Secure Because of Jesus
This is faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. -2 Timothy 2:11-13
Salvation does not come with merely an intellectual acceptance of some historical facts. Neither does salvation mean just declaring what we believe. Instead, salvation comes when we see ourselves as sinners under God's judgement; believe that Jesus paid with His death on the cross the penalty God established for our sin and then rose from the dead; and call upon Jesus to save us. At that moment a divine, spiritual transaction takes place. We are actually identified with Jesus death, His burial, and His resurrection. In addition, the water baptism of a new believer offers a picture of the spiritual reality that has taken place. Then comes the promise: since we died with Jesus, we will also live with Him.
Paul went on to tell us that one proof of truly being saved is enduring, continuing to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord no matter what. However, if we do deny Jesus by turning away from Him, our turning is proof that we never really belonged to Him. As a result, He will deny knowing us when we stand before the Father.
Here is my favorite part: Jesus is always faithful even when we aren't! So if we become weak in our faith, if we struggle to believe and stay faithful, Jesus nevertheless stays faithful to us because He cannot deny Himself.
The bottom line is that if Jesus truly lives in us, then He will always be faithful to keep us. Now that is security!
Prayer : Jesus, I praise You for Your great faithfulness to me. Amen.
Salvation does not come with merely an intellectual acceptance of some historical facts. Neither does salvation mean just declaring what we believe. Instead, salvation comes when we see ourselves as sinners under God's judgement; believe that Jesus paid with His death on the cross the penalty God established for our sin and then rose from the dead; and call upon Jesus to save us. At that moment a divine, spiritual transaction takes place. We are actually identified with Jesus death, His burial, and His resurrection. In addition, the water baptism of a new believer offers a picture of the spiritual reality that has taken place. Then comes the promise: since we died with Jesus, we will also live with Him.
Paul went on to tell us that one proof of truly being saved is enduring, continuing to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord no matter what. However, if we do deny Jesus by turning away from Him, our turning is proof that we never really belonged to Him. As a result, He will deny knowing us when we stand before the Father.
Here is my favorite part: Jesus is always faithful even when we aren't! So if we become weak in our faith, if we struggle to believe and stay faithful, Jesus nevertheless stays faithful to us because He cannot deny Himself.
The bottom line is that if Jesus truly lives in us, then He will always be faithful to keep us. Now that is security!
Prayer : Jesus, I praise You for Your great faithfulness to me. Amen.
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