FCA / Devotional: The Gospel - part 7

Updated 5-19-13

7. Salvation

I. Salvation is a supernatural work that cannot be done by man. Men are born as slaves to sin and to the devil. Men are born spiritually dead and are blinded by the devil and by their own sin. Spiritually dead men cannot understand the Gospel message of salvation and the things of God. They have no concept of God’s holiness and hatred of sin, nor His justice that must punish sin, nor their own depravity, sinful nature, and need for Christ’s sacrifice. Therefore, it is impossible for man to save himself. Only God has the power to save.

II. Salvation is a gift given by God to those whom God mercifully chooses. Salvation is made possible by God’s supernatural and undeserved love, grace, and mercy and by the redemption of Jesus Christ to pay the price that our sins deserved and His propitiation to satisfy the wrath of God against us.

III. Salvation is accomplished by the permanent and unchangeable work of the Holy Spirit regenerating the hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can give man this understanding and bring to life one who is spiritually dead through the hearing of the Gospel and by convicting them to repent and believe.

IV. Since it is impossible for a spiritually dead man to save himself, Jesus does not beg, plead, or ask men to say a little prayer and accept Him into their hearts. Rather, Jesus commands men to repent—be broken as they realize their own sinfulness and turn away from sin; and to believe—turn to Jesus and humbly trust in God’s grace and work of redemption through Jesus and not their own works.

V. Few will enter in.

VI. Evidence of salvation: you will know them by their fruits, especially love; by their obedience, and their perseverance. The book of 1 John also has other tests for salvation.

VII. What we are to do.

A supernatural work that cannot be done by man:

They who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."

Luke 18:26-27

No man can by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him—for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever."

Psalm 48:7-8

If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, yet You would plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes would abhor me.

Job 9:30-31

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:6

Men are born as slaves to sin and to the devil:

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

John 8:34

If perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:25-26

Men are born spiritually dead and are blinded by the devil and by their own sin:

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalms 51:5

Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.

Psalm 36:1-2

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Ephesians 2:1-2

No longer walk just as the Gentiles now walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart.

Ephesians 4:17-18

Spiritually dead men cannot understand:

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14

None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.

Romans 3:10-11

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:5

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

John 1:10

And you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

John 5:40

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.

John 6:44

No one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.

John 6:65

"We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." Jesus answered them, "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil."

John 6:69-70

Note: Peter thought that it was because of his intellect that he came to know that Jesus was the Messiah, but Jesus corrects him and tells him that He chose Peter and the rest of the twelve disciples.

In their case the prophesy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, "YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."

Matthew 13:13-15

Only God has the power to save:

I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me.

Isaiah 43:11

Yet I have been the LORD your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god except Me, for there is no savior besides Me.

Hosea 13:4

Salvation is from the LORD.

Jonah 2:9

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12

A gift given by God:

Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted."

Matthew 13:11

Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation.

Psalm 85:7

With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:25-26

Salvation is from the LORD.

Jonah 2:9c

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

John 1:12

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

John 5:21

To those whom God mercifully chooses:

But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.

Ephesians 1:4-5

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:44

Ken Matto:

We do not find a decision. Instead, we find a drawing by the Father who leads the saved person to His Son. Before someone can come to the Lord Jesus Christ, God qualifies them by giving them the Holy Spirit who makes them spiritually alive. In other words, the person has become saved. They are not making a decision, but a qualified response.

But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.

John 6:64-65

Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Matthew 11:27

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Romans 8:29

For though the twins were not yet being born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHM I WILL HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

Romans 9:11-16

John MacArthur:

The fact that God made His choice of Jacob before the boy were born and apart from personal merit demonstrates that election unto spiritual life is unrelated to any human effort, and is based only on the prerogative of God who makes His selection. Who wills - Salvation is not initiated by human choice—even faith is a gift from God. Who runs - Salvation is not merited by human effort.

I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me.

Isaiah 65:1

Made possible by God's supernatural and undeserved love, grace, and mercy:

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 51:1

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

Ephesians 2:4-5

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Ken Matto:

Trying to add any type of works to God’s salvation plan adulterates it. Even if those works are just simple works, like praying to receive Christ. That is because any type of work, no matter how trivial, would make man a contributing factor in their own salvation.

