THE JOY OF SALVATION THE JOY OF THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

Transcription

1 THE JOY OF SALVATION THE JOY OF THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

2 As a Christian, it is my continuous endeavor to assure all of those who have received Christ as their Lord and Savior to know that they can have the blessed joy of the assurance of salvation from God s Word, which is the final authority. God s Word says in Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. It is only through the study of God s Word and the Holy Spirit s guidance that you will truly come to know the joy and blessed assurance of your salvation. God s Word says in Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. After being born again (the term used when one receives Christ as Lord and Savior), why do so many lose their assurance of salvation? Maybe they did not fully understand what happened when they received Christ. This booklet will guide you in that joyful assurance of eternal life that God has promised to you through Christ. It will help you understand what it means to have Christ as your Savior. God s Word says in 1Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Now let us first go over the plan of salvation that was explained to you the day you received Christ. Maybe, going through it so quickly you didn t fully understand it, or you didn t quite grasp what was being said. Maybe, refreshing your memory will help you understand what happened that day. Or perhaps, you didn t really accept Christ at all that day. Maybe, you were

3 just going along so you wouldn t be bothered with it anymore. I believe that it is essential to understand the plan of salvation to receive the Joy of your salvation from receiving Christ and accepting what He did for you. God s Plan of Salvation 1. You must recognize that you have sinned against a Holy God. God s Word says in Romans 3:10, 12, 23 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin (Adam s sin has passed unto us.) entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. So you see, you must admit you have broken God s Law and are a sinner. 2. Why are you a sinner? God s Law is the knowledge of sin. You have broken His Law and have sinned against Him. You are guilty of breaking His Law. God s Word says in Romans 3:19, 20 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. This is why you are a sinner. All humans who have not accepted Christ as their personal Savior, are lost guilty sinners. 3. There is a penalty for breaking God s Law, which is sin against Him. God s Word says in

4 Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; (Adam s sin has been passed on to you.) and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam s sin has been passed on to you.) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; (You are condemned.) Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. You must realize that this death is not only a physical death but a spiritual death, which is called the second death. The spiritual death (the second death) is a conscious, tormented existence in hell separated from God forever. Because you have sinned by breaking God s Law, you deserve this spiritual death, which is hell. 4. But there is wonderful news for you from God s Word, a promise that he gives to all mankind. God became flesh and left heaven. Jesus Christ, who is the Lord God of heaven, was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life while on earth. And he did this all for you. Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died in your place, for your sins on the cross. He was buried but arose from the dead proving that He is the living Lord and Savior who took all your sins away. He paid the debt of sin for you. God s Word says in Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 2Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; 1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree Isaiah 53:4, 5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was

5 upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever Jesus Christ did it all for you to save you from your sins. He took the punishment on the cross for your sins. 5. Now you must repent for your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus and the Apostles preached repentance. I believe that this is one of the steps in receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Repentance is often overlooked and is one of the problems in NOT having the joyful, blessed assurance of salvation. Repent means to change your mind about your sinful life, change your feelings about your sinful life, and have a change of purpose about your sinful life. You must have a changed course of action, desires, and attitudes about your sinful life. The Holy Spirit and God s Word will help you in your repentance. Confess to God that you are sorry for your sins and that you want Him to change your sinful ways, and that you want to live a life for Him. Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 6. There is NOTHING GOOD enough you can do to save yourself. Salvation is a free gift by the grace of God. It is like a gift at Christmas time, when you did nothing to earn it, but just received the gift that someone offered to you. You received it, took the gift, opened it up, and thanked them. Salvation is a free gift to you from God, by His grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the gift. There is nothing you can do to earn it. Baptism, confirmation, joining the church, giving money to the poor, and doing as many good works as you can, will never earn or

6 buy your way into heaven. It is ONLY through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that saves you. God s Word says in Ephesians 2: 8, 9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Romans 5:15-18 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one (Adam) that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one (Adam) to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence (Adam) death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Read also Acts 4: Now you must receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now if the plan of salvation is clearer to you, and you want to trust and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can right now. Bow your head and pray to God. Simply tell Him that you understand that you are a sinner and that you are truly sorry for all your sins. Tell Him that

