“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.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
Colossians 2:6 (NKJV)
We get saved by faith (relying on and believing in) God’s grace (His undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour). We’re saved as we look to Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths (Romans 10:9). The same way we receive (as a gift) salvation (by grace through faith) is the same way we “walk in Him.” The Christian life is “by grace through faith.” The blessings and favour of God are ours “by grace through faith.” And yet somewhere through the centuries the enemy sold the church a lie that we maintain our salvation by works.
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… For by a single offering he has perfected for all time (forever) those who are being sanctified.”
Hebrews 10:10, 14 (ESV) – brackets mine
Through Jesus’ sacrifice we have been made holy (sanctified) for all time. Many people wrongly believe that when you sin you either lose your salvation or lose fellowship with God, and now you need to get it back through confession and repentance. They believe that all past sin is forgiven but each time you sin you need to “bring is under the blood” or ask for forgiveness for it. But that is not the truth. The truth is: you are eternally secure in Christ. He will not reject you because you sin – He paid for your sin so that sin would never be an issue between you and God. Now, it is true that sin is wrong. It causes problems, it brings death, it harms people and it’s really stupid. It’s a waste of time and steals your focus from going in the direction of your destiny. Sin will bring destruction and “takes you farther than you want to go, makes you pay more than you want to pay and makes you stay longer than you want to stay.” But your sin (past, present and future) is all forgiven. You are sanctified (made holy) “once and for all” which also means that you are forever forgiven. You cannot lose your salvation. You cannot out-sin your salvation. You are eternally secure in Christ.
When you receive Jesus and get born-again your spirit becomes perfectly holy and righteous (Ephesians 4:24). It’s an identity – it’s who you are! Even if you do unholy and unrighteous things, it doesn’t change your identity. No sin you commit can affect your spirit because it is sealed (protected) by God’s Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Now that isn’t approval for us to go live in sin, because sin will affect you (and others) negatively and will destroy you. Sin can affect you in your body and your soul (mind, emotions and will). You could end up with a sickness because you are sleeping around or you could be plagued with guilt, shame or condemnation in your emotions. Sin always brings death with it. However, what you need to know is that your spirit is eternally secure in Christ. Even if you messed up, again, and then again, and again; even if you’re struggling to overcome something – you are forgiven! Jesus bore your sin on the cross and paid your debt for sin, in full.
“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand… And take the helmet of salvation
Ephesians 6:13, 17 (NKJV)
I remember receiving Christ when I was about 5 years old. I believed in my heart and from that moment, I wholeheartedly sought God and tried to live for Him. And yet, growing up, every few months or so I would recommit my life to Christ because I realized that I was not living holy enough, and was scared that I might have lost my salvation. I use to have a number of dated recommitment cards in my Bible. As soon as I had a revelation of grace and that I am eternally secure in Christ, it set me free and I never prayed the “sinner’s prayer” again.
Knowing that I had “the helmet of salvation” firmly fitted on me gave me boldness and confidence that I never had before. So many Christians are worried about losing their salvation that it prevents them from reigning in life and fulfilling their destiny. Knowing that your salvation (helmet) is eternally secure will protect your mind (control room) against satan’s lies and you will be able to think and see clearly in life. You cannot reign in life as long as you are unsure if you are saved or not. As long as you think that there is sin in your life that is not forgiven, you will be in bondage and held back from living the abundant life in Christ.
Thought to focus on for the day:
