Completely. This is how Jesus saves us. He doesn’t provide a temporary fix, or grant us a reprieve. No, Jesus saves us completely.
The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “…because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25).
If you have come to God through Jesus, you are saved. You have crossed over from death to life. The transaction is complete, permanent, and unchangeable. He guaranteed His work on your behalf with this promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
What wonderful news!
Yet, far too many believers doubt they have been saved completely and fear that they can lose their salvation. Through thirty plus years of ministry, we have discovered that doubt regarding salvation is the biggest spiritual issue Christians face.
For most people, doubt flows from the daily struggles against sin and temptation as we do our best to live the Christian life, yet fail time and time again.
My friend Stacy was 95% sure that he was saved. He had trusted Christ for salvation during his teenage years. Instead of being encouraged to grow in the grace of God, he was quickly caught up in all the religious do’s and don’ts.
He gave it his best shot, but soon he was lost in the Romans 7 maze and didn’t know how to get out. The things he wanted to do, he didn’t. The things he didn’t want to do, he did. His struggles to live the Christian life gave voice to the gnawing doubts concerning his salvation.
With one negative event after another parading through his mind, that 5% uncertainty became Stacy’s constant companion. He went to bed each night wondering if he was actually saved at all.
Stacy finally reached a point of desperation. He called our radio broadcast for help. We had the privilege of sharing the wonderful truth of God’s complete salvation in Jesus Christ and the assurance we can have in Him. Two passages were particularly meaningful to Stacy that day.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:11-13).
As Stacy listened, he drove a stake, anchoring his assurance of salvation to the finished work of Christ. It was a point in time when the love of God melted his fears and replaced his doubts with thankfulness.
That isn’t to say that doubts concerning his salvation have never resurfaced. They have, but Stacy has a point of reference. When those doubts come, the Lord reminds him that he has been saved completely through faith in Jesus Christ.
Sadly, Stacy’s story is not unique. Doubts and fears regarding salvation are common place.
I spent much of my early Christian years wondering if I was truly saved. I prayed to receive Christ hundreds of times just to make sure. But still the doubts persisted. Then I learned what Christ had accomplished on my behalf, that the salvation He provided was complete. The day I gained assurance of my salvation was one of the best days of my life.
If you are struggling with assurance of salvation, let today be the day you drive the stake. It could be the best day of your life.
Category: Life
The Star Spangled Banner
Last week I visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore Maryland. This fort is best known for the role it played in the war of 1812. The soldiers who occupied this fort successfully defended the Baltimore Harbor from attack by the British Navy.
Francis Scott Key was aboard a British ship anchored in the Baltimore Harbor to negotiate the release of prisoners. While on board, he learned of the British Navy’s plan to attack Fort McHenry. He was not allowed to leave the ship until the battle ended. As he penned, he watched “the rockets’ red glare and the bombs bursting in air” throughout the night.
The dawn of September 14, 1814, Key saw the American flag, 30′ by 42′ in size, waving over Fort McHenry. The sight of “old glory” inspired him to write the famous words of The Star-Spangled Banner.
This powerful poem captured the essence of the indomitable American spirit. Some 100 years later, by decree of Pres. Woodrow Wilson, it was adopted as our national anthem. Once adopted, the Star-Spangled Banner was inextricably linked to the American flag as symbols of our freedom.
We cherish these symbols and the American way of life they represent. The very act of singing the national anthem as we fix our eyes on a flag waving in the distance invokes a sense of patriotism and thankfulness in each of us.
We are privileged as American citizens to have freedom of religion, free speech and the right to pursue happiness, just to name a few. These are the qualities of freedom that these wonderful symbols point us to. They also issue a warning that these freedoms could be taken away or lost. We should never take them for granted.
What we have in America speaks of a greater and more enduring freedom, one whose symbols are a wooden cross and an empty. These symbols point us to the newness of life we have in Jesus Christ, a life marked by freedom from sin and death, freedom from legalism and freedom from the fear of death. These are freedoms that Christ purchased for us and they can never be taken away.
When you think of the cross and empty tomb, what aspects of your new life in Christ are you most thankful for? For me, it’s the truth that I’ve crossed over from death to life. What about you? I would love to hear your thoughts.
We Can Get Along — Really!
Instructions for Christian Households. This is the heading in my Bible for Ephesians 5:21-6:9. It is way too generic or vanilla for my liking. And it certainly doesn’t motivate me to read further. I mean, who wants a bunch of boring instructions?
