Category Eternal Security

Complete in Christ

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“Any ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.“

Colossians 2:10

Once we believe in the gospel (the gospel of the grace of God), we become complete in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our salvation. He is our righteousness. We have been crucified with him, buried with him, and risen with him (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:11-13). Therefore, we are also secure in Christ too! There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:39).

In one of Pastor J. C. O’Hair’s lessons, he goes through what he called “The Five F’s of Salvation.”1 They are fact, faith, fruit, feeling, and future. The fact of salvation is that Christ Jesus our Lord came into this world and died on the cross for all of our sins. He did all the work that was necessary to fully satisfy the payment of the sins of the world. He paid the price with His own blood. Hebrews 9:26 says, “but now in the end of the world hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” “He entered in once into the most holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Heb. 9:12). Christ suffered once so that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18; Col. 1:20-21). And John 19:30, Christ said on the cross that “It is finished.”

The next thing is faith. The work is already done. All we have to do is believe in what God, through Christ, did on our behalf. We are saved by grace through faith and it is not of ourselves, it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved,” we are told from Acts 16:31. And “but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

After we believe, then comes fruit. In Ephesians 2:10, it says that we are God’s workmanship. We are created unto good works. God the Father is glorified when we bear much fruit unto Him (John 15:8). We are not saved by good works, but we are created for good works that we should walk in them. 2 Peter 1:5-8 tells us that if we abound in faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity, then we won’t be barren nor unfruitful (Compare Gal. 5:22). But, if we don’t do good works then God will make us barren or unfruitful. As 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, “if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.” That person will still be saved, but they will be barren (have no fruit) in their life for the Lord and they will suffer loss of a reward when God judges us for what we have done in our body whether good or bad.

The next thing is feeling. Based on what O’Hair writes, I think this can also be called “filling.” “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” (Rom. 15:13). “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). By believing in what Christ has done for us and living our lives for Him, it will fill us up with all joy and peace. We have this feeling of joy that fills us up completely, because we know what Christ did for us on the cross and we know that we have a hope in Heaven with Christ forever. J. C. O’Hair adds this important note. “Salvation is not by feeling, but by faith.”2 The feeling comes as a result of salvation (as does the fruit).

The final “F of Salvation,” is future. When we believe in what Christ has done for us, we have a glorious future waiting for us. Titus 2:13 calls it our “Blessed Hope.” God will show the exceeding riches of His grace toward us (Eph. 2:7). We will all be changed. How so? We will be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). We will be fashioned like unto His glorious body (Phil. 3:21). “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.“

Galatians 2:16

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

The law was our schoolmaster as it says in Galatians 3. It was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith (Gal. 3:24). The law itself is holy, just and good (Rom. 7:12). But, when the law is used lawfully it is used to show us that we are sinners (1 Tim. 1:8-10). “For by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). Instead of bringing life to us, it brought death. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). Christ came to deliver us from the law of sin and death and the law of Moses by being crucified to condemn sin in the flesh. He died for our sins. He did that so “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:4). The law required perfect righteousness. Righteousness is the requirement for entrance into Heaven. While many try to establish their own righteousness, the truth of the matter is that we just can’t. Isaiah says, “all of our works of righteousness is as filthy rags.” It is not perfect. It isn’t true righteousness. We instead need Christ’s righteousness. He alone is perfect. He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17), which He did. When we have faith in Him, our faith is counted for righteousness. We become a member of Christ’s own Body. Therefore, Christ is made for us righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). The righteousness that is required of the law is fulfilled in us, because Christ is in us. He is our righteousness! We are not made perfect by the law, but instead we are made perfect by Christ Himself. Therefore, we are secure in Christ!

“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

Romans 8:38-39

God has “chosen us to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13). We are chosen in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is Christ who was chosen before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9). Anyone can be saved if they just believe. When they believe, they are then joined to Christ. We are joined to His Body, the Body of Christ. In Titus 1:2, we read that “in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” We learn from Romans 4 that what God promises, He is also able to perform. All believers, members of His Body, began in the Spirit. The saints were baptized by one Spirit into one Body (1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 4:4). We are set apart (sanctified) unto God as a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21-22). We became identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:11-13). We are crucified with Him, buried with Him, and risen with Him. Therefore, because we began in the Spirit, we will also be made perfect by the Spirit. Since we have life in Christ Jesus, because of the law of the Spirit, we therefore have the Spirit dwelling inside of us to help us mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:13), so that we may be able to produce fruit unto God and glorify Him. We have that blessed hope of the redemption of our bodies, where we will be conformed to the image of His Son. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Nothing can rob us of the joy that we have in the Holy Ghost. No one can lay a charge against us, because it is God that justifieth (Rom. 8:33). No one can condemn us, because it is Christ who was condemned for us by dying on the cross and is risen again (Rom. 8:34). We know that He is the firstfruits of them that slept. He was raised for our justification. Therefore, we know that we also will be resurrected and have that hope of eternal life with Christ in God. We have this hope by belief of the truth. When we first trusted in Christ as our Savior, we received the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15), the Spirit of His Son (Gal. 4:6).

