,the benefit you reap
leads to sanctificationand its end is eternal life.
(Romans 6:22)
Life is in the way of righteousness,and in its pathway there is no deathbut immortality (perpetual, eternal
life).(Proverbs 12:28)
The righteous [will go away]into eternal life.
(Matthew 25:46).
The effect of righteousnesswill be peace,
and the result of righteousnesswill be quietness
and confident trustforever.
(Isaiah 32:17b)
Put on God's complete armor,that you may be able
successfullyto stand up against
all the strategiesand the deceits of the devil.
Put on the breastplateof righteousness.
(Ephesians 6:11,14)
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Then Sings My Soul
John Bunyan
John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrims Progress, which
has sold more copies than any book besides the Bible.Bunyan was a pastor in the seventeenth century who
spent over twelve years in prison because he refused tostop preaching the word of the cross. But Bunyan was
not always so bold and full of gospel power. In histwenties there were terrible struggles:1
A whole flood of blasphemies, both againstGod, Christ, and the Scriptures were poured upon my
spirit, to my great confusion and astonishment Myheart was at times exceeding hard. If I would have
given a thousand pounds for a tear, I could not shedone Oh, the desperateness of mans heart. I feared
that this wicked sin of mine might be that sinunpardonable. Oh, no one knows the terrors of those days but myself.
Then came the decisive moment of triumph over despair and joylessness. It
was an awakening to the magnificent truth of the imputation of Christsrighteousness.2
One day as I was passing into the field . . . this sentence fell upon my soul.
Thy righteousness is in heaven. AndI saw with the eyes of my soul Jesus Christ atGods right hand; there, I say, was my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or
whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, he [lacks] my righteousness, for thatwas just before him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that
made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness
worse, for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, The same yesterday, today, andforever. Hebrews 13:8. Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed. I was loosed from
my afflictions and irons; my temptations also fled away; so that from that time those
dreadful scriptures of God [about the unforgivable sin] left off to trouble me; now went
I also home rejoicing for the grace and love of God.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther made the same discovery ina monastery. As the light dawned, he said3 I
began to understand [that] the righteousness ofGod is that by which the righteous lives by a gift
of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning:the righteousness of God is revealed by the
gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with
which [the] merciful God justifies us byfaith.Here I felt that I was altogether born againand had entered paradise itself through open
gates.
Billy Graham
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God is absolutely holy and pure, and even one sinjust oneis enough to banish us
from His presence. The Bible says of God, Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; youcannot tolerate wrong (Habakkuk 1:13). Heaven requires absolute perfectionand
none of us can measure up to that standard. The only way we can go to heaven,therefore, is to be cleansed of our sinstotally and absolutely. And that is what God
offers to do for us through Jesus Christ. When He died on the cross all our sins weretransferred to Him. He took the judgment and hell we deserve. And when we trust Him
as our Lord and Savior, He forgives us and cleanses us from every sin [and] His
righteousness is transferred to us. But you were washed, you were sanctified, youwere justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11). Yes, we canknow we are going to heavennot because of our own
1-3 John Piper, empasis mine
dness, but because of Christ.
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The Sheeps Reconciliation
1. Christ died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous, that He
might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)
2. God purposed that through [Christ] all things should be completelyreconciled back to Himself by making peace through His blood, shed on the
cross. (Col. 1:22b)
3. At one time you were estranged and alienated from Him and were ofhostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities. But now [Christ] hasreconciled you to God in the body of His flesh through death, in order topresent you holy and faultless and irreproachable in the Father's presence.(Colossians 1:22b)
4. At one time...you wereseparated (living apart) from Christ... You had nohope (no promise); you were in the world without God. But now in ChristJesus, you who once were so far away, by the blood of Christ have beenbrought near. ...It is through Him that we...now have an introduction
(access)...to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him] (Ephesians2:11-18). We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood ofJesus (Hebrews 10:19). Through Him we have [our] access (entrance,introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which wefirmly and safely stand (Romans 5:2a).
