God's salvation for us

God’s Salvation Plan

God has a salvation plan for you! —a three-fold plan for every person on earth; not one for Adventists, one for Baptists, one for Catholics, and on down the alphabet! Each step in this plan is based on direct quotations from the Scriptures, guided by these principles:

1. Scriptural passages, properly understood, are not

contradictory;

2. Each doctrinal view is supported with clear passages

from Scripture;

3. All scriptural passages are interpreted in harmony with

their contexts; and

4. Insights are explained in terms as free as possible

from giving offense.

Hopefully, acceptance of this plan will enable many of us who believe in God to reach the “unity in the faith” Paul wrote about, not create another division among us:

It was he [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. denominations, dioceses, jurisdictions, missions, assemblies, and fellowships” in the church.Wouldn’t you like to have a part in seeing that happen? Wouldn’t that be worth adjusting our differing traditions to this sound, biblical truth” —God’s Salvation Plan?

Paul described the base of this plan compactly: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Hopefully, some in each of the groups mentioned above, and even those in some groups not called “Christian” are “in Christ;” because, in spite of other differing, even contradictory views and practices, they do individually have faith in Christ. This article is addressed primarily to all who are “in Christ,” but the insights into God’s Salvation Plan contained in this article apply to all for whom our Lord died.

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According to the Scriptures, we are all descendents of the same parents, who were created in the image of the one God in three persons (Genesis 1, John 1). It seems reasonable, therefore, to believe, as Jesus prayed and Paul spoke, that God has one salvation plan for all. These insights apply to different aspects of the various traditions, but with a common purpose: to bring them all into a balanced, biblically-based unity.

Because many of the doctrinal differences between groups are based on different ideas on the meanings of the three essential terms “sin,” “grace,” and faith,” we deal with biblical re-definitions of these terms before outlining the plan.

Sin: Some refer to sin as a single principle, hamartia in Greek— “missing the mark” or “coming short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Others refer to sin as two-fold; adding to hamartia “voluntary transgressions against a known law of God.” But the Scriptures make it clear that the sin problem is three-fold.

1. The essence of sin is self-centeredness. This is being “concerned solely with one’s own desires, needs, or interests.”3 In the two greatest commandments, Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). These provide for a proper, God-given self-respect; but placing one’s perceived self-interest ahead of God’s will distorts proper self-respect into the idolatry of self-worship.

We have inherited this essence of sin. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalms 51:5). “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). This sin within expresses itself in recognized sins, which are the second element in the sin problem.

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2. Recognized expressions of the sin nature are by:

(a) sins of commission; not only in “word, thought, and deed,” as commonly taught; but also in “feelings” and “attitudes” that may not rise to the level of these other expressions; and by:

(b) sins of omission; failing to express right feelings, attitudes, thoughts, words and deeds.

Paul gives a broad list of recognized sins of commission in Romans 1:29-31:

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

John is clear on the sinfulness of recognized failures to do what is right; which are sins of omission: “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10).

The third aspect of the sin problem is unrecognized effects of the essence of sin.

3. Unrecognized effects of the sin nature, also by

(a) commission, in feelings, thoughts, words, and

deeds; and by

(b) omission of right feelings, thoughts, words, and

deeds.

John deals with these sins of ignorance in 1 John 5:16: “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life.”

There is a tremendous difference between the recognized expressions and the unrecognized effects of sin. Numbers 15:30 reads: “But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people.” God does not tolerate deliberate

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sin among angels or men. In contrast, Hebrews 9:7 says that annually the Old Testament high priest offered a sacrifice “for himself and for the sins the people [God’s people] had committed in ignorance.” God does cover sins of ignorance!

There is also a tremendous difference in how each of these types of sin is to be dealt with. For recognized expressions, we are to “stop doing wrong, learn to do right!” (Isaiah 1:16-17); but in Hebrews 9:7 we read that annually the Old Testament high priest offered a sacrifice “for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” And in Leviticus 4:27-28 we read “If a member of the community sins unintentionally … he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring [an] offering for the sin he committed.”.

Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, “who had no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), sacrificed himself for us, and intercedes with the Father for our sins of ignorance; for “he has a permanent priesthood. So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25). He covers these sins of ignorance until the Holy Spirit reveals to us that we have sinned. These sins, now recognized, must be confessed and forsaken, and God must be trusted to cleanse what he has mercifully covered until then.

An infectious disease not only causes pain, but often has ill effects on bodily functions. When that disease is fully cured, some or all of these effects may remain—less than perfect vision, a limp, etc. This does not necessarily indicate that the infection remains; but the effects must be dealt with by the proper means if one is to regain as much of bodily functions as is possible. So it is with the effects of sin that remain. We earnestly use every “means of grace” to deal with these sins.

As with “sin,” there is also widespread misunderstanding of the biblical term “grace.”

Grace: God’s grace is usually defined as the “prevenient,” unmerited favor of God;” meaning that it is available before

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any action on our part. While that is true of grace, it is also true of the love of God, of his mercy, and of his providence; so this is not an adequately specific definition of “grace.” These other manifestations of God are available to all regardless of ones response, as Jesus said, “your Father in heaven … sends his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).

“Grace,” however, is different in that it requires a response of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; and in contrast to these other manifestations, “grace” is specifically for salvation from sin. The Greek word for “grace,” charis, means both “favor” and “action;” so grace means not only God’s favor, but his activities in providing our salvation.

He applies grace, not in one work, as some claim, nor in two as other claim, but in three: each work solving one aspect of the sin problem. As more fully outlined later, first he makes us new creations in Christ and forgives and gives us victory over expressions of sin; second, our nature is then made “holy and blameless” when we are freed from the defilement and presence of the Evil One within; then, third, we are to be transformed into God’s Image when we see the Lord.

Those who depend on membership, rituals, assent to their creeds, and/or any other such “works” as a base for salvation, miss the essential nature of grace; and those who speak of “tongues-speaking” as the “third work of grace,” miss the scriptural truth that God’s gifts are “gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Hebrews 2:4). This truth is also made clear in 1 Corinthians 12:11: “All these [God’s gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines;” whereas every work of grace is available to all.

Each of these “works of grace” involves several “acts of grace;” some a process, others a crisis. This understanding of grace as “crises-in-process,” rather than as just crises or process, solves a longstanding non-biblical difference of opinion among and within Bible-believing groups.

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Faith: As with “sin” and “grace,” “faith” needs to be biblically re-defined. Because faith “is the gift of God,” and Hebrews 12:2 reads: “Jesus, ‘the author and perfecter of our faith,’” some deny man’s responsibility for exercising faith. The New Testament, however, speaks of “our faith” 3 times, “their faith” 13 times, and “your faith” 39 times. Unless a switch allows electrical current to flow through an instrument back to the power source, no power flows. Just so, unless our faith allows the grace of God to flow through us back to Him for his glory, no grace flows. God is the source of grace; we control the switch.

Some think of faith as merely intellectual belief. The Bible forcefully refutes that idea: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder (James 2:19). A biblical understanding of “faith” recognizes that it is three-fold: requiring our intellect, emotions, and will.

Reliance on only one or two of these aspects of faith falls short of the biblical standard. Faith certainly involves doctrine (intellectual belief), but unless we are in a personal relationship with God (emotional experience), we are not “raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, [so that] we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). And unless this belief and experience enable us to live this new, changed life, James 2:20 reads: "You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless.”

Faith in Christ opens the flow of grace that enables us to believe, makes possible our fellowship with God; and our obedience to His known will, so that we can not only be acceptable in his sight when He returns; but can share in His glory: “He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). The belief, trust, and obedience of Scriptural faith for salvation are as inseparably linked in God’s plan of salvation as are the doubt, distrust, and disobedience of sin.

We now outline the works of grace in God’s Salvation Plan.

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In Christ

The term “New Birth” occurs only once in the Bible, and “Born Again” occurs only three times. These terms cover the crisis act of “Regeneration,” but not some of the other elements of this experience. The term “in Christ,” occurring ninety-three times, is not only more inclusive, but also indicates clearly that this experience is a current reality, not just a past event—an important, much needed distinction!

Of this work of grace, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”; and in Ephesians 2:4-5: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions ….”

This work of grace, In Christ, is a series of “crises-in-process.” Its acts are Conviction, Repentance, Confession, Forgiveness, Conversion, Regeneration, Adoption, Initial Sanctification, Justification, Righteousness, Witness of the Spirit, and Growth in Grace. The sinner who responds in faith to God’s saving grace is prepared for and enabled to experience each aspect of this work of grace.