7 you believe that He shed His blood and died for you and that you believe He is Lord and arose from the dead and is the True Living God. Now the joy of your salvation truly depends on understanding that after you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will have eternal life if you died right now. Many people, after receiving Christ, still have doubts about HAVING eternal life. Let us look at some verses to help you understand that you HAVE eternal life and that you can KNOW for sure that you have eternal life. God s Assurance of Salvation 1John 5:9 13 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, [it didn t say hope so or I think so, it said you can know.] and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. John 3:15, 16, 18 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto

8 you, 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. Now I hope you see that ONLY believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, in His precious bloodshed, in His death on the cross, and in His bodily resurrection, all for payment of your sins is how YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. Not maybe, not I hope so, but that YOU CAN KNOW FOR SURE because of your faith alone in Christ. Another reason that many who have received Christ lose the joy of their salvation is because of the life style they are used to living. Everyone will still face sin in his/her daily life, even after accepting Christ. New Christians struggle with sin and do not know how to deal with it, and they soon lose the joyful, blessed assurance of salvation. But, there is a way to live a victorious life in Christ. I want to share this blessed way to help you keep or to restore the joy of your salvation. The first thing you must know is that STUDYING GOD S WORD AND PRAYER ARE ESSENTIAL EVERY DAY. The message of Christ s death, burial, and resurrection is vital for you to know and important for you to study right away. You must realize for the Holy Spirit to work in you, is to KNOW this message that God has given to us to live a victorious life. 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Confess your sins to Him and He will forgive you. Know that He does forgive you. You must realize you do not lose your salvation when you sin after you have accepted Christ as your Savior, but now after you sin this is what you must do to stay in close communion with God. Memorize these verses or read them daily because God s Word and His Holy Spirit are the power source and so also is Christ s Death, Burial and Resurrection. Let us look at the prescribed source of victory that God has given to us.

9 Romans 6:1 2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (Just because Grace is greater than sin doesn t mean that the believer has a license to sin. You must remember this.) God forbid. (You must put away the thought that you would even think such a thing. God does not want you to think this way.) How shall we, that are dead to sin, (This means you should be dead to the sin nature. The sin nature, or your desire to sin, is still there, but it should not be ruling you.) live any longer therein? (The sin nature should not be ruling in you to live out this old sinful life you once lived. This also portrays that the believer (you) is now in Christ.) Romans 6:3 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ (Realize that this Baptism is into Christ when you believed on Him and received Him, it was not from your water baptism. [Read 1Cor. 1:17; 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:5 and Col. 2:11-13]) were baptized into his death? (You must realize that when Christ died on the Cross, in the Mind of God, you died with Him; in other words, He became your Substitute, and your identification with Him in His Death gives you all the benefits for which He died. The idea is that that He did it all for you.) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: (Not only did you die with Him, but you were buried with Him as well, which means that all your sins and transgressions of the past were also buried. When they buried Christ, God put all your sins into that Tomb as well.) that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Realize that you died with Him, you were buried with Him, and His Resurrection was your Resurrection to a New-ness of Life.) Romans 6:5 7 For if we have been planted together (that is with Christ.) in the likeness of his death, (The Holy Spirit is showing you that Christ s sacrificial death is the instrument by which all Blessings come; consequently, the Sacrificial death of Christ and Christ

