I’ve been a Christian for 7 years. I’ve learned, I’ve grown, I’ve wondered. I came to believe a lot of things that I took for granted, but never thought too much about. But less than a year ago, God showed me something.

There is a solid Christianity that has been fought for, that people have died for. There have been Church councils, and controversial men, who stood up to revolt against corrupt practices, and unbiblical doctrines. We aren’t left in the dark to figure Christianity out all over again. The truth has been opened to, and passed down to us by, Saints past.

Not only has reformed theology opened my eyes to new things, but it’s cleared up so many thing that I believed, but I never really understood.

10. My Sin

I knew I was a sinner. I knew I needed to be forgiven. But just how much of a sinner, I had no idea. Sometimes I would say, “Wow, I didn’t sin much this week.”.

Now I know that it’s quite possible that I have never, for a second, obeyed the command “Love the Lord, your God, with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.”. I never took seriously Jesus’ words that looking at a woman with lust is to commit adultery, or that hating a man in your heart is murder. I ignored the fact that Jesus said “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” -Matthew 5:48

I finally understand that I sin every day, every hour… on some level I sin every moment of my life. This is how sinful I am. But God! Oh how merciful He is to such a sinner.

9. God Works All Things for My Good

This seemed like a nice idea, God works stuff out in the end. I don’t need to worry too much, because God can clean up the messes and put it back together.

But once I understood sovereignty, it all changed. God doesn’t just react to what people are doing, or the messes that pop up in life. He is “working all things” for the good of His people. He orchestrates everything, and my life isn’t left to chance for a split second. Nothing surprises Him, not because He knows it all, but because He’s actually in control.

8. Why We Pray for the Lost

This is something everyone does. We pray for our family and friends to be saved. We say things like “soften their hearts” or “reveal yourself to them”. It’s not something I ever thought about as incosistent with my beliefs, but now I see how strange it was.

If God couldn’t override people’s free will, how could He save them? How could He do anything different than the 100% He was already giving everyone, waiting fo them to make their decision. What does it mean to “soften a heart” other than “do more than You are doing to change their mind”?

Now I can pray fervently for God to override a family member’s sinful will, because I know that it’s their only hope. If God can’t touch our wills, we all go to Hell. God, destroy their will, and MAKE them love You, so they can be saved from Hell!

7. There is Now No Condemnation

I was always on the fence on the “can we lose our salvation?” question.  I’d seen and heard of epic backsliding and people who walked completely away from faith. So it only seemed logical that there were certain sins that could push us too far away from God.

The Bible says nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love that is in Christ, let alone the very thing he died to forgive. The gospel teaches that everything, past, present, and future is forgiven. So what could undo the work of Jesus and make us accused again?

Now I understand that sins aren’t counted against me, anymore. God convicts me to cease from sinning, but the condemnation and marks against me have been paid for. I’m truly free.

6. Jesus Took My Place

The idea that Jesus was in my place on the cross was another nice thought, and was truly my object of faith. But I believed He took everyone’s place on the cross, even people who would be in Hell. What kind of assurance can I find in a substitution that didn’t help such a large number of people it took the place of?  What does it mean to die in someone’s place, if not that they are pardoned?

I understand, now, that Jesus was laying His life down for His sheep… perfectly. Not one of the people who’s place He took on the cross will be in Hell. Anyone who does end up in Hell has not been atoned for.  Jesus truly, perfectly, and finally took my sins on Himself, not because I applied His blood to myself, but because the Father placed my sins, specifically, on His Son.

5. The Necessity of Prayer

I used to pray. I would pray especially hard when I messed up, or when something was completely out of my control. When I knew there was nothing I could do about a situation, I’d give it over to God. Other than that I’d pray very generally that God would help me in my life.

Reformed theology has opened my eyes to the truth that I am completely helpless. I’m 100% at God’s mercy. God could, if He wanted, take the faith out of my heart tomorrow. I’d wake up, shake my head, and say, “Wow, that Christianity faze was weird.” and get right back to my sinful life. God promises to never do that, but that’s how much we are  at His mercy.

