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NASB | 1 John 3:24 The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 3:24 The one who habitually keeps His commandments [obeying His word and following His precepts, abides and] remains in Him, and He in him. By this we know and have the proof that He [really] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us [as a gift]. |
Subject: How do we know that we are truly saved? |
Bible Note: Hi, Aixen7z4! I understand your position! Yet I must also caution that to trust in the Lord does not just mean that we quote His Gospels! Too many "Christians" trust in Jesus in the sense that we trust in one another (proof, verification, material gain, enhancement of social status... in essence the ole "Quid pro quo!"); yet, trusting in Jesus goes beyond our normal word-usage of the phrase "trust in!" Trusting in Jesus means Believing in Him. Trusting that He means it when He says: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) "If you love me, keep my commandments!" (John 14:15) If you do not abide in me you will be removed, thrown out, and burnt--reworded for greater impact; you will find the Biblical text in John 15:1-6. Then, many will say to me, "Lord in your Name we did this and that and that other thing..." I will tell them begone from me you children of eniquity!--again reworded for effects; you will find the Biblical text in Matthew 7:21-27! It is not enough to rely on a quote from Scripture... Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus with great ease and control... yet, Jesus refers to him as a Murderer and a Liar! Jesus didn't call us to learn Scripture or to memorize certain passages, He calls us to Live His Gospels (John 6:63); this is why He did not simply teach that all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved! He taught that those who did the Will of His Father would be saved! (John 6:40) And while the Father's Will is that we Believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, Jesus is clear about what He means when He says Believe in Me (John 14:1; 12:44; 15:4-6; 15:7; 9-10); Jesus makes it clear that it is not about chanting hymns and enunciating prayers or formulas (Matthew 7:24-27: which means Love God above all and your neighbor as yourself). Jesus challanges all those who were listening by commanding them to Love their enemies, to uphold the Sacrament of Matrimony, to be generous with what God has provided for us--everything belongs to Him, hence, we are mere stewards! ...in the end, it is not those who appropriate His Name or perform certain feats that will be saved but those who abide in Jesus, those who Trust in Him to obey His commandments, those who are not simply content with owning a "guarantee of salvation" which they have done nothing to merit! (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46; Matthew 25:31-40)... James puts it simply in his admonishion to Christians to be doers of the Word and not mere hearers! (James 1:22-23)! So, I admonish you, as I admonish all Christians, to not just rely on the articulation of "feel-good" words... we are called, by Jesus, to change our ways, to obey Him, to Believe in Him and to Love Him: by obeying Him we demonstrate that we love Him, by loving Him we love ourselves, our neighbors and even our enemies! The Word did not become flesh to guarantee us a secure and safe passage (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:23-28); He became one like us to rescue us from Death and to serve as the perfect archetype of humility, obedience, and dependence! (Philippians 2:5-8; Isaiah 42:3; John 12:27; 13:3-15)... So, to borrow Paul's admonishion, we should not boast that we have a secured place in Heaven--as the elected Remnant of the Tribes of Israel--(for neither are we God nor have we been removed from the flesh); rather, we should boast of Jesus, and Him Crucified for our Salvation: it is He who secures our Salvation--without Him we are nothing! God Bless! Angel |