10 Himself must ever be the Object of faith, which gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work within in your life.) we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (You can have the likeness of His Resurrection, or live this Resurrection Life, only as long you understand the likeness of His Death, which refers to the Sacrificial Death of Christ as the means by which all this is done.) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, (The old man is your former sinful life before you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.) that the body of sin might be destroyed, (This means that the Power of sin is broken.) that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Do you realize now that the guilt of sin can be removed when you first believed, because the sin nature should not rule within your heart and life. You should not be a slave to that old sinful life you used to live.) For he that is dead (Remember He is your Substitute, and in the Mind of God, you died with Him upon your believing Faith.) is freed from sin. (This means that with your continued obedience to the Holy Spirit and God s Word and directives you will be set free from the bondage of the sin nature. You will be freed from the sinful life you used to live.) Romans 6:8-10 Now if we be dead with Christ, (Here it is again, you must realize that this pertains to the Sacrificial Death of Christ, and your being Baptized into His Death.) we believe that we shall also live with him: (God shows you now that you can have a Resurrection Life, which is the more Abundant life which we read about in John 10:10.) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; (Christ s Sacrificial Death was a Finished Work, and will require nothing else.) death hath no more dominion over him. (Because all sin has been atoned, inasmuch as Christ is your Substitute, if death has no more dominion over Him, it has no more dominion over you; this means that the power of the sin nature has been broken.) For in that he died, he died unto sin (This is the sin nature.) once: (Remember that He died unto the sin nature, once, for all.) but in that he liveth, (This is the Resurrection.) he liveth unto

11 God. (You must see, this means that all life comes from God, and should be a life that is lived unto God since you received that life by virtue of the Substitutionary Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. And your Faith must be in that Finished Work.) Romans 6:11-12 Likewise reckon (This means account. ) ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, (While the sin nature is not dead, you are dead unto the sin nature by virtue of the Sacrificial Death and your Faith in that Sacrifice, but only as long as you have your Faith continuing in the Sacrificial Death of Christ.) but alive unto God (This is realizing you are to live the Resurrected Life.) through Jesus Christ our Lord (This refers to the Sacrificial Death of Jesus Christ and Him which is the means of this Resurrected Life.) Let not sin (It is the sin nature you have.) therefore reign (Rule) in your mortal body, (Realizing that the sin nature can once again rule in your heart and life, if you don t consistently and constantly look to Christ and His Sacrificial Death. The mortal body is neutral, which means it can be used for Righteousness or unrighteousness.) that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (Your ungodly lusts can be carried out through the mortal body, if Faith is not maintained every day through Christ and in His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection. Read 1Cor. 1:17, 18.) Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members (This is your mortal body, your flesh.) as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin (You should not be yielding to your sin nature. Don t use yourself for unrighteousness.): but yield yourselves unto God, (You are to yield yourself to the Holy Spirit and to Christ and His Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection. That alone guarantees victory over the sin nature.) as those that are alive from the dead, (Remember that His Resurrection is your Resurrection. You have been raised with Christ in New-ness of Life. ) and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (You can only do this by daily holding to the virtue of the Sacrificial Death of Christ and your Faith in Him and that Finished

12 Work. Read Luke 9:23, 24.) Romans 6: For sin shall not have dominion over you: (The sin nature will not have dominion over you, if you, as a true believer, continue to exercise Faith in Christ, the Sacrificial Death of Christ, and the Burial and Resurrection; otherwise, the sin nature most definitely will have dominion over you.) for ye are not under the law, (Many do not understand what this is saying, but now you will know that if you try to live this life by any type of law, no matter how good that law might be in its own right, you will end with the sin nature having dominion over you.) but under grace. (The Grace of God flows to you on an unending basis, as long as you exercise Faith in Christ and what He did for you in His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection; Grace is merely the Goodness of God exercised by and through the Holy Spirit, and given to undeserving believers.) What then? shall we sin, (This is the same question that was asked in verse 1) because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Don t think such a thing, because if you do, then you completely misunderstand Grace. The Grace of God gives you liberty to live a Holy Life, which through your Faith in Christ and in His Sacrificial Death you will have the power to live this Holy life. You do not have a license to sin, as some think. A true Believer will hate sin. So the idea of living under the dominion of sin is abhorrent to say the least.) Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; (You are either a slave to Christ, for that s what the word servant means, or else a slave to sin, which you will be if you don t keep your faith in Christ and in His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection.) whether of sin unto death, (You must know that if you attempt to live your life for God any other way except through faith in Christ and in the Finished Work of His Sacrificial Death and Burial and Resurrection, it will be futile and you will