5. It was God personally present in Christ, reconciling and restoring the worldto favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against men their
trespasses but canceling them (2 Corinthians 5:18-20a). There is onemediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
6. Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, given a
right standing with God) through faith, let us grasp the fact that we havethe peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy peace with God through[Jesus]. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing andenjoying the glory of God. (Romans 5:1, 2b)
Godreconciled us
to himselfthrough Christ.
(Romans 11:18a)
By the blood of Christ
[you] have beenbrought near.
(Ephesians 2:11b)
Iniquities and much varied guiltprevail against me;
yet as for our transgressions,you forgive and purge them away
[make atonement for themand cover them out of your sight]!
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied)is the man whom You choose
and cause to come near,that he may dwell in Your courts!
We shall be satisfied
with the goodness of Your house,Your holy temple. ~Psalm 65:3-4
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The Sheeps Dependence
1. Eternal life/righteousness is a free gift from God2. not the result of our own work or striving
3. We cant earn it; we just receive it
^John 10:28a, 17:2b, Acts 8:20b, Romans 5:17, .5:23, Ephesians 2:8,
1 Corinthians 1:30a, 1 Corinthians 15:10, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Revelations
22:17, Titus 3:5, 1Peter 1:21, 1 Tim. 1:14-16, 1 John 4:9-10, Ephesians 2
God credits [a man] righteousnessapart from the works he does.
(Romans 4:6a)
For it is by free grace(unmerited favor)that you are saved
through your faith.And this salvation
is not of yourselves[of your own doing,
it came not throughyour own striving],
but it is the gift of God.(Ephesians 2:8a)
[We] are justifiedby his grace as a gift,
through the redemptionthat is in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 3:24)
[God's gift] is not a questionof human will and human effort,
but of God's mercy.(Romans 9:16a)
While we were yet inweakness
[powerless to helpourselves]
...Christ died for theungodly.
For we also were oncethoughtless and senseless,
obstinate and disobedient,
deluded and misled;we too were once slaves
to all sorts of cravings and pleasures,
wasting our daysin malice and jealousy and envy,
hateful (hated, detestable)and hating one another.
But when the goodness,
love and kindnessof God our Savior
to man as man appeared,He saved usnot because of any
works of righteousness
that we had done,but because of His own
pity and mercy.
(Titus 3:3-7a)
I am the Wayand the Truth and the Life;
no one comes to the Fatherexcept through Me.
He saved us...He did itin order that we might
...become heirs of eternal life
according to our hope.(Titus 3:3-7)
While we were still sinners,
Christ [Jesus] died for us.While we were enemies
we were reconciledto God through the
death of His Son.(Ro. 5:6, 8, 10a)
I give them eternal life,and they will never lose it.
(John 10:28a)
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Through Himyou believe in (rely on) God,
who raised Him up from the deadand gave Him honor and glory,
so that your faith and hopeare centered and rest
in God.(1 Peter 1:21)
We have fixed our hopeon the living God,who is the Savior
(Preserver, Maintainer, Deliverer)of all men.
(1 Timothy 4:10)
We know that a personis not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus,in order to be justified by faith in
Christ
and not by works of the law,because by works of the law
no one will be justified.
(Galatians 2:16)
But to one who, not working by theLaw,
trusts (believes fully) in Himwho justifies the ungodly,
his faith is credited to himas righteousness.
All who truly believethus
have righteousness imputed to them
Christ Jesuscame into the world
to save sinners,
of whom I am foremost.But I obtained mercy
for the reason thatin me, as the foremost of sinners,
Jesus Christ mightshow forth and display
all His perfect long-suffering andpatience
for an example to encourage thosewho would thereafter believe on Him
for the gaining of eternal life.
(1 Timothy 1:14b-16)
Whoever is thirsty,let him come;
and whoever earnestly desires to do it,
let him come, take and drinkthe free gift
of the water of Life.(Rev. 22:17)
Behold, God, my salvation!I will trust and not be afraid,
for the Lord God
is my strength and song;yes, He has become
my salvation.
(Isaiah 12:2)
We aren't savedbecause we are perfec
we are saved solely bec
Jesus Christ paid the pefor all our sins through His
on the cross. Are you trustalone for your salvatio
(Billy Graham)
This is faith:a renouncing of everythwe are apt to call our o
and relying wholly upothe blood, righteousne
and intercession of Jesu(John Newton)
Not having anyself-achieved righteousness
based on my obedienceto the Law's demands
(ritualistic uprightness),but possessing that
genuine righteousnesswhich comes
through faith in Christ,the truly right standing
with God,which comes from God
by saving faith.(Philippians 3:8-9b)
We believe that we will be savedthrough the grace of the Lord Jesus.
(Acts 15:15-12)
and credited to their account.(Romans 4:5, 11a, 46a)
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Ephesians 1:14
That Spirit is the guarantee
of our inheritance[the firstfruits, the pledge and
foretaste,
the down payment on our heritage],
in anticipation of its full redemptionand our acquiring complete
possession of it--to the praise of His glory.
.See also: 2 Cor. 1:18-22, 5:5, 17; Eph. 1:11-14, 4:30; John 14:17; Romans 8:9; 1 John 3:24, 4:13-15; 1 Cor. 2: 12, 12:13; Gal. 4:29
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The Sheeps Advocate(Can anyone bring any charge against me?)
God is both our judge and our advocate (Romans 8:33-34). God has
justified and acquitted us (Romans 3:26, 8:33-34) and Christ stands ready todefend us (1 John 2:1).
If we sin, we have an Advocate who will intercede for us with theFather. It is Jesus Christ the all righteous. (1 John 2:1) He is at the right hand
of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us. (Romans 8:33-34) He isalways living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene
for us (Hebrews 7:24-25).He will be our warrant against all accusation or indictment (1
Corinthians 1:8a, Romans 8:33-34). He will guarantee our vindication andestablish us to the end (1 Corinthians 1:8, Romans 8). We will be guiltlessand irreproachable in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:8a, Romans 8:33-34). He will preserve us and bring us safely into His heavenly kingdom (2
Timothy 4:18, Jeremiah 31:3, John 6:44). He will present usblameless, faultless and unblemished before His presence in
triumphant joy (Jude 1:24).If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will come
forward and accuse or condemn us? Who will bring any chargeagainst us? Will God? Will Christ? (Romans 8:33-34) No weapon
that is formed against us will prosper. Every tongue that risesagainst us in judgment we will show to be in the wrong. Thispeace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition is ourheritage. This is the righteousness and vindication which we obtain from God.
(Isaiah 54:17b)
Christ has enteredinto into heaven itself,
now to appearin the presence of God
on our behalf.
He has appeared once for all timeto put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself.
(Hebrews 9:24, 26b)
[Christ] holds His priesthoodunchangeably,
because He lives on forever.Therefore
He is able also to save
to the uttermost(completely, perfectly, finally,
and for all time and eternity)
those who come to Godthrough Him,
since He is always living
to make petition to Godand intercede with Him
and intervene for them.
(Hebrews 7:24b-25)
There is therefore nowno condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.(Romans 8:1)
And indeed the Lord
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will certainly deliver
and draw me to Himselffrom every assault of evil.
He will preserveand bring me safe
unto His heavenly kingdom.To Him be the glory
forever and ever.
(2 Timothy 4:18)
[The Devil]does not stand in thetruth,
because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a falsehood,
he speaks what is natural to him,for he is a liar and the father of lies
and of all that is false.(John 8:44b)
The accuser of our brethren,he who keeps bringing
before our Godcharges against them
day and night,has been cast out!
(Revelation 12:10)
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The Sheeps Sanctification(What about when I mess up?)
1. "For those whom He foreknew, He also destined from the beginning
[foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son and shareinwardly His likeness, that He might become the firstborn among many
brethren." (Romans 8:29)
2. "And all of us...are constantly being transfigured into His very ownimage in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory toanother; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians3:18)
3. "And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a
good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up tothe time of His return], developing that good work and perfecting andbringing it to full completion in you." (Philippians 1:6)
4. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-
increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you? (2 Corinthians13:5)
5. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but Ipress on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me hisown. (Philippians 3:12)
6. "When he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
(1 John 3:2)
"I am not what I ought to be,I am not what I want to be,I am not what I hope to be in another world;
but still I am not what I once used to be,and by the grace of God
I am what I am."