Let’s face it, simple instructions just won’t do when it comes to handling the complex and often complicated dynamics of relationships. As we all know, family life can be tough, painful and sometimes too much to bear, even for those families who know Christ and are in Christ.
Household is another word I’m not crazy about. Again, it reeks of everything plain, common and domestic. It misses the “wow factor” of the passage. This section of Scripture is about people – husbands and wives, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and sometimes, other folks as well – who are sharing life together in a very intimate setting.
The point that Paul is making is that families can experience powerful and genuine relationships. The home does not have to be a place of tension and stress and angst. Living together under one roof, we can get along.
But how?
Paul begins this section with these words: “Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ.” Yes, he is specifically writing to Christians, Christians who know after reading his letter that they
- have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3),
- have been adopted to sonship in Christ (Ephesians 1:5),
- have redemption through the blood of Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7),
- have been marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who guarantees their inheritance (Ephesians 1:13, 14),
- have been given God’s incomparably great power, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19)
- have been made alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5),
- have been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8),
- have been created anew in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10),
- have access to the Father through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18),
- have the freedom and confidence to approach God through faith in Christ (Ephesians 3:12),
- have Jesus Christ dwelling in their hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17),
- have the power to know and experience the love of God (Ephesians 3:18),
- have been added to the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:16) and
- are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8).
The entire book of Ephesians provides the context for Paul’s vision for family relationships. This vision is moored to the wealth of riches that are ours in Christ Jesus, and it is animated by the incomparable power God has given us through His Spirit.
Submission one to another, wives submitting to their husbands, husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the Church is the fruit of God’s grace and power. Otherwise this section can be reduced to a set of instructions that are impossible to carry out.
As children of God, we are alive in Jesus Christ, empowered by His Spirit, and blessed with all the treasures of God’s grace. Perhaps we should give this section a new heading – Grace Filled, Spirit Led Relationships. This tells us that yes, we can get along, really!
Are You Listening?
In his letter, James provides practical advice in living out our faith specifically within relationships. Like Paul, James anchors his wisdom for living to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For example, in his first chapter, he wrote:
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:18-20
Notice how he sets the foundation. As believers, we have been born again through the word of truth. We are a kind of firstfruits of all He created. Right now, right here we are the initial subjects of God’s new creative order. We are ambassadors of God’s kingdom in this world of darkness.
Building on the foundation, he gives us wisdom to carry into our relationships — be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
There is no quicker way to show a person that you care about them and are interested in them than to listen.
- Husband, take the time to listen to your wife. Look her in the eye and hear what is on her heart.
- Mom, Dad, listen to your children. Hear what is on their minds and learn the things that are important to them.
- Teacher, listen to your student.
- Employer, listen to your employees. It might help make your company more successful.
- Friends, listen to each other. Your friendship will be much stronger for it.
- Believers, listen to one another. You belong to each other, you are fellow members of the body. Take a listen and discover the unity you have in Christ.
I address this on a recent broadcast. You can listen here .
How can we experience positive, healthy relationships in life. The first step is to be quick to listen. Your attention will send a strong message that you care.
Are you listening?
Skateboarding, the Law and Relationships
The doorbell rang. Jeanna opened the door and there stood a police officer. A neighbor had registered a complaint against us. According to the officer, Coleman and his friends were making too much noise on his skateboard ramp.
We knew the ramp was loud. We had spoken to our neighbor several times about the noise issue. He asked that Coleman limit his skateboarding on the ramp to 45 minutes and only skateboard during the day. Coleman was willing to make this concession, so these terms were agreed upon.
Our neighbor held to a strict interpretation of the agreement. 45 minutes meant 45 minutes. At the first sound of Coleman zooming down the ramp, our neighbor would appear at his back door with watch in hand.
But soon even the 45 minutes was too much to bear. He was retired, and dealing with noisy neighbors was not part of his retirement plan.
He went to City Hall to research the noise ordinances. He pored over the documents, highlighting all the possible violations on our part. He then met with the police officer, shared his findings and asked that he issue a citation to us. The officer did not agree with our neighbor’s interpretation of the code, but he was obligated to meet with us to discuss the problem.
Soon the problem took care of itself. Coleman lost interest in skateboarding and the ramp began to rot. The interesting aspect of the story is that when our neighbor brought the city ordinances into the picture, a code that he believed stood against us, he stopped talking with us. The law had placed a barrier between us. Any vestiges of a relationship were gone.
We eventually took the ramp down. Our neighbor watched from his window as we did, but he never ventured out to speak with us. That was sad to me. We wanted to be good neighbors, and I know in his heart of hearts he wanted that as well.
This story reminds me of Peter’s actions in Antioch. Paul told the story in his letter to the Galatians. Under pressure from the Judaizers, Peter decided to rebuild the Jewish law in his life regarding the Gentile converts, which meant they had to follow Jewish customs, including circumcision, in order to be embraced by Jewish believers. This became a barrier that stood between Peter and the Gentile believers. As a result, Peter withdrew from them and ended all relationships. Law does that. It is not the foundation on which to build relationships.
Jesus is the One who brings us together. As Paul wrote, “for he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations” (Ephesians 2:14, 15). The law divides and causes hostility. But all that changes when relationships are built in Christ. He is the foundation for strong, healthy relationships.
Some six months after we tore down the skateboard ramp , my neighbor saw me mowing the yard and stopped to speak. He shook my hand and said, “We got off on the wrong foot, can we start over?” The barrier was gone. And now we’re on the road to becoming good neighbors.
How about you? Has the law become a wall of hostility in any of your relationships?
How to Have More Meaningful Relationships
God’s process in our lives is this: first life, then change. Transformation occurs after we have been made alive together with Christ. Most often we think in terms of internal changes, such as fear turning to peace, or restlessness becoming contentment. But the Gospel also transforms our relationships.
As we grow in our knowledge of Christ and learn to abide in Him, we bear the fruit of His love for others. That is the key to more meaningful and fulfilling relationships. John and Paul explain:
- “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 (NIV)
- “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
- “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV)
Healthy relationships are built on the foundation of God’s love. If you want to love others, forgive others and accept others, start with the love of God. Ask the Lord to teach you the “as I have” truths. As I have loved you, forgiven you and accepted you.
From that foundation, you can experience meaningful and fulfilling relationships.
The Three Characteristics of a People Pleaser and How to Avoid Them
Please people or please God. This was the issue that prompted Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Peter, the one who boldly delivered the first gospel sermon and the one who ended the heated debate at the Jerusalem Council with a stunning claim that Gentiles were saved by grace just like the Jews, had become a people pleaser.
The believers in Antioch witnessed Peter’s lapse in judgment. When he first arrived in there he enjoyed fellowship with all of the believers, Jews and Gentiles alike. He ate with the Gentiles regularly. However, once the men sent from James showed up, Peter’s actions began to change.
At first Peter drew back. But soon he separated himself from the Gentiles altogether. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray.
Paul could not let this gross misrepresentation of the gospel go unchallenged. He confronted Peter to his face. This was not a private meeting between the two leaders. No, Paul admonished Peter in front of all the believers in Antioch. You can imagine the tension that filled the assembly, but it had to be done. The truth of the gospel was at stake.
Why did Peter cave? What provoked this blatant display of legalism on his part?
Galatians 1:10 answers clearly: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Plain and simple, Peter had decided it was more important to please people at that time than it was to be a servant of Christ.
Shockingly, Peter at that moment had become a legalist. He placed on his neck the yoke of the law that he had already concluded neither he nor his forefathers could bear (Acts 15:10). We’ve all been there. We conducted ourselves as “grace Pharisees”, or reverted back to our old legalistic tendencies. The question is this: How do we recognize when people pleasing is more important to us than being led by God’s Spirit? Paul points to three signs.
- Fear — Peter separated himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those men that had come from James. If you are afraid of others and are living to please them you are on the fast track to becoming a legalist.
- You do not act in line with the truth of the Gospel – Peter knew separating from the Gentiles was wrong. The Gentiles had heard the Gospel message from his lips. He saw that God added them to the church and that He does not show favoritism. Yet his fear of the Jewish leaders that had come to Antioch caused him to play the hypocrite. Trying to please others will cause you to act in a way that does not line with the truth of the Gospel.
- You lead others astray – Peter’s actions influenced others. All the Jews, and even Barnabas, joined Peter in his hypocrisy. The old adage, misery loves company, applies here. To help justify your decision to give in to the legalistic demands of others, you will encourage others to follow suit.
These are the tell-tale signs that you are on the road to becoming a legalist. But you don’t have to go down that road. You don’t have to live as a people pleaser. Here is how to avoid that trap.
- Recognize that you have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ. You are already right in God’s sight (Galatians 2:16).
- Die to the law so that you can live for God (Galatians 2:19).
- Since Christ lives in you, live by faith in him, the one who loves you and gave himself for you (Galatians 2:20).
- Fully embrace the grace of God (Galatians 2:21).