Ephesians 2:5-6 – “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.“

Ephesians 2:5-6

Believers are quickened (or made alive) together with Christ. We have newness of life, because of what Christ did for us on the cross. We have a position in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 2 says that we are complete in Christ. That means we are circumcised (spiritual circumcision) by the circumcision of Christ (by the death of Christ) (Col. 2:11), we are buried with Him by baptism (Col. 2:12), and we have been raised with Him (Col. 2:11-13). All of that was accomplished by the operation of God. It was by God’s doing, not ours. All we did was believe or trust in what God said He did. Our faith is then counted for righteousness. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ.

In conclusion, we have the “the 5 F’s of salvation.” They are fact, faith, fruit, feeling (or filling), and future. Christ did all the work necessary for us to have salvation. He fulfilled the law Himself, He was crucified for our sins (He knew no sins Himself), buried our sins away forever, and rose again for our justification. The only thing we do is decide to believe on Him and His finished work. When we do believe, our faith is counted for righteousness. We now have life in Him. God gives to us the Spirit of His Son, so that we may live for Him on this earth while we wait patiently for Him to return to catch us away in the air and take us to glory. Having this knowledge of salvation and living for Him gives to us a good feeling. We are filled with all joy and peace, because we know where we are headed and we are excited to get there and be there with Christ and God the Father. We are justified by the faith of Christ, and we live by His faith too. We began in the Spirit, and we are made perfect by the Spirit. We are not made perfect by the works of the law, but by Christ Himself. He is our righteousness, and our life. We are made alive together with Him and raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. For we are complete in Him. We are secure in Christ.

Notes:

  1. J. C. O’Hair, One Hundred and Seventy Bible Lessons or Sermon Outlines (Wisconsin: Berean Bible Society), 5-6, https://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ONE-HUNDRED-AND-SEVENTY-BIBLE-LESSONS.pdf.
  2. O’Hair, One Hundred and Seventy, 6.

By Him All Things Consist

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“And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.“

Colossians 1:17

All things consist because of the Lord Jesus Christ. From all of creation to the saints in particular, we exist because of Christ. In verse fifteen of the same chapter, it says that Christ is the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” The word image means body or substance. The contrast is the word shadow.  Colossians 2:17 says “which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” In Hebrews 10:1, it says “for the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things…” Then, in Hebrews 1:3 it says of Christ that He is “express image of His [God’s] person.” Christ is God Himself in the flesh. He is fully man and fully God. Then, we of course have one of the most well known verses of Scripture which is John 1:1.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“

John 1:1

It continues to say that Christ is the firstborn of every creature. This doesn’t mean that Christ was created. For we know that Christ created all things Himself as it says in Colossians 1:16. Ephesians 3:9 says “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” The title firstborn must mean something else then. I think it is important to see from Scripture that the term firstborn isn’t always given to the person that was literally born first.

  • Genesis 27:19 – Jacob (the younger) pretends to be Esau and says “I am Esau thy firstborn.” Jacob ends up being the one to get the blessing from his father Isaac.
  • Genesis 48:14 – Israel (Jacob) puts his right hand on Ephraim’s (the younger) head, not Manasseh’s head. It wasn’t a mistake on Israel’s part. It says that Israel was “guiding his hands wittingly.”
  • Exodus 4:22 – God Himself declares Israel to be His firstborn.
  • Jeremiah 31:9 -God delcares Ephraim, my firstborn

It was Jacob, instead of Esau who got the privilege of getting the blessing. We know from Galatians 3 that it is through Abraham and his seed that all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gal. 3:9). In Galatians 3:16, we learn that Christ is the seed to whom the promises were made. It is through Jesus Christ that we receive the blessing of Abraham (Gal. 3:14). Therefore, He is called the firstborn. It has “pleased the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell” (Col. 1:19). That is, Christ, who is the express image of God’s person (God Himself), who created all things, is before all things, and by Him all things consist, and is the head of the body. It has pleased the Father that it should be in His Son that we receive the blessing of eternal life.

