Secure Salvation

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

August 1, 2011


 *OUR SALVATION: FOREVER ASSURED BY GOD - 2011-08-01*

*Assured by God's Grace - Romans 3:24*

*Not on the Achievement of Man's best effort - Romans 3:20*


 *How do we know for sure our salvation is secure?*

*1. God's Protection guarantees it. (Romans 8:31, 35-39)*

*2. God's Power guarantees it. (1 Peter 1:3-5, 1 Thess. 5:23-24)*

*3. God's Pledge guarantees it. (Ephesians 1:13-14)*

*4. God's Plan guarantees it. (Romans 8:29-30)*

*5. God's Pardon guarantees it. (1 Peter 1:18)*

*6. God's Productivity guarantees it. (1 Peter 1:23, John 1:12-13)*

*7. God's Perseverance guarantees it. (2 Timothy 1:12, 4:18, 1 Cor. 1:8-9,
Phil. 1:6)*

*8. Jesus' Prayers guarantee it. (Hebrews 7:25, 1 John 2:1, John 17:2, 9,
11-12)*

*9. God's Presence guarantees it. (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20)*

*10. Jesus' Promise guarantees it. (1 John 6:37-40, 10:27-30)*


 *(Taken from Session 2, “Connecting with God”)*

*- From the “Getting Connected” Class by Pastor Jeff Moorehead, Christ's
Church of Federal Way, Washington.*


 *For those of you who like alliteration - the above should challenge you.
Can you reach heaven without necessarily believing this? Of course! George
Whitefield was a Calvinist, and John Wesley an Arminian. While Whitefield
was visiting in America, one asked him: “Do you think John Wesley as an
Arminian, will make heaven?” “My dear sir”, responded Whitefield the
Calvinist - “When we get to heaven, John Wesley will be so close to the
throne of God that we will scarcely be able to see him!” What a gracious
response.*


 As many of you know, I highly regard George Muller, who was powerfully
influenced by George Whitefield. In Muller's biography by Dr. A.T. Pierson,
he records under “Appendix B, Apprehension of Truth” on page 386, some
points which God began to show Mr. Muller while at Teignmouth in 1829:


 1. That the word of God alone is our standard of judgment in spiritual
things; that it can be explained only by the Holy Spirit; and that in our
day, as well as in former times, He is the teacher of His people. The office
of the Holy Spirit I had not experimentally understood before that time.
Indeed, of the office of each of the blessed persons, in what is commonly
called the Trinity, I had no experimental apprehension. I had not before
seen from the Scriptures that the Father chose us before the foundation of
the world; that in Him that wonderful plan of our redemption originated, and
that He also appointed all the means by which is was to be brought about.
Further, that the Son, to save us, had fulfilled the law, to satisfy its
demands, and with it also the holiness of God; that He had borne the
punishment due to our sins, and had thus satisfied the justice of God. And
further, that the Holy Spirit alone can teach us about our state by nature,
show us the need of a Savior, enable us to believe in Christ, explain to us
the Scriptures, help us in preaching, etc. It was my beginning to understand
this latter point in particular, which had a great effect on me; for the
Lord enabled me to put it to the test of experience, by laying aside
commentaries, and almost every other book, and simply reading the word of
God and studying it. The result of this was, that the first evening that I
shut myself into my room, to give myself to prayer and meditation over the
Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a period of
several months previously. *But the particular difference was, that I
received real strength for my soul in doing so*. I now began to try by the
test of the Scriptures the things which I had learned and seen, and found
that only those principles which stood the test were really of value.


 2. Before this period I had been much opposed to the doctrines of election,
particularly redemption, and final persevering grace; so much so that, a few
days after my arrival at Teignmouth I called election a devilish doctrine. I
did not believe that I had brought myself to the Lord, for that was too
manifestly false; but yet I held, that I might have resisted finally. And
further, I knew nothing about the choice of God's people, and did not
believe that the child of God, when once made so, was safe for ever. In my
fleshly mind I had repeatedly said, If once I could prove that I am a child
of God for ever, I might go back into the world for a year or two, and then
return to the Lord, and at last be saved. But now I was brought to examine
these precious truths by the word of God. Being made willing to have no
glory of my own in the conversion of sinners, but to consider myself merely
as an instrument; and being made willing to receive what the Scriptures
said; I went to the Word, reading the New Testament from the beginning, with
a particular reference to these truths. To my great astonishment I found
that the passages which speak decidedly for election and persevering grace
were about four times as many as those which speak apparently against these
truths; and even those few, shortly after, when I had examined and
understood them, served to confirm me in the above doctrines. As to the
effect which my belief in these doctrines had on me, I am constrained to
state, for God's glory, that though I am still exceedingly weak, and by no
means so dead to the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life, as I might and as I sought to be, yet, by the grace of God, I
have walked more closely with Him since that period. My life has not been so
variable, and I may say that I have lived much more for God than before. And
for this have I been strengthened by the Lord, in a great measure, through
the instrumentality of these truths. For in the time of temptation, I have
been repeatedly led to say: Should I thus sin? I should only bring misery
into my soul for a time, and dishonor God; for, being a son of God for ever,
I should have to be brought back again, though it might be in the way of
severe chastisement. Thus, I say, the electing love of God in Christ (when I
have been able to realize it) has often been the means of *producing
holiness, instead of leading me into sin*. It is only the notional
apprehension of such truths, the want of having them in the heart, while
they are in the head, which is dangerous.


 3. Another truth, into which, in a measure, I was led, respected the Lord's
coming. My views concerning this point, up to that time, had been completely
vague and unscriptural. I had believed what others told me, without trying
it by the Word. I thought that things were getting better and better, and
that soon the whole world would be converted. But now I found in the Word
that we have not the least Scriptural warrant to look for the conversion of
the world before the return of our Lord. I found in the Scriptures that that
which will usher in the glory of the church, and uninterrupted joy to the
saints, is the return of the Lord Jesus, and that, till then, things will be
more or less in confusion. I found in the Word, that the return of Jesus,
and not death, was the hope of the apostolic Christians; and that it became
me, therefore, to look for His appearing. And this truth entered so into my
heart that, though I went into Devonshire exceedingly weak, scarcely
expecting that I should return again to London, yet I was immediately, on
seeing this truth, brought off from looking for death, and was made to look
for the return of the Lord. Having seen this truth, the Lord also graciously
enabled me to apply it, in some measure at least, to my own heart, and to
put the solemn question to myself - What may I do for the Lord, before He
returns, as He may soon come?


 4. In addition to these truths, it pleased the Lord to lead me to see a
higher standard of devotedness than I had seen before. He led me, in a
measure, to see what is my true glory in this world, even to be despised,
and to be poor and mean with Christ. I saw then, in a measure, though I have
seen it more fully since, that it ill becomes the servant to seek to be
rich, and great, and honored in that world where his Lord was poor, and
mean, and despised. - George Muller


 *NOTE**: *I made a note following the above word: “The apostle Paul and
George Muller saw much alike in this respect.” J.A.Watt



 *TO SUBSCRIBE -- Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE -- Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES -- Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20110801/d661b900/attachment.htm>