In Antioch, Peter caved to the pressure of those he deemed important. God, however, never intended for our beliefs, attitudes or actions to be shaped by the opinions of others. We have been rescued from that realm and have been placed in Christ. We are to live by his indwelling presence, being shaped by his death, burial and resurrection. This will keep you from becoming a people pleaser and will help you avoid the snare of legalism.
Suffering Servant or Conquering King
Jesus wasn’t the Messiah the Jewish leadership was looking for. Nothing about Him met their vision of the one who was to be their king.
- He was born in a cave with a manger for His bed.
- He grew up in Nazareth, and can anything good come from there.
- He was the son of a carpenter.
- During His earthly ministry, He didn’t have a place to lay His head.
- On the day all Jewish eyes were on Him, He rode into town on a borrowed donkey.
- He was crucified on a cross as a common criminal.
This is hardly the picture of a conquering king. Suffering servant seems to be the most likely description for Jesus. Then you read His words: “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” Luke 24:26
Jesus suffered in His body, as Peter wrote. He suffered death.
The way of suffering was actually His path to victory for you and me. Consider these verses.
- Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
- Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin–
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Yes, Jesus was the suffering servant. His love for us marched Him to the cross where He served us to the fullest extent. In His suffering, however, He conquered Satan, sin and death, ending their rule and reign in our lives. This makes Him a conquering king.
The day you believed, your conquering King made His triumphal entry into your heart, where He rules and reigns today.
The Real Enemy
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” from The Art of War
Why was the Jewish leadership during the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry so troubled by Him? Why did they reject Him as their Messiah?
His claims were clear. His miracles provided sufficient evidence that He was indeed the Messiah. But neither of these convinced the Jewish leadership. To them, Jesus was an imposter. He was not fulfilling their job description for Messiah. He had to go.
What was their problem? They did not know the enemy.
Their Messiah was to sweep in, knock Caesar off his throne, defeat the evil Roman Empire and establish Israel as the pre-eminent nation in the world. But Rome was not the enemy. Their enemy, a trio of adversaries to be exact, was far more sinister and cunning. Satan, sin and death comprised this axis of evil and it was them that Jesus came to defeat.
The Jewish leadership of Jesus’ day missed this critical truth. They missed it because they did not know themselves. They were blind to their lost condition, the fact they were dead in sin like everyone else in the world.
They needed a savior and redeemer. They needed a deliverer. They needed a king who knew the enemy and could defeat him at every turn. They needed Jesus. As to the art of war, none can compare to Him. In one crushing blow He defeated Satan, sin and death.
- As for Satan and his band of demons, Jesus “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15 (NIV)
- As for sin, Jesus “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26 (NIV)
- As for death, Jesus “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…” 2 Timothy 1:10 (ESV)
Jesus knew the enemy, the real enemy of our souls. Jesus’ work through His death and resurrection brought the dominion of Satan, sin and death to end for us. Makes me wonder. Should we look at the cross as the work of a suffering servant, or of that as a conquering king? We’ll take a look at that question next time.
For now, I’ll end with this. Recognizing the real enemy of our soul’s frees us to rejoice in Christ’s victory at the cross and to live as more than conquerors in our daily lives.
What Happens When He Calls Your Name?
Mary went to the tomb early in the morning. It was still dark. She was surprised by what she saw. The stone had been rolled away and Jesus’ body was gone.
She thought that someone had taken it. She ran to tell the disciples. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see. When they arrived, it was just as Mary said. The tomb was empty. Peter and John left while Mary stayed.
She wept outside the tomb. She did peer in and encountered two angels. They asked why she was crying. She told them the same thing she told the disciples, “They have taken my Lord away.”
She turned from the tomb and saw someone in the garden. Mary thought it was the gardener. He asked her who she was looking for. She thought this man may have taken the body. And then a single word from Him changed everything for her.
“Mary.”
The mention of her name penetrated the clutter and confusion in her mind. She recognized Him. Jesus was alive!
She wanted to cling to Him, but He had other things to do. She returned to the disciples with the good news, “I have seen the Lord!”
How personal the Lord is that He would call Mary by name. But isn’t that what He does with each of us? We do not have the privilege of hearing Him face to face like Mary did. But through His Spirit He calls us out individually. He speaks our name.
When He does, our confusion disperses and we know. He is alive. It is that moment everything changes. Like Mary, we become witnesses of the most significant event that has ever occurred, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Every day, Jesus tenderly calls out the names of others in this world. He uses our voices to do so. When a person responds, they are added to that great chorus of believers declaring the greatest news of all, “He is alive!”