Grace Points: Saved by grace

In the path of life you will meet many people who have hardened their heart to God. You try to reach out to them but to no avail. It can be a difficult situation especially when it involves loved ones. As a believer you may fear how you will die but not death itself. This article begins with the physical death of a believer and the wonderful journey he has embarked on. The believer is in ecstasy and only wants to share his joy. The article then flashes back through the pilgrimage the believer took to reach this destination. His greatest desire is for his loved ones to travel this road to paradise.

In the twinkling of an eye 1Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. I have changed! The door has been throw open and what a wondrous sight to behold. I have begun a journey that will last into eternity. My senses are overwhelmed I have never known such joy although the potential has always been there in the foundation laid at Calvary. I dearly hope everyone is celebrating this glorious day for no tears should be shed for me, one who possesses eternal joy. 1Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The laughter of freedom erupts from my mouth and I dance the conquerors dance over death 1Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I was once lost without hope. A dread thought that be. I walked the path of darkness frolicking in my own righteousness, blinded to the truth I refused to see. Who was this God and what right did he have to judge over me. I need no God if one truly even exists. Romans 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, Pompously (creature demanding of creator) I demanded proof of this so called supreme being. Romans 1:19-20 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, The gauntlet was thrown down and with closed eyes I searched for the truth only to discover my suspicions were correct. God was nothing but a myth like so many childhood fairy tales. Romans 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The future can be such an uncertain thing. I was watching a nature program and it showed a deer coming down to the stream for a drink. One second the deer was lapping water and the next its neck was in the powerful jaws of a crocodile. The deer was dragged under the murky water never to know life again. What did my own future hold if I continued down my path of denial? Romans 2:5-6 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds"

I needed to ease my conscience, perhaps a more thorough search for the truth was warranted. I must know if this God is real and if so what I must do to avoid His judgment. I began my search in the most logical place I could think of the Bible. 2Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

After my search I was ready to admit I was hasty in calling God a myth for I could see he was real. Therefore now that he exists what consequence is that to me. Surly he must accept me into heaven, after all he created me and I have committed no great sin such as murder. I may not be perfect but who is. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- Just because Adam sinned I am condemned to this same death. This seems quite unfair. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Heck what have I done to deserve this, I even help out others when its convenient. Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? Overall I am a decent person. Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Does this mean I can not earn a right standing with God ? Romans 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; I am lost, a condemned man with no hope. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, How can I break free from the chains of death? Am I doomed forever? How can me a mere man stand before a holy righteous God.

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? A great bell begins to toll; I fall to the ground covering my ears from the dreaded reverberation

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

What must I do to avoid this peril Act 16:30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

Act 16:31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

Ephesians 2:8,9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

A new day dawns. I see the truth! Ephesians 2:1-9 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Wow! This is truly astounding. I have been saved from the hell I deserve. God sent his only son to the cross to die my death so that I may have eternal life. I was at enmity with God, a son of disobedience, giving him the cold shoulder and instead of condemning me he gave me the gift of eternal life. Romans 6:22-23 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The grace of God is truly amazing.

Oh what peace and joy. Salvation as the name applies is for eternity otherwise it wouldn't be salvation but probation. Romans 5:21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Titus 3:5-7 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

I am a new creation. 2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This new life boiling inside me aches for the word of God and yet I still have sinful desires. How can this be? Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. I now have two natures residing in me, the sinful man that I inherited from Adam and the new incorruptible man I received from Christ. These two natures are continually doing battle with each other. The old nature is corruptible and is not capable of righteousness Romans 7:18-20 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Even as a Christian the sin nature resides in you leading you down paths that are not pleasing to God and it is ready to make war on God at every corner. All is not doom and gloom because you also have a new nature residing in you that can only do things that are pleasing to God. 1John 3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. During your entire life both natures will continual to do battle and the one you feed the most will be the one that dominates the battle. Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness. Galatians 5:22-23 and Col 3:1-17 are good starting points for the soldier who wishes his new nature to be dominate.

O.K. so I have been saved and have inherited eternal life but is it really guaranteed. I mean what about the devil or some monstrous sin I might commit? Romans 8:37-39 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Wow, when God saves someone he really saves them. Nothing now or in the future can pull me from the grasp of the Lord, not even myself. Oh how thankful I am.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

My physical death is near, my body is failing me but I do not despair for I groan to be with the Lord and be fitted with my new body. 2Corinthians 5:1-3 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. With this new body I will be replacing the corruptible I inherited from Adam with the incorruptible I inherited from Christ. I will finally be rid of my old man. 1Corinthians 15:42-49 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. What an amazing change will take place. Many people are fascinated by the transformation of the Monarch butterfly when it emerges from its cocoon but that is child's play compared to the transformation of the believer upon his physical death. Death for the believer is not an end but a beginning. It is a great journey that will last forever.

My desire to be with the Lord is strong but so is the desire to stay here to lead friends and loved ones to Christ. Phi 1:21-24 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. from the body and to be present with the Lord. This is the only thought that troubles me about my upcoming journey. I am concerned that I have not reached out or tried hard enough to show you the love that God has for you and what he accomplished at the cross of Calvary. It saddens me deeply that you may not experience this wonderful journey because I have a strong desire to see you in heaven. I dearly hope you will except God's gift. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God who is rich in mercy made this great sacrifice for you. The only thing you need to do is believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you shall inherit everlasting life. Sin is not something to take lightly; God takes it very seriously. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. For us to live God had to sacrifice his own son at the cross of Calvary. This was the only way to deal with sin 1Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, This is the event that was Satan's undoing. When Christ rose from the dead, death no longer had power over him. Christ had no sin therefore he had no death to die but he died our death for us. Once you trust on the finished work of Christ death will no longer have power over you. Romans 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

My strength is waning, it will not be long before I begin my journey but I fear not because Christ has cleared the way, he has faced death for me. Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Time is very short. I hope to see you again.

Good-bye, I must be going now. . .