01/01/24 GOOD NEWS FOR A NEW YEAR

01/01/24 GOOD NEWS FOR A NEW YEAR

Happy New Year.
If you want to be one of God’s elect, then believe that Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead, turn from your sins, confess Jesus as your Lord because that is the basis on which God makes His election.

Our election is based on God's plan to save us. We are not saved by good works, we are saved by God's grace through faith in His finished work of salvation.

Saving faith has three aspects: past, present and future.
I was saved when I believed;
I am being saved as I believe and
I will be saved if I continue to believe.

If a person fails in faith and grace after conversion, he can and must repent (turn from sin) and return to faith.
Salvation is of the Lord and His plan is salvation through faith.
Personal salvation begins in this life, election is finalized and made obvious at the time of our rapture or at our resurrection.
As long as I am trusting in Christ for salvation (there is no trusting without obedience) then I have assurance of salvation (and therefore can make my election certain through faithful obedience).

Here is a recap of some Biblical truths concerning our salvation...
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
We are saved by grace through faith.
We are children of God by faith.
We make our election sure by believing and living and loving and following Jesus Christ. 

The seal and witness of the Holy Spirit is that we turn from sin and walk in newness of life and holiness of heart.

Christians (at regeneration) become new creatures and walk in newness of life.
Christians (at regeneration) are created for the purpose of good works.
Christians (at regeneration) are set free from the rule of sin and walk in willing submission to the rule of God.

We are chosen (elect) by God, through Christ and through sanctification (setting apart and made holy) of the Spirit, for the purpose of obedience and the application of the blood of Jesus and for obedience of faith, which is why God said that faith without works is dead, is useless.

Christ gave Himself to redeem us from all iniquity and purify us so that we may do good works.
We are not saved by works of the flesh or works of the law, but we are not saved if we are doing the works of the flesh.

If we are living in the power of His resurrection, we are living in the hope of our own resurrection from amongst the dead.

I am assured of what God said to be true. And everyone who has this hope purifies himself, as Christ is pure.

Do not make the mistake of presuming that God will save you if you do not turn from sin, if you do not turn to Christ.
Such a view is presumption rather than faith and God saves no one through presumption.