Now, not only does all creation consist by Him, as John 1:3 says, “And all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made.” But, the saints (believers) have a special relationship to Christ that is above the rest of creation. Christ also made in Himself one new man in order to reconcile us back unto God, unto Himself.

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;“

Ephesians 2:15

This one new man is also called the Body of Christ, the inheritance of the saints, and the kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:12-13). And Christ is the head of the body, the church (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23). We as God’s saints, members of Christ’s body, all consist together as one in Christ. I particularly like the definition of the word consist in Webster’s 1828 dictionary. It says, “to stand together; to be in a fixed or permanent state, as a body composed of parts in union or connection. Hence, to be; to exist; to subsist; to be supported and maintained.”1 I like it because it specifically uses the body as the illustration. We are many members, and yet we are one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 says, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” We all stand together in Christ Jesus our Lord. Since we consist together because of Christ or literally held together by Christ, “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1) and nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:10).

“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.“

Ephesians 2:21-22

In Ephesians 2, it says that it is in Christ that we as believers are fitly framed together and groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. The building here is the Body of Christ. We are as the Scriptures say “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” And we are builded together in Christ. Instead of God dwelling in a physical tabernacle or house/temple like in the days of Moses, David, and Solomon, God dwells inside each and every believer today. Paul himself uses the illustration of the tabernacle and house to make his point in 2 Corinthians 5:1. He says “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (cf. Col. 2:11; Acts 7:46-50). He is saying this to comfort those at Corinth, as well as us today, to not be afraid to suffer for Christ’s sake, because even if the the world kills us we know that we will be with the Lord. The world cannot tear down the building, the Body of Christ. It is first and foremost eternal. Secondly, it is in the heavens. And Christ is the Head of that Body! He made it in Himself. For we are the temple of God, the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19). We have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11). We have been set apart unto God as a holy temple in the Lord (cf. Eph. 1:4; 5:27). Now, God will still set up a physical kingdom/temple on the earth when He comes back. But for now, in the Dispensation of the Grace of God He is dwelling in each of us. We are to, therefore, walk in the Spirit. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). We are to “labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him” (2 Cor. 5:9) (that is, in a practical way. For we know that we already are accepted in Him (Eph. 1:6)). We labor for the Lord so that we may approve ourselves as the ministers of God (2 Cor. 6:4).

Therefore, we are to take heed how we build off the foundation that the Apostle Paul has laid according to the grace of God that was given to him (1 Cor. 3:10), because we are that holy temple in the Lord. The temple of God is holy, which temple we are. So, everything we do both in word or deed should be done with three things in mind. We should ask ourselves about what we’re each doing for the Lord. Is it for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13)? In other words, are we serving God or are we serving sin? Are we walking after the Spirit or after the flesh?

Each of us will give an account to God of what we each did in our own body, whether good or bad. If a man’s work abides, he shall be given a reward, but if his work is burned he shall suffer loss (that is, loss of reward), but he himself shall be saved (1 Cor. 3:14-15). So, what does it mean when it says in verse seventeen of 1st Corinthians 3, “if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.” Does it mean that we can lose our salvation? No. Once you are in Christ, you are there to stay. All things consist by Christ, especially the saints. We are held together by Him. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). It says in verse 15 that “he himself shall be saved” and the end of verse 17 adds “for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” So, what does this mean? In the context, the Corinthians were carnal. They were walking after the flesh, not after the Spirit. There was a man who committed fornication by taking His father’s wife (1 Cor. 5:1) and the rest of the church at Corinth did not judge this man like they should have. They should have not kept company with him anymore, but instead they still did keep company with him (1 Cor. 5). We learn from chapter six that what they were doing was to make the members of Christ the members of a harlot (1 Cor. 6:15-16). Which of course is not what they or any of us should do. Paul adds “God forbid!” That thought shouldn’t even cross our minds. Instead, as members of Christ we are to “Flee fornication” because when we do sin we do it “without [or, outside] the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18). When we sin, we do it outside the Body of Christ and do it against our own body. As verse 16 says, when we join ourselves to a harlot we become one body, or one flesh with that harlot. Romans 6:6 calls it the “body of sin” and Romans 7:24 calls it the “body of this death.”

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.“

Romans 6:6

Our old man is crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that we don’t have to serve sin. Christ has delivered us from that former life, where we were once under the law of sin and death, so that we can serve Him instead. But, when we sin we don’t allow that body of sin to be destroyed, which is not God’s purpose for that body of sin. He crucified our old man, so that it would be destroyed. (Now, ultimately that body of sin will be destroyed. But, I’ll get to that in a second. God will destroy it.) Instead, when we sin we are joining ourselves to that body of sin, also known as the flesh, and walking after it. Therefore, we end up serving sin.

