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Subject: Accepted Author: Hillbilly [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 19:17:54 09/23/13 Mon Ephesians 1:5-6 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved". Do we truly understand the implication of this statement by the Apostle Paul? First of all notice the past tense of the statement. It is a done deal. We are not waiting to be made accepted but God has already made us accepted in His Son. What is the implication? Simply this. If God knows everything about us; past present and future then He made us accepted knowing all our faults and failures. God knew every "wart" we would have when He saved us. We fall to sin and think that "God will have nothing to do with me now". No and a thousand times no! He knew you would fall to temptations many times after He saved you but He made you "accepted in the Beloved" and not in your capabilities to "keep your nose clean". Look at verse 5. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto Himself." This is not telling us that we are predestinated to be saved. It is telling us that we are predestinated to be adopted. The definition of adoption is found in Romans 8:23; "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." We who have the firstfruits of the Spirit (regeneration, i.e. spiritually born) are still not perfected until we receive our new body fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body. (Philippians 3:21) We, as regenerated and saved Christians, are waiting for this adoption to take place. It will happen at the resurrection and the taking of the Church into heaven. (1 Cor. 15:45-54) When God saved us He knew that we would have to carry about this sinful flesh until death. This body is corrupt yet God still saved us. Even when we were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We were made acceptable in the Beloved even though we will still have the sinful flesh complete with it's sinful unholy nature. Does this give us license to keep on sinning. Of course not. Our sins after salvation will face chastisement in this life (Heb.12:6-8) and a reckoning one day when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ but it will be for reward or loss and not for salvation. (1 Cor. 3:13-15) We are made accepted in Christ through the shed blood. We are His and He is ours. Praise be unto God for this unspeakable gift of His love toward us. Thank God that even though I fail Him time and again I am still accepted in His Son. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> Subject: I have a question, Hillbilly Author: dori [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 15:54:59 09/24/13 Tue Your study was a good one, but I was hoping you could shed some more light on this one little part: Our sins after salvation will face chastisement in this life (Heb.12:6-8) and a reckoning one day when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ but it will be for reward or loss and not for salvation. What do you mean by "it will be for reward or loss"? How's the home schooling going?

[> [> Subject: The Christian's Judgment Author: Hillbilly [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:28:50 09/24/13 Tue After death or translation of the saints we must all as Christians stand before the judgment seat of Christ. This is not the White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:11 which is the final judgment of the lost where the lost are cast into the lake of fire. No lost person will stand at the judgment seat of Christ. Paul speaks of this judgment in Romans 14:10-12 where he wrote: "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (notice Paul says we, thus including himself) 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Again in 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Again we see Paul included himself and the judgment is for that done in the body. This is works after salvation and not sins before salvation. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 Paul gives more detail: "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. " Note carefully the last sentence. A man will suffer loss as his works are burned but he himself shall be saved. The trial is by fire in some way or the other. I do not know exactly what this judgment entails but notice even if we suffer loss for worthless works we don't have to fear loss of salvation.

[> [> [> Subject: Thanks, Hillbilly Author: dori [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:17:52 09/25/13 Wed That is much easier for my feeble brain to understand. 8-)