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Please turn in the Bible to the place where it is written: "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." There are some things... be they qualities, dispositions, attitudes... that accompany salvation. These things do not cause salvation, they accompany salvation. If you claim to have obtained salvation and
are lacking in any of these things, you should seriously question the genuineness of your profession in Christ and ask the Father for a resolution. Either seek salvation or examine yourself to see that you manifestly evidence the
things that accompany salvation. What are these things? One such thing is a disposition to forgive others when you are sinned against. Our Lord said, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matt 6:14-15) There is no such thing as a saint who does not have his sins forgiven -- all of their sins
forgiven. This implies that the saint has forgiven men their trespasses... all of their trespasses. When others sin against you, if you are a believer you will not purpose in your heart to avenge yourself; rather, you will forgive.
Though you may struggle with bitterness and anger and resentment, at the very least, you will not live, as a manner of life, in open retaliation against those who offend you. Those who live by the, "I don't get mad, I get
even" philosophy are not among the children of God. Saints of God are forgiving. For a complete treatment of the nature and scope of forgivness and the related concerns of bitterness and resentment, see Another thing that
accompanies salvation is a love for Jesus Christ. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha." (1 Cor 16:22) This is effectively an eternal curse upon any soul that does not sincerely love the Lord
Jesus Christ. No saint has an eternal curse upon them, so every saint of God -- every child of God -- loves Jesus Christ. Loving Jesus Christ implies that one will keep His words. "If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings." (John 14:23-24a) There is a direct correlation between loving Jesus Christ and
obeying Him. All who are born of God will love Him, and all who love Him will obey Him. Therefore all those who are born of God obey Him. Lest one become discouraged in this, finding sin within themselves
that drags the humble soul to despair, one does well to observe that holiness is a spectrum, sinfulness has degrees, and love has depth. No one is perfect, and examining one's soul can be a daunting task. The more tender the
conscience, the more acute the spiritual senses, the more sin is discerned. At what level of sin does one admit evidence that regeneration is lacking? Certainly, King David sinned greviously against God, Bathsheba,
and Uriah. David was certainly a child of God. One cannot say that a Christian does not sin at all, or even that a Christian cannot sin very badly at times. What is meant is that the Christian cannot commit himself to sin as
a manner of life, being hardened and determined to continue in it. David's sin was out of character for him, and he did not persist in it when he was rebuked. David repented of his sin and returned to God. The tender
concience is repentant, and willingness to obey in those things where one is able to obey is sufficient. This is equivalent to saying, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9) No believer can live a life committed to disobedience to God. While a Christian certainly sins, a Christian cannot live a life of willful, deliberate, conscious,
determined sin. Every born again person follows Jesus Christ, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27) Following Jesus Christ, obeying Him, and submitting to His lordship is a quality that
accompanies salvation. Loving Jesus Christ also implies that one will love others. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen." (1 John 4:20) A man is lying if he says he loves God and hates his neighbor. Therefore if He loves God he cannot hate his neighbor: he must love his neighbor. Along another
dimension, the Word of God says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Rom 8:14) The sons of God are those who are lead by the Spirit of God. Those that belong to Jesus
Christ, whom He had chosen and sanctified, have put Him first above all things, and have counted themselves crucified with Him. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Gal 5:24)
This means that no born again person will sacrifice obedience to God and submission to His will for their own personal comfort and interests as a manner of life. These are the things that accompany salvation: a
forgiving heart, loving Jesus Christ, obeying Jesus Christ, and loving others. If a soul is saved, it manifests these things in some degree. No saved soul is completely void of any of these. In these things, examine yourself,
whether you be in the faith. |
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