For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17 NASB
We have been in an ongoing study of the Gift of Righteousness. More importantly, we are examining the vitalness of not just knowing we are Righteous the moment we believed but actively receiving of this Gift. A gift no matter how wonderfully amazing will never benefit until it is fully received.
In this study, we have seen the benefits receiving Righteousness brings. Relationships flourish. We have peace knowing He is bigger than our failures. We see and understand more clearly His healing power and willingness to bring wholeness to our life. Because of Righteousness received our sins and shortcomings won't hinder or stop God's Goodness from being received in our life.
Again what is this great Gift of Righteousness? Righteousness is that Gift that gives the believer permanent right standing before God. It's that gift whereby one has everlasting acceptance and approval with God. It's that gift where we are always welcomed in God's presence. It's that gift where we can stand before our Father without any sense of guilt, shame, condemnation, insecurity, or inferiority. It's that gift that causes one's sins never again to be imputed to their account.
Receiving of this great Gift of Righteousness is such a vital ingredient in walking a victorious Christian life. When sin and shame can't hold you back nothing is impossible in your walk of Faith. Instead of shying away from God believers run to God. Instead of looking down, Righteousness produces the joy and confidence to boldly look upward and gaze upon a truly loving Father.
Righteousness is a gift we receive never a work we achieve. If it is a gift, and it is, then that means Righteousness is permanent. God's gifts are irrevocable.
For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 MEV
Since God's gifts are irrevocable or permanent then we must conclude Righteousness is permanent and can never be removed or taken away. That leads us to therefore conclude that our salvation then is also irrevocable and permanent. We are eternally secure because of this Gift of Righteousness.
The absolute Good News of the Gospel of Grace is that once you've trusted in Christ alone you are eternally secure. Salvation could never be earned or achieved and once received it's not kept by our continued achievements. Salvation is by Grace from start to finish. Christ once trusted in preserves us from time and all eternity. We aren't maintaining our salvation so it can't be lost, God maintains our salvation because Jesus is the author and finisher of it.
As good as this Good News is many believers still fight this truth. They reject a Grace alone salvation for a works plus grace salvation. They insist we are saved by Grace but after we are saved we must persevere through good works and abstinence from wrongdoing to remained saved. In essence, it's a Christ begun salvation but a man completed salvation.
“Truly, truly I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death into life. John 5:24 MEV
And he has entered once and forever into the Holiest Sanctuary of All, not with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the sacred blood of his own sacrifice. And he alone has made our salvation secure forever! Hebrews 9:12 TPT
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:12 21st Century KJV
We have conclusive proof from God that salvation is eternal and irrevocable. This is the Good News. This proves beyond doubt that Christ won and the enemy lost. That the Cross truly was a Finished Work. Yet again even in the face of this good news, works and performance-driven believers dismiss these passages and make light of God's keeping power and declare man can undo what only Christ could do.
Eternal Security rejected leaves believers without security and diminishes hope. Everlasting hope in Christ becomes everlasting hope so. Is your salvation permanent? I hope so. This is the real fruit of rejecting Eternal Security.
Eternal Security rejected means there is no promise for eternal life once one believes. If there is no Eternal Security, there is no eternal life, for how can one know for sure they won't forfeit their salvation at some point? All that truly remains is not a promise but a possibility. Not everlasting life but temporal life.
When Eternal Security is rejected what we are left with is not the promise of eternal life, but the possibility of potentially obtaining eternal life in Christ. We have potential life, not eternal life. We have the possibility of eternal life but not the guarantee. Salvation becomes merely a probationary phase until we draw our last breath or Christ comes back for us.
In summation Righteousness received brings with it great hope. The great hope and promise of sustained eternal life by God, not ourselves. It brings with it the understanding that Eternal Security rejected means all that is left is a works and performance-based salvation. Thank God though the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. Thank God, Jesus has obtained an eternal redemption for all those who believe. We are irrevocably loved and never will we be separated or apart from God.
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
No comments:
Post a Comment