I NEED God to live, I need him in every area because I’m powerless without Him. He’s the power that makes me flea from sin, help people, open His word, and even pray. Yes, we should pray that God would give us the desire to pray. God is truly our strength, so we must pray without ceasing if, or we are relying on our powerless flesh.

4. Being Born Again

When I look back, I don’t even know how I would have defined being born again.  I knew it was a change, maybe a feeling. I definitely knew that you needed to be born again to be saved, and I even knew the moment it happened to me. What it was, though, I’d be hard pressed to answer.

Oh boy! I could tell you now. It is the supernatural change of a God-hater into a God-lover. It’s the work of God to change a man’s entire nature. We are set free from slavery to sin, and made slaves of righteousness. We are new creations. Without it man can not believe the gospel or repent. Praise God for the free-will smashing new birth!

3. The Holy Spirit

What a mystery the Holy Spirit was. I believed in the trinity. Father – The one who calls the shots. Son – The one who came to earth to die for sin. Holy Spirit – um… it’s like a mist, that like… is everywhere. Kinda like the wind, I guess. And it… helps us.

Praise God for His Holy Spirit! The third Person of the trinity that works in God’s people. He’s IN me! It’s amazing! He’s the One that produces the fruit, the One that makes me understand the Bible, the One that makes me cry “Abba, Father!” The Holy Spirit confirms to my spirit that I’m in Christ. He perfects my broken prayers and praises. Without God’s Spirit inside us, we’d never know God.

2. The Necessity of the Gospel

I would, from time to time, share my faith. I would talk about how Jesus died, but the most important thing I was seeking was a decision. Offensive parts of the gospel, about sin and wrath… those don’t make people want to accept, so I’d minimize them. I would let people know that Jesus wanted to make them happier, and fulfill their lives, certainly not that He demands their submission and will take away their rights.

Now I know that apart from the clear, complete gospel, nobody can be saved. Anybody who signed a decision card or said a prayer based on a promise of ,”The Bible tells us that we can know where we go when we die. Come to Jesus and He’ll forgive you.”, is not going to heaven. They were deceived. People must hear about their sinfulness, the forgiveness on the cross, and the repentance God requires. This is how we are saved, through the gospel.

1. The Meaning of the Universe

God’s creation, I would guess, was an experiment in free-will. How will people respond to God becoming a man and dying? God was trying His hardest to save as many people as possible, but inevitably some would go to Hell, since it was their decision. Jesus died to make salvation possible, and God was going to be eternally frustrated by all the people that He loved who would be in Hell for eternity. In the back of my mind, I always had a theory that God would forgive them all and bring them into Heaven in the end, and we’d all rejoice.

Oh, how glorious God’s plan truly is. God’s number 1 priority is to show off His majesty and be glorified. God is beautiful, and when we see His beauty and respond in worship, we are fulfilling our entire purpose.  When we fail to love God, we are spitting in this glorious King’s face, and we will be punished.

The purpose of this creation is for God to demonstrate His power and mercy. The fall of Satan and Adam are all part of this amazing story. God’s righteous hatred toward sinners will display His awesome power for eternity. God became a man and redeemed mankind from His own wrath. All who He has mercy on will worship Him for eternity because of this amazing love displayed on the Cross. Heaven will be the most amazing pleasure imaginable, fulfilling the purpose of  creation. We will worship God, forever, because we’ll know what we were saved from. He displayed love beyond our comprehension! Praise God!

1. making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or the like: indelible ink.
2. that cannot be eliminated, forgotten, changed, or the like: the indelible memories of war; the indelible influence of a great teacher.

I have recently come into possession of some truly remarkable music. The album’s are called “Indelible Grace Music”. Incredibly re-done hymns and original music. The artists that make up these albums are from the likes of Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Chelsey Scott, Matthew Smith and so on. I have been so blessed.

“Indelible”, that is what grace is. A mark that cannot be erased. It cannot be eliminated. Forgotten or changed. No matter what. Where did the unBiblical thoughts come from that we could do anything to lose such grace or EVER want to return it?

