Thankyou for allowing this topic. I have quite a few notes on this subject; which I will refine a portion of, and post each Sabbath, allowing a week for comments/discussion.
Whenever I have a rough time in life; I like to go back to these notes, according to the directions given in Ministry Of Healing; which you will read in a moment...
Happy Sabbath To All!
We all have times where our faith is tested; and it is at these times that it can be a good idea to go back to the very roots of our faith, where we first walked with the Lord. “He who began a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil.1:6).
“When temptations assail you, when care, perplexity, and darkness seem to surround your soul, look to the place where you last saw the light. Rest in Christ’s love, and under His protecting care. When sin struggles for the mastery in the heart, when guilt oppresses the soul, and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind; remember that Christ'’ grace is sufficient to subdue sin, and banish the darkness.
Entering into communion with the Savior, we enter the region of peace.”
(Ministry Of Healing, pg. 250).
The basics of salvation, and our relationship to God are in His Word; and this paper is an attempt to portray where my understanding was when I first gave my heart to Jesus. By going back to these spiritual roots; as taught to me by the SDA Church, I find personal strength and restoration: it is my hope that others will also find strength and encouragement as I post this material. I will just do small bits at a time, and allow a few days or so for comments between posts. Please add your “treasures” to the “chest.”
One of the first questions that the SDA Church ever asked me was this:
1/ Is Jesus BOTH your Savior and your Lord? If so, what must you do?
Answer:
Job 22:21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. {him: that is, God}
2 Pet.3:18 - But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
The gift of God, (salvation), and the claim of God, (obedience to His commandments), are inseparably connected. God’s gift, and God’s claim, reflects the fundamental Truth that Jesus is BOTH Savior and Lord to the Christian.
Christ’s relationship to the believer serves to illustrate the relationship between “justification,” and “judgement.”
By looking for “works” as the fruit of faith, the judgement is, in effect, a testimony to the reality of a person’s salvation. The judgement by ‘works” does not stand in some sort of contradictory relationship to “justification; but rather, in a relationship of fulfilment. The judgement by “works” shows the actual performance, by God, of a my salvation. To reject judgement “according to works,” would be a denial of the total completeness of God’s plan of redemption and restoration.
2 Cor.5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
The Christ of the cross Who justifies, always says as Lord of any person who is justified:
Luke 9:23 “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
The judgement provides evidence of, and witness to, the reality and genuineness of this “following” that Jesus mentions in Luke 9:23, above. In His dual office of Savior AND Lord; Christ has judged sin at the cross; He justifies the sinner, on the basis of their faith response, and judges the justified, by their works.
The cross is the means by which justification is accomplished for the Christian. Faith is the means by which justification is accepted by the believer. Works of righteousness testify to the total reality, and vitality, of the justification of Jesus, in a person’s heart. The absence of the works of righteousness, indicates a broken relationship with Jesus.
This relationship between justification, and judgement, can be seen better by placing it in the setting of a brief study on the relationship between Christ as my Savior, and Christ as my Lord...That is...the relationship between the GIFT of God, to me, and the CLAIM of God on me.
Christ: My Savior And My Lord
“Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet.3:18).
I have found that to try an separate God’s gift, from God’s claim, on my heart and on my life, is like trying to segregate Christ as Savior, and Christ as Lord, into two separate entities picking which ever of the two seems best at the moment. But how can one have Christ only as their Lord, or, only as their Savior? Christ comes to us as both. That’s who He is. And there is an intimate bond between these two realities.
In particular, the Savior-hood of Christ is revealed at the cross, where the love of Christ, already manifested during His earthly life, receives it’s climactic expression. I have been so excited to see that the Lordship of Jesus, with me, is precisely established through His love for me! As Lord, Christ rules from the cross! The self-giving love of Christ, revealed in His life and death, is the very heart of His reign over my mind and my life! There is no other principle in the crown of Christ, than in the principle of the cross of Christ. As one of my favorite Christian writers once put it: “In the cross all influence centres, and from it, all influence goes forth.” (Man.56, 1899).
To speak of Jesus’ Lordship, is specifically to say that His sacrificial love is meant to prevail over all the earth. Therein lies His Lordship. As my Lord, Jesus claims my entire life for His amazing love. With the inseparable Christ as both my Savior, and my Lord, I can readily see how there is an intimate connection, between what Christ gives to me; and what Christ claims of me.
My Jesus comes to me in love. In the Light and strength of His love; my Jesus asks that I be loving.
My Jesus comes to me in mercy. In the joy and power of His mercy; my Jesus asks that I be merciful.
My Jesus comes to me in forgiveness. In the great comfort and relief of His forgiveness; my Jesus asks that I be forgiving.
My Jesus comes to me in kindness. In the inspiration and strength of His kindness; my Jesus asks me to be kind.
My Jesus comes to me in gentleness. Under the power of the soft touch of His gentleness; my Jesus asks me to be gentle.
My Jesus comes to me in sacrifice. In the dauntless example of His sacrifice; my Jesus asks me to live and give sacrificially.
My Jesus comes to me, to be a servant to me; and in His astounding ministry of serving; my Jesus asks me to give a little bit back, by serving at every opportunity.
All that I can do or be as a Christian, is revealed in, and is the product of what Christ has done for me personally! That’s why I always have a testimony on my lips, of something He has done! Of who He is to me! (Rev.12:11). The wonderful gift of God, that is, the gift of salvation, in His Son, is both the content of Christ’s claim on me, and the strength for me to fulfill His claims! There is power in the blood! There is power in the blood! That’s why the Bible assures us that: “nothing can separate us from the love of God.” (Rom.8:38). I mean really – how can Calvary ever be undone!
(To be continued....)
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Courage is fear that has said it's prayer...Therefore, "be of good courage."
Your brother in Christ
David T. Battler
[This message has been edited by DavidTBattler (edited 03-02-2001).]