But, God has crucified our old man with Christ so that we don’t have to serve sin anymore. We have been joined to Christ, and are members of His own body, in order to be presented as holy unto God. And if we walk after the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

So, when it says in 1 Corinthians 3:17, “him shall God destroy,” it’s really talking about that person’s flesh or that body of sin that the person is joining themselves to. To clarify, I’m not saying that it’s only the flesh’s fault, and not yours, and therefore you bear no responsibility at all. You will be held accountable for whatever you do in your body, whether good or bad. It might be helpful to look back to Israel under the law. In Leviticus 11, it describes what Israel could and couldn’t eat. Some animals would make them unclean if they ate of them. In Leviticus 11:43, it says that they were not to make themselves “unclean with them” (the animals they weren’t supposed to eat). The key word I want you to notice is the word “with.” They were to sanctify themselves or set themselves apart from the world, the Gentiles, and not be associated with them. While we of course are not under the law today, and are not Israel, we as members of Christ are still to be holy because we are that holy temple in the Lord. We are to be holy, because God is holy. We are not to be associated with our old man, and that body of sin anymore. We are not to be joined with that body of sin. When we walk by the flesh, or join ourselves to that body of sin, we become one flesh or one body with sin itself. But, we are instead to sanctify ourselves by walking after the Spirit. “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). For we are the members of Christ, members of His Body, therefore we are to be only joined to Christ.

God wants to work in us in order to produce good fruit unto Him. He wants to give the increase, to profit us something, and to abound fruit to our accounts in our service for Him (1 Cor. 3:7; Gal. 5:2; Phil. 4:17). But, if we decide to join ourselves to sin and serve sin rather than God, or try to be made perfect by the works of the law, then we will not produce fruit. We will be barren. God will destroy the person that defiles His temple by making that person barren in their service (they will have no fruit to show for their work) and therefore on the day of our redemption that person will not receive a reward, because their work produced no fruit in this life. Instead, their work will be burned. But, the good news is that they will still be saved (only believers are judged at the judgment seat of Christ anyway. Unbelievers will be judged later at the Great White Throne.). For we are saved by faith alone in the finished work of Christ (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 15:3-4), and not by our own works. In 1 Corinthians 5:5, it says “to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” They are to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. But, their spirit would be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The day of the Lord Jesus is the same as the day of Christ, which is the day of the Rapture. It is the day of the redemption of our bodies as Romans 8 talks about. God’s purpose that our old man was crucified with Christ was so that the body of sin would be destroyed. That is destroyed forever and it will be when we receive the adoption or the redemption of our bodies. But, God has given us His Spirit (the Spirit of adoption) so that we may still walk after the Spirit while we are waiting for the actual adoption. So, we have no excuse. We are still to be serving God, not sin, while we wait. We have the Holy Spirit inside of us to help us serve God.

If we let the Spirit work in us, He will produce. We are to be building off the right foundation and edifying the Body, because of who are in Christ.”If [or, since] ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1). Since we are alive unto God through Christ, we are therefore to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4-11). We are to only be joining ourselves in a practical sense to Christ. For we are already positionally there in Christ. We are not to be joining ourselves to a harlot. “For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Cor. 3:17b).

In conclusion, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is God Himself. He created all things and all things consist by Him. Concerning God’s saints (believers), we all consist together in Christ as members of one Body, which Christ is the Head of that Body. We are set apart as holy unto God as a holy temple in His Son. We are being fitly framed together and builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. Therefore, we are to walk after the Spirit, because we are the temple of the Holy Ghost. If we do that, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If we walk after the Spirit, then God will produce fruit (the fruit of the Spirit) in our lives that is well pleasing unto Him. We, the members of Christ, should not be joining ourselves to be the members of a harlot. If we serve sin, God won’t produce fruit in our lives and therefore we won’t receive a reward in the end. But, that person will be saved nonetheless if they have believed the gospel. For it is Christ who is our righteousness. If we recognize the fact that our old man is crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin might be destroyed and therefore don’t have to serve sin anymore, then we can instead serve God in the Spirit like we are supposed to as His saints. We would be edifying the Body of Christ, and therefore building off of the right foundation, so that we may be approved workman and ministers of God (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Cor. 6:4).