Conviction: Awareness of our sins is made possible by the Holy Spirit focusing the light upon us. John said of Jesus, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:9), and Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).

Conviction was also experienced in the Old Testament. The Psalmist wrote: “You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you” (Psalm 69:5). And Isaiah wrote: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5).

Repentance: Sorrow for our sins. John the Baptist and Jesus preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”

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(Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17); and in the Old Testament, we read: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me” (Jeremiah 15:19). Also we read:

Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

—Ezekiel 18:30-32

Repentance is a revulsion that is based on the awareness of the awfulness of sin in “conviction.” Paul was made aware that the sin in him was “utterly sinful” (Romans 7:13). Conviction is general, but repentance is for particular, recognized sins.

Confession: The Psalmist confessed, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalms 51:3-4). And, 1 John 1:9 reads: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

In confession we have access to God the Father through Jesus: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Confession is for the sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind now. He will bring others to mind and enable us to deal with them as we continue to walk in the light.

James 5:16 both admonishes and teaches us to “confess your sins to each other;” and “confess” is also used to refer to our witness to our faith “in Christ,” and is mentioned here because of the dual use of the term “confess.” “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

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Forgiveness: The passage quoted above under confession also applies to forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). And Hebrews 8:12 reads: “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

We feel guilt only for recognized sins, and it is these sins that are forgiven and for which guilt is removed. Our unrecognized sins are covered by mercy, and it is only after we are made aware of them, confess and forsake them, that we can trust God to forgive them.

Being forgiven, we are also to forgive. Jesus said: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15); and he further warned: “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32).

Conversion: This is the turning point in our relationship with God. The preceding elements are preparatory, the following ones are fulfillment. The previous aspects of this work of grace can only be experienced when accompanied by our firm resolve, enabled by the Holy Spirit, to make the change in life’s direction that God has always required.

Joshua wrote: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). Isaiah said bluntly: “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right” (Isaiah 1:16-17)! Peter said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19); and Paul said, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). The term “turn” is the key to conversion.

Regeneration: This is our birth-moment as new creations. In John 3:3, we read, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is

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born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Our first parents doubted, distrusted, and disobeyed God, and spiritually died. Now, by believing, trusting, and obeying God’s Word, God gives us a new life. Some believe that regeneration is by water baptism. This is an important act of obedience, but water baptism is not always possible, as with the thief on the Cross, and in many other crises deaths. It is not, therefore, the means of our regeneration.

Adoption: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Also, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:16-17).

In the biblical account of the prodigal in Luke 15:25-32, his elder brother is furious that the father welcomes the prodigal home; but what a contrast is the acceptance we receive from Christ our elder brother! In Matthew 6:9, he taught us to pray, “Our Father”!

Initial Sanctification: To “sanctify” is “to set apart to a sacred purpose,” and “to free from sin.” 3 In Christ we are “set apart:” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17). This call is to a separate life-style, not to isolation from others. That would contradict the Lord’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Making disciples requires contact.

The scriptures further indicate that to “be free from sin” is to be set free in two ways: cleansed from defilement, and freed from bondage. Cleansing is a major theme in the Old Testament, and Jesus said to his disciples, even before Pentecost, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). This cleansing from the guilt of sin’s expressions through his word is a forerunner of the deeper cleansing of Pentecost.

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We find this freedom from sin now, and deeper so later, as taught in Romans 6:22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” The freedom at this stage is from the burden of guilt for sins knowingly committed and omitted; with greater freedom ahead.

Justification: This term is “the act, process, or state of being justified by God” and to be “just” is “acting or being in conformity with what is morally right or good.”3 “The righteous [“just” KJV] will live by faith” (Romans 1:17). We understand justification, therefore, to be the judicial act of God by which he accepts the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus as satisfaction for the penalty for sin, on behalf of those with faith in Christ. Paul wrote about this to the Galatians and to the Romans: “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham ...” (Galatians 3:8); and “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... (Romans 5:1).

Righteousness: After dealing with the sinfulness of man outside of grace, Paul wrote:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the law and prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. —Romans 3:21-24

In spite this of passage and many references in the Bible to righteous people, a serious distortion of biblical truth is based on Romans 3:10: “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one.’” In verse 9, Paul has just said that “Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin,” so these words can only refer to man in his natural state! To hold that no one

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can be righteous would make such passages and our Lord’s words in Matthew 5:45 meaningless. There he said that God sends rain “on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

A related error centers on whether righteousness is imparted (actual), or imputed (ascribed to us). It is both: those in Christ are actually righteous; but righteousness is imputed (covers us), pending the second and third works of grace.