Note: The Holy Spirit saves us, not our prayers or our works.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Peter 1:3

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

Matthew 13:16

Redemption:

Propitiation:

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:10

Note: The word propitiation means “substitution; appeasement or satisfaction of God the Father’s wrath by Jesus Christ.” It is a sacrifice that makes it possible for God to be merciful to the guilty.

Paul Washer:

Most theologians would tell you that apart from the name of God this is the most important word in the Bible and yet in all your going to church has anyone even told you what it meant?

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

1 John 2:2

²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; ²⁵ whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:23-26

Note: Most theologians consider this to be the greatest passage in all of Scripture, in that it sums up the message of the Gospel.

John MacArthur Study Bible:

Man is incapable of satisfying God's justice apart from Christ, except by spending eternity in hell...The wisdom of God's plan allowed Him to punish Jesus in the place of sinners and thereby justify those who are guilty without compromising His justice.

A permanent and unchangeable work:

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:27-28

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Note: Salvation is a permanent and unchangeable work done by the Holy Spirit. Salvation cannot be lost by man because the Holy Spirit living in our hearts secures and seals us. The only reason that people “walk away” from God is that they were never saved in the first place.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:30

But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.

Psalm 103:17-18

Of the Holy Spirit:

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

John 3:5

He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all that I said to you.

John 14:26

Only the Holy Spirit can give understanding and bring to life:

No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:3

He said to them, "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 16:16-17

For to us God revealed them through the spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thought of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

John 6:63

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

1 John 2:27

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed;” and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:3

David Platt:

An old preaching professor used to take his preaching class every semester out to a cemetery and he would have them to gather around the cemetery and he would look at these preachers one by one and he would challenge them to speak over those graves and to call those who were dead to come to life. One by one they would try and of course, one by one they would fail. Then he looked at them and he reminded them, when you speak to those who do not know Christ, no matter how eloquent your sermon is, no matter how passionate your invitation is, there is nothing your words can do to bring life apart from the Spirit of God. People are dead in sin and they can only be made alive by His Spirit. If you are dead, what can you do to make yourself alive? Nothing.

When He had said these things, He cried forth with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

John 11:43-44

Ken Matto:

Here we see a man who was dead for four days being raised to life. Lazarus is a great picture of a person being called out of dead sins into salvation. Before a person becomes saved, they are dead in their sins and then Christ raises them up to newness of life. This is the great biblical truth that the raising of Lazarus gives us. Ephesians 2:5 says, "Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." Now when the Lord called Lazarus forth, did Lazarus sit in the grave and decide whether he wanted to come forth or not? Of course not.

Note: Salvation is a supernatural work, not a decision that one makes. Lazarus was dead. He had no part in this miracle—he was only able to respond to the command after the Holy Spirit gave him new life.

He saved us, not on the basis of the deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:5

The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

Acts 16:14

The Holy Spirit brings the spiritually dead to life and convicts them to repent and believe:

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life.

Ezekiel 37:14

Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:11

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:5

And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

John 16:8-11

Note: Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit, who convicts the world of sin.

Through the hearing of the Gospel:

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17

Ken Matto:

None of us know whom the Lord is going to save, and that is why we send forth the Gospel, so His Elect may hear.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 1:13

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

1 Thessalonians 1:5a

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

John 5:25

"Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?"

Jeremiah 23:29

Shorter Catechism:

What is the efficacy of the word, in the work of conversion, compared to in scripture? It is compared to a fire, to a hammer, Jer. 23:29; to rain, Deut. 32:2; and to light, Psalm 119:105.

Why compared to fire? Because as fire purifies the metal, separating the dross; so the word, in the hand of the Spirit, purifies the heart, purging away the dross of sin and corruption that is there.

Why compared to a hammer? As a hammer “breaketh the rock in pieces,” and thus fits it for the building, so the Spirit of God, by the word, breaks the hard heart of man, and fits it for being built on the foundation God has laid in Zion.

For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear n sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

Shorter Catechism:

Why compared to rain? Because as the rain falls irresistibly, so there is no withstanding the efficacy of the word in the hand of the Spirit.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

Shorter Catechism:

Why compared to light? Because as light discovers things that were indiscernible in the dark; so the Spirit, by the word, discovers the latent wickedness of the heart, and the matchless glory and excellency of Christ, as IMMANUEL, “God with us.”

