Congratulations! If you started at the beginning, and carefully read the presentation of the gospel to this point, then you have covered substantial ground in Biblical “territory.” The fact that you have been able to do this is important – more important than you may realize.
When Bibles are given as gifts, it is not uncommon for the giver to write this inside the front cover:
“This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”
Given the supernatural capacity of God’s Word to spiritually “discern” us (remember Heb 4:12?), it shows us our sinfulness – and of our need for forgiveness . . . our need for salvation. It not easy to read about our flawed condition . . . but it is the truth. And as we stated from the very beginning, knowing the truth is foundational to real, lasting hope.
If you are what the Bible calls a “natural” person, then all that you have read to this point is essentially “foolishness” to you. Yet . . . we surmise that if this is what you really believe – that the Bible is foolishness – you probably would have given up on this web site several pages ago. (especially considering that it paints a very unflattering picture of any human reader!)
While not a certainty, the fact that you are still reading is suggestive . . . it is quite possible the God the Father is, in fact, “drawing” you to His Son. It is quite possible that your spiritual eyes are in the process of opening – or are about to.
We’ve already laid out some practical steps for you to follow – to pursue this exact possibility. And if you do this . . . we have also warned you that the “prince” of this world – Satan – will focus intently upon you and do anything he can to deflect you from the Truth – just as he did to Eve in the garden.
To this point, the web site has been mostly a simple series of factual declarations about what the Bible says. While admittedly a generalization, it often requires both time and familiarity before new realizations ‘find their way’ into our hearts. God’s Word most decidedly speaks to the “heart” – the place within ourselves where real hope actually lives. The Bible speaks of lasting “joy” and “peace” that stems from having a close, intimate relationship with God.
I. The Holy Spirit: God’s Comfort Within
We’ve made repeated reference to both God the Father, and God the Son. Furthermore, we’ve seen that God the Son (Jesus) is also referred to as, “The Word.” (Remember Joh 1:1 and Joh 1:14?) Finally, we’ve also briefly touched upon a third person: the Holy Spirit. While you won’t find the word explicitly used in the Bible, this three-person nature of God is commonly referred to as the “Trinity.” Grasping the idea of three “persons” in one God tends to “blow the mind!” But if we remember God’s attributes, and recall that He is described in the language of the infinite . . . perhaps the concept is not quite so abstract. On the present topic of restoring hope in human lives, the Holy Spirit plays a central role. Let’s examine why:
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (Joh 16:13)
Here we see Jesus promising the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Earth. (You can read of the Holy Spirit’s day of arrival here on Earth – called, “Pentecost” – in Acts Chapter 2.) The verse above tells us that He will “guide us into all truth,” where hope and truth are inextricably linked. This includes the truth of the gospel . . . the faith in God’s Truth, His Word.
While we’ve previously read that both God the Father and God the Son play a role in the salvation of man, we also read that the Holy Spirit performs the spiritual “quickening” we’ve already studied:
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (Joh 6:63, emphasis added)
The eternal life that faith brings is only possible through this spiritual “quickening.” The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual senses . . . spiritual “eyes” and “ears” to discern God, His Son and His Word for what they really are. Moreover, this is the Person of God that we have the closest, most intimate contact with:
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (Joh 14:16-17, emphasis added)
Here we see that the Holy Spirit does not merely dwell with the Christian, but in him. It’s also worth noting that Jesus refers to the Spirit as the “Comforter,” and tells us He will abide with us “forever.” Stop and think for a moment what this means:
- Because of the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart, you can be quickened, escape hell and dwell in heaven – for all eternity.
- You are never alone – ever. The Holy Spirit dwells “within” you – forever.
- The Person dwelling within you is God himself – possessing all of God’s attributes . . . including omnipotence, omniscience and perfect holiness. Imagine what the unleashing of this kind of power, wisdom and virtue within you might bring:
“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him.” – D.L. Moody
- Being omnipotent, there is no trial or difficulty through which the Spirit cannot serve as “Comforter” to you.