If you have not believed yet, do so now. All you have to do is believe. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. If you believe, then you will be fitly framed together with the rest of God’s saints in Christ (Don’t worry about being claustrophobic!). You will be a part of that Holy Temple in the Lord and you will have the Holy Spirit in you. You will have Christ in you (Col. 1:27). The next step after believing, will be to get into the Word of God more and let it dwell in you richly (Col. 3:16), so that the Spirit may work in you to bring forth fruit unto God.

End Notes

  1. Noah Webster, “Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Consist,” Websters Dictionary 1828, accessed June 22, 2021, http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/consist.

Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints

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“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:“

Colossians 1:12-14

The Apostle Paul starts out by giving thanks unto the Father. In Colossians 3:17, it tells us “and whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” We owe our thanks unto God. Everything we have and everything we are in Christ is because of God.

We are saved by the power of God and we also live by His power as well. We are saved by grace (that is, His grace) through faith, it is not of ourselves, but instead it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9). We are saved through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Col. 1:14; Rom. 3:24). We know that God is the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-7), and that He is able to perform that which He has promised (Rom. 4:21; Phil 1:6), that is eternal life to all those that believe on His Son. Therefore, we can go through this life with patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, while also giving thanks unto the Father.

For what has the Father done for us? The Scripture says in Colossians 1:12-13 that He has made us meet or fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, and that He has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son or the Son of His love.

How has God made us meet to be partakers in the first place? This is the first question we will address. Before we were saved, we were lost. Romans 3 tells us that we are all sinners, and because we are sinners we, therefore, deserve death (Romans 6:23).

  • Romans 3:9 – Both Jews and Gentiles are under sin.
  • Romans 3:10 – There is none righteous, no, not one.
  • Romans 3:19 – All guilty before God
  • Romans 3:20 – No flesh justified by the deeds of the law. For by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Concerning us Gentiles, Ephesians 2:11-12 says “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” We once were without Christ and without God. We had no hope. Israel was God’s chosen nation, His elect. It says in Romans 3:2 that to Israel were committed the oracles of God. In Romans 9:4, the Israelites had the adoption, the covenants, the law, the service of God, and the promises. So, how did God make us fit to be partakers?

“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.“

Romans 11:32

God concluded both Jews and Gentiles in unbelief, so that He might have mercy upon us all. Romans 11:11 says that “through their [Israel’s] fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy.” Then, in Romans 11:17, it says “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and the fatness of the olive tree.” Israel has fallen temporarily, and salvation and blessing having come on the Gentiles (through Israel’s fall, not rising). We have been made partakers of the root, which is Abraham, and the fatness of the olive tree, which is the blessing of Abraham.

In Romans 4:13, it says that “the promise, that he [Abraham] should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham , or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” In verse 3 of this same chapter, it said that “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” The same is true of us, when we believed the gospel, that is that God had “raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:23-25). God counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness. He does the same for us. He counts us righteous, when we first believed or trusted in Christ as our Savior. It is not through the law. “For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect” (Rom. 4:14). In other words, if righteousness came by the law, then faith doesn’t matter. Christ wouldn’t have needed to come and die for us, if the law could have given us life. We could just keep the law ourselves and expect to have eternal life by our own good deeds. But we know this isn’t the case. For it was in chapter three of Romans we read that we are all sinners. But, after declaring us sinners, it also says “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested” (Rom. 3:21). And in Romans 3:22 it says “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” God counts us righteous, because of what His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has done for us on the cross. It is through or by the faith of Jesus Christ. It is through His work on the cross. When we believe on Christ, our faith is counted as righteousness. Therefore, Romans 4:16 concludes that “it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” Notice that it is of faith, that it might be by grace. Romans 5 and 6 goes on to talk about that more in detail. Romans 5:21 says “that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Then Romans 6 goes on to talk about our identification with Christ and how sin no longer has dominion over us, because we are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:11). We are now alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.“

Galatians 3:22

Now, if we go to Galatians 3, we see there once again that it is by the faith of Jesus Christ that the righteousness of God has come. And those that believe on Him will be justified. Starting in verse 6, we have Abraham again and God counting him righteous, because he believed God. Then in verse 9, it says “they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:13-14). In verse 16, it was to Abraham and his seed that the promises were made. We learn that the seed is Christ Himself. And verse 29 says, “and if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Here is an overview of what happens.