Repent and believe:

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Mark 1:14-15

Matthew Henry commentary (complete):

Both these (repentance and belief) must go together; we must not think either that reforming our lives will save us without trusting in the righteousness and grace of Christ, or that trusting in Christ will save us without the reformation of our hearts and lives. Christ hath joined these two together, and let no man think to put them asunder. They will mutually assist and befriend each other. Repentance will quicken faith, and faith will make repentance evangelical; and the sincerity of both together must be evidenced by a diligent conscientious obedience to all God’s commandments. Thus the preaching of the gospel began, and thus it continues; still the call is, “Repent, and believe, and live a life of repentance and a life of faith.”

Note: The first recorded words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark were to “repent and believe.” These two words sum up salvation. There are many who believe that salvation is possible without repentance. These people say that the book of John never mentions the word repentance, but instead uses only the word believe for salvation. The book of John was written years after the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke—who all wrote of the need for man to repent. John does not repeat this message, but adds to it.

The word faith is a synonym of the word believe. Charles Spurgeon said, “Repentance and faith must go together to complete each other.” The word repent means to turn away from sin and trusting in ourselves. The word believe means to turn to Christ and trust in Him for our salvation. We cannot turn to Christ unless we also turn away from sin—it is impossible; therefore one cannot believe unless he has also repented. Salvation is accomplished by both: man turning from sin (repentance) and turning to Christ (belief).

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

“Although John never uses repent as a verb, the verbs he does employ are even stronger. He teaches that all true believers love the light (3:19), come to the light (3:20-21), obey the Son (3:36), practice the truth (3:21), worship in spirit and truth (4:23-24), honor God (5:22-24), do good deeds (5:29), eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood (6:48-66), love God (8:42, cf. 1 John 2:15), follow Jesus (10:26-28), and keep Jesus' commandments (14:15). Those ideas hardly concur with no-lordship salvation! All of them presuppose repentance, commitment, and a desire to obey.”

“Finally, remember that it is the Gospel of John that outlines the Holy Spirit's ministry of conviction toward the unbelieving world (John 16:8-11). Of what does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Of "sin, righteousness, and judgment" (John 16:8). Wouldn't it seem that the Holy Spirit's ministry of convicting people of sin and its consequences has the specific purpose of laying the groundwork for repentance?

Repentance underlies all John's writings. It is understood, not necessarily explicit. His readers were so familiar with the apostolic message that he didn't need to dwell on the issue of repentance. John was emphasizing different facets of the gospel message than those highlighted by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But he most assuredly was not writing to contradict them! His aim certainly was not to devise a no-lordship doctrine of salvation.

In fact, John's purpose was exactly the opposite. He was showing that Jesus is God (e.g., 1:1-18 ; 5:18 ; 12:37-41). John's readers clearly understood the implication of that: If Jesus is God and we must receive Him as God (John 1:12), our first duty in coming to Him is to repent (cf. Luke 5:8).”

Paul Washer:

This is not about a bunch of Americans just getting a hold of something that will make their life better so that they can have their best life now. This is about dying to every one of your dreams, dying to your own will, dying to your own self, your own autonomy and self government and throwing yourself upon Christ and believing that what he did on that tree was sufficient.

Solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:21

Repent:

God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.

Psalm 7:11-12

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.

Acts 17:30-31

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live.”

Ezekiel 18:32

Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your sight for your iniquities and your abominations.

Ezekiel 36:31

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil.

Isaiah 1:16

Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:7

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Jonah 3:10

I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Luke 13:3

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

Psalm 51:1-9

Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him.

Psalm 85:9

The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.

Psalm 147:11

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on His children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:10-13

For You do not desire sacrifice or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51:16-17

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 57:15

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:21

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

James 4:6

For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.

Psalm 138:6

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Matthew 23:12

John Wesley:

It is observable that no sentence of our Lord's is so often repeated as this.

⁹ And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: ¹⁰ "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' ¹³ "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' ¹⁴ "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 18:9-14

Note: The Pharisee trusted in his own works and compared himself to others—he did not recognize his own sin. The tax collector compared himself to God and saw his own sinfulness. He knew his only hope was God’s mercy and he humbled himself and trusted in God’s mercy to be justified.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:3-4

Matthew Henry commentary (concise):

The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. Those that mourn are happy. That godly sorrow which worketh true repentance, watchfulness, a humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse away the remaining evil, seems here to be intended. Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by their God.

Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

“Become as little children - This is how Jesus characterized conversion. Like the Beatitudes, it pictures faith as the simple, helpless, trusting dependence of those who have no resources of their own. Like children, they have no achievements and no accomplishments to offer or commend themselves with."

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:19

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 5:31

Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Matthew 3:1-2

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

“This is no mere academic change of mind, nor mere regret or remorse. John the Baptist spoke of repentance as a radical turning from sin that inevitably became manifest in the fruit of righteousness (v. 8 – Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance).”

Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God.

Acts 14:15

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Note: Remorse is not repentance.

Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

Matthew 27:3

There is a difference between Judas’ remorse and Biblical repentance. Judas sincerely felt bad about what he had done and tried to right the wrong himself. When we sin, we sin against the person, but ultimately we sin against God Himself. True believers throw themselves directly at the mercy of the God they sin against. Judas confessed to the chief priests and elders; but not to Jesus, and not to God the Father. That is the difference between repentance and remorse. True repentance will result in the fruits of righteousness, but remorse will not. Judas’ remorse did not yield in the fruits of righteousness—rather, it caused him to commit suicide.

In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

Mark 4:16-17

John MacArthur:

Receive it with joy - an enthusiastic, emotional, yet superficial response to the gospel.

John Gill commentary:

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground - They “have some understanding of it, and some sort of affection for it, and yet their hearts are not truly broken by it; they are not brought to a thorough sight and sense of sin, and of their need of Christ, and salvation by him; their stony hearts are not taken away, and hearts of flesh given them.”

Note: Repentance is marked by brokenness as one realizes his own depravity and need for Christ. These people instead received the word with joy, which shows that they did not receive or fully understand the Gospel message. The word Gospel means “good news,” but man must first be broken with the knowledge of his own sinful nature and depravity versus God’s holiness and righteousness before he can understand his need for Christ’s sacrifice.

Another problem with people who hear and fall away is with the message itself. If a person hears that “God has a wonderful plan for their life,” this seems wonderful and is received with joy, but this message is not the Gospel. This false gospel being preached today promises forgiveness without repentance. Men are told that to be saved they only need to admit and confess that they are sinners. This is not the same as repentance, because even the devil and evil men would admit and confess that they’re sinners. Repentance is much more than confessing sin—it is a turning away from sin.

And He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."

Luke 24:46-47

Note: Jesus began His ministry with the command for man to repent (Mark 1:15) and He ended it in the same way in His Great Commission to His disciples. There are many today who foolishly say that it is possible to be saved without mentioning anything of sin and repentance, but Jesus Himself makes it clear that repentance is absolutely necessary for the forgiveness of sins.

Believe:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 3:36

Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

John 6:28-29

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

John 6:47

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

John 8:24

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

John 11:25

But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 20:31

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

One must believe He is who He claimed to be.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

One must believe in what He did.

He said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.

Acts 16:30-31

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.

Romans 1:16

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

Believes – To trust, rely on, or have faith in. When used of salvation, this word usually occurs in the present tense (“is believing”) which stresses that faith is not simply a one-time event, but an ongoing condition.

For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Romans 4:3

Note: We have no righteousness of our own (our righteousness is as filthy rags), but we are justified and credited as righteousness by believing in Christ.

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Romans 4:5

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

Only those who relinquish all claims to goodness and acknowledge they are ungodly are candidates for justification.

Just as it is written, "¹BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION ²A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, ³AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM ⁴WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

Romans 9:33

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1:21

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:

believe - "to believe," also "to be persuaded of," and hence, "to place confidence in, to trust," signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence.

Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:4

Note: The proud one has faith in himself, but the righteous have faith in Christ.

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest…

Hebrews 4:2-3a

John Gill commentary:

not being mixed with faith in them that heard it;

the Gospel is as food, and faith is the hand that receives it, and takes it, and tastes of it, and eats it, and concocts and digests it; and when this is the case, it is profitable and nourishing; but when it is otherwise, it is not.

And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”

Luke 9:23-24

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

“Whoever loses his life for My sake” – aside from the command, “Follow me,” this saying is repeated more times in the gospels than any other saying of Christ.

A.W. Tozer:

With perfect knowledge of all this, Christ said, ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.’ So the cross not only brought Christ’s life to an end, it also ends the first life, the old life of every one of His true followers... this and nothing less is true Christianity. We must do something about the cross, and there’s only one of two things we can do— flee it or die upon it!

