Endure to the End

1.   Substitution took place in justification. Innocent became the guilty and the guilty became the innocent.  Justification then gives us forgiveness for PAST sins at Yeshua’s expense. Sin was imputed to the Saviour. He paid the penalty which is death. Righteousness was imputed to the sinner. All undeserved by the sinner but granted through grace.

2.    Purpose of justification? To make possible a relationship with a Holy God (being cleaned and as we walk with Him to become more like Him who essentially is holy). Righteousness was imputed to the sinner in order that righteousness may be IMPARTED to the sinner. Reception of forgiveness (justification) is to enable reception of holiness.

a.       God accepts us as we are through our reception of His gift of the substitution

b.      God accepts us are we are to have a holy life. This is the objective.

3.     Justification is only the start of the process to begin our journey of and to holiness. It is only the start of our process of complete salvation. It is not sanctification.

4.     We are still to make every effort to be holy, without holiness no one will see the Lord  (Hebrews 12:14)

Leviticus  19:2 -  Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

1 Peter 1:16 - because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

John 15:1-6 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;^[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. “

5.    Looking at the scriptures David Pawson in “Once Saved Always Saved?” points out the scriptures never refer to God’s people sinning or back sliders, as people who were never truly born again or regenerated. The yardstick for analysing was “Did they walk in faith or did they depart from it?” Believers can repeatedly sin, can lose the faith, can “fall off” and not reach the goal of complete salvation by simply not walking or abiding in Him and the repercussions are branches that are cut off the vine and left to wither. (John 15:6). Those born once die once. Those born twice (physical and spiritual) can die twice – immunity from the second death are only for believers who have overcome and are holy.

Revelation 2:11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”

Revelation 20:6 - Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

6.    Being “born again” is the beginning of salvation but in itself is not a warranty for completion of salvation. It is the beginning of the journey.

7.     Being born again is to be holy, to be sons and daughters of the Father, to carry out works prepared by our Father for us before the foundation of the earth. Faith is expressed through our deeds (James 2:24).

8.       Works done to deserve salvation do not save us.

All other religions – “do” to deserve be clean and made right with God and deserve salvation. All focus is on self. In Christianity – nothing we do can give us merit to deserve, to make us right and justified with God. But (once) we are justified, we are justified for good works prepared by Him. We are redeemed for Him. If we are already given that opportunity of starting over and we fail to walk with Him and carry out His purpose we become unfruitful, we risk falling away we become the soil which fails to allow the seed to grow roots (the stony places) we become the soil that allows the cares of the world to affect our walk (soil with thorns) we fail to become holy we fail to become sons and daughters reflecting our Father –unsuited for our purpose, we fail to make it in the end and we lose the fight. Shall we then inherit the kingdom of God? (We may have entered but can we inherit it?) Can the unholy see God? Without holiness no one can see the Lord. (again Hebrews 12:14)