John Newton
For we do not havea High Priest who is unable
to understand and sympathize
and have a shared feeling withour weaknesses and infirmities and liabil
to the assaults of temptation,but One who has been tempted
in every respect as we are
[Therefore we should]draw near with confidence
to the throne of grace.(Hebrews 4:15a-16b
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The Sheeps Authenticity(What is some evidence of sheephood?)
Love."We know that we have
passed over out of death into Life
by the fact that we love the
brethren. He who does not loveabides (remains, is held and keptcontinually) in [spiritual]
death. ...Little children, let us notlove merely in theory or in
speech but in deed and in truth(practice and sincerity). By this
we shall come to know (perceive,recognize, understand) that we
are of the Truth, and can
reassure (quiet, conciliate, andpacify) our hearts in His
presence, whenever our hearts intormenting self-accusation makeus feel guilty and condemn us.
For we are in God's hands. (1John 3:14-20a)
"Beloved, let us love oneanother, for love is (springs) from
God; and he who loves hisfellowmen is begotten (born) of
God and is coming progressivelyto know and understand God [to
perceive, recognize and get abetter and clearer knowledge of
Him]. He who does not love hasnot become acquainted with God
[does not and never did knowHim], for God is love. ...If we
love one another, God abides(lives and remains) in us and His
love (that love which isessentially His) is brought to
completion (to its full maturity,runs its full course, is perfected)
in us! (1 John 4:7, 12b)
God is love, and he whodwells and continues in love
dwells and continues in God, andGod dwells and continues in him.
In this [union and communion
with Him] love is brought tocompletion and attains perfection
with us, that we may haveconfidence for the day of judgment
[with assurance and boldness to face
Him],
because asHe is, so are
we in this
world. (1John 4:16a-17)
Fruit.Every
healthy(sound) tree
bears goodfruit. (Matt.
7:17a) The
fruit of theHoly Spirit[the work
which Hispresence
within
accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness),
peace, patience (an even temper,
But Godsfirm foundation stands,
bearing this seal:
The Lord knowsthose who are his.
(2 Timothy 2:19)
Therefore if any person
is ingrafted in Christhe is a new creation
(a new creature altogether);the old [previous moral
and spiritual condition]has passed away.
Behold, the new has come!(2 Corinthians 5:17)
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forbearance), kindness, goodness
(benevolence), faithfulness,gentleness (meekness, humility) and
self-control (self-restraint,continence). (Galatians 5:22)
When you bear (produce)much fruityou show and prove
yourselves to be true followers
of Mine. (John 15:8)"Examine and test and
evaluate your own selves to see
whether you are showing theproper fruits of [your faith].
Test and prove yourselves. Doyou not yourselves realize and
know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that
Jesus Christ is in you--unlessyou are counterfeits
disapproved on trial andrejected?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Christlikeness."By this we may
perceive (know, recognize, and
be sure) that we are in Him:Whoever says he abides in Him
ought to walk and conducthimself in the same way in
which He walked and conducted
Himself." (1 John 2:6) "All ofus...are constantly being
transfigured into His very own
image. Jesus Christ is in you.(2 Corinthians 3:18a, 13:5b)
Confession.No one can say Jesus is
Lord except in the Holy Spirit.
(1 Cor. 12:3) By this you mayknow the Spirit of God: every
spirit which acknowledges andconfesses the fact that Jesus
Christ actually has become manand has come in the flesh is of
God [has God for its source].(1 John 1:4)
Appetite.I will give them a heart
to know that I am the Lord, and
they shall be my people and Iwill be their God, for they shall
return to me with their whole
heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)
O God, You are my God,earnestly will I seek You; my soul
thirsts for You, my flesh longs and isfaint for You, in a dry and weary land
where there isno water. My
whole being
follows hardafter You andclings closely
to You[I] willrejoice in God.
