Back on the 1st of August I shared the biblical meanings and the definition of Salvation. With todays post I will look at another area where one of the words used is to be saved and quite possibly redemption will also be used. As Salvation and Redemption have been used many times interchangeably by the different Bible translators. In each case we, when we look more closely into the revelation of Christ. Find that we where, are healed (restored to a living healing of spirit). And all that He is we become. For we are in always more liberated than when we first began. Because as with the Old Testament "LORD or LORD God" we find that these terms all mean One, One in personage. At various times and in various ways the LORD revealed His many Titles that fit each of the needs of that place and time for the person that He was speaking to or often through, as His record clearly shows. You know, at times it may seem as if we are just going around the old mulberry tree and spinning our wheels as if lost in the sea of GOD's Eternal Revelation of Himself as our Christ. Now for Pastor Hoekstra and his teaching on Grace in the Personage of the LORD. Then on with my look into Salvation through LORD of all help.
"The Importance of God's "Unpopular" Promises"
"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your (satan's-sin nature of self for self) sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24)
"Generally speaking, GOD's promises are "popular" with many people. When most of the LORD's promises are read or taught, people are delighted. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed... Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." (John 8:36; Matthew 11:28; and 4:19). Promises like these are so often received with favor, because they are so encouraging. They are embraced with approval, because they are so comforting. On the other hand, some of GOD's promises are definitely "unpopular" with certain segments of humanity. This type of promise is scorned or rejected, because of its convicting or sobering character. Nevertheless, these promises that are not always well-received have great importance in GOD's plan.
One such promise is given two-fold in our present verse. "You will die in your sins... you will die in your sins." In a tolerant world that wants to deny the reality of sin or that we actually are satan's sin nature people, and its consequences actually belong to us, this is an unpopular promise. Yet, the promise is true nonetheless. Sin brought man into spiritual death. From the beginning, this has been the case. "And the LORD GOD commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die'" (Genesis 2:16-17). This Truth was restated by the prophets of Israel. "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20 ). It was also repeated by the apostles in the early church. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Since everyone has this satan-sin all have sinned, this warning by promise that Jesus gave applies to us all. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
To escape the inevitable consequences of satan's sin nature of sin, one must trust in Christ Jesus as the promised, divine Savior. "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." This statement ("I am He") hints of Jesus' deity. Shortly thereafter, He openly declares that He is GOD, the Son. "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). Here, Jesus applies to Himself the same name that GOD revealed to Moses. "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you' " (Exodus 3:14). Thus, this important promise by Jesus warns that only faith in Him as the divine Savior will deliver a person from the certain consequences of sin."
Salvation by,
Acts 15:6-11 "The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. God, Who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them His Holy Spirit just as HE did to us, and HE made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting GOD to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
Romans 3:21-26 "Now the righteousness of GOD has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of GOD through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned (being participant's of satan's sin) and fall short of the glory of GOD, and we are justified by His Grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom GOD put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This is to show GOD's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance HE had passed (Genesis 31:52 and again in Exodus 12:13) over former sins. It was to show His Righteousness at the present time, so that HE might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Romans 5:15-17 "The free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the Grace of GOD and the free gift of His Grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounds for many. The free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, upon all, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."
Romans 11:1-10 and Ephesians 2:1-10 "I (Paul) ask, then, has GOD rejected His people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. GOD has not rejected His people whom HE foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel? Saying, "Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have demolished Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." But what was GOD's reply to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be Grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, "GOD gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." (in Isaiah 29:10 from Deuteronomy 29:4; Mark 4:11-12 and Luke 8:10) And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever." (in Psalm 69:22-23; Isaiah 8:13-14)
Ephesians 2:1-10 "You are dead (separated from GOD) in the trespasses and sins in which you walk, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But now GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which HE loves us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by (through His) Grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming Ages HE might show the immeasurable riches of His Grace in kindness toward us (who are actively) in Christ Jesus. For by Grace you have been saved ( healed, being restored spiritually ) through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of GOD, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which GOD prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Titus 2:11-14, 15 "The Grace of GOD has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present Age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great GOD and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.
Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."
Titus 3:1-11 "Remind them (those spoken of above) to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of GOD our Savior appeared, HE saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Whom HE poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His Grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed GOD may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."
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