| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net If I had to qualify the mindset of most people I encounter in the course of a day's business, it would best be described as fear. Oh they will deny it, but it is palpable in varying degrees. My question is: "What are you trusting in?". Most Christians (most denominations) do not believe in Assurance. We sing about it, brag about it, but have serious doubts in our heart of hearts. This is due to an "internal focus"; in other words, we make it about and contingent on us. Pope John Paul said when asked if he had assurance: "No I do not". Most Armenian Churches will tell you they do, but believe they can lose their salvation. Question: How many sins does this require? 1? 50? 300? The popular consensus is that it is impossible to know for sure. This is a lie from the pits of hell. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." 1st John 5:13 We'll examine three powerful evidences of our Assurance, but here today, I'd like to share the one that gasses me most on a personal level. I have assurance because of my relationship to The Father. Romans 8:15 is one of many references to the fact that in Christ, you have been "adopted". The Jews didn't have much on adoption; Mosses, Esther/Mordecia, but listen to how historian F. F. Bruce puts it. "In the Roman world of the First Century AD, an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature, and might well enjoy the father's affection more fully and reproduce the father's character more worthily." Four Consequences (bi-products) of being adopted: 1) The adopted person lost all ties with his old family. New future, new past. 2) The adopted person became an heir of his new father, and joint heir with any siblings. Very binding. Question, If Jesus is the First-born of many brethren, and we are "joint heirs " with Him, What do you think Jesus has/is/will inherit? see Eph. 1:3. 3) The adopted persons past was forgotten; selah His legal debts cancelled, and he was given a new name (see Rev. 2:17). 4) This persons' adoption was/is a permanent transaction that could Never be reversed. What a Savior! Thank you Lord Jesus. |
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