Welcome to the Bible Study Letters page for encouragement. As we realize more about our Lord, we also find our own weakness. This page is presented to give words encouragement to the Christian.

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Christ Died For Our Sins
Reaching forth...

Encouragement:

I believe what Paul says about Christ finishing the good work He begins in believers, but realize sometimes there is a lapse of time when we believers will seem to stray from God. Our Lord is the Author of eternal salvation (Heb 5:9) and the finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). It is God that works in us. We can be assured He will keep that which we have committed unto Him, i.e., our salvation (2Tim 1:12). The Good Shepherd knows those that belong to Him.

Phil 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

I also believe there is reason to hope. I don't think it is for us to give up on any. While it is clear the Scriptures teach we shall know believers by their fruits, it is also clear Paul the apostle was given as an example of the longsuffering of God toward sinful man. God is not willing that any should perish. Our desire should be to see men believe in Christ to the saving of their souls, and not our wanting to see them damned.

How our love is shown is often the cause of our being hated. Paul spoke of some he loved, and said the more he loved them the more they hated him. Christ said they hated Him first. We are not above our Master.

We can't put love for any above our love for God, and our love for God is shown by our obedience to His Word. Many seek to put love before even Christ. Clear teaching of Scripture is cause for divisions some say, and should not be used as it causes divisions. I don't say that but instead find we have a place for unity and agreement already for all that will believe.

It is said the custom in the time of Jesus on earth that a trumpet be blown and an announcement made that gifts were being presented to the poor. Jesus taught many made these announcements to be seen of men, and not out of love to God. I'm not able to always tell when one is seeking approval of men and not God, but I am able to see how they are with the Word of God. Be sure my own motives are at times a wonder to even me. It is important to remember that if our own heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart It is Christ that died for us. The conscience is no test of salvation.

There are some things essential to our salvation. I believe the Word of God is clear on the way of salvation. Salvation is not a result of our works, and so many have made a new definition of what works are. As believers we are to look to the eternal Word of God, the old paths. Many try to say one must cause themselves to be saved by their own actions, or that they must keep themselves saved. But the Scriptures teach that they that are not born again cannot please God. If you are born again, you have eternal life. You will not add to that, and you cannot lose eternal life.

One may very well be saved and yet show very little love as they turn from Christ to the world. In some cases I believe such people show no evidence of being saved, and are in danger of being taken home to be with God, having committed the sin unto death. I don't say unto damnation but unto physical death. Even with that God shows His love. In Hebrews 6 we see presented stern warnings about not keeping up good works. But with that it is said the writer had better thoughts than that such were lost, but that they would be continuing in the things of God. God begins a good work in us and the Good Shepherd goes after the wandering one. The ninety and nine are left that the one may be found. And there is great rejoicing when the wandering one returns. Our Lord watches with anticipation for He knows we are His and we shall not be lost.

The Scriptures say much about love. God is love, and the Scriptures certainly tell of God's love especially in the Person of Christ. Christ is presented in every book of the Bible. The Spirit of Christ has worked in the heart of men that they would come to Christ throughout man's history. The Spirit testifies of Christ.

As the Scripture says,

John 13:35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

1 John 2:5
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1 John 2:10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

1 John 3:10-16
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1 John 4:20-21
20 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?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

We will not arrive at the end of this life in the flesh being sinlessly perfect, but Christ has died for our sins and God sees us as righteous in His sight. We will receive from Him according to our works but we will not be damned for our works. This is not understood by many that seek to provide their own righteousness to earn salvation. We are not given liberty to sin, as that would be licentiousness. The desire of our heart is toward God if we are born again and that is known by our Lord (1Cor 8:3; 2Tim 2:19). It is our Lord Christ working in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Phil 2:13). Prove your own self whether you are of the faith (2 Cor 13:5). If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, they are not His (Rom 8:9).

However little your faith, or how strong your sinful nature, Christ is greater. Where sin abides there does grace much more abide. Any that are Christ's will testify the struggle they have with sin. We would have no struggle with sin and hungering after righteousness if we were not belong to Christ. It is Christ that Works in us. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The flesh wars against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. Romans 8 and many other places in the Scriptures speak of this. We are not to continue in sin, for that is not salvation. Christ came into the world to save us from our sin (Matt 1:21).

Some struggle with presenting their own righteousness apart from being in Christ. Consider the wedding garment mentioned in Matthew 22:12. I have been taught, it was custom in the time of Jesus that the one giving the wedding would provide the wedding garment. That I think helps make clear we are to present ourselves now not with our best, but by being clothed with the righteousness Christ alone gives us. It Is Christ That Died for Our Sins.

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Christ Died For Our Sins

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Bob Krajcik
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