II. Eternal Security
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit “seals” our salvation . . . that is to say, He assures us that we can never lose our salvation:
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30, emphasis added)
Being a part of the same Trinity, Jesus also confirms this in His own Words:
“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (Joh 6:39)
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (Joh 10:28-29)
Again, if you consider all the relevant verses we’ve examined on this web site, it would appear that God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit all play a role in saving a human soul. Of those souls that God the Father “gives” to God the Son – souls that are “sealed” by the Holy Spirit – “no man” can “pluck” one of those souls from the Father’s or Son’s “hand.” What too many Christians fail to realize is that the phrase “no man” includes . . . themselves. That is to say that . . . once you become a Christian, there is nothing – NOTHING – that you can do to un-do it.
God promises that salvation is forever . . . that it can never be lost. (Sadly, some so-called “Christian” denominations teach otherwise.) One reason Christians can come to doubt their salvation goes something like this:
- The new Christian is dismayed to see that – still possessing Adam’s fallen sin nature in his or her flesh – that they continue to sin against God, in spite of their salvation.
- Satan – accurately referred to as the “accuser” of Christians in Romans 12:10 – casts doubts in the new Christian’s mind over whether they are actually saved. His accusation reads something like this: “You’re not a Christian . . . because Christians do not commit . . . [fill-in your most- likely-to-commit sin here.]”
- Most Bible-believing churches (today) incorrectly teach that an un-saved person must “make a personal decision” to accept Christ as Savior in order to be saved. This seems to place their eternal destiny squarely in their own hands . . . entirely dependent upon their personal choices. One of the many serious problems this false teaching leads to . . . is this line of reasoning: if salvation can be secured by a sinner’s personal choice, it is only logical to presume it can subsequently be lost as a result of personal choice. (in this example, the choice to commit sin)
This is one of the reasons why we preceded our presentation of the gospel with a close look at some of the attributes of God – omnipotence and immutability among them. We’ve repeatedly underscored that – once God purposes to do something (such as save your soul) – His omnipotence precludes any possibility of failure. Moreover, God’s immutability does not allow Him to change His mind about giving the gift of salvation:
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Ro 11:29, emphasis added)
The phrase “without repentance” in the verse above simply means that God does not retract His gift once it is given. His immutability simply does not leave any other option. Salvation, then, cannot be described as something that can be “obtained” – or “lost” – by any human being, because . . . salvation is something you are: this identity was established from “before the foundation of the world!” Providing assurance of this is one of the Holy Spirit’s important roles in any believer’s life:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Ro 8:14-16, emphasis added)
If Satan can cause Christians to doubt the verses above . . . to doubt that they “are the children of God” . . . he can render them ineffective in living the Christian life. A spiritual identity crisis – like any other kind of identity crisis – can lead one to question one’s proper role and function in life . . . and to rob the person of hope.
There is no possibility for lasting hope in this life if there is no certainty of heaven in the next! With this assurance however . . . your sense of hope can be positively unshakable.
III. “Fruit” of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Ga 5:22-23, emphasis added)
When the Bible speaks of spiritual “fruit,” it is simply referring to the natural products of a life that is filled and led by the Holy Spirit. Most would say that they would like to see more of this type of “fruit” in their lives, but few seem to understand where it comes from. With the gift of faith comes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit . . . and all-too-rare commodities like “love, “joy” and “peace.” And are these spiritual “fruits” not closely-related to a hope-filled life?
If you become a Christian, the degree to which you allow yourself to be led by the indwelling Holy Spirit will directly impact your spiritual “fruit-bearing.” So the practical advice we gave in the previous section (studying the Word, prayer, church attendance) will facilitate such spiritual “leading” and remain central to maintaining hope for the rest of your life. But let’s be clear: nowhere in the Bible is the Christian promised a trouble-free life. Christians get cancer, have car wrecks, get furloughed from work, suffer marital difficulties, struggle with wayward children – and ultimately get sick and die – just like everyone else.
But here is where the Christian is different: his or her “spiritual eyes and ears” are fixed upon a hope that transcends every conceivable difficulty in this life:
- Through the chemo-therapy session they have the assurances and comfort of the Holy Spirit.
- Through marital difficulties they can take refuge in the power of prayer.
- On their deathbed they can rest in the assurance of eternal life – promised in God’s mighty Word.
This world offers nothing – absolutely NOTHING – that can compare with the hope that God can bring into a human life! If Jesus is what He claimed to be . . . if God’s Word is true . . . then Christians – and Christians alone – are the only people on this Earth with valid cause for lasting hope.
We’re not done just yet . . . we must conclude by asking you some very pointed questions . . . here.