Witness of the Spirit: Depending on personality, previous experiences of grace, and other personal and cultural factors, this witness may not always be sensed immediately. As one writer put it, “Some seekers are ‘waiters,’ others ‘diggers,’ and still others are ‘takers’ of this assurance.” It comes when faith “takes hold” of God’s promise. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16), and we “draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).

Growth in Grace: Peter urged this growth in 2 Peter 3:18: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” This growth is seen by:

▪ our changed life; for “just as Christ was raised from the

dead … we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).

▪ the maturing of the fruit of the Spirit— “love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

▪ victories over previously unrecognized sins.

▪ our oral testimony: “They overcame him [the accuser]

by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their

testimony” (Revelation 12:11).

But evidences are impeded by the remaining sin nature and unrecognized sins; causing:

▪ failing to always let our light shine as we should;

▪ slowing down the maturation of the fruit of the Spirit;

▪ hampering of our awareness of unrecognized sins;

▪ stifling of our testimony at times.

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These hindrances require discipline, time, and further works of grace. If there is no growth in grace, a prayerful application of this passage is in order: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). The Psalmist, feeling his need for the Lord’s help, prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139:23-24). We do well to follow his example.

We are ready now to outline the second work of grace in God’s SalvationPlan.

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Holy and Blameless

In 1 Thessalonians 2:10, Paul wrote: “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” This makes one wonder how some can say Paul claimed to still be a deliberate sinner after he was saved! As with “righteousness,” some have difficulty in believing that we can be “holy” now; but Paul’s witness here and elsewhere clearly indicates that this is possible. Others have taken their claim to this experience too far; claiming that it make them “sinless,” whereas Paul says “blameless” —a tremendous difference!

A careful study of 1 Thessalonians should remove any doubt about this experience being a second work of grace. In 1:3, Paul wrote: “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” They sure were “in Christ,” weren’t they! He then mentions having heard that they had faced some trials, and wrote in verse 3:5: “I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.” How can some people say that once you are saved, you can’t be lost? It sure sounds like Paul thought these believers could be lost, doesn’t it?

Then Paul continued: “But Timothy has just come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love” (verse 3:6); so he wrote in verse 3:10: “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.” This certainly sounds like they need a further work of grace, doesn’t it? Then he proceeds to explain what he is praying for:

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will

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be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. —1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Later, in verse 4:7 Paul explains: “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life;” and still later he explains more fully:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. —1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

This prayer agrees with this one, which makes it clear that this experience is not a recommendation, but a command:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed [for the third work]. As obedient children [now], do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” —1 Peter 1:13-16

John also speaks of this holy life in 1 John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” “Purifies,” in the Greek, specifies a present and continuing activity, as does walking; so the truth of this passage refers to God’s “crises-in-process” grace.

Those who are walking in the light include those who have not received light on this second work of grace when death occurs, or Christ comes. Like the penitent thief on the Cross, they will have holiness sovereignly imparted; for “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). This does not, however, make this a choice between a “higher” or “lower” road, but makes holiness a divine imperative!

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Psalms 76:10, in the King James Version, can give comfort to the loved ones of those who had even seconds to cry out for God’s mercy before dying in accidents, wars, or other disasters. It reads: “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee.” These persons, and those who were incapable of making moral choices, or not morally accountable at death, will no doubt praise God forever for his sovereign grace, because they would have been lost had they not been handicapped, or had they lived to adulthood.

This also gives hope for those who, in death-threatening situations, cry out for mercy in faith, but it could be disastrous for anyone to count on such an opportunity and put off their decision to call on the Lord, for “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

It is amazing that so many “in Christ” do not seek this experience God’s grace imparts when we yield ourselves to him as “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13)! God’s grace continues for those “in Christ,” enabling us to press on toward full Christ-likeness in a third work of grace when our Lord returns. When we choose to seek deliverance from “the law of sin” (Romans 7:23), God imparts this second work of grace, that involves Self-surrender, Holy Spirit Baptism, Heart Holiness, Perfect Love, Christ Enthronement, Witness Empowerment, and Christ-like Maturity.