  • Abraham believed God and is counted righteous. (Gal. 3:6; Rom. 4:3)
  • All those which be of faith are also then blessed with Abraham. (Gal. 3:9)
  • Not justified by the law. (Gal. 3:11; Rom. 3:20-21)
    • if it were by law, then it is no more of promise. (Gal. 3:18; Rom. 4:14)
    • if law could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by law. Then Christ would’ve have need to come. (Gal. 3:21)
    • But God gave it to Abraham by promise (Gal. 3:18)
    • So, that it can be by faith and grace. Through the righteousness of faith. (Rom. 4:13-16)
  • The righteousness of God comes by the faith of Christ
    • the blessing of Abraham comes through Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:14)
    • the promise by faith of Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:22)
  • Christ is the seed (Gal. 3:16)
  • By faith in Him, we become the children of God. (Gal. 3:26-29)
    • we become a part of Christ (belong to His body), who is the seed of Abraham (Gal 3:29; Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 12:12-13)
    • Therefore, we are heirs according to the promise. We are recipients of the promise that came by the faith of Jesus Christ and given to us who have faith in Him. (Gal. 3:22, 29)
  • Therefore, we are justified by faith. (Gal. 3:11; Rom. 3:28)
    • we are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).
    • We are found in Him, having the righteousness of God which is by faith. The righteousness that is through the faith of Christ, not through the law (Phil. 3:9)

Therefore, God has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance by justifying us. He has counted our faith as righteousness. We are made the righteousness of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are counted as righteous, because of what Christ did for us on the cross. Christ is the seed, and we are joined to Him. We are found in Christ.

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.“

Philippians 3:9

Now that we know how God has made us meet to be partakers, the next question is what has He made us partakers of? And we have actually already answered this as well, at least in part. That is, we are made partakers of Christ. Back in Colossians 1:12, it says we are made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. We as God’s saints have obtained an inheritance in Christ (Eph. 1:11). That inheritance is laid up for us in Heaven, the hope of eternal life (Col. 1:5; Titus 1:2-3). But, God Himself also has an inheritance. His inheritance is in the saints. Ephesians 1:18 says “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” God has his inheritance, and it is of the saints in light. And we are made partakers of that. We have become saints ourselves, when we believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we believed that Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again for our justification, we became partakers of the inheritance of the saints. Furthermore, Paul adds that God has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Then, Paul goes on to write that Christ is the “head of the body, the church” in Colossians 1:18. In other words, the “inheritance of the saints” is the “Kingdom of His dear Son” and that Kingdom is the Body of Christ. God the Father has made us to be partakers or members of the one Body, the new creature, to be members of Christ. To be partakers of His own Body. For it is in Him that we have redemption through His blood (Col. 1:14). It is in Him that we are found, not having our own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith (Phil. 3:9).

God wants us to know this. Colossians 1:9 says that He wants us to be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Ephesians 1:18, speaking of God’s inheritance in the saints, says that we should “know what is the riches of the glory” of it. Colossians 1:26-27 says God has made “known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He has made this known to His saints, whom He has an inheritance in. And he wants us to know this. The only reason we are of any value is because of who we are in Christ Jesus our Lord. Christ is our life. He is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). God has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance by making us the righteousness of God in Christ. “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell” (Col. 1:19).

In conclusion, God the Father has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance. He has done so by the faith of Jesus Christ. It was because of what Christ did on the cross for us, by being made a curse for us, that we can therefore have faith in him and have eternal life. When we do believe, we belong to Christ, who is Abraham’s seed. Therefore, we are heirs according to the promise. We are heirs through the righteousness of faith. By faith in Christ Jesus we became the children of God. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ. We have obtained an inheritance in heavenly places in Christ. God also has an inheritance in us. We have been joined to Christ, and are members of His own body, where Christ is the head of that body. For we are found in Christ, having His righteousness, not our own. For we are complete in Him! This was made possible because of what Christ did for us on the cross. Praise God! This is why we give thanks unto God.

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:“

Colossians 2:9-10

If you haven’t believed yet, I hope you would. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). Believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again the the third day according to the Scriptures, and you will be made the righteousness of God in Christ. You will be found in Him, a member of His Body. He did all the work for you. All you have to do is just believe!

Strengthened with all Might

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“Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;“

Colossians 1:11

We are able to walk worthy of the Lord, because of God’s strength. Whether we are talking about our salvation or walk in the Lord, both are by the power of God. Both are by His strength and glorious power. We do, of course, make the decision ourselves to believe or to apply the Scriptures in our lives (to be filled with the Spirit), but it is God that works in us to actually produce the fruit of the Spirit. It is God that saves us. We have our part in the ministry (both for our own edification and the edification of the whole church). One of us plants, another waters, but it is God that gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). We are “strengthened with all [His] might, according to his glorious power.” It is by His power that we will be presented as perfect in Christ Jesus. The end goal for His saints, according to God’s will, is that we would all be presented as “holy, unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Col. 1:22).