13 fail, no matter how hard you try.) or of obedience unto righteousness? (You are required to obey the Word of God, but did you know that you cannot do this in your own power or strength? You can only do this by understanding that you receive all things through Christ and what He did in His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection and your continued Faith in that Finished Work. If you remember and practice this on a daily basis, then the Holy Spirit, who alone can make you what you ought to be, can accomplish His work within your heart and life.) Romans 6:17 19 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, (Before you were born again you were a slave to sin, a slave to the sin nature.) but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (This was Jesus Christ and Him crucified, the Redemptive, Finished Work of the Sacrificial Death. You must understand that all things come to the believer from God by the means of the Sacrificial Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This doctrine was given by the Holy Spirit to Paul and then he delivered it to us in his Epistles.) Being then made free from sin, (Understand that being made free from the sin nature; it has no more power over you, BUT only as long as you continue to look to Christ s Sacrificial Death and Resurrection.) ye became the servants of righteousness. (You were formerly a slave to the sin nature, but you should now be a slave to Righteousness. If Faith is maintained in Christ and His Death and Resurrection, and if maintained consistently, you will be led toward Righteousness.) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: (This pertains to the fall of Adam, which has made your flesh weak; it speaks of your own strength and abilities.) for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness (You will sin because of the sin nature, if the object of Faith is anything but Christ s Sacrificial Death and Resurrection.) and to iniquity unto iniquity; (Without constant adherence of Faith in the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross and His Resurrection, your sin will get worse and worse.) even so now yield

14 your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (We have, as you have read, repeatedly and consistently stated that you can only be servants to righteousness and holiness by your Faith in Christ and His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection. You must understand that it is by the Holy Spirit and through this faith that you receive all things. And it is the Holy Spirit, Who Alone can develop Righteousness and Holiness in your life.) Romans 6:20 21 For when ye were the servants of sin, (You were a slave to sin.) ye were free from righteousness. (This was your life, before your belief in Christ.) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? (There was absolutely nothing of any value that came out of your sinful experience.) for the end of those things is death. (You must understand and be reminded that you were shown this in the plan of Salvation that the wages of sin is death. This should always be a reminder that you were condemned to a second death but by the Power of God s Word and by the Holy Spirit wooing you to the Savior, you believed in Christ and in His Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection. So why would you want to go back to the things that you should be ashamed of, realizing that the wages of sin is death. You must never become indifferent about what Christ did in His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection. If you look to something else regarding your Sanctification, [living in righteousness and living a holy life] domination by the sin nature is going to be the result as well as the loss of blessings and the loss of the Joy of the Assurance of your Salvation.) Romans 6:22 But now (After you have been born again, or saved, you belong to Christ. He lives in you.) being made free from sin, (You have been set free from the sin nature.) and become servants (You have become a slave.) to God, (To the One, who without His Grace, you would have been condemned forever. But now you become a slave for Him.) ye have your fruit unto holiness, (The Holy Spirit will bring this about in you, providing that you are consistently

15 abiding in Faith in Christ and His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection.) and the end everlasting life. (You believing, trusting, committing, and adhering ONLY in Christ and in His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection gives you Everlasting Life. Those who trust in something other than Christ and His Finished Work of the Cross and His Resurrection ALONE, are condemned.) Romans 8:1 4 There is therefore now no condemnation (You should have no more guilt and no more of the cloud of condemnation hovering in your heart. You should have the Joy and Peace of your Salvation. Guilt comes because you will not consistently and constantly adhere to the prescribed order of victory, which has been repeated over and over: your identification with Christ in His Death, Burial, and Resurrection.) to them which are in Christ Jesus, (You must refer back to Romans 6:3-5 to see your Baptism, your identification into Christ s Sacrificial Death and Burial and Resurrection.) who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (You must make a decision. Are you going to walk according to the way that you used to walk in your old life, your old sinful ways according to the sin nature, which is corruption? Or are you going to have Faith in the Holy Spirit to work exclusively within the legal confines of the Finished Work of Christ? The object of your Faith should be in Christ and in the Finished Work of Christ, which is the Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection guaranteeing the help of the Holy Spirit, which guarantees Victory.) Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (This is a very important section of Scripture. This Law is the prescribed order from God devised by the Godhead in eternity past. [1Peter 1:18-20] The Holy Spirit must be paid attention to here. He is the source of power for your life. All life comes from Christ, but through the Holy Spirit. [You must read John 14:16-20, 26, 15:11, 16:13, 14.] ) hath made me free (You have been given Victory.) from the law of sin and death. (These are the most powerful Laws in the Universe; the Law of