Self-surrender: This is the Holy Spirit led process of “dying out” to self-centeredness by a full surrender to the complete, known will of God—the “known bundle” and to the “unknown bundle” —what lies ahead. Paul wrote: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer (Romans 6:1-2)? And again in verse 6:6: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless ….” Then later:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual

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worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. —Romans 12:1-2

Our Lord prayed in Gethsemane: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). This surrender is made more understandable by reading John 1:1 in connection with these words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” The last phrase can be translated “face to face with God,” which means that the Father, who had looked with approval upon the Son “face to face” from all eternity, was about to look away— “forsake” him—as he became our “sin offering.” It was surely this separation, not just death that caused Jesus to pray this heart-rending prayer of self-surrender.

Holy Spirit Baptism: This is the salvation experience received by the disciples at Pentecost; though not accompanied now by the physical phenomena associated with the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

When the day of Pentecost came, they [the disciples] were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues [languages] as the Spirit enabled them. —Acts 2:1-4

This is the “Pentecostal” experience. Because some use this term and the words “Baptism with the Holy Spirit,” to refer to speaking in a “tongue” requiring interpretation, many hesitate to use these terms in their biblical sense. The “tongues” spoken at Pentecost and at every other time this baptism is mentioned in Acts, were understood by all present; with no need for an interpreter. So, using these terms for a

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Corinthian-like experience is not biblical; nor is the claim that “tongues speaking” is an evidence of grace. The biblical evidence is love!

Heart Holiness: This is the result of the Holy Spirit Baptism; the term “heart” serving to distinguish human holiness from divine holiness. We are still dealing here with the meaning of the word “sanctify” as being “set apart for a sacred purpose” and being made “free from sin,” as we did under the heading “Initial Sanctification” above. In making the heart holy, God’s grace not only entirely cleanses the heart; but also frees it from the presence and dominion of Satan within; which is the second aspect of ”sanctification.”

This change of wording invites resistance that misses this author’s intention, which is to retain every aspect of this marvelous act of grace that is biblically valid, while ridding it of the connotation that it makes us “sinless.” This has understandably deterred many from seeking humble, heart holiness:

Despite the purity of our intention, and what grace has wrought in us, we all do come short of the glory of God, and do need the imputed righteousness of God to cover these shortcomings. This situation is not unlike a man, working under a blazing sun, who sees his young daughter bringing a glass of cold water to him. He sees, however, what she does not: that her dirty fingers are not just around the glass but in it. Does he refuse the water? By no means! He lovingly rewards her intention by accepting the drink; knowing that as she matures and learns about germs, her performance will improve.

Some stress these shortcomings and, in spite of the passages quoted above supporting the availability of being “holy and blameless,” quote 1 John 1:8 as proof that this is not so. That verse reads. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” It can be seen that this takes this verse out of context by reading verses 7 and 8 together. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

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we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin [have no need for such cleansing], we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

Clearly, these verses in no way deny the possibility of holiness now; but indicate that every one of us has a sin nature that needs cleansing. The word “purifies” here is in the “present continuing” tense, indicating “crises-in-process” cleansing of the sin nature; then of sins of ignorance when we are made aware of them, and properly deal with them.

The fact that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit does “purify” is also strongly supported by Peter’s comparison of the disciples’ experience in Caesarea to the Jerusalem Pentecost. He said, “God … made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:8-9). So, the sin nature is now actually cleansed; though sins of ignorance, the “unknown bundle,” still remain and are provisionally covered by our Lord’s sacrifice.

In addition to this cleansing we are set free from bondage to the Evil One; he has been cast out, enabling us to obey the will of God without inner conflict. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). To know the will of God is now to love his will, so we can say with the Psalmist, “Oh, how I love your law” (Psalms 119:97)!

Both the cleansing and the freedom granted in this crisis act continue as we press on toward the permanent removal of even these limitations; “to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:6).

Perfect Love: This is imparted to us by God; and is expressed by obedience: “This is love for God: to obey his commands” (1 John 5:3); and

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the

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day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear [of the day of judgment]. —1 John 4:16-18

The word “complete” here makes clear the meaning of “perfect.” —as perfect as we are now capable of being. This is the love that enables us to obey our Lord’s two greatest commands: to love the Lord and our neighbor as ourselves; and is the “most excellent way” Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres [verses 1-7].

Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love [verse 12].

Who among us would dare to claim the ability to love like this? The complete fulfillment of this passage awaits the next work of grace; but this is the love God commands and provides grace for us now! This should strip all pride from our life of humble holiness so that we can honestly say with Charles Wesley, “Hangs my helpless soul on Thee!”

Christ Enthronement: Each person of the Godhead is omnipresent—always present everywhere; so references to

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their location as individuals at a given time are figures of speech. Jesus, who is “Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27), and is “at the right hand of God” (Romans 8:34), said, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). So when we “opened” the “door” of our “hearts,” Jesus came in as Savior of our still self-centered lives. Now, being fully surrendered to him, he has become the Lord of our Christ-centered lives, by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within.

Witness Empowerment: This is the power to effectively witness, fulfilling the Lord’s promise: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses …” (Acts 1:8). Being his witness involves being an oral witness, but it involves more. When Jesus sent his disciples out to witness two by two, they witnessed orally, but reported: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (Luke 10:17). God worked through their oral witness to accomplish more than verbal results.

After Pentecost the disciples were even more effectively empowered to witness orally and to perform acts of service, as in the crippled beggar’s healing in Acts 3:1-10. Witness empowerment, however, is not just for apostles, but for all “witnesses.” Conditioned by personality, talents, calling and spheres of influence, all of us are called to be his witnesses, and his power is available to fulfill our calling.

Christ-like Maturity: By the removal of the sin nature’s hindrance to spiritual fruit bearing, more maturation of these fruits are made possible; so Christ is more clearly reflected in our more victorious life. We are also more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s revelation of remaining sins of ignorance, making possible more Christ-likeness, until all sins of ignorance are fully cleansed when we see Christ!

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God. —Hebrews 6:1

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To briefly summarize the foregoing, we now have the:

▪ removal of guilt for the expressions of sin by being

“in Christ;”

▪ removal of the essence of sin by the Holy Spirit’s

baptism;

▪ covering of unrecognized sins—cleansing can only

follow our awareness of them.

Our full surrender to Christ in heart holiness is a “once-for-all” decision; but as we are lead on by the Holy Spirit, new challenges arise, and new vistas open that require renewed application of this decision in ever-developing situations. One of the most subtle destroyers of faith is for us to take our “ease in Zion,” relying on our past or present experience(s) with God. Our life “in Christ” is not, must not be, indeed cannot be static!

We are ready now to outline the third work of grace in God’s Salvation Plan.

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In God’s Image

This experience is commonly called the “Rapture,” or referred to as “Glorification,” though these terms are not found in the Bible. Man was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and we will be restored to that image when our Lord returns: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

This third work of grace is the culmination of the process that grace has been performing in our lives. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This event is usually linked with “death,” and as something that occurs in the “next life;” but Paul wrote: “We who are still alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep” (1 Timothy 4:15). This can only mean that whatever preparation is needed for this event has to have been made in this life before death, or before the crisis moment of our Lord’s appearance.

Paul referred to this event when he wrote: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Peter urged: “Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:13).

This work of grace includes Christ’s Return, Our Bodily Transformation, Christ-likeness, Christ’s Wedding, Wedding Supper, Christ’s Judgment Seat, and Our Home in Heaven. As grace preceded and enabled the first two works of grace, it does so in this third work of grace.

Christ’s Return: We do not know when Christ will return from heaven to take those “in him” up there with him, but our Lord will return.

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They [the disciples] were looking intently up into the sky as he [Christ] was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

—Acts 1:10-11

Again, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Paul writes:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Bodily Transformation: This is the long-awaited victory over our last enemy—death.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

—1 Corinthians 15:54-55

The belief that the Lord will give us each a tour of the city is not Scriptural. Paul says: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and … God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep “in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Some have had visions of Him coming for them, after which they must have gone to sleep, for their bodies have not yet been transformed as they will be when they see him again.

That our bodies will be transformed into immortal bodies like that of our resurrected Lord, shows that God didn’t create our marvelous bodies to have them destroyed by sin; but will restore them for his original purpose—visible, personal fellowship with him!

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Christ-likeness: We reflect Christ when we are “in Christ,” are more like him when we are mad “Holy and Blameless,” but not until we see him will we be fully restored to the “image of God” in which man was created. All that grace has done for us to this point has been for this purpose: we are to be fully like Him at last!