Paul Washer from The Gospel's Power and Message:

He has the right to ask anything of those who confess His lordship.

Note: Jesus made it a point of emphasis to say that we must lose our lives in order to save them. Belief means to turn to Christ and totally trust Him with our lives. Salvation is not a “flu shot” that you do one time and then forget about it. We don’t just initially trust in Him for our salvation and then forget Him and live how we want. If we trust Him, then each and every day we will deny ourselves, submit to Him, and follow where He leads.

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his possessions.”

Luke 14:25-33

J.C. Ryle:

The word “hate” means to “love less.” Genesis 29:30-31 says Leah being “hated” is explained by Rachel being loved more than Leah.

Keith Green:

Our (modern) gospel reduces the good news to a “come and get it while you can” sale. We make every effort to take all the bones out—everything that might offend someone, might make them hesitate or put off their decision. Jesus didn’t do this. He never lowered the requirements for anyone. One had to be completely sincere, totally humbled, having counted the cost, willing to leave everything, family and property, “count all things loss” so that they might “gain Christ” (Phil 3:7-8).

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3:7-8

Paul Washer from The Gospel's Power and Message:

The true convert does not receive the gospel in addition to his previous life, but in exchange for it. Christ cannot be received as a part of one's life or in addition to all the other good things that one already possesses without Him. He is not some minor accessory that dresses up our life and makes it better. In receiving the gospel, He becomes our life. Paul...counted even the most splendid things in his previous life to be dung in comparison to Christ.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Revelation 3:19-20

Note: Christ is telling His people in the church of Laodicea to repent and open the door to fellowship with Him. Jesus is NOT saying this to unbelievers. This verse is often incorrectly used by those who do not understand salvation. Jesus is not some weak person knocking at the door and begging unbelievers to please let Him in. Salvation is a supernatural work done by the Holy Spirit and the unbeliever has no power whatsoever to understand the Gospel message and make a decision to save himself.

Do not fear those who kill the body…Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:28a,32-33

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.

Mark 8:38

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men.

John 2:23-24

David Platt:

What an interesting phrase there. A lot of people believing in Jesus and Jesus doesn’t entrust himself to them...It is possible to believe in Jesus but be clueless when it comes to what it means to be born again…An illustration we have of that is Nicodemus (see verse below). He comes on to the scene and you get to verse 2, he knows, he believes that Jesus is from God, but he has no clue as to what it means to be born again.

Note: The apostle John taught much about belief and at the beginning of his gospel he was describing a superficial belief that does not result in saving faith.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:1-3

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:9-10

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

Not a simple acknowledgment that He is God and the Lord of the universe since even demons acknowledge that to be true. James 2:19 says: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!”

Note: These people in Matthew 7 were seemingly believers and confessed Christ as Lord, but Jesus rejected them because they practiced lawlessness:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'”

Matthew 7:21-23

These same people confessed Jesus with their mouth, but their deeds show that they do not truly believe in Jesus.

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Titus 1:16

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

John 1:12

The gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand.

1 Corinthians 15:1

Paul Washer from The Gospel's Power and Message:

When two things are contrary or diametrically opposed to one another, to receive one is to reject the other. To receive the gospel is to reject the world. It is to reject personal autonomy and the right to self-government in order to enslave oneself to a Messiah. It is to risk everything in this one and only life in the belief that this impaled prophet is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourself from the peoples of the land, and the pagan wives.

Ezra 10:11

Note: Biblical confession is not just empty words—it is accompanied by action. Ezra says to confess and to do God's will, which is to be holy and to separate ourselves from the world.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

Proverbs 28:13

Humbly trust in God’s grace and work of redemption through Jesus and not their own works:

Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Romans 3:27-28

Paul Washer from The Gospel's Power and Message:

Our society considers a man careless if he does not have a backup plan or an alternative escape route, if he has not diversified his investments, if he has put all his eggs in the same basket, or if he has burned bridges behind him. Yet this is the very thing that the man who receives Jesus Christ must do. To receive Christ is to throw off hope in everything but Christ alone.

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Romans 4:5

For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

Philippians 3:3

V. Few will enter in.

¹¹Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

Matthew 7:21-23

AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?