(Ps. 63) Ihave no
delight ordesire on earth
besides You.(73:25b)
One thinghave I asked
of [You], thatwill I seek,
inquire for,
and insistentlyrequire: that I
may dwell in[Your
presence] all
the days ofmy life, to
behold andgaze upon
[Your]beauty.and
to meditate,consider, and
inquire in[Your] temple.
You havemade known
to me the pathof life; in your
presence thereis fullness of
joy; at your
right hand arepleasuresforevermore.
(27:3)
AuthenticChristians
ManyThe believer iseternally secure
because God is
eternally faithful.
~gotquestions.org
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people know someone who at one
time expressed faith in Christ and whomight have appeared to be a genuine
Christian who later departed from thefaith and now wants to have nothing
to do with Christ or His church. Thesepeople might even deny the very
existence of God. The bible teaches
that people such as those who professChrist as Savior at one time only tolater walk away and deny Christ, were
never truly saved in the first place.For ex., 1 John 2:19 says, They went
out from us, but they were not of us;for if they had been of us, they would
have remained with us; but they wentout from us, in order that it might be
made manifest that they all are nottruly of us.
The Bible is also clear that noteveryone who professes to be a
Christian truly is. Jesus Himself saysthat not everyone who says Lord,
Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven
(Matt. 7:21-22)Those people whoprofess Christ and fall away simply
reinforces the importance of testingour salvation to make sure we are in
the faith (2 Cor. 13:5) and making
[sure of] our calling and election bycontinually examining our lives to
make sure we are growing in
godliness (2 Peter 1:10).
A person who believes theycan live any way they want because
they have professed Christ is notdemonstrating true saving faith (1 Jo.
2:3-4). Those who are saved will beconformed to the image of Christ
through the process of sanctification
(1 Cor. 6:11). When a person issaved, the HS breaks the bondage ofsin and gives the believer a new heart
and a desire to seek holiness.Therefore a true Christian will desire
to be obedient to God and will beconvicted by the HS when they sin.
They will never live any way theywant because such behavior is
impossible for someone who has beengiven a new nature (2 Cor. 5:17).
If someone is truly saved,they have been made alive by the
Holy Spirit and have a new heart withnew desires. There is no way that one
that has been born again can later
be unborn. Because of His uniquelove for His children, God will keep all
of His children safe from harm andJesus has promised that He would
lose none of His sheep. Jesus, the
author and perfecter of faith(Hebrews 12:2), is able to completely
save those that the
Father has given Him (7:25) and to
keep them saved through alleternity. ~gotquestions.org
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The Sheeps Security(What does all this mean for me?)
If you have truly had a change of mind(Matthew 4:17), in which you turned from your sin(Acts 3:19) and humbled yourself like a child(Matthew 18:3) and trusted in Christ alone for
salvation (John 3:16) and became subject to Him(Hebrews 5:9, John 3:36) and wanted Him morethan anything (Matthew 13:44) and loved Him morethan everything (Matt. 10:37, Luke 14:33, 1 Cor.16:22) and received Him as your most valued
treasure (John 1:12, Matthew 13:44, Philippians 3:8, Hebrews 11:6, Ps. 37:4)
You now posses eternal life(John 3:16, 5:24, 6:46-50, 1 John 5:13)
You are truly saved(Jeremiah 17:14b)
You are really free(John 8:36b, Hebrews 2:15)
You will not come under judgment or condemnation(Jhn 5:24)
You will not perish or be lost(John 3:16b)
You have been saved from death
(Acts 2:38, 47b)
You have already passed over out of death into life(John 5:24)
You will be raised just as Christ was(1 Cor.1:9,15:3-4,2-20,Ro.6:3-4, 13)
You share His resurrection(1 Corinthians 15, 1:9; Galatians 2:20)
You dont live anymore; Christ lives in you(Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 13:5)
You belong to God; you are His(2 Timothy 2:19)
No one can snatch you out of His hand(John 10:28-29)
