Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, (Philippians 2:12 ESV)
The bible makes it evidently clear that our salvation is something that must be worked out. Salvation never was and still isn't today an injection that you take when you pray a prayer and nothing else has to be done. Salvation is something that must be worked out with fear and trembling. In this blog we together are going to go through the scriptures and we are going to see what the bible says about our salvation and I want you to take serious note, If you profess to be a believer of Jesus Christ, if you profess to walk with God I want you to let the truth and the authority of God's word cut deep into your heart, convict you where you are falling short, show you what you must be doing and speak deeply to you causing change where change needs to take place. The working out of your salvation can often be a painful journey that involves murdering your flesh, putting it under and living holy and pure before a holy and pure God. Sadly this is not something that is spoken about in a lot churches today, because they don't want to offend, lose members or are more interested in fulfilling the desires of your flesh, tickling your ears and having "a stroke the flesh fiasco." Some I can only consider as social gathering. Frankly I personally see it as an insult that we refuse to tackle the issues of sin, and seeking out our salvation because of these fears. Let me clarify, I love you... But some of the things I'm going to say will offend you, make your flesh cringe, you probably won't like me. that's cool. If by me doing this one person who reads, examines themselves in light of scripture, changes there ways that are sinful and ungodly and lives a life honouring to God resulting in a soul saved. I will be overjoyed. I am committed to proclaiming the true Gospel of Jesus Christ regardless of offending you, your reaction and how it makes you feel. Too much of what we hear in church is about how we feel and it sickens me that our flesh take rules over our spirit because of this.
Anyhow.. Let's get into the word. Make sure you have your bible, I want you to meditate, examine and study this for yourself.
I'm going to start in Matthew 7
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV)
Look, If I went into my garden and planted some seeds telling you they were apple seeds. Months later when they had grown you went into my garden and in the very place I had planted the seeds you saw oranges growing what would you say? You wouldn't say "yes, Markus you planted apple seeds, strange how this has happened." You would say "oranges? Clearly you must have planted orange seeds." you would have no issue telling me I was wrong. Why? Because what was produced in the garden was different to what I claimed to have planted. If you plant apple seeds it produces of its kind. So my question... Why when a pastor, preacher, believer, professes Christianity but doesn't produce what the bible says a Christian should produce do you just accept there claims? I'm a believer, I don't read my bible, I don't pray, I don't talk to God, I don't go to church. I live like the devil but I'm a believer. No... Your not! Why I am being so harsh? Markus you don't
know there heart? Yes sir, yes madam I do. There heart is deceitful wicked above all things. (Jeremiah 17:9) oh but Markus your judging them. No sir, no madam. I'm looking at the fruits of what a believer is supposed to produce and there are not producing that. Its my desire to see them honour God and live for God but if they are deceived they will die and go to hell and I nor you helped them by staying quiet. Just as importantly we must check ourselves and examine ourselves in very same light.
So what does the bible say a believers life will look like? Turn with me to the book of 1 John. They is going to be a lot of scripture. I want you to look at every verse and I want you to think, I said I'm a believer, I love God, I honour God. Do I fulfil this scripture am I walking out this verse daily in my life. Be brutally honest with yourself, this is not the time to deceive yourself before God. Not that there is ever a time to deceive yourself before God because there isn't. This is the time to open yourself up and see how your life and your walk lines up with scripture, I have and will continue to do the very same with own life as I realise and take seriously the importance of me seeking my own salvation.
Scriptures from 1 John
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:5-8 ESV)
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light., and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (1 John 1:5, 6 ESV)
Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:4-6 ESV)
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:9-11 ESV)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. (1 John 2:28, 29 ESV)
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:2, 3 ESV)
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:4-10 ESV)
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:14, 15 ESV)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6 ESV)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7, 8 ESV)
If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:20, 21 ESV)
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:18, 20, 21 ESV)
After reading these scripture, this gave me some real clear evidence or assurance of what a believer who is truly saved life will look like. Some of the things said in the word here didn't stop to take into account your flesh. If you continue sinning you are a child of satan, if you love the world and the things of the world the love of the father was NEVER in you. Brothers and sisters, if God has really done a work in your heart, this will convict you, challenge you, it may upset you, murder your flesh. But it IS the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ. You must continually examine yourself inline with these truth in word of God with fear and trembling. I pray that as you have seen these truths you will conform your life to them. You will realise the seriousness of sin and you will hate sin like God hates it and you will be full committed to doing all it takes to honour God as a follower of Christ. Family, we have much to do.
If I can be of assistance in anyway on your journey, accountability, prayers, someone to talk too. You want to discuss in more detail or have any questions please email me at rhemamarkus@gmail.com I am your brother in Christ and lets be there for each other as we walk out this journey of growing in intimacy with God, living pure and holy honouring him in all actions.
A quick shout out to my brother Eric Craven, Bro I am encouraged by you and all you are doing. Thank you for your words of encouragement and conviction. Much love #PurityOverLust
I love you all very much. Let's uphold these truths in our lives.
Markus.
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