“…but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” – John 6:39

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” – John 6:51

“and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:26

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Phil 1:6

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” – 1 Thess. 5:9-10

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:3-5

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:10

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” – 1 John 5:18

God is SO clear in His holy scripts that His grace is so beautiful, amazing, astounding, unthinkable, and indelible. I mess up on the daily, but Jesus is oh so faithful and never lets me go. He continues to love and discipline me. He continues to hold me. So after all this I have only one question:

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31

Indelible Grace Music – The Love of Christ (feat. Derek Webb)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” -Romans 8:35

The Christian life is a life of freedom and joy. We are told we can come confidently to the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). But when do we lose this privilege? Are there sins that can keep us from God? Can we walk away from the grace that has been delivered to us? How secure are we, anyway?

We’ll be spending a lot of time in the most comprehensive chapter in the Bible on the topic: Romans 8.

He Has Set Us Free

What, exactly, does the Bible mean when it says:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” -Romans 8:1-2

You see, we are utterly free from the law of – ‘If you sin, you will die’. God Himself, who is all knowing and all powerful, has pardoned us, and promised us eternal life. Now, no sin will ever be counted against us again. We still sin, but the counter has been reset to zero, and God took the batteries out.

We’re secure because God has forgiven us.

He Has Given Us the Spirit

Who do these insane promises apply to? Who are these people who are freed completely from condemnation? Is anyone who prayed a prayer free? Can we just sin and enjoy forgiveness, and not worry about serving God?

Let’s look again at 8:1.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” -Romans 8:1

Who is it that is “in Christ Jesus”?

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” -Romans 8:9

Only if you have the Spirit of Christ, do these promises apply to you. Which brings us, once again, to one of my all time favorite doctrines: regeneration. Regeneration is a work of the sovereign grace of God to change the heart, mind, and will of a sinner into that of a believer. It is the moment the Holy Spirit enters and takes up residence in the believer. Without this indwelling of the Spirit, we are incapable of believing.

“no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.” -1 Corinthians 12:3

So follow me. If someone is not regenerate they do not have the Spirit, If someone does not have the Spirit they are not in Christ, and if someone is not in Christ they are not freed from the law of sin and death. While many may claim that they know Christ, some are deceived. Anyone can say they’re Christians, but only those who have the Holy Spirit belong to God.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” -Romans 8:14

These people, who now love God and no longer have a heart that is rebellious, will never ultimately walk away from Him. Anyone who does walk away, proves they were never regenerate to begin with. We will have eternal life only “If indeed the Spirit of Christ dwells in us”.

We’re secure because God gave us His Spirit.

He has Planned It All

“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” -Romans 8:30

Please note two things about this chain of events: 1. They are all past tense. 2. Not one of them is a work of man.

In God’s mind the glorification (conformity to Christ’s image in eternity) of His elect people is already as complete as their predestining. As far as God is concerned, everyone who is in Christ is as good as in Heaven.

Secondly, since man didn’t predestine himself, call himself, or justify himself, to say we can stop God from the final step is just silly. Salvation is, in every way, of the Lord. There is nothing we accomplish, contribute, or decide that helps God save us. This is what grace means. Grace is God lavishing His love and mercy on people who, not only don’t deserve it, but never even wanted it.

We’re secure because God has planned it.

He Won’t Let Us Go

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39

If you can think of something that doesn’t fit in this list, you’ve found the loophole. Paul did us a pretty big favor with that last one. I certainly can’t think of anything that isn’t “in all creation”… besides God of course, and speaking of God:

“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” -Romans 8:33

We’re secure because God won’t let anything take it away.

He Gave His Son

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” -Romans 8:3-4

Because we couldn’t obey, God has taken the punishment owed to believers and placed it PERFECTLY on his Son. He has, in effect, “condemned sin in the flesh”. And now the righteous requirements, the very perfect life that Christ lived, is fulfilled vicariously in us… those who walk in the Spirit. This is the finished work of the atonement.

Christ’s sacrifice removes every sin from every believer. His obedient gives us a perfect standing before God. And His resurrection guarantees that we will be raised to glory.

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” -Romans 8:11

Christ is not trying to save people. Christ has saved His people. And every person for whome Christ has died, WILL be in heaven. The promise of God to His elect is not a temporary conditional security.

We’re secure because Christ is a perfect Savior.