16 the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus alone is stronger than the Law of sin and death. This means that if you, as a true Believer, attempts to live for God by any manner other than Faith in Christ and His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection in the power of the Holy Spirit, you are doomed to failure and living the old sinful ways which will result in guilt and you will lose of the Joy of your Assurance of your Salvation.) Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, (When you live under the Law, you have only your willpower and strength, which is woefully insufficient, so despite how hard you try, you are unable to keep the Law of God. This same inability persists presently; if you try to live for God by a system of laws, you will be doomed to failure because the Holy Spirit will not function in that capacity.) God sending his own Son (Seeing your helpless condition [we hope you do] you are unable to save yourself or live in Righteousness and Holiness or even keep a simple Law and, therefore, you are in dire need of a Savior.) in the likeness of sinful flesh, (Christ was really human, conformed in the appearance of flesh which is characterized by sin, but He was sinless.) and for sin, (Christ came to atone sin, to destroy its power, and to save and Sanctify those who put their Faith in Him and His Death and Resurrection.) condemned sin in the flesh: (Christ destroyed the power of sin by giving His Perfect Body as a Sacrifice for sin, which made it possible for sin to be destroyed, defeated in our flesh; it was all through the Sacrificial Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.) Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, (This Law of Righteousness will find its full accomplishment in you, ONLY if you consistently keep your Faith in Christ and what He has done for you in His Finished Work at the Cross. You must remember there is no other way, no sacrament, confirmation, or water baptism. There is nothing but what Christ did for you on the Cross and His Resurrection.) who walk not after the flesh,

17 (You cannot depend on your own strength, abilities, manner of law, or some organization of religion.) but after the Spirit. (The walk is the manner in which you order your life. When you place your Faith in Christ and the Sacrificial Death and Resurrection, ever making it the Object of your Faith you will begin to see a difference in your daily walk as a Christian. The Holy Spirit can then work mightily within us, bringing about the Fruit of the Spirit; that is what walking in the Spirit actually means and when realizing this and putting it in action of Faith you will have the Joy of the Assurance of Salvation.) Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk (This is your behavior, conversation, and the manner of life you are leading.) in the Spirit, (Just remember to refer back to Romans 8:1 2. You walk in the Spirit by placing your Faith exclusively in Christ and His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection, through which the Holy Spirit works exclusively.) and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (This proves that the existence of the sin nature is in you. It declares the consciousness of corrupt desires. As we have stated repeatedly, the only way not to fulfill the lust of the flesh is for our Faith to be placed exclusively in our identification through our Baptism consistently in the Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection. If you continue to do so, the Joy of the Assurance of Salvation will be in your heart. Galatians 5:22 24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (The Fruit of the Spirit are all of these and are to be looked at as a whole which means they grow equally. Against these there is no need for Law. But you must understand, that this Fruit is of the Holy Spirit and not of man. It can only be developed as you are led by the Holy Spirit and by making Christ and His Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection the Object of your Faith consistently and constantly every day.) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the