Christ’s Wedding: The first event in heaven will be Christ’s wedding.

Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. [Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.] —Revelation 19:6-8

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

—Ephesians 5:25-27

Wedding Supper: Following the wedding, there will be a wedding supper. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). We know that those “in Christ” are the bride, but we wonder who these “guests” will be, unless they are the heavenly host of angels and seraphim. This question reminds me of an experience overseas in Beirut. After a message to an audience from various Christian groups, I was challenged for saying that I expected to be one of the Lord’s Bride. My challenger was convinced that only those in his group would be the Bride. So I asked him what he thought the Lord would do with others of us who also claim him as Savior and Lord; and he seemed to be quite satisfied, and generous, in saying, “Oh, there will be guests at the wedding!

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According to Revelation 7:9, this view is a bit short-sighted.

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Christ’s Judgment Seat: Paul, in writing to those “in Christ”, said, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Though the term “judgment” here sounds ominous, this event sounds like an award ceremony, much like the gift-giving that follows weddings these days. This linking of an award ceremony with our Lord’s return is also indicated in Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”

Many believe that everyone will be judged at God’s White Throne Judgment, more than a thousand years later; meaning that after living and reigning with our “husband” and Lord for a thousand years during the Millennial Reign, we would be judged by Him! Instead, whatever judgment we receive will, no doubt, occur here at Christ’s Judgment Seat.

Our Home in Heaven: The Lord has made housing arrangements for his bride.

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

—John 14:2-3

But this home will not be the Bride’s eternal abode. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea” (Revelation 21:1).

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In conclusion: For those “in Christ” whether they come back with him or are still alive when Christ returns for them, the victory has been won and even more marvelous prospects lie ahead; but time and God’s Salvation Plan are not over for those left behind. Their prospects are bleak, but we believe not entirely hopeless!

The foregoing article does not include the events that continue for those still on earth after the transformation of the bride of Christ. Those events: the Tribulation, Israel’s Return, Harvest of the Earth, Millennial Reign, Day of the Lord, White Throne Judgment, and Final Abode are described in an article entitled “Future Events” that is available on our website listed below.

This article does not include those events that continue on earth for those who are those left behind after the Transformation of the Bride of Christ. Those events: the Tribulation, Israel’s Return, Harvest of the Earth, Millennial Reign, Day of the Lord, White Throne Judgment, and Final Abode are described in an article entitled “Future Events” that is available on our website listed below.

For those “in Christ” whether they came back with him or were still alive when Christ returned for them, the victory has been won and even more marvelous prospects lie ahead than those outlined above! But time and God’s Salvation Plan are not over for those left behind. Their prospects are bleak, but we believe not entirely hopeless!

In the parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-13, the term “virgins,” the reference to oil as a type of the Holy Spirit, and the fact that both the wise and the foolish virgins have lighted lamps all indicate that they are “in Christ.” Alarmingly, however, both groups are asleep in violation of the Lord’s commands in the previous chapter to “keep watch” and “be ready” (Matthew 24:42,44). only by God’s mercy have they not sinned away their day of grace by what seems to be disobedience.

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The wise virgins’ adequate supply of oil must indicate that they are “holy and blameless,” so it is understandable that they are transformed. The situation with the foolish virgins is not so clear. Had their oil held out, they could be a type of those “in Christ” who were walking in the light, but not “holy and blameless;” but when they realize their lamps are about to go out and the risk seems too great for them to wait, they go for more oil and miss the Transformation.

Though some teach that that the Holy Spirit is withdrawn when the Lord returns, a most encouraging aspect of this passage is that the Holy Spirit is still available for the purchase of oil by the foolish virgins. Also, the Scriptures indicate that some will find the Lord during the Tribulation Period. These are mentioned in Revelation 6:10: “They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ ”

One important lesson this writer draws from this passage is that it gives a tremendous incentive to press onward into the experience of becoming “holy and blameless” now!

Entering this new life of faith in the Tribulation period may result in serious suffering or death, but this will still be infinitely worthwhile! So, if you are reading this after having been left behind after the Transformation, we firmly believe that you can still enter into a saving relationship “in Christ” by following the pattern outlined in the article You Can Be “In Christ! which follows below.