Nothing can separate you from His love(Romans 8:35)
No one can bring any charge against you(Romans 8:33-34)
No one can accuse or condemn you(Romans 8:33-34)
You will be guiltless when you stand before Him(1 Cor. 1:8)
Gods love and kindness will never depart from you(Jeremiah 31:3, Phil. 1:27-28, Isaiah
54:10, Psalm 23:6)
When you are faithless, He remains faithful to His word and righteous
character(2 Corinthians 1:18-19, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, 2Thes. 3:3, Hebres 3:6, 10:23, 1 John 1:9)
You are His child and heir(Titus 3:7, John 1:12-13, Romans 8:15-17, 1 John 3:1)
You are part of His kingdom(Revelation 5:10b,Hebrews 12:28b, Matthew 13:44)
You are a citizen of heaven(Philippians1:21a,Hebrews 13:14a, Ephesians 2:19)
You are an heir to eternal life(Tit. 3:7, Eph.1:11, Mat. 25:34, Rom. 8:17, Gal. 3:18)
You are clothed with salvation(Isaiah 61:10b,2 Chr. 6:41, Psa. 132:16, 149:4)
You are guarded with salvation(Isaiah 26:1b,60:18, 22 Samuel 22:36a)
You are armed with salvation(Ephesians 6:17, 22 Samuel 22:36a, 1 Thes. 5:8-10)
Put on the hope of salvation(Ephesians 6:17, 22 Samuel 22:36a, 1 Thes. 5:8-10)
You can consider yourself alive to God and
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living in unbroken fellowship with Him(Ro. 6:3-23)
You can know with absolute assurance thatyou have eternal life(1 John 5:13, 1 John 3:2b, Job 19:26)
Expect and wait quietly for salvation and the fulfillment of Godspromise(Genesis 49:18, Psalm 119:123, 9:14b, 21:1, 51:12a; Lamentations 3:26, Isaiah 25:9, Jude 1:21)
Trust and depend on and hope in Christ(Genesis 49:18, Psalm 9:14b, 21:1,51:12a, 119:123, Lamentations 3:26, Jude 1:21, Isaiah 12:2-3, 25:9, Corinthians 1:9, 1 Peter 1:3)
Rejoice in the hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God
.(Ro. 5)
One day you will see God and rejoice in His salvationIsaiah 35:2, etc.)
You will be with God forever(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, John 14:3b, 2 Corinthians 5:6)
Perfect Freedoma story by Charles W. Colson
"As one who has servedtime in prison and has since
spent most of my life working in
them, I'll never forget the mostunusual prison I've ever visited.
"Called Humaita Prison, itis in Sao Jose dos Campos in
Brazil. Formerly a governmentprison, it is now operated by
Prison Fellowship Brazil as analternative prison, without
armed guards or high-tech
security. Instead, it is run on theChristian principles of love of
God and respect for men."Humaita has only two
full-time staff; the rest of the
work is done by the 730 inmatesserving time for everything from
murder and assault to robberyand drug related crimes. Every
man is assigned another inmate
to whom he is accountable. Inaddition, each prisoner is
assigned a volunteer mentorfrom the outside who works with
him during his term and after
his release. Prisoners takeclasses on character
development and areencouraged to participate in
educational and religiousprograms.
"When I visited this
prison, I found the inmatessmiling--particularly the
murderer who held the keys,opened the gates and let me in.
Wherever I walked, I saw menat peace. I saw clean living
areas. I saw people workingindustriously. The walls were
decorated with motivational
sayings and Scripture."Humaita has an
astonishing record. It'srecidivism rate [returning to
criminal habits] is 4 percent,
compared to 75 percent in therest of Brazil. How is that
possible?"I saw the answer when
my inmate guide escorted me to
the notorious cell once used forsolitary punishment. Today, he
told me, it always houses thesame inmate. As we reached the
end of the long concrete corridor
and he put the key into the lock,he paused and asked, 'Are you
sure you want to go in?'
I give them eternal life, and they will never lose it or perish throughout the age
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"'Of course," I replied
impatiently. 'I've been inisolation cells all over the world.'
Slowly he swung open themassive door, and I saw the
prisoner in that cell: a crucifix,
beautifully carved--Jesus,
hanging on the cross.'He's doing time for the
rest of us,' my guide saidsoftly."