18 affections and lusts. (By this time you should KNOW that the only way to have the Joy of the Assurance of Salvation is by trusting in, committing to, adhering and believing in Christ Jesus the Lord and His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection to carry out victory over sinful flesh, which is the sin nature that is in us. You must KNOW that you were Baptized into His Death [Romans 6:3 5]. This is what it means to be crucified with Christ. The Object of your Faith is in Christ and His Finished Work on the Cross. His Resurrection gives us the ability, through His power, to be rid of, defeat, and destroy the affections and lust that war within us.) Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: (By now this sounds familiar to you and you will see this same message repeated in Romans 6:3 5,) nevertheless I live; (You have a NEW LIFE.) yet not I,(You cannot depend on your own strength, will power, or your own abilities.) but Christ liveth in me: (When you received Christ, He came into your heart and abides there, which is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. And now by your Faith you die with Him on the Cross, which is your old sinful life dying. You bury yourself, that is your old sinful life is placed with Him in the Tomb. And you raise with Him in Newness of Life, a new life of Righteousness and holiness.) and the life which I now live in the flesh (This is the life you lead, your daily walk.) I live by the faith of the Son of God, (Christ and His Sacrificial Death, His Burial, and His Resurrection is ever the Object of your Faith.) who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for you, is the only way you could have been saved and the only way to have victory over sin and death.) Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, (Paul is saying, I beg of you, please.) brethren, (Believers in Christ.) by the mercies of God, (All that has been given to you, not because of merit on your part, but strictly because of the Mercy of God. ) that ye present your bodies (The bodies of animals were offered in sacrifice. The apostle Paul specifies your body particularly, in

19 reference to that fact. The entire animal was presented or given as the sacrifice; and Paul evidently meant here the same as to say, present YOURSELF, your entire person, to the service of God.) a living sacrifice, (The word Sacrifice is an offering made to God as an atonement for sin; or any offering made to Him and his service as an expression of thanksgiving or homage. It implies that he who offers it, presents it entirely, releases all claim or right to it, and leaves it to be disposed of, for the honor of God. In the case of an animal, it was slain, and the blood offered; in the case of any other offering, such as the first fruits, etc., it was set apart to the service of God; and he who offered it released all claim on it, and submitted it to God, to be disposed of at his will. This is the offering which the apostle entreats both to the Romans and to you to make. He asks for you to devote yourself to God, as if you had no longer any claim on yourself; to be disposed of by Him; to suffer and bear all that He might appoint to you, and to promote His honor in any way which He might command. And here again, you see that you can refer back to Romans 6 and 8 and Galatians 2 and 5 to see that we are Crucified with Christ, Buried with Christ, and Raised with Christ in the Newness of life. This new life you then give to God as a Living Sacrifice, just as Christ gave His life as a Living Sacrifice for the atonement of your sin. This is always then the Object of Faith in Christ and His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection.) Romans 12:1 (continued) holy, acceptable unto God, (This is your physical body which is also called the Temple of God because Christ indwells in you. Christ s Righteousness indwells in you by God and you are holy because Christ indwells in you. If you are living a corrupted, polluted, sinful life, you will not be able to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, nor will you have the desire to offer yourself to God. You are too busy satisfying the sin nature and its affections and lusts. And hence you will lose the Joy of the Assurance of Salvation and become indifferent to what Christ did for you.) which is your

20 reasonable service. (This is your form of worship to God and your offering to Him. This is your service to offer God for what He has done through His Grace and Mercy, through Christ in His Sacrificial Death for the Atonement for sin, and His Resurrection to give you Newness of Life. Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: (The world system is corrupted and polluted with sin and is controlled by Satan. Why have a part in what is so corrupted and polluted?) but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, (You must look at everything in life through Spiritual eyes and not the eyes of your sinful nature. You will look through Spiritual eyes if you keep your eyes and Faith focused on Christ and Crucify yourself with Him. Crucifying yourself means you die with Him and Bury yourself with Him in the Tomb, where He carried your sins far away. You then count yourself Risen with Him, which gives you that Newness of Life, making you a New Creature, which transforms you and renews your mind. Everything is furnished to us through the Cross and obtained by Faith and not works.) that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (You will have a disposition to obey Him. Your mind will be prepared to understand His precepts. You will have a correspondence between the feelings of the heart and His will; you will have a desire to commit to his laws, and see the propriety and beauty of His commands. Your renewed heart is the best preparation for studying Christianity; if your heart is in love with the fashions and follies of the world, it will be ill-fitted to appreciate the arguments for humility, prayer, and for the privileges and promises of Christ.) 1John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. (A true born again Christian, meaning you, should not be infatuated with or love the ordered system of which Satan is the head. This ordered world system involves entertainment, education,

