Do you believe you know Christ and you will go to be with him in heaven when you die? If your answer is yes, why do you believe this is so? Why do you believe you will go to heaven? Would your answer be that you prayed a prayer one time and you are resting on that act as your assurance? That used to be my answer to that question. When I would have doubts I would actually recall to mind the time that I prayed a prayer asking for Jesus to come into my heart, and I would feel better. I would feel assured that I was a christian. So many men told me that I could do that.
I believed that Christ died for all men, but his death on the cross wasn't enough. Something must be added to it. That something was me praying that prayer, me making a decision to accept him. I thought I had to DO something to make Christ's death effectual. I know now that that is such a lie. Christ's death was completely effectual. Absolutely nothing needs to be added to it. Every single person he died for WILL go to heaven.
And I believe that when a person is relying on that prayer, that decision, that profession, the Lord hasn't truly revealed himself to them. They don't truly know him. That's not to say that they never will. I don't know who the elect are. But I believe that if you are relying on ANYTHING but Christ alone, then you don't truly know him. I didn't truly know him for many years and I believed I did. Sometimes though, even now, I wonder if I truly know him. I believe that he died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people and that every one he died for will go to heaven, but sometimes I wonder if I am one of those people. Oh, I sure hope so. I know that my only hope is in Christ. If he sees fit to have mercy on me, if he died for me, I am one of his. I think that his revealing this knowledge to me lets me know that I am one of his. But sometimes I have doubts. I am such a sinful creature. It's when I take my eyes off Christ and look at my sin that I doubt. I know his death is completely sufficient to cover all my sin. I must just keep looking to Christ for my assurance. He is my only hope, and your only hope too.
I do know that salvation is in a person, not in an act. Praise the name of the Lord!
1 comment:
I used to believe that 'my faith' was what saved me, the Lord teaches His own in His time the Truth of Salvation, doesn't He? Slower for some over others, years and years for me to know the glorious truth of the Gospel.
However, faith is our assurance in the perfect work of Christ and His imputed righteousness to His people. Amen and Amen, in Christ alone rests His people.
BTW, I decided to delete the new blog and go back to my old one. It is home and I don't like being put out of home..... :)
Peace sister,
Eileen~
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