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The Final Word(Some closing scripture)
I am the Door;anyone who enters in
through Me
will be saved (will live).Hewill find pasture.
(John 10:9)
Whoever believes in(trusts in, relies on) [Jesus]
shall not perish
but have everlasting life.Whoever believes in the Son
has eternal life.(John 3:16b, 36a)
I tell you the truth,
whoever hears my wordand believes him who sent me
has eternal lifeand will not be condemned;
he has crossed overfrom death to life.
(John 5:24)
He is ableto save to the uttermost(completely, perfectly, finally,
and for all time and eternity)those who come to God
through Him.(Hebrews 7:23-24a)
I give them eternal life,
and they will never lose it or perishthroughout the ages.
To all eternitythey will never by any means
be destroyed.And no one is able
to snatch them out of My hand.My Father, who has given them to Me,
is greater and mightier than all else;and no one is able to snatch them
out of the Father's hand."(John 10:28-29)
Though the mountains should depart
and the hills be shaken or removed,yet My love and kindness
will not depart from you.(Isaiah 54:10b)
I will not in any way fail you
nor give you upnor leave you without support.
I will not, I will not, I will not
in any degreeleave you helpless
nor forsake [you]nor let you down
(relax my hold on you)!
Assuredly not!"(Hebrews 13:5)
I pray that the eyes of your heartmay be enlightened,
so that you will know
what is the hope of His calling,
what are the riches of the gloryof His inheritance in the saints,and what is the surpassing greatness
of His power toward us who believe.(Ephesians 1:18-19)
By His boundless mercy
we have been born againto an ever-living hope
through the resurrectionof Jesus Christ
from the dead, born anew
into an inheritancewhich is beyond the reach
of change and decay,
imperishable, unsullied and unfading,reserved in heaven for you,
who are being guarded (garrisoned)by God's power
through your faithtill you fully inherit that final salvation
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that is ready to be revealed for you
in the last time.
You should be exceedingly gladon this account
Though you do noteven now see Him,
you believe in Him
and exult and thrillwith inexpressible and glorious
(triumphant, heavenly) joy.
At the same time
you receive the result(outcome, consummation)
of your faith,the salvation of your souls."
(1 Peter 1:3b-6a)
For here we have
no permanent city,but we are looking for the one
which is to come.
We are citizens of the state(commonwealth, homeland)
which is in heaven,and from it also
we earnestly and patiently awaitthe coming of the Lord Jesus Christ
as Savior.
(Phil. 1:21a, Heb. 13:14a)
I am always with You;You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward
you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And I have no delight or desire on earthbesides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the Rockand firm Strength of my heart
and my Portion forever."(Psalm 73:23-26)
Only goodness, mercy, and unfailing
loveshall follow me all the days of my life,
and through the length of my days
the house of the Lord [and His presence]
shall be my dwelling place.(Psalm 23:6)
He tends his flock like a shepherd:he gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart
(Isaiah 40:10-11)
"Do not let your hearts
be troubled (distressed, agitated).You believe in and trust in
and rely on God;
believe in and trust inand rely also on Me.
In My Father's housethere are many dwelling places.
If it were not so,I would have told you;
for I am going awayto prepare a place for you.
And if I go and make readya place for you,
I will come back againand will take you to Myself,
that where I amyou may be also."
(John 14:1-3)
Christ, having been offered onceto bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time,not to deal with sin but to save
those who are eagerly waiting for him.(Hebrews 9:28)
[We] wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead,Jesus who delivers us
from the wrath to come.(1 Thessalonians 1:10).
They will see His face,
and His name will be on their foreheads.(Revelation 22:4)
"Comfort and encourage one another
with these words[:]The Lord Himself
will descend from heavenWewill.be caught up.in the clouds
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to meet the Lord
.and so always (through the eternityof the eternities)
we will be with the Lord!"
(1 Thessalonians 4:17-18, 16)
The EndThe End
~*~
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Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appearThe hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snaresI have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus farand Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,A life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand yearsBright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praiseThan when we've first begun.
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