21 economics, religion, politics, and a society built through the absence of God. You shouldn t love the world and the teachings of these worldly systems above God and Biblical truth. If so, you will lose the joy of the assurance of Salvation.) If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (If, you love the world in this way, it shows that you have no true relationship with the Father. If you love the world, its attractions, its ways, and you live for it, and if it is the ruling principle of your life, this reveals that your heart may have never really repented of your sin. Or maybe you have drifted on into this love of the world? OR maybe your heart really never had been renewed and been born again, and you have no part with the children of God. You must check your heart in this case.) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, (These are the things that you will find in loving the world system. These are things that defy, despise, and violate the Divine Law. You should have no part of it.) is not of the Father, but is of the world. (These things have the system of the world as their source, and not the God of Heaven.) I John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: (Whatever allurements of the world system attract you, they will soon fade away.) but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (This is where you will find the Joy of the Assurance of Salvation. If you are abiding by Faith in Jesus Christ and what He did in the Finished Work of the Cross, you will want to serve in any capacity for God and for His glory and honor.) Colossians 3:1 3 If ye then be risen with Christ, (You have throughout this booklet seen the New Resurrected Life when you, by Faith, refer to your identification in Baptism with Christ in His Death, Burial and Resurrection.) seek those things which are above, (Seeking those things which are the Privileges and Promises you have in Christ which come directly from the Lord of Heaven through the Power of the Holy Spirit.) where Christ sitteth on the right hand of

22 God. (Why seek for anything else that is most probably a worldly fashion or something from organized religion when you have the One who gave Himself for an atonement for sin to save you and set you free from sin? Why seek anything else when we have an Advocate and an Intercessor seated at God s right hand claiming you Righteous in Him.) Set your affection on things above, (Direct your thinking on the One who saved you. Why spend time thinking about things that are of the world? Remember, Romans 12:1, 2 and 1John 2:15-17.) not on things on the earth. (Everything of this world and earth is temporal. Your help comes from the Holy Spirit, which came from above to indwell in you.) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Remember you are dead to the old life by the virtue of the Christ dying on the Cross as your Substitute and, in effect, your dying with Him. Remember Romans 6:3-5. In obeying this verse you will have the blessed joy of salvation.) Ephesians 6:10 14 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, in the power of his might. (What does this mean? You must seek strength which comes from the constant Faith in Christ and in the Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ through the Power source of the Holy Spirit. Refer back to Romans chapter 6 and 8 for it gave you the prescribed order of victory.) Put on the whole armour of God, (You must realize the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God and its Truth and must be the final authority for your life.) that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, (This whole Armor of God is based upon the Truth of the Final Authority of God s Word, you must stand upon and gird yourself with this truth, by reading and

23 studying God s Word EVERY DAY. You must realize that everything is based upon Christ and what He did through the Sacrificial Death, Burial and Resurrection.) and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (You must stand upon 1Cor. 1:30, 2Cor. 5:21 and Romans 8:1-4 for your Breastplate of Righteousness. Refer back to these and read and study them.) Ephesians 6:15 18 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (You must stand on the Gospel of Christ, of who He is and what He did on the Cross, and of His Burial and His Resurrection. Paul preached Christ Crucified and Risen, which is the Gospel and you are to share this Great Message with others.) Above all, taking the shield of faith, (You must stand upon your Shield of Faith in Christ and in His Sacrificial Bloodshed, Death, and Resurrection alone for your Salvation; you must stand in the Faith of the Truth of the Final Authority of God s Word.) wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, (You must stand on your Faith in Christ and in His Sacrificial Bloodshed, Death, and Resurrection for the Helmet of Salvation. Read Acts 4:12.) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (You must be standing upon the Truth of God s Word for victory.) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, (You MUST have a Prayer Life. Prayer keeps you in communication with God; prayer is essential. [I Thessalonians 5:17] The Blessed Joy of the Assurance of Salvation will be in your heart if you apply these facts in your life.) and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (This verse shows you that you cannot escape the notice of God; that all insincerity, unbelief, and hypocrisy will be detected

