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NASB | Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption [that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His blood, [which paid the penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgiveness and complete pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace |
Bible Question:
After reading the "Left Behind" series for children my son is expressing to me doubts about his salvation. He is now 12 years old. I was with him when he prayed to receive Christ when he was 5 years old. I have some ideas of how to approach this, but I would also appreciate the unbiased ideas of others. What do your suggest? Thanks, |
Bible Answer: Greetings, There are many things that “well meaning” pastors have asked people to do in order to have salvation in Christ and when people do them they are literally just jumping through someone’s “psychological hoop”. Examples: Come forward, ask Jesus into your heart, say a specific prayer, give your heart to Jesus, yield to the calling, turn your life over to Christ, confess your sins to God, the list goes on and on. The best thing to do is to read what Scripture actually says not what some assume! Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. For starters: Why was the book of John written? John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. The book of John was written so that people might believe that Jesus is God’s appointed one, the very Son of God Himself, and that He personally came to Earth to pay the price that God demands for us to have eternal life. The word believe, through out the Bible, is what confuses most on their spiritual road to salvation. The English word for believe doesn’t even come close to what the word meant in the original language. In the English it means to give mental assent to something but in the Koine Greek, of the New Testament, is means to thoroughly have confidence and trust in something without faltering in ones trust of the object. Ephes. 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. One is saved by GRACE through the action of faith. Faith has no merit in and of it’s self, it demands an object! The object of faith for salvation is where the merit resides and that object “Must” be in the person of the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Couple that verse with the following Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; The previous verse is accomplished when one puts “all of their hope for eternal life” in the Saviour that God provided, His uniquely born Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The very moment one believes the gospel or good news that Jesus paid our price God the Holy Spirit seal us and makes us one of His own. Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Ephes. 1:12-13 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit actually enter into the new believer and reside in that person’s life from then on. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Once a person has Christ in their life “through believing”, i.e. faith in Jesus Christ their eternal future is sealed. 1 John 5:10-13 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. These are promise from God Himself and God can’t lie! They aren’t some assumed actions that one thinks they must do for eternal life, all that stuff is nothing more then works which will end in eternal condemnation. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Have a great day, CDBJ |