Maintaining a Healthy Fear of God
Trust and Obey – Part 7a
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Christian Conversion – FAITH
While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.
In this series we have been looking at the first stanza of the hymn, Trust and Obey by John Henry Sammis as part of our mini-series “Maintaining a Healthy Fear of God” In previous posts we have looked at God’s good will, His original plan of His eternal purpose Ultimately being, PLAN A – The Glory of God – We saw that it is safe to say that His good will, His eternal purpose, is a plan to ultimately, bring us to His Glory, with provision made for perceived blunders we will make along the way –
We then started on this Journey of Regeneration– God’s Provisions & Man’s Acts. We then looked at Propitiation – It Is Finished; before that, Redemption then Justification as part of God’s Regeneration of man.
We then stopped to have a look at the work of the Holy Spirit in this eternal purpose of God especially the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of man. We looked at this from the perspective of the specific activities of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of man – His activities in the eternal Purpose of God and His in bringing life to man’s deadened conscience through quickening of the human spirit.
The Holy Spirit & Regeneration of Man. How God, According To His Will By The Holy Spirit:
Part 1 – Confirms Man As A Sinner The Components of Man (Body, Soul & Spirit); Heart of Man; SELF & The Heart of Man; Conviction in unregenerate Man; What is the law? (At Salvation); The law & Grace?
Part 2a – Removes His Sins and Their Consequences The purpose conviction of sin is CHANGE OF HEART; CHANGE OF HEART! in unregenerate man as a result of conviction?; Product of conviction in an un-regenerated man; The purpose of conviction of sin is to change the heart; Grace From Cross At Calvary; Regeneration of the spirit (Quickening); A Quickened Heart (At Salvation)
Then we looked at Repentance in Christian Conversion:
Knowing And Approving Does Not Equate To Salvation; The Assurance of Salvation; The Regeneration Before The Conversion Process – QUICKENING; The Conversion Process; Repentance and Heart of Man -A Free & Wholesome Conscience For Repentance
We are now here:
Point of Quickening by the Holy Spirit; quickening being the direct and supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit to effect a newness of life in the heart of man, so that he is able to receive the things of God (e.g. Word, directions etc.) Newness of life being the ‘activation’ of the intuition and communion in the spirit of man.
Up to this point we have been dealing with the parts of salvation that do not involved man’s input; all have been done God, The Father; God, The Son –Jesus; and God, The Holy Spirit. At this point man is empowered to MAKE A CHOICE,
This choice is what determines or ‘kick starts’ the conversion process as it is at this point man decides to believe in The Gospel of Jesus Christ (by faith), and Repent towards God forsake everything else to follow Him no matter the cost. “Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)
we look at:
Knowing And Approving Does Not Equate To Salvation
The Assurance of Salvation
The Regeneration before The Conversion Process – QUICKENING
Regeneration THEN Conversion
The Conversion Process
By Grace Alone Through Faith
Grace for Salvation
Repentance & Faith Through Grace
Latent & Saving Faith
Most Importantly!!!!!
You might say – “Why do I have to know and experience this Jesus you are going on about?” Here is why, when and how you can get to know Him.
Admit your spiritual need.
We all are sinners: nobody likes that title “SINNER”, but the bible says in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.
What is the result of sin?
In Romans 6:23 we read “The wages of sin is death…” in other words, every sin is another step towards death. One thing that we need to remember is that God never sends anyone to hell; one can send himself there by rejecting the truth.
Since we can never measure up to God’s standards by our own strength; God has reached out to mankind.
In Romans 5:8 we read, “God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. It is Jesus, after all, who is the source of life’s greatest high.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17).
What must a person do to accept this gift?
Simply receive it! Matthew 11:28 states –“come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me” Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks, seeking entrance into your life to give you peace, change you for the best. John 1:12 says: “For as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God”.
If you haven’t already received Christ as your Saviour, don’t put it off another day! Take time right now to reflect on the state of your life, how does Romans 3:23 apply to you? Ask God to empower you to see the true state of your heart – “The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) then when enabled, invite Jesus into your life. Confess your sins. Receive His forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.
You might pray something like this:
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of a Saviour. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank You for giving me eternal life. Help me to live my life in a way that pleases You, for whatever time You give me here on earth. I look forward to living forever in Heaven with You. Amen.