The gospel which bringeth forth fruit (Col. 1:5-6) is, as the expression goes, “the gift that keeps on giving.” It not only saves us, but it keeps working in our lives everyday. The same power that raised up Christ from the dead is the same power that works in us. Ephesians 1:19 says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” Paul uses four different Greek words for describing God’s power in this one verse.

  • dýnamis (translated “power”) – we get our word for dynamite from this.
  • enérgeia (translated “working”) – meaning energy.
  • ischýs (translated “mighty”) – meaning force.
  • krátos (translated “power”)- great strength.

Paul describes the Father’s power by saying it is the “exceeding greatness of His power.” This power as verse 20 says, was “wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” There is probably no better display of God’s power than the resurrection of Christ. For it was by the resurrection of the dead, that Christ is declared to be the Son of God.

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”

Romans 1:4

Ephesians 1:19 continues to say that His power is “to us-ward who believe.” We are saved by this same power, the power that rose Christ up from the grave and declared Him to be the Son of God. For Romans 1:16 tells us that “it [that is, the gospel of Christ] is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” And in verse 17, it says “for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” We are saved by the power of God. We are not saved by our own good works. Christ Jesus our Lord is declared the Son of God, because He arose from the dead. When we trust in Him, it is by that same power that saves us, because we are raised up with Christ. As Romans 6 teaches, we are identified with Christ. We are crucified with Him, buried with Him, and risen with Him. We are no longer associated or identified with our old man, that is Adam. But instead, we are identified with Christ. We have put on Christ, we have put on the new man (Gal. 3:27; Col. 3:10).

We see that we are saved by the power of God, His working, and His grace all throughout Paul’s epistles. Here are just a few samples. Notice I’m including references not just to the power of God, but also to His grace. God is the one that saves us, not ourselves. We do, of course, make the decision to believe, but it is by God’s power, working, operation, doing, and grace that saves us.

  • Rom. 1:16 – the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation
  • Rom. 3:24 – justified freely by His grace
  • 1 Cor. 1:18-31 – the preaching of the cross is the power of God
  • 1 Cor. 2:5 – our faith stands in the power of God
  • 1 Cor. 15:3-4 – Christ died for our sins (we didn’t die for our own sins)
  • Rom. 6 – we are identified with Christ
  • 2 Cor. 4:7 – the power may be of God, not of us
  • 2 Cor. 12:9 – the power of Christ may rest on us
  • Eph. 2:8-9 – saved by grace through faith, not of yourselves (or ourselves)

“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.“

1 Corinthians 2:5

Our faith would be in vain, if it weren’t for the power of God (1 Cor. 15:14). If Christ didn’t rise, we would not have eternal life. But, we know that Christ Jesus our Lord did rise again (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Our faith does have something to stand on after all. It is supported by the resurrection of Christ Himself. We can have faith, because He rose again. “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Rom. 6:8). Therefore, our faith is not in vain.

Now, not only are we saved by His power, but we also live by the power of God. This is indicated by our passage in Colossians 1. Colossians 1:11 said that we are “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power.” Speaking of our walk in the Lord, God’s power enables us to do so. It not only saves us, but it continues to work in us by giving us the strength needed to “walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).

  • 2 Cor. 6:7 – We are ministers by the word of truth, by the power of God
  • 2 Cor. 13:4 – We live with Him by the power of God
  • Eph. 3:7 – We are made ministers according to the gift of the grace of God…by the effectual working of His power
  • 2 Tim. 1:8 – We are to be partakers of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God
  • Gal. 2:20 – We live by the faith of the Son of God

God works in us to help us bring forth fruit unto Him. He works in us to help us with our infirmities, the present sufferings that we go through. This doesn’t mean that He promises to heal us. But, He does comfort us (2 Cor. 1:3) with the hope that we have in the Lord. He reminds us that the present day sufferings that we each suffer are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). Colossians 1:27 says that Christ is in us, the “hope of glory.” And when, Christ, who is our life, shall appear then shall we also appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4). God also gives us the strength to defend ourselves and the gospel. Ephesians 6:10-11 tells us to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” It is His armour that gives us strength to fight our enemies. For it needs to be His armour, because our enemies are not flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12).