1 Peter 4:18

VI. Evidence of salvation: you will know them by their fruits, especially love; by their obedience, and their perseverance. The book of 1 John also has other tests for salvation.

You will know them by their fruits:

¹⁵ "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷ "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ "So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

Matthew 7:15-20

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:19-24

Note: Galatians 5:19-24 describes the fruits, both bad and good, that Matthew 7:15-20 is talking about. People like to say that “you can’t judge a book by its cover,” but the Bible says that you can judge a book by its cover because “you will know them by their fruits.”

Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance…The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 3:8,10

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what avenging of wrong!

2 Corinthians 7:10-11

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

Matthew 13:19-23

Paul Washer from The Gospel's Power and Message:

Though many would seem to embrace the gospel of the kingdom, most would fall away because of affliction, persecution, the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth.

Note: There were four groups: the seed sown beside the road, the seed sown on the rocky places, the seed sown among the thorns, and the seed sown among good soil. Only the last group was saved, as evidenced by their ability to bear fruit.

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

James 2:17

Note: If we have no works, then our “faith” is dead and is not true saving faith.

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

James 2:19-20

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James 2:26

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Love:

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:35

The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 2:9-11

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:10

Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 3:13-15

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him.

1 John 3:16-19

Beloved, let us one love another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love God does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:7-8

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

1 John 4:12-16

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

1 John 4:20-21

Obedience:

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 3:36

Note: The words believe and obey are used interchangeably. To believe in Christ is to obey Christ.

Then Jesus again spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

John 8:12

They answered Him and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham."

John 8:39

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:15

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

John 14:21

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.”

John 14:23-24

Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say?

Luke 6:46

And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:18-19

John Gill commentary:

because of unbelief - their distrust of God, His power, and His providence.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:1-2

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

Romans 6:16

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.

Matthew 7:24-27

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Titus 1:16

For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Romans 8:13-14

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:6-7

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

1 John 2:3-6

Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

1 John 3:6

Note: Obviously all have sinned (Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the

glory of God.”). This is talking about constant, habitual sin.

Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

1 John 3:24

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:1-5

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God guards himself and the wicked one does not touch him.

1 John 5:18

Psalm 103:17-18

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Ezekiel 36:27

Perseverance:

For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.

Hebrews 3:14

Matthew Henry commentary (complete):

(v. 14): We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end. [2.] There are a great many who in the beginning of their profession show a great deal of courage and confidence, but do not hold them fast to the end. [3.] Perseverance in faith is the best evidence of the sincerity of our faith.

Matthew Henry commentary (concise):

The happiness of being partakers of Christ and His complete salvation, and the fear of God's wrath and eternal misery, should stir us up to persevere in the life of obedient faith.

You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

Matthew 10:22

But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

Matthew 24:13

John MacArthur Study Bible commentary:

This does not suggest that our perseverance secures our salvation. Scripture everywhere teaches precisely the opposite: God, as part of his saving work, secures our perseverance. True believers are “kept by the power of God through faith for salvation” (1 Peter 1:5).

I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

John 10:28-29

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.”

John 8:31

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.

John 8:51

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Note: hold fast means to continue or persevere.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be manifest, that none of them were of us.

1 John 2:19

I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

Jeremiah 32:40

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Other tests of 1 John:

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 1:8-10

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

1 John 2:22-23

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God…

1 John 4:1-3a

And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written 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

And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM. FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Hebrews 12:5-8

VII. What we are to do.

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?

2 Corinthians 13:5

Paul Washer from The Gospel's Power and Message: There are many who believe they are saved and thoroughly Christian because they once prayed a prayer and asked Jesus to come into their hearts. However, they did not continue on in the faith...They stand assured of their salvation because of one decision in their past and their belief that their prayer was truly sincere. No matter how popular such a belief may be, it has no biblical grounds...In the midst of great carnality, the apostle Paul did not ask the Corinthians to reevaluate their conversion in the past, but he admonished them to examine their lives in the present.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:13

Note: “These things” – refers to all of the evidences of repentance and belief from the first five chapters of 1 John.

Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

Luke 3:8

⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.

2 Peter 1:5-10

And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Matthew 13:22

Note: Pray that weeds do not enter into your heart and choke the Word of God.

Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.

Leviticus 20:26

FCA / Devotional

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Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Gospel - part 7 - Salvation

VII. What we are to do.

VII. What we are to do.

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