Category Archives: Christianity Series (The Conversion)

Salvation is not only ‘from’ sin, but ‘to’ holiness. In other words, it is not simply a negative exercise. The Bible talks about being ‘saved to the uttermost’, but very often preachers interpret that as though it meant ‘from the guttermost’. We are saved for a purpose, a destiny: and that destiny is holiness.

It is a sobering thought that we are as holy as we want to be, no more and no less. I do not believe that there is a ‘package deal’ in holiness, to be received once and for all, perhaps at a convention, and then forgotten. Holiness is a moment by moment relationship with God, not a static thing.

Nevertheless, I know that there are occasions when one has been filled with the Spirit and holiness no longer seems an unattainable, distant ideal, but a present reality. At such times one has known that it is possible not to sin; indeed, it would be impossible, so real and intense is the presence of God. It is God’s will that should become our normal, day-by-day experience.

Holiness is not the same as happiness. In fact, sometimes unhappy experiences can lead us into happiness. Sometimes he chastises us to lead us into holiness. Sickness, pain, disappointment may do for us what prosperity and ease can never achieve, and help to make us holy.
Holiness (Necessary for Salvation)

Exodus 15:11
Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Exodus 28:36
And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

1 Chronicles 16:29
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

2 Chronicles 20:21
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalms 30:4
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Psalms 93:5
Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

Romans 6:22
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ephesians 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

1 Thessalonians 4:7
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

It is God’s will that you should know you are his. When people ask ‘Are you saved?’ he does not expect his children to answer, ‘I hope so’, ‘I’m trying’ or I’d like to think I am.’ He wants us to be sure of it, not with arrogance but with faith; not sure of ourselves, but sure of him and his promises.

This assurance comes through his word of promise at first, but it also, and perhaps more profoundly, comes from our consciences, as they begin to assure us that at last we are free of this destructive thing called sin, that there is a charge in our manner of life, and that we are children of God. Above all God wants to plant in our hearts the power of his Holy Spirit. It is by this gift that his children can call him ‘Father.’ After all, it is the birthright of children, and he intends it for us.

There are people who believe in God and trust in Christ. Through faith they have received the grace of salvation. But they still lack assurance. They worry and fret about their standing before God, and so their testimony is weakened. For such people the great need is to ask God to take them one step further, to pour his Holy Spirit into their hearts to bear witness to the fact that they are children of God, bound for heaven.

Assurance (Necessary for Salvation)

Deuteronomy 28:66
And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

Isaiah 32:17
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Acts 17:31
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Colossians 2:2
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

1 Thessalonians 1:5
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

Hebrews 6:11
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Hebrews 10:9
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Prepositions can e crucial, and they are in discussing salvation. It is by grace, through faith. Faith is only the link; grace provides the power. So—what is faith? The first thing to establish is that it is not a matter of feeling. Martin Luther once said, ‘I do not feel that my sins are forgiven, but I know they are because God has said so in his Word.’ Faith is not feeling, although wonderful feelings may follow faith in Christ. In a sense, when the Holy Spirit takes hold of a person he releases his feelings in a new way, freeing him from inhibitions that have been bottled up before, and prevented him from experiencing love, joy and peace. But it is not the feeling that is the faith; the faith creates the feeling.

Nor is faith primarily a matter of thought. Thought is involved of course. There is a certain minimum intellectual content necessary for faith: the deity of Jesus for instance, his death and his resurrection. But if you recite the Creed and say ‘believe all of that with my mind’ you are ‘believing’ no more than the demons…and they do a bit more, the Bible tells us: the thought of it makes them ‘tremble.’

So, what is faith? Faith is to take those truths and apply them personally: to say, ‘Jesus died for me—rose for me—and is coming back for me.’ The devils cannot share that belief, that kind of faith.

Faith is, in a sense, an act of trust in which the believer takes his life and puts it into the hands of Christ. It is a daily thing—committing myself into the hands of another. In ordinary life we do it all the time—every time we board an airplane or a bus, every time we put ourselves into the hands of a surgeon. Faith is just that putting my ruined life into the hands of Jesus and giving him responsibility from that point on.

Faith (Necessary for Salvation)

Genesis 22:3
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Psalms 6:8
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

Psalms 7:10
My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

Psalms 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Matthew 8:10
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Matthew 9:22
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Luke 5:20
And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Luke 7:50
And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Acts 6:8
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

A man once said, ‘It took me forty-three years to discover three things. Firs, that I could do nothing to save myself. Second, that God did not require me to do anything. Third, that Christ had done it all,’

By nature human beings are suspicious of anything that is offered free of charge. I read a story of a very wealthy man who stood in front of his house trying to give away hundred dollar bills. He found hardly any takers. Most people avoided him, or moved away. They could not believe that there was no trick in it.

It may be that we are to proud to accept ‘charity’, or afraid of hidden ‘strings’, but this suspicion and distrust is a terrible barrier. Old people refuse to seek financial help from the social services. Others in all kinds of need are reluctant to ask for what is freely offered, often because of pride: ‘I’ve always stood on my own feet, and I’m not going begging now.’

That is one reason why it is so hard for people to accept God’s grace, for grace means two simple things: bad deeds are no hindrance, and good deeds are no help when you come to God for salvation.

It does not matter what dreadful things you may have done in the past. They cannot put you beyond redemption. And it does not matter what good deeds you may have done in the past either. They cannot save you. Indeed, they may be a hindrance, if you come to God not empty-handed (as he requires) but with one hand full of your own goodness. It takes both hands empty to receive grace. As one song put it:

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.

Salvation is ‘by grace’. It may take us a whole lifetime of struggling before we realize that there is no salvation that way, and learn that there is nothing a man can do to save himself. God requires nothing of us; Christ has done it all.

Biblical Accounts of God’s Grace!

Psalms 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Proverbs 3:34
He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.

Joel 2:13
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Luke 2:40
And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke 7:42
Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Grace (Necessary for Salvation)
Acts 15:11
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Romans 3:24
and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:15
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

Ephesians 2:5
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.

2 Timothy 1:9
who has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Hebrews 13:9
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.