Billwald,
said
Bob Hill's bottom line is that anyone who reads the Bible and concludes that the description of "saved" applies to himself is "saved?"
That is totally untrue.
I know I am saved because I did what God told me to do, believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins. You know the verses. In Philippi Paul and Silas were in prison. After the earthquake, the jailer asked what he had to do to be saved. In Acts 16:31, “they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior in 1951, and I got saved. I also had total change in my life because of that decision.
I find in Rom 4:4-5 the basis for the righteousness that God imputed to me: “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness”. I believed on Him.
Understanding that I could not be justified by any works, I believed in Christ Jesus so I could be justified by His faithfulness in going to the cross and paying for my sin. Gal 2:16 “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”
One more passage emphasizes the lack of any works on my part. I have been saved by God’s laver of regeneration because I believed He died for me. Tit 3:5-6 “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior”.
I also know I won’t lose my salvation because, God made our salvation sure by predestinating us believers. Eph 1:4,5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
My adoption is absolute. Not only do I stand before Him holy and blameless, but I’ll stand before Him as His adopted son. I believe predestination has to do with our adoption, not our salvation.
When we were bought as slaves from the slave market of sin, we were redeemed by the blood of Christ. That’s the redemption God did for us. 1 Co 6:19,20 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I praise God for my wonderful redemption. I hope you have trusted Christ as your Savior, too.
My adoption has to do with my future standing. Rom 8:23 “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” We were made sons with a future and with a future entitlement.
According to Ramsay, under Greek law in the ancient world, adoption had to do with inheritance. We now have the spirit of adoption, the Holy Spirit, as the guarantee. But we are waiting for the glorious event itself when we receive our inheritance according to Rom 8:15,23.
Rom 8:15,23 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
This adoption is connected with the future “glory which will be revealed”.
Rom 8:18,19 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”
I believe that is, the “glorious liberty of the sons of God,” when we experience “the redemption of our body.”
Rom 8:21,23 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
For us in this dispensation, the redemption of our body will take place at the rapture.
Eph 1:14; 4:30 “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Now, I have the security and grace of His predestination.
Eph 1:6,7 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
My inheritance is assured by God’s predestination. This is according to His purpose who works the body of Christ, the all things, according to His will. He did this because I first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works the all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
We have two inheritances. One is predestined. We can’t lose it. The other is conditional. We can lose it. We already have our inheritance in Christ because God predestined it. But our other inheritance depends on our actions here.
Col 3:23-25 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
Once more, I know I am going to heaven because I have God’s guarantee in Eph 1:13,14.
Eph 1:13,14 “In whom you also, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
In Christ,
Bob Hill