The Bible ends with this solemn warning:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says: “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come

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Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. —Revelation 22:18-21

This writer firmly believes that the foregoing plan of salvation accurately traces God’s grace in our lives, and is what Paul called “sound doctrine” in Titus 2:1, and summarized in Titus 2:11-14, where he clearly indicates the three-fold aspects of grace (with the bracketed numbers inserted by this writer).

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us [1] to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and [2] to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we [3] wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

So our three-fold God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit— created a three-fold universe of solids, liquids, and gasses in which to place man, a three-fold creation in God’s own image—being body, mind, and spirit—with whom He could share fellowship, sacrificial service, and His glory. But, man tragically sinned in a three-fold manner in disbelief, distrust, and disobedience! But God, in an incalculable sacrifice of His Son, made possible man’s forgiveness, re-creation, and full restoration by His grace through faith in Christ. This three-fold “crises-in-process” plan is God’s Salvation Plan!

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1 New International Version, © 1984 by the International Bible Society. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan; with any other versions used identified. Italics and brackets inserted within quotes are by this Writer.

2 World Christian Encyclopedia, Oxford U. Press, 2001

3 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition.

Produced by the In Christ Fellowship Association

E-mail: InChristFellowship@comcast.net

Internet: www.InChristFellowship.org All rights reserved.

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 You Can Be “In Christ”!

If you are “in Christ,” we hope this article will help you to deal personally with someone not now “in Christ,” or that you will give or mail a copy to them. We suggest that you keep a copy in your Bible or with other valuables, so that after your death, or our Lord’s return, it may help someone you love to find Christ as they look through your goods.

If you are not now “in Christ,” this article is especially for you, in hopes it will help you to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord now—before he returns for those who are in fellowship with him. If you decide to not come to Christ now, we hope you will keep this article handy, so that if you are still alive at that time, having been left behind, it will help you to accept Christ then.

In Revelation, Chapters 13 – 20,1 the “mark of the beast” is mentioned, indicating that “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand … the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever” (Revelation 14:9-11).

So, under no circumstance must you willingly allow this to happen!

If this mark is forced upon you without your consent, God who loves you and knows your heart’s intention will not hold you accountable. You may have to suffer more intensely or even face martyrdom for making this decision; for the Bible teaches that the powers of evil will intensify their pressure on those “in Christ” then; but heaven will be worth whatever it takes!

Now, as then, regardless of what you have done, or what has been done to you; and regardless of your culture, race, or religion; God the Father loves you; Jesus Christ, his Son, died for your salvation; and the Holy Spirit is ready to help you find peace, hope, love, and a new life. God wants to make you a new person! “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

Paul the Apostle wrote: “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). So if you will make this your day of salvation, you can enjoy what John H. Sammis wrote:

When we walk with the Lord

in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will,

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do;

Where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey!

You can be “in Christ” without necessarily leaving your present group, joining any other group, or meeting any requirement except what the Holy Spirit will help you to meet as you read the Holy Bible and seek his guidance for your new life. Jesus said that the Spirit “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

The initial, essential elements of God’s plan of salvation are stated in these passages:

Repent and believe the good news! —Mark 1:15

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

—Acts 16:31

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

—Ephesians 2:8

If you want to enter into this new life, that desire indicates that God is already drawing you into fellowship with him and is ready to receive you when you are ready to accept him. So, talk to God in your own words after the following pattern:

“Father, I confess that I have sinned by—

[Confess those sins that come to mind.

He will help you deal with any others later.]

“I am sorry enough for my sins that I am ready to

quit them and take your way in my life

as best I know how, and as you lead me.

“I believe that Jesus died for my sins, so I am

asking you, for his sake, to forgive my sins.

“I believe you raised Jesus from the dead,

so I am trusting you right now

to make me a new creation in Christ.”

As you are able to sincerely complete each item in this prayer, you may begin to realize that God has answered your prayer and has made you a new person “in Christ.” If you do not realize this change in a way you expected, keep on believing that God has kept his word. The assurance of salvation is sometimes delayed; but your prayer is in accordance with the plan he has revealed in the Bible. He has answered such prayers for millions of others, and he will not fail you!

Start reading the Gospel of John, and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you do so. He will help you to know how to live a life pleasing to God, and how to witness to your new-found faith. The following passage will remain true in every situation you may face:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. —John 3:16-17