24 by Him; since your heart is perfectly open before Him, you should be sincere, and should not attempt to deceive Him. The sense is, that the truth of God is all-penetrating and searching, and that the real thoughts and intents of the heart will be brought to light. If there is insincerity and self-deception, there can be no hope of escape. There has been a great variety of opinion here about the meaning of the phrase "the word of God." Some have supposed that it means the Lord Jesus; others the whole of the divine revelation; others the gospel; others the particular threatening referred to here. The "word of God" is that which God speaks--whether it be a promise or a threatening, whether it be law or gospel, or whether it be a simple declaration or a statement of doctrine. The idea here is, that God will detect hypocrisy, and will lay open the true nature of the feelings of the soul, so that there can be no escape for the guilty. His truth is adapted to bring out the real feelings, and to show you exactly what He is. Truth always has this power --whether preached, read, communicated by conversation, or impressed upon the memory and conscience by the Holy Spirit. There can be no escape from the penetrating, searching application of the Word of God and that the truth has power to show you what you are. It is like a penetrating sword that lays open the whole you. Isaiah 49:2. The phrase "the word of God" here may be applied, therefore, to the truth of God, however made known to the mind. In some way it will bring out the real feelings, and show what you are.) Now another reason why many lose the joyful, blessed assurance of salvation is that they do not know how they stand with God. You might say, yes, I know I have received Christ but, I do not understand how I can be accepted by Him? You might not know your position with God. The answer is in God s Word. We stand in the Gift of Righteousness of Jesus Christ to be Justified and Sanctified. Let us look at these verses.

25 1Corinthians 1:30 But of him (God) are ye in Christ Jesus, (This is the great plan of God which is far beyond all wisdom of the world; you are in Christ Jesus, by virtue of the Sacrificial Death and Resurrection. You must remember you are IN CHRIST.) who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (You have all of this by the Holy Spirit, through Christ and His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection. This means that this Finished Work of Christ must ever be the Object of our Faith. We have the gift of Righteousness, Sanctification, [Set apart sin unto God.] Redemption [His Finished Work of the Cross and Resurrection.] and Wisdom because of Christ.) 2Corinthians 5:21 For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, (Jesus Christ was the Sacrificial sin offering for us. Read Isaiah 53:6, 10, 1Peter 2:24.) who knew no sin; (Jesus Christ was innocent, not guilty; He was perfectly Holy and Pure.) that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (You are made pure, holy and righteous in Christ by accepting Him as your Lord and Savior and through His substitutionary, Sacrificial Bloodshed, Death, and Resurrection for your sins.) There are many more verses that you can look up and read and study for yourself. These are very important verses to read and study. You can start with these: Romans 3:21, 22, 26, Romans 4:3, 6, 13, 22, Romans 5:17, Romans 10:2-4, 6, 10, Philippians 3:9, Hebrews 10:10, and 1Cor. 6:11. Realizing and accepting who Christ is and only what He has done for us gives us the Joy of the Blessed Assurance of Salvation. By applying all that was taught in this booklet to your heart and life, you will gain this assurance and will be motivated to service for Him.

26 There is a song that we sing at Faith Baptist and it is entitled Blessed Assurance. Many can sing this song from their hearts, because they truly KNOW they have been born again. They are living a victorious Christian life following the prescribed order of victory and have the Joy of Assurance of Salvation. Blessed Assurance By Fanny Crosby (1873) Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. Refrain: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love. Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.