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:“

Philippians 1:6

God saves us by His power, and it is God that continues to work in us. It is by His power that we are made perfect in Christ. We are made perfect in Spirit (Gal. 3:3). Just how Abraham had faith in God that He was and still is able to perform that which He promised to him (Romans 4; Gen. 12:1-3), we too are to have faith in God that He is able to perform that which He has promised to us. That is, our salvation and holy calling that we have in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 1:9-10). To be clear, God promised us salvation in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is “according to His own purpose and grace.” We didn’t deserve this one bit. All that God has done and promised to us, He did so according to His grace. It’s in Christ Jesus that we have this promise.

Now, He which began a good work in us (once again, notice that it is He that has done this) will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. That is, until the day that we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18), the day of our redemption, the redemption of our bodies (Eph. 4:30; Rom. 8:23).

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.“

Philippians 2:12-13

We are to work out (not work for) our own salvation. We do have our responsibility, but as verse 13 says “for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” It is our responsibility to yield ourselves as instruments of righteousness unto God (Rom. 6:13). It is God then that works in us to perform that which He wills and does. It is of His good pleasure to do so.

The end goal is for every man (all those that believe) to be presented as perfect in Christ Jesus. “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:17). We are saved by the power of God, and we live by the power of God. We began in the Spirit, so shall we be made perfect in the Spirit (Gal. 3:1-3). And we are therefore, confident that because God began a good work in us, He will perform til that day of Jesus Christ.

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:“

Colossians 1:20-22

Christ made peace through the blood of His cross to reconcile us back unto Himself, and God the Father. He did so, so that he could present us as holy, unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27).

God has saved us and called us with a holy calling (2 Tim. 1:9). He will perform that good work which He first began when He saved us. We have a glorious hope in the Lord. We have eternal life in Him. Therefore, we are eternally secure in Him as well.

In conclusion, the gospel is the power of God to everyone that believes it. God has saved us by His power, the same power that rose Christ up from the grave. Not only are we saved by His power, but we also live by it too. So, whatever tribulation you happen to be going through just know that God is with you. God is the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3). We are “strengthened with all [His] might.” We have God’s strength working in our lives, because of who we are in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Christ Himself. We are crucified, buried, and risen with Him. He is the “hope of glory” in us. When He appears in the air, then we also will appear with Him in glory. That which God has begun in us, He is able to perform and carry it through. God is faithful!

If you haven’t believed the gospel yet, do so now. Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins personally, was buried, and rose again the third day. We have all sinned against God, and deserve death. But, Christ died for us. And, He arose from the dead, so that you and I can have eternal life in Him. Believe and you will be saved. By the power of God, you will be saved!

Romans 8 – Eternal Security

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Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The doctrine of eternal security is a most blessed one. The moment someone believes the gospel for the very first time that person is saved eternally. They have eternal life. They are eternally secure in Christ. There is no one nor anything that can separate us from the love of Christ or the love of God. It is God who justifies us and the only person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who would have reason to condemn us (because, we crucified Him) is the same person who died for our sins on our behalf and rose again. Christ is at the right hand of God making intercession for us. So, no one can be against us (8:31), no one can lay a charge against us (8:33), and no one can condemn us (8:34), because we are in Christ Jesus! Therefore, nothing can separate us from His love either (8:35).

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

When we believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, we are instantly baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body, which is the Body of Christ. In this Body, there is neither Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female (Gal. 3:28). We have the Holy Spirit indwelling us (8:9). Since we have been baptized into Christ, we have actually put on Christ. We’ve put on the new man (Col. 3:10).

1 Corinthians 3:23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The moment we first believed is also when we became sealed with the Spirit. We are sealed unto the day of redemption. We are sealed, hoping for (hope here is an earnest expectation) the day to finally come when we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18). We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (8:17). Everything that belongs to Christ is ours as well. We are given all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). We are members of His Body. We ourselves belong to Christ, to His Body, which He is the Head.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

We are made the very righteousness of God in Christ when we believe the gospel. Christ who knew no sin became sin for us (He bore our sins upon Himself on the cross) so that we could be justified or declared righteous in God’s sight. So now, it’s as if we never sinned to begin with. Who can lay a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. He imputes righteousness to our account by faith. No one can condemn us, because we are in Christ Jesus (8:1). We have been justified.

Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Finally, I’ll end with this verse. We are complete in Him. We are identified with His death, burial, and resurrection. We have been crucified with Him, buried with Him, and we have risen again with Him (Col. 2:11-13; Rom. 6:1-4; Gal. 2:20). We have been declared righteous. We are joined to Christ. We are members of His Body. We are complete in Christ! Praise the Lord!

If you have not believed the gospel yet, do so now! Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for all of your sins, was buried, and that He rose again on the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-4)! When you believe, you will be complete in Christ. You will be eternally secure in Him!