| E-MAIL SERVICE | Sign me up to receive the daily Word of Righteousness free via my E-mail address! ( ONLY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH ) | |
| ARCHIVES | I want to check out the daily Words of Righteousness for any of the last fourteen days or from previous weeks. ( ENGLISH ONLY ) | |
| FEEDBACK | I have a question or comment about today's Word of Righteousness. ( ENGLISH AND SPANISH ONLY ) | |
| BOOK LIST | I would like to see the complete book list of the Words of Righteousness author Robert B. Thompson. (SOME SPANISH TITLES AVAILABLE ) |
The Daily Word of Righteousness
Abiding in Christ, #4
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24 NIV)
John 5:24 is speaking of passing now from spiritual death into the eternal Life of the Spirit of God the Life that Jesus Himself Is. The verse, as is true also of John 15:2, is speaking of our union with Christ.
Whenever an individual hears the Word of Christ and believes in God who has sent Christ, he passes into eternal life. Christ receives him, as we have stated previously, in spite of the sinfulness and rebelliousness of his life. Although the sin and self-will still are present, the atoning blood answers to the demands of Divine justice. Satan points the finger in vain. God's sense of equity has been satisfied fully. There is not and cannot be any condemnation.
What happens next? The individual must abide in Christ. As long as he abides in Christ, as long as he is sanctified (set apart unto Christ, living a holy life unto the Lord), he is acceptable to God. The blood keeps on making up the difference between the believer's imperfections and the moral image of Christ.
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
"Them that are sanctified." Those who are being set apart as holy to the Lord.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. (II Corinthians 6:17)
We remain under the blood as long as we walk in the light of God's will.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. (I John 1:7)
It does not say, by one offering He has perfected forever those who believe, but "them that are sanctified," who are set apart to Jesus; who are abiding in Jesus; who are walking in the Light of the Presence of God in Christ.
The argument may be advanced that we are sanctified by faith. This is true provided we are referring to a living faith and not to dead doctrinal belief. The true faith, the faith that results in eternal life, produces a transformation of the believer. True faith keeps us abiding in Christ, and observable fruit proceeds from the abiding. Faith that does not produce righteous behavior is not what the New Testament means by faith.
There is confusion today regarding the definition of the term faith.
Some define faith as adherence to fundamental (by their standard) doctrine. Others define faith as a magic that gets you what you want. The faith of the Scriptures is neither belief in doctrine nor magic. True faith is a trust in God through Christ that causes the believer to live in and by the Lord Jesus. The result of living in and by the Lord Jesus is a transformed personality. If any person is in Christ a new creation is coming forth; otherwise he is not in Christ.
Continual abiding brings continual